Page 29 of A Hot Sauce Halloween

Eight

Anna

Jakeand I walk into Ryan’s House hand-in-hand. I’m partially surprised we were even able to make it out here at all. He hasn’t been able to keep his hands off me since I told him the news. I predict he’s going to be one of those overprotective new daddies but I don’t mind one bit.

Evey leads the group in a round of applause as we come near the bar. Vincent and Tommy join in and even I let go to give Jake a much-deserved clap.

“Happy Halloween, Jake!” they say.

“Ha-ha,” he says. “Yes, Anna got me pretty good.”

We sit down on two empty barstools at the counter.

Evey grins. “So, what’d she do to you?” she asks him. “I’ve been dying to find out…”

Jake lets out a hard sigh. “She invented a serial killer, made me believe he existed for a month, and then pretended to be one of his victims. I found her on our couch with her throat slashed open.”

She waves a hand. “Oh, that’s nothing. My first year in the family, she pretended to hang herself in the back. Rigged up a harness and everything. Scared the bejesus out of me! I wouldn’t go back there again for weeks.”

Jake turns to me. “Really?”

I shrug. “It was hilarious!”

“You’re insane.”

I flash a wink. “You like it.”

He wraps an arm around me and pulls me in to kiss my head. “God help me, I do.”

“Nah, man. The year after that,” Tommy says, “she hid in the back of my truck for three hours just to leap out and scare me.”

I chuckle. “The police department got nine calls about a woman screaming.”

Jake laughs. “Wow… I had no idea,” he says, gazing at me. “You seemed so normal.”

Vincent sets a fresh pint of beer down in front of Jake. “Buckle-up, man. She’s just getting started.”

Jake raises the glass. “Noted.”

My brother shows a small smile just for me before turning around and carrying a bin of dirty glasses into the back.

I slide off my stool and squeeze Jake’s shoulder. “Be right back,” I say before following Vincent.

He abandons the dishes as soon as I walk in and turns around with his arms crossed over his chest. “So, he took it in stride, huh?” he asks.

I nod. “He did.”

“Well, I’ll give him some credit. Not a lot of guys would put up with that kind of crazy.”

I laugh. “Or show up in a giant taco costume just to make their daughter happy.”

Vincent smiles. “They do look cute together.”

“So…” I step forward to stand in front of him. “Does that mean you’re gonna cut him some slack? You said you would…”

He takes a deep breath and holds it in for a long moment before letting it back out. “Okay.”

“Okay?” I repeat.

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