Within a couple of hours, we had transformed the yard into what can only be described as a haunted beach nightmare. A skeleton lifeguard stood tall on its perch, sunglasses on, a whistle dangling around its neck, guarding the yard with a sign that read,“No Swimming: Sharks.”
Meanwhile, Topher and I were debating the number of zombie surfers.
“We need at least four more,” he insisted.
“Four more? We’ve already got four!”
“You can never have too many undead surfers,” he said with a grin, like it was some universal truth.
He was having fun. Real fun. Not the half-smile he gave during a work victory or the smirk when he made a sarcastic comment. No, this was genuine. And it was nice to see him like this. Josephine, who had come out to watch, seemed to love it, her face lighting up every time Topher added something over the top to the display.
I busied myself setting up several gravestones in the sand. Beach chairs and umbrellas were surrounded by gravestones with phrases like“Here Lies my Beach Body, Never Found”and“Sunburned to Death.”Topher had suggested adding“Gone Fishing… Forever.”
The real showstopper, though, was the Haunted Tiki Bar. An animatronic skeleton bartender was set up to serve spooky cocktails.
And then there was the sandcastle graveyard. Topher’s gardeners, who I was now convinced could build anything, had created a towering sandcastle under a tarp in the yard, surrounded by tiny gravestones. A skeleton hand poked out from the top, looking like it was trying to escape.
“You sure this isn’t too much?” I asked, stepping back to take it all in.
“We’re not even done,” Topher said, holding up a string of screaming seashells his tech guy had rigged. The seashells were set to let out eerie wails whenever someone walked by. “What do you think? Too creepy?”
“Too creepy? No.” I shook my head. “Too ridiculous? Absolutely.”
Josephine was beaming from the porch, clearly in love with the whole spectacle. Her pride in Topher was evident, and I couldn’t help but feel warm inside. He could’ve just paid people to build the display, but instead, he was taking a major role, running around like a man on a mission, and it was hard not to admire that.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get more absurd, Gladys strolled up.
“Well, well, well,” she chirped, her eyes scanning the yard with a mix of awe and judgment. “Looks like somebody’s trying to win the award for the most money spent on a yard.”
Before I could jump in, Josephine appeared beside me, her grin wide. “Gladys, isn’t it fabulous? The whole neighborhood will be talking about it by the time Halloween rolls around!”
Gladys blinked. “Well, it’s certainly...different.”
“Different is good,” Topher said. “That’s what we were going for.”
Josephine beamed and turned to Gladys with a smile. “Why don’t you come inside? We can chat over some tea.”
As they disappeared into the house, probably planning to dissect every last detail of our Halloween extravaganza, I turned back to Topher, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement.
“Okay, you can admit it now,” I said, crossing my arms. “We’ve officially gone overboard.”
He grinned, adjusting his Hawaiian shirt with a sense of pride. “Nah, if anything, we’re just getting started.”
I tried not to laugh. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” he replied, glancing over at the sandcastle graveyard with a satisfied look. “But admit that you love it.”
And as much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Watching him take charge, fully committed to making this ridiculous project a reality, made me see him in a new light. I had to hand it to him. Topher knew how to go all out, and it was kind of impressive.
But my admiration was short-lived. I reached across the tiki bar to fix a crooked skull garnish, and my elbow sent a very real, very full fishbowl cocktail flying. Straight into my shirt. Fantastic.
Cursing under my breath, I darted inside to change. Jeans and a t-shirt felt too stifling in this heat. The day had gotten unbearably hot, even for early October, and with the sun beating down, the idea of putting on anything heavy seemed like a punishment. So, I reached for the one thing that sounded comfortable: a simple sundress I rarely wore.
When I came back out, Topher’s eyes widened. He paused, his gaze lingering just long enough to make me feel unexpectedly flattered.
“Nice outfit,” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.
A slight blush crept up my cheeks, but I brushed it off, adjusting the dress. “Thanks. It was either this or passing out from heatstroke in jeans.”
