Page 20 of Promises & Pumpkins
“Are you sure?” He looked unsure about it, standing up from his squat and putting his hand on the top of her head. I nodded.
“Yeah, it could be fun.” I reached out and fixed Maddie’s crown, shrugging a single shoulder. “What do you think, Maddie?”
It took her just a second before she started to nod quickly. “Yeah!” she yelled. “Harper can trick-or-treat with me!”
Miles looked at me, down to Maddie, and back, then he paused. I counted his breaths—three full breaths before he responded. “You really don’t mind?”
“Not at all. Maybe it will even be fun.” I smiled at him when Maddie wrapped her arm around my leg. “Plus, I could really go for a Snickers. And I haven’t gotten one yet.”
His smile made my chest swell with a warning. “You girls have fun.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me to him and kissing me so I still felt his lips when he pulled away. “You behave and listen to Harper, okay?”
Maddie nodded, agreeing and grabbing my hand. “Now let’s go!” she demanded. “We don’t want them to run out of candy!”
“I don’t think anyone is going to run out of candy,” I said, following her anyway. Before we were too far, I looked over myshoulder and smiled. “We’ll be fine,” I mouthed to him silently, nodding so he knew he could go.
“But what if theydo?”Maddie interrupted my silent conversation, tugging harder. “Come on.” I laughed when she dragged the word out until she ran out of breath.
“Okay, okay. I’m coming,” I said, closing my hand around hers and catching up to her tiny stride. “Let’s go get some more candy.”
Chapter 16
Miles
“What a night,” I groaned, kicking my shoes off just inside the front door. It was dark in the living room, but a light glowing down the hallway illuminated parts of Maddie’s princess costume and empty candy wrappers strewn across the table. I chuckled, shakingmy head. I could only imagine what Maddie said to Harper to convince her to let her eat so much candy.
When I got closer to the couch, I heard quiet breathing, and when I peeked over the side, my chest squeezed. Harper was lying on the couch with a plastic stethoscope draped across her chest and Maddie tucked soundly under her arm. A gentle smile stretched across Maddie’s cheeks, and she took a deep breath, rolling closer to Harper and nuzzling her head against her chest. When Harper’s arm wrapped around Maddie, I sighed.
“You should see your daughter,” I thought to myself, looking at the picture frame above the fireplace that held a picture of Maddie and Miranda a few months before Miranda died. “She looks just like you. And she’s getting so brave. She didn’t want her nightlight last night.” A tear rolled down my cheek, and I wiped it away, staring at Harper with my daughter in her arms. “I think we’re going to be okay, and we’ll always love you.”
I swallowed the sting of guilt and leaned over the couch, slipping my arms under Maddie and lifting her gently. While I did, I held my breath, hoping not to wake either of them up. I straightened my back, and Maddie folded against me when I started to walk toward her room. Each step was quiet but risked waking her up. Judging by the wrappers, the amount of sugar she’d consumed wouldn’t let her get back to sleep very quickly if she did.
In her room, I flicked on the nightlight she depended on to keep monsters away and then turned to her bed, draping her gently over the blankets. Maddie found comfort in the soft glow—she had ever since her mother died. As soon as it was on and her head hit the pillow, she hummed, burying her face into it. I exhaled a sigh of relief when she didn’t wake up.
“Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.” I pulled her blankets around her and handed her the stuffed bear she subconsciously reached out for. Then my hand hovered over the nightlight, but Ileft it off, smiling when she didn’t stir. “I love you,” I whispered, kissing her forehead.
Then I just stared at her, memorizing the way the moon cast shadows over her curls. Each breath she took was followed by a quiet hum that worked my heart like a puppet. After I was completely sure she wasn’t going to wake up, I left her room, gently tugging the door shut behind me.
Harper was still sound asleep on the couch when I got back to the living room. She hugged her own chest where Maddie had been lying, and the stethoscope was still perched across her. Loose strands of hair were splayed over her cheeks and when she breathed, her chest rose and fell in soft, even movements. I tucked her hair behind her ear, surprised when it didn’t wake her up.
A small twinge of guilt reappeared when she adjusted and the light fell over her lips. It felt right having her here, even if it felt so wrong not to have Miranda. Harper was different—she made me feel like I was getting a fresh start at life in the form of the ballet teacher next door.
“Let’s go to bed,” I whispered, too quietly to wake her. I scooped her into my arms, cradling her against my body and inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo and the hint of candy on her breath. I chuckled.
Harper’s head rolled onto my shoulder, and her body was limp in my arms while I carried her. The last time I had imagined carrying her back to my bed, she was awake and eager. Now I couldn’t imagine losing the serene calm that detailed her features.
Putting her on the bed made my stomach stir. She curled against the pillow, and I rounded the bed quickly, hitting the switch on the lamp to turn it off before I climbed onto the opposite side of the mattress. In the dark, I could still see the gentleness on her face and the lips I had been thinking of fordays. I wrapped my arm around her, feeling comfort instead of arousal when I pulled her body to mine. Arousal was the furthest thing from what I felt.
I had this woman in my bed again, and all I wanted was to feel her in my arms. When I nuzzled my nose against her neck, leaving a kiss on the sensitive soft spot where her shoulder met her neck, she hummed and snuggled against me. “I don’t know how to do this,” I admitted, closing my eyes while the butterflies in my stomach tied ropes around my chest. “It’s been a long time since I’ve fallen for someone, and I fell so hard for you that you’re making it hard for me to get back up.”
When she hummed, I felt the vibration in her throat against my lips.I’m really not the dating type.
I was done for.
Chapter 17
Harper
“Oh good. You’re awake,” Miles said, walking into his bedroom. I pulled the blanket up over me, realizing I was still half in my costume from the night before. “Good morning.”
