Page 42 of New Hope

A big pot of something that smelled like Italian herbs and spices sat on top of the stove and I could see their dinner dishes soaking in the sink. The girls’ backpacks had been tossed on the floor after school, their shoes kicked off beside them. They were already dressed in their costumes of shimmery pink ballgowns, seafoam green butterfly wings, and headbands with little black cat ears on them.

To anyone else, it may have seemed like a chaotic mess, but for me, it was Heaven. It was every dream I’d ever had for my future and everything I’d always been too afraid to hope for. And smack dab in the middle of it all was Ford, sitting at the table with a palette of face paints in front of him and a small paintbrush in his hand. He gently cupped my daughter’s chin in his hand as he painted delicate lines along her cheeks to serve as whiskers. I tried to warn myself not to get carried away, but it was too late. I was already in love. Not only with this incredible man, but Ellie too.

He looked up right then, his eyes lighting and a happy grin spreading across his cheeks when he saw me leaning against the doorway. That look made my heart do little twisty-swooping motions behind my ribcage. I smiled back. “Sorry I’m late.” Ford waved off my apology.

“Daddy!” Hannah squealed as she turned around. She gave me a hug, careful not to smudge the paint on her cheeks then she and Ellie showed me their costumes, spinning around in circles so their skirts twirled in the air.

“You two are definitely the best princess-kitten-butterflies I’ve ever seen. But you look so much alike, I’m having trouble telling which of you is Hannah and which of you is Ellie.”

Ellie giggled. “That’s because we’re twins.”

I smacked my forehead dramatically. “Oh, that’s right. I must have forgotten. Well, if you’re twins then it only makes sense that you should have matching candy buckets.” Their smiles grew as I whipped out the two containers from behind my back, each in the shape of a black cat with a long tail, curled to serve as a handle.

I winced as two earsplitting shrieks filled the room and then they scampered off to Ellie’s room, talking about how much candy it would take to fill the buckets. I shook my head, laughing as I turned my attention to Ford. He stood up as I neared and I tugged him in for a gentle, yet lingering kiss.

“Are you hungry? I made homemade spaghetti and meatballs. We already ate, but I have plenty left over. I can fix you a plate.”

“Mmm. I’d rather fill up on more kisses, but I suppose I’d better wait. No telling when our little Halloween Hybrids might return,” I joked.

Ford laughed. “Come on, let’s get you fed. They’re already chomping at the bit to get out there. I told them trick or treat doesn’t start until six o’clock, but of course, time means nothing when you’re a kid and there’s gobs of candy involved.”

With another quick peck on the lips, he started toward the stove, but I stopped him. “You’ve done enough already. I’ll fix my own plate. Why don’t you sit down instead and tell me about your day while I eat?”

So, he did. I ate my delicious dinner and listened to his stories about the shenanigans they’d gotten up to at work in celebration of the holiday. Mike had successfully managed to scare both Ben and Layla by hiding and jumping out at them throughout the day. Layla had retaliated by having her tech wiz of a husband load a special Halloween screen onto Mike’s computer while he was out on patrol. Mike returned later to type up a report, but as soon as he downloaded the file, a ghost popped up on the screen screaming and howling, and nearly knocking Mike backwards out of his chair. I laughed as I pictured the big guy shaking from head to toe.

“Sounds like you had a fun day.”

Ford smiled. “I did. It’s nice not dealing with so much tension at work, actually liking the people I work with, joking around with them.”

I slid my hand across the table, lacing my fingers with his. “I’m glad you’re happy here.”

“I am. But there’s something else in town that makes me happier than my job.” His thumb rubbed circles over my skin, sending chills up and down my spine.

I leaned in, lowering my voice. “And would that something have anything to do with a certain doctor?”

Ford leaned in too. “It does,” he whispered. “He’s the one that introduced me to them.”

I jerked back in my seat. “What?”

He nodded. “It’s true. Nothing makes me happier than the burgers at Kylie’s Diner. Oh, man. The way they melt in your mouth. And all that cheese—" His words turned into howls of laughter as I jumped up and started tickling him. Apparently, my man was very ticklish, and I worked hard to find all the spots that made him squirm. My man. I like the sound of that.

We worked together, quickly cleaning the kitchen and putting the leftovers in the fridge. When we were finished, he went to his room to change into his costume while I slipped inside the bathroom to pull mine on. I stared at my reflection when I was done. I didn’t look anywhere near as good in my fake police uniform as Ford did in his real one, but it fit well and showed off some of my better attributes like my trim stomach and the tight curve of my butt. It wasn’t anything too sexy since we had our girls with us, but I still hoped it was enough to drive Ford wild.

Ford tapped on the door. “You ready?”

“Yeah. Come on in.”

He slipped inside and shut the door behind him before he turned to me. We both gaped at each other, him at my cop uniform and me at him wearing a set of dark blue doctor’s scrubs, a stethoscope hanging around his neck. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh over the fact that we’d had the same idea about dressing as the other or grab him by the stethoscope and pull him in for the dirtiest kiss ever.

Ford made the decision for me, taking two steps forward and pinning me between the bathroom sink and his rock-hard body. I ran my hands over his firm pecs. “Holy shit! None of the guys in med school ever looked like that.”

Ford drew in a shaky breath. “I can’t even think right now. I just keep picturing you and me playing doctor or all the things I’d like to do to you using a pair of handcuffs.”

“Yes, please. All of that.” The back of my head hit the medicine cabinet with a thud as he took me in a blistering kiss that left fire racing through my veins.

I reached between us, cupping him in my hand and rubbing it over his length. He moaned into my mouth, and I swallowed it down, welcoming any part of him inside my body. I’d been trying to take things slow, letting him take the lead on our physical activities, and I was fine with that. This was new for him, and I wanted him to feel comfortable before we took that final step, but dear Lord, was I ready.

Ford’s hands moved down, cupping my ass, and lifting me up onto the sink. I whimpered as his tongue delved into my mouth again, the taste of his desire flooding my senses and making my head swim with lust. I pawed at the front of his pants, frustrated with the amount of material between us. Where was the string? Scrub pants usually had a string.

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