Page 57 of Power Play Pursuit

He laughs, cocking his head. “Aw, don’t be like that, Elizabeth. There’s space in my heart for all the Bowen women.”

I shake my head again, but this whole exchange—and his last words—trigger a tsunami in my chest. No matter how hard I try not to fall for James Adler, I’m losing the battle, one flirty remark at a time, and it scares me to death. Okay. I know we’re supposed to embrace death, with today being Halloween and all. But if I’m being honest, I don’t know if I can handle this new development.

The staff at the Golden Age Nursing Home weren’t kidding when they said they were throwing the residents a Halloween party. The entire common area is decorated with fake spider webs, glowing jack-o-lanterns, ghosts hanging from the chandeliers, and paper bats fluttering from the ceiling. All the chairs have been lined up to form a makeshift runway down the center of the room, and there’s a judging table at the end with three seats. They also put on spooky ambiance music and prepared some tasty snacks with sugar-free options in the mix.

“Grandma,” I call out when wespot her and her friends in the corner. She’s wearing a witch costume inspired byWicked,and she looks amazing.

“There you are!” she says, turning around and hugging both of us in turn. “You look great.”

“So do you, Lois!” James says before hugging the other members of her friend group.

Martha is wearing a spooky fortune teller costume, Esther is a vampire, and Bill is a pretty convincing Albert Einstein.

We compliment them on their costumes, then chat for a bit before one of the nurses approaches James to tell him they’re ready to start the contest soon.

“On it,” he says, waggling his eyebrows at us before following after her.

“Oh, I’m excited,” Martha says, shaking her fake crystal ball.

Soon enough, the nurses gather all the contestants while the rest of us sit down to watch. There’s a saved seat with my name on it in the first row, right next to Martha’s daughter and Bill’s son and grandchildren.

As we’re taking our seats, James appears on the runway, howling into a microphone and waving at the residents and their families. He taps the mic, grinning like he’s about to address an auditorium packed with fans. “Welcome, ladies and ghouls, to the first annual Golden Age Halloween Spectacular!” He bows, winking at me, and I join the applause.

“We’re all full of tricks, but we have a very special treat for you. The best Golden Age models have teamed up to offer you the spookiest Halloween fashion show of the season. Are you ready?”

“Yeah!” the crowd shouts back, some a bit weaker than others.

“All right. Before we start, give it up for Maddie, Carlos, and Lea, our wonderful and fair judges.”

The nurses stand up, waving at everyone with a warm smile as the crowd applauds.

“Without further ado, let’s get started!”

Upbeat music blasts on the speakers, taking me by surprise. I assumed it was going to be a little more low-key. Martha takes the stage first, strutting down the runway faster than I expected, delicate scarves fluttering around her as she shakes her crystal ball and holds it aloft.

“Ladies and gentlemen, witness Madame Martha, diviner of fortunes—and the only one here who knows where you misplaced those missing dentures.”

Martha grins, waving a hand theatrically over her crystal ball in front of the judges before leaving the runway at the end. After the contestants walk it once, they take their seats next to the judges.

“And here comes Esther, the blood-sucking beauty of Shady Pines!” James announces as Esther shuffles onto the runway at a slower pace, her velvet vampire cloak billowing behind her. “Hide your necks, folks—she’s on the prowl for her next victim.”

The crowd laughs, and Esther bares a set of plastic fangs in a surprisingly menacing hiss. James throws me a surprised look, and I can’t help but chuckle along.

Bill is up next, wearing an Einstein wig that’s barely attached and a scowl that would make the real Albert proud.

“And now, presenting Bill, the smartest man in the room, who also happens to think the microwave is haunted!” James winks as the crowd cracks up. Bill gives him a dismissive wave, gripping a large chalkboard with E=mc² scrawled in wobbly chalk. He shows off the board and does a little dance, causing his wig to fall off, but he walks away without noticing.

“Oh! A demonstration in gravity!” James quips, not missing a beat, and everyone laughs. I stand up to retrieve the wig and give it back to Bill. He just laughs, waving at the crowd again.

“Oh, looks like we have a surprise contestant. Little Red Riding Hood,” he says, shooting me a grin. I give a small wave, probably as red as my costumeby now. “The only woman who’s brave enough to come near the big bad wolf,” he adds in a low growl, waving his claws, and I give him a pointed look. “How can anyone resist her? She’s devastating.”

Our gazes lock, and I’m trapped in his cobalt eyes. Until I remember we’re both standing in the middle of a nursing home runway, frozen in front of a crowd of spectators. I quickly return to my spot, blushing even harder than before.

James clears his throat loudly. “All right, let’s move on to our next contestant.”

Janice struts onto the runway dressed as a classic film star, complete with a black-and-white feathered dress, long satin gloves, and still not a wrinkle in sight. I sneak a glance at Grandma, who’s up next, and her eyes narrow at Janice.

“And now, Janice as . . . Hollywood Glamour! Or perhaps an undercover agent?” James raises an eyebrow, as if he, too, senses something fishy. “We’ll have to check her ID later to see if she’s old enough to be here.”

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