He looked around at the neighborhood. “They do, but I didn’t get to. Did you?”
“Yes. I went with my friends. Dressed up like a hockey player every year.”
Luca’s face split into a grin. “That was original.”
“I was manifesting, thank you very much.” I draped my arm over his shoulders and kissed his cheek. “We’re going to decorate and buy candy and the lot. Even costumes.” I raised my hand and waved it in front of the house. “I want the dream house of Halloween, and mainly to outdo Karlsson. His house looks like a carnival. I want kids from miles around to talk about how cool the Hughes house is.”
Luca grinned. “Costumes? Really? You gonna break out of the mold, or are you going with the hockey player again?”
“Yes,” I said, taking him by the hand. “But we need to go now. The clock is ticking on our first Halloween together before I have to fly out Monday.”
I led him to the garage. We climbed into my SUV and backed out of the garage. “How much candy should we buy?”
Luca shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Maybe ask Karlsson. He’s been here a while.”
“Good thinking,” I said, dialing him up. When he answered, I cut straight to the point. “How much candy does one need to buy for Halloween?”
“Are you kidding, Cap? A fuck ton for this neighborhood.”
My brow furrowed. “And how much exactly is a fuck ton in quantity?”
“You know, a fuck ton. Like enough for three hockey teams.”
My brows rose. “Whoa. Okay. Thanks. Oh, one more thing, do you wear a costume when you distribute the goods?”
“Yeah, every time. The crazier the better. The kids love it.”
I turned to Luca. “See, I told you.”
Karlsson snorted. “I forgot you’re an American Halloween virgin, Cap. It’s the best night ever. Even for adults.”
“That’s all I needed to know.” Ending the call, I reached for Luca’s hand. “Where do we start?”
Excitement lit his eyes. “I have no idea, but I can Google it.”
As he searched his phone, I studied the side of his face as we sat in my driveway. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he furiously typed on his phone. It was a small, older version that I would replace. I mentally added it to my list.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s start at the Halloween store.”
By the end of the weekend, I had filled the lawn with inflatable ghosts, pumpkins, and skeletons. After looking at scads of lights, the helpful employee suggested I hire a lighting company to install LED lights. It cost me a small fortune and some hockey tickets, but all I had to do was push a button, and we’d be ready for Christmas.
We stood on the front lawn the night before Halloween, proudly beaming at the obnoxious amount of holiday decorations. We were happy with how it turned out. “Holidays had never really meant anything to me,” I said to him, “but being with you gives them a whole new appeal.”
Luca turned in my arms. “Then let’s go inside, and I’ll show you something else that might appeal to you.”
Releasing him, I ran up the steps, stripping my clothes off as I entered the door to the sound of Luca’s laughter. I wanted to listen to that sound for the rest of my life.
Halloween night, I got another glimpse into a future I never allowed myself to consider. Luca had convinced me that if wewanted to go all out, we needed costumes. After much debate, he chose a big blue rabbit for me and a carrot for himself.
I looked at them, unimpressed with his selection. “Why?”
“We don’t want to scare the little kids.”
“But I want to be a dinosaur,” I pouted.
He was thoroughly amused with his choice. I didn’t care if it made him happy. “But it’s appropriate. Think about it. What do rabbits eat?” Luca raised a brow.
My eyes widened as the light bulb went off in my head. “You dirty boy.” Needless to say, I was a rabbit, and he was my carrot.
