He caught me staring. Probably noticed the dazed look I was sure I failed to hide. His grin widened. “Plotting something juicy, Calloway?”
I laughed, but made no effort to answer. I liked it better that he didn’t know either way. Miles nudged a cart with his shoulder, sending a cluster of gourds wobbling, and Ethan’s hand brushed mine as he steadied it. Out of the corner of my eye, it seemed like his hand connected to minepurposefully, and that single moment held more weight than it should.
Adrian had vanished somewhere between the car and the first stall. He’d said something about cider punch and then disappeared. Ethan told me not to bother, and so I didn’t. Unlike him and Miles, Adrian’s change in behavior was more on the electric side. Like he was even more wound up than usual.
Walking in on the three of us in a compromising position would do that, I figured.
“Pumpkins!” Miles said suddenly, crouching to examine one that had rolled free. “I think this one might be the winner. What do you think, Em?”
Emma pushed to the front and patted the fat pumpkin a few times. “I guess it’s okay, but I don’t want to choose too soon.”
“The girl knows the importance of keeping her options open,” I said, meeting Ethan’s gaze. “One of life’s most hard-won survival skills.”
“Is that so?” His eyes dropped to my mouth then back up again. “And this survival skill… Is it something all women have in common?”
“Now that would be telling.”
Miles straightened, ignoring the stealthy flirtation as he stared into the distance, eyes screwed up. “Shit.”
Ethan was still smiling when he looked over. “There’s only one thing that could get your mood to bottom out so fast…”
“Halston,” they said in unison.
The name caused an instant spike in my blood pressure, as if I’d been involved in this years-long acquisition strategy. But after the confrontation with Miles on the day of his meeting, I felt like I’d earned a stake in the outcome, at the very least.
“I’m gonna go talk to him,” Miles said, standing taller, fixing his hair.
“Don’t go talk to him,” Ethan deadpanned. “You need to give the disaster time to settle. Let him forget about that before you—”
Miles marched off in the direction of his white whale, and Ethan followed soon after, shooting an apologetic look my way.
I stayed where I was, watching the two men disappear into the crowd, their movements fluid, practiced. The heat of proximity lingered, and I had to shake my head at how easily it settled in my chest.
“Look!” Emma’s small voice cut through the swirl of smells and colors. “They’re carving pumpkins over there. Can I go?”
I glanced down at her, bright-eyed and insistent, and then at the other two. Sadie’s eyes darted around, obviously searching for her beloved cluster of animals, and Will was already eyeing the maze of hay bales, cogs turning.
“We’re making pumpkins at home, remember?” I said, crouching to her level. “Do you really want to sit here and do crafts when we could go get a caramel apple?”
“Yes!” Emma’s grin could have powered a small generator. “They have glitter paint, and—”
“I don’t want to make pumpkins,” Sadie pouted, crossing her arms.
“There’s just a bunch of babies doing it,” Will said before looking over at the maze again. “Kids from my school are here. I’d die if any of them saw me with glitter paint.”
I pressed a hand to my face, already feeling the pressure of negotiation. “Okay, okay. Here’s what we’re going to do,” I said to all three of them. “Emma, you get to paint your pumpkin. Sadie, Will, you sit with her.” The protests were loud enough to rise above Emma’s cry of triumph. “Just a few minutes. And then… caramel apples after. Deal?”
Sadie wrinkled her nose. “No. Only if we go to the animals after.”
I smirked, letting the bribe land. “You’re the first kid I’ve met who wants to postpone dessert, but fine. Petting zoo, then caramel apples.”
“I’m not doing baby stuff,” Will said, then made a break for the maze.
“Will!” I called, but little good that did. I started to chase after him, but then remembered Emma and Sadie. “Sit tight for just a second. I’ll be right back.”
By the time I turned back around, he was gone. I broke into a run, and caught up to the maze just in time to see him weaving between bales with agility I could never match. I cursed under my breath and plunged after Will, trying to listen out for him through the laughter of other kids and parents rising all aroundme. It felt like I was in some rural echo chamber, with no left or right, or a way out, in fact.
“Will!” I called again, moving faster for fear of losing him totally. My boots crunched on the loose straw, and I felt the pull of the air, the warmth of the morning fading into something softer.
