Page 26 of Halloween in Sleepy Hollow
She was brought over by the parents holding the party she was at—her first boy-girl party, that is—about an hour ago. As soon as Laila spotted Thea, she sprinted over and flung her arms around her. In a voice wobbly with tears, Laila said, “The party was good. But I missed you guys. Maybe next year we can stay home and spend Halloween together instead?”
A lot can happen in a year, of course. By then, Laila will be thirteen. She might decide staying home with herparents for Halloween isn’t cool. She might even have a boyfriend, much to poor Ben’s dismay.
Or she might remember tonight, when her stepmom—no, her mom in all the ways that count—had another brush with danger.
Ben told Laila what happened, drawing her aside to gently explain the basics of it. Not the part about the sacrificial ritual, but that there was a sick man who was trying to hurt some women, and Thea, Ari, and Shea got involved when they tried to help.
Elias didn’t need an explanation, of course. When Grant brought him to the station—Scarlett was already home with the twins—Elias launched himself at Thea, announcing loudly, “I peed on the big boy potty, Mom. Are you proud of me?”
I didn’t miss the sheen of tears in Thea’s eyes as she hugged him. “I’m so proud of you, Eli. So proud.”
Cash and Ari didn’t tell Winnie all of it either. They explained that Ari went with Aunt Thea and Shea to help someone and they got lost. Winnie stared at Ari with a very serious look on her little face before replying, “Next time I’ll go with you. And we’ll bring a compass. So you don’t get lost again.”
Just the thought of the touching moment brings a lump to my throat. My nose prickles.
“Shea?” Oliver touches my cheek. His worry is a visible thing. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He takes my wrist and pushes the sleeve up to inspect it. “Do you want me to get you some ice?”
I glance at the slight redness ringed around my wrist. “No, it’s fine. I was just thinking about Winnie, Elias andLaila. And how sweet they were when they saw Ari and Thea.”
“Yeah.” He gives me a slight smile. “That was nice, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” Scanning the waiting room again, I add, “And it’s nice how everyone came, even if they didn’t have to. Just to give their support.”
Because the people involved aren’t the only ones here. As soon as news got out about what happened, all our friends converged on the station. Jess and Rose came right away of course, along with Eloise and Dave from the fire station, Willow and Ryan from the Ambulance Corps, Penny from the library, and Dallas, Oliver’s friend from high school and new transplant to Sleepy Hollow. Maya is home with the kids, but Rylan’s wife, Charlie, came too, along with Leo’s wife, Georgia. Even quirky Mrs. Plimpton showed up with a giant platter of cookies in hand,just in case anyone was feeling peckish, as she explained.
Seeing everyone here reminds me of how much I love Sleepy Hollow and how glad I am that I moved here. It’s more than just a town. And my friends are more than that. Sleepy Hollow is home. And my friends are family.
“Okay,” Mike Troy announces as he walks into the waiting room. “Looks like we’re done for the night. Mr. Monroe isn’t going anywhere. We’ll be holding him until the arraignment. And I just spoke with the judge. He won’t be posting bail.”
“Is it safe?” Cash asks. His gaze flickers to Winnie, who’s still asleep on his lap. “Do we need to worry about…”
It’s clear he doesn’t want to say it, not with the kids here.
Mike catches on immediately and gives Cash a quick nod. “As far as we can tell, he was acting on his own. It couldn’t hurt to exercise some extra caution until we’ve had more time to investigate, but?—”
“Oh, we will,” Oliver interrupts. “Trustme.”
Most of the people in the room chuckle, knowing how protective Oliver can be.
“Okay,” Ben says. He stands and takes Elias from Thea, then reaches out his hand to help her up. Laila moves back to Thea’s side and clutches her hand again. “We’re heading home, then. It’s long past time for bed.”
As Cash rises from his seat with Winnie still in his arms, Ari says, “I was thinking, since things got messed up for the kids. If you want to come over tomorrow night for a belated Halloween celebration, we can do movies and candy and popcorn.” She pauses. “And some special drinks for the adults,” she adds, with an emphasis on special. “I sure knowIcould use one.”
“Count us in,” Grant says.
Ian nods. “We’ll be there.”
By the time everyone in the room responds, at least twelve people have agreed to go, Oliver and myself included. And despite the craziness of this Halloween, I’m very much looking forward to a second celebration. Though hopefully, a much less eventful one.
Once we all say our goodbyes, along with tearful hugs and ardent thanks, Oliver loops his arm around my waist and tucks me against him as we head out to the parking lot. “We don’t have to go,” he says quietly. “If you’re not feeling up to it, I can tell Cash we’re staying home.”
“No, I want to go. It’ll be fun.” I cast a small smile in his direction. “Plus, you know Cash and Ari’s place is safe. So you won’t have to worry.”
Oliver clicks the keyfob to unlock the car, then says, “I’m not worried about the safety of Cash’s place. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine. Really. My wrists are a little sore, but that’s all.”
He goes quiet as he opens the passenger door for me and closes it securely behind me. Then he gets into the driver’s seat and turns on the ignition. “You’ve been tired the last few days, Shea. And with everything that happened tonight…” He shifts the car into drive and backs out of the parking spot. “Stress can take a toll on your body. I don’t want you pushing yourself too much.”
