“Let’s go.” I grab my keys from the counter and open the back door. The clouds have cleared, and the stars light up the night sky. The brine of the ocean carries in the breeze and I follow Kira to the passenger side of the vehicle and open her door. “I have no idea how I’m supposed to drive in this.” I circle the car, and with great effort, climb into the driver’s seat. “Next time I pick the costumes,” I grumble.
“There won’t be a next time. I won’t be here next Halloween, remember?”
I nod at the reminder, a bit grateful for it. A woman like Kira can make me forget my bigger purpose here, and that there can never be more between us.
Her hand touches mine. “Thanks for doing this for me. I think it’s going to be fun.”
My heart softens. Great, now my insides are melting like a damn grilled cheese.
“You owe me one,” I say.
“I owe you more than one. I’m indebted to you, remember,” she says and reaches for her seat belt. I start my truck and head to the McMurtry’s. Beside me, Kira is shivering. She’s always shivering, so I jack the heat.
“Thanks,” she says through chattering teeth.
“You’re definitely not cut out for the cold, are you?” She shakes her head and hugs herself. “It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow. Which is good for the kids who are going trick or treating.”
I drive through the streets and pull up in front of Albert’s place. There are numerous cars in the driveway, and I pray to fuck, I’m not the only one dressed in a ridiculous costume. I park on the curb, and Kira is climbing from her side of the cab when I reach her. A wave of unease moves over her face.
“You okay?”
“I’m not that great at small talk.”
“Really, could have fooled me.”
“It’s just that… I’m comfortable with you and the guys now. New people I have a hard time with. My work is my life, and what I usually talk about, and no one wants to hear about that.”
“You need to get out more,” I tease, but who am I to talk. Work here has been my life, too. Or at least it had been until Kira showed up.
“True.”
“Talk about Gram’s painting. You hit it off with Amber and had lots to talk about. But something tells me Gram is going to steal the show tonight anyway.”
She blinks up at me, her eyes watering from the wind. “You think?”
I shrug. “Sure. You’re her granddaughter. People are going to want to share stories with you.”
“I like that idea.” She reaches for my hand, gives it a little squeeze. “Thank you.”
She picks up the pace, and my gut twists in this odd little way from her touch, her sweet smile of gratitude. We reach the door, and I knock. Amber, dressed as a Crayola crayon, opens it, and shrieks when she sees us.
“You two are adorable,” she says and waves us in.
“Adorable,” I grumble. “No one called me adorable when I dressed as the Hulk.”
Kira laughs and glances at Amber. “You look so cute.” Amber waves a few of her friends over, and they’re all dressed up as crayons. Some man dressed as a lobster comes into the kitchen and grabs a beer. He cracks it open, and that’s when I realize it’s Jeremy from Albert’s boat.
“Nate,” he says, lifting his beer.
“Jeremy,” I say, and then introduce Kira.
After the introduction, Amber chuckles. “He’s Jenny’s lobster.”
Kira laughs. “You must be watching Friends,” she says, and my gaze goes back and forth between the two of them, having no idea what they’re talking about.
“Yeah, we’re binge-watching it on Netflix,” Amber says.
Kira turns to me. “As you know, lobsters don’t actually mate for life. But on the TV series Friends, when Rachel and Ross get back together, Phoebe says, ‘See? He’s her lobster.’ It was adorable and insinuated that lobsters mate for life. It’s become a