Page 68 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
A proud grin slowly tugs at Lauren’s lips, and her hunched shoulders sink as the worry leaves her.
“And I’ve been really looking forward to this,” I add, eyes darting around the town square. Most of the stands are built and ready for the fair. There’s barely a square foot without a pumpkin on it.
“We still have a bunch of garlands and knickknacks we need to put up. And all of this—” I make a vague gesture around us. “It’s coming together so nicely,” I point out with a pout, then lowermy voice. “I had such a fun time before he opened his mouth.”
“I’m coming with you later though,” he decides and gets up, extending his hand to pull me to a stand.
His voice lowers as he keeps me close to him, his hand snaking from my waist to the small of my back, like it belongs there. It’s a movement already so deeply ingrained in his mind, he probably can’t help himself.
“The threats might’ve been empty, but the fact he’s bold enough to say them worries me,” he mumbles, and I nod. Is he reading my mind?
Lauren gets closer, talking in a hushed voice as well, her eyes darting around, fearing Jay might jump out from behind one of the pumpkins.
“I’ve already sent the recording to Erik and you. Make sure to forward it to your lawyer as soon as you can, all right?”
“Will do,” I say with a small, sad smile. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank you enough, Lauren.”
“Oh, please,” she waves it off like it’s nothing.
But I mean it.
“No, seriously.” I slip out of Henry’s half-hug and grab her gently by the arm.
“You’re saving my butt here. Just take the compliment.”
“Well, in that case, please keep them coming by all means,” she quips, and the joke lifts the mood, just a little. “Now come on. We’ve still got a mountain of garlands to hang.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell Henry later in the peaceful quiet of my living room, limbs tangled as we cuddle under a warm blanket
Hemade good on his promise. After making a quick stop at his house to load up on clothes and dog necessities, he drove right over to my place, arriving at the exact same time as the pizza he ordered for us. The empty boxes are on the coffee table, with Pumpkin cuddled up on one of them. It must have still been warm when I put it there.
“What are you sorry for, sweetheart?”
His hand is absentmindedly drawing patterns over my shoulder, sending a tingle all over my skin. I could stay here forever. With my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, Cinnamon curled up in my lap, and Jensen Ackles asleep on the couch next to Henry.
Chaos is somewhere on the couch pillow behind my neck, finding her spot halfway on my shoulder and halfway on the back of the couch. Her soft purr vibrates against my shoulder.
The silence is only broken by an old cartoon softly playing on my TV. I stopped paying attention to it a while ago, though, my thoughts somewhere else entirely.
“I bring trouble wherever I go,” I explain in a low voice, distractedly playing with his fingers, gently tracing them with my fingertips before interlacing them with mine.
“I mean, first Chaos died. Then I got my ex and sister to ruin the whole town’s mood. I’m just …” I exhale a deep sigh and close my eyes. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
He presses a kiss against my temple and pulls me tighter against him.
“I don’t care,” he whispers into my ear and squeezes me to him. “I mean, I probably would care if the trouble you brought with yourself was … I don’t know, a biker gang out to get you. Or the Mafia, trying to marry you off to their boss. Or clowns. I hate clowns.” He quirks an eyebrow at me. “I’d still protect you from them, but I’d probably scream louder than a five-year-old-girl in a haunted house.”
My lips curl into the faintest smile.
“But this?” He shakes his head. “You had an error of judgment. It can happen to anyone,” he assures me. “I’ve had my fair share of those too. Why do you think I chose to work with animals?”
“Really?” I glance up at him curiously. “That’s hard to imagine.” He’s so … put together. He’s got a handle on his life; an old soul, wise way beyond his years, the one you go to when you need advice from anactualadult.
“Really,” he reiterates and takes a deep breath. “I used to have a buddy in college, Ryan. We became best friends in the first week of high school and grew up together. Naturally, when we ended up at the same university, we decided to rent a flat together. Worst mistake of my life.”
I glance at him, curiosity eating me from the inside, but I wait for him to continue.
“He almost got us kicked out of the flat several times, because he spent the money I gave him for rent. Then, one day, he got caught with drugs in his car and tried to blame me.”
