Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,122

“I do!”

“Me too. And I love your dress.”

“Come on, Jessica,” the princess’s mother called.

“I have to go! Bye!” The little girl waved and ran off to join her family.

Tabitha watched them go and was suddenly struck with a sense of longing. What if she and Zevris had a little girl? A girl with long black hair, bright blue eyes, and an adorable little smile. Or a boy who was an exact replica of Zevris?

She turned her face toward Zevris to find him still talking with Hank. As though sensing Tabitha’s gaze, he glanced at her and sent her a smile that made her heart flutter and her breath quicken.

A few more people stopped by to browse, sniffing soaps and candles, picking up various woodworks and commenting on the beautiful designs carved into them. Tabitha and Zevris made a couple more sales before deciding it was time to start packing up.

She couldn’t wait to get home. After three days of working the booth and long hours of standing, her feet were killing her. She was also starving and wanted to hit one of the food trucks and maybe snag a bag of cotton candy before the fair closed.

Based on Zevris’s speed in getting everything put away in their boxes and containers, Tabitha guessed he was in a hurry to get going, too. Though he was more likely to skip right to dessert…

“Do we have everything packed?” Zevris asked as he placed a wooden tray in a box.

Tabitha cast another glance around the booth. The tables were bare, and she didn’t see anything on the grass beneath them. All that remained was the empty stack of plastic tubs that had been full of soaps and candles at the start of the fair. Only one full bin remained. “I think so.”

Zevris stacked the boxes and tubs together, managing to fit all of it on the dolly; it had taken them several loads to haul all their stuff to the booth on the first day. She and Nan had always done pretty well at these fairs, but sales over the last three days had exceeded all her expectations.

Tabitha folded up the tablecloths, stuffed them in one of the bins, and waved to Hank, who was packing his own wares. “Bye, Hank! See you next year!”

He raised his hand to wave back. “It was good to see you, Tabby. Miss your grandmother. Angie was a good lady.”

“She was the best,” Tabitha said with a smile. She held back the tears despite the sting in her eyes. It had been wonderful to see so many return customers from years past, many of whom had said kind things about Nan. Of course, she’d seen several of them last year, too, but it had been a little harder to take with Nan’s passing being so fresh at the time. Tabby was just happy her grandmother had been so loved.

She joined Zevris, walking alongside him back toward the truck. At her guidance, they took a detour down the fair food street, where you could find just about any food in its deep-fried form, along with countless other treats.

One of the first trailers they came to was selling a variety of sweets—cookies, deep-fried candy bars, candied apples, caramel popcorn, and beyond. Tabitha bought the big bag of pink cotton candy she’d been craving.

She opened the bag, pinched the top of the pink fluff, and pulled out a large piece. She brought it to her mouth, biting off a small portion. The sugary cotton melted on her tongue. “Mmm. I haven’t had this stuff in years.”

Zevris stared at the cotton candy she held with a lip curled. “This looks like the insulation installed in walls and attics. What is it made of?”

“Pure sugary deliciousness. Here.” She held the candy up to his mouth. “Try some.”

He eyed her with open skepticism for a moment before leaning his head forward. He caught a little piece between his teeth and tore it off, his tongue slipping out briefly to draw the candy inside. Immediately his brows went up.

“Good, huh?” she asked with a grin.

Before she could even guess what he meant to do, he snatched the bag from her.

“Hey!” She laughed and made a grab for it. “No hogging it!”

Grinning himself, he held the bag out of her reach. “You have plenty right there. This is my share.”

Tabitha lowered her arm and stepped back. “Fine. Enjoy your…dessert.” She popped the cotton candy stuck to her fingers in her mouth, licked them clean, then turned