Chapter Ten
Istayed up until dawn.Not because I wanted to see the sunlight, but because I didn’t want to take my eyes off Abner. While there wasn’t any way to actually force the leader of the gnomes to shut up, I found a double layer of duct tape did wonders for mufflinghim.
Once the sun had finally crested over the edge of the hills, I flopped back in my messy bed and rubbed my eyes. Abner shouldn’t be reanimated untiltonight.
Of course, it was going to be Halloweentonight.
Death wascoming.
Myra had had zero luck tracking down the jinni who had cursed the gnomes. Or maybe he’d granted a wish, not issued a curse. I didn’t know the details, because it had happened a long time ago, and no one knew thedetails.
I rolled over onto my stomach, smushed the pillow into my face where I liked it, and wished Hogan were here in my bed, his long, warm body curled up aroundmine.
I jerked awake as something heavy pressed down on the foot of thebed.
“If you’re here to kill me, please do it quietly, I’m trying tosleep.”
“Mmm,” Hogan murmured, snugging up behind me big-spoon style. “And what if I’m not here to murderyou?”
“Then I like you alot.”
“And what if I brought you a real, hot meal, since I know your last three meals were various forms ofsugar?”
My stomach growled at the thought, and Hogan chuckled, his breath a puff of warmth against the back of myneck.
“Then I like you evenmore.”
“And what if I did this?” He placed a kiss, soft and damp against my skin. A second, athird.
I wriggled around until I was facing him, nose to nose, our ankles tangled, his head propped on his bent arm. He was wearing a red-violet slouchy beanie, his dark braids sticking out from where they were tied back behind hisneck.
“I might do more than like you for that. Nicebeanie.”
“Billy made it for me. She’s aK.I.N.K..”
“Yeah, I can see her being part of the knittingclub.”
He smiled and tipped my chin down with his thumb so he could kiss my forehead. He smelled of sugar and flour, of pumpkin and soft lemon, with a spicy note that was all him. I inhaled extra deep just to fill my body with the unique scent ofhim.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his lips moving to my temple, mycheek.
“Who said anything waswrong?”
He pulled back and gave me a solid stare. “It is Halloween, I’m home early, and you’re moping inbed.”
“Sleeping, thankyou.”
“Still in your jeans.” He tugged on my beltloop.
He was right. And I hadn’t even noticed, I’d been so distracted by the gnome. Speaking ofwhich….
I turned and glanced at Abner. He was a statue now that it was daylight, and a pretty rough looking one with all his chipped up missing bits and duct tape wrapped all the way around hishead.
“So, that’s weird.” Hogan rubbed his hand down my arm. “Are you headhunting old garden statuesnow?”
“No. It’s athing.”
“Uh-huh.”
