Page 115 of A Little Luck

“Trick or Treat, Uncle Adam!” Pinky stomps up to the front door waving a wand and holding her best friend’s hand.

“Oh my goodness!” Piper coos, totally out of character. “Are you… Ariel?”

“She’s my favorite princess.” Alex’s daughter nods, tilting her head to the side. “Who are you?”

“I… ah…” Piper looks down at her black turtleneck and brown pants. “I’m the reporter lady fromScream3.”

My niece frowns. “I can’t watch that movie. It’s for grown-ups.” She looks at me and shakes her little pink head as if she’s disappointed in my lack of a costume.

I only laugh. “I’ve got full-sized candy bars for you. How’s that?”

Crimson bounces on her toes. “Thank you, Coach Adam!”

I don’t give her two candy bars like I want to. I give them each one, and Pinky steps forward to hug me. “It’s okay, Uncle Adam. You can dress up next year.”

“Thanks, Pink.”

They trot off, and I look at Piper. She snorts a laugh, but we don’t have time to discuss it. We’re mobbed for the next two hours by ravenous little ghouls. When we finally run out of candy, I switch off the lights and close the front door.

“Who knew there were so many little kids in this town?”

“I think they come from all around.” She leans closer, putting her hand beside her mouth. “They heard somebody gives out full-sized candy bars.”

“Didn’t you always want that as a kid?” I shrug. “I did.”

The boys come charging in through the back door yelling. “Uncle Aiden gave us eyeball lollipops! Look!” Ryan holds up a cat’s eye on a stick.

Piper recoils. “That is disgusting. Looks like something Britt would come up with.”

“Ms. Belle made monster Rice Krispie Treats.” Owen pulls out a green square with one eye. “She said they’re safe because she doesn’t have time to put pins and needles in her snacks.”

“Lovely,” Piper mutters under her breath. “Oh, what’s this?”

“Gran made us caramel pretzel bites, but she said it’s special just for us,” Owen explains, taking out the bags of white chocolate-dipped caramel pretzels.

“These look amazing.” I turn the bag in my hand. “Why didn’t she make these for us?”

“You’re not a grandkid.” Piper elbows me in the side.

“We should have a candy tax on these.”

Piper leans down, making big eyes. “Sounds like you’d better run! Take all the candy to your room.”

They yell and take off running with their pillowcases full of candy to Ryan’s new bedroom.

“You think that’s a good idea?” I squint, watching them go. “The one time Mom let me keep my Halloween bag in my room, I ate so much candy I barfed.”

“Did you learn anything?” Her lips twist, and she looks up at me.

“Only about eating too much chocolate.”

“Sounds like a good lesson, then.”

“Maybe…” I’m not sure I agree, but I’m not interested in spending time on it now.

We have a quiet dinner together at the bar. She tells me about the latest on Drake Redford and Harold Waters, who apparently had a falling out at the wedding as a result of Drake calling Cass a witch.

When we’re done, we put our plates in the dishwasher and walk back to my bedroom. Before we retire, I follow her to where the boys are in bed eating pizza and watchingFrankenweenie.

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