“Dan wants me to be happy.”
Boone smirked. “You don’t have to defend him, Nova. He’s a grown man.”
“Why don’t you like him?”
Boone studied me while considering his answer. “The girls are willing to share you, but I don’t think he is.”
“He just wants to protect me.”
“So do I, but I can’t put you in a box. I expect the same from him.”
“If you could put me in a box, would you?”
Boone’s face lit up instantly, and he leaned down to lift me onto his hips. I gasped and worried I’d hurt him. Boone, though, held me like I was as light as one of the girls.
“I want to lock you away in my condo and keep you all to myself. But that wouldn’t be fair to all the people who also love you.”
His words were a shock to my system. Before I could second-guess them, Boone kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his wide shoulders and held on for dear life. Right now, with my sole focus on his affections, I felt like nothing in the world could touch me.
BOONE
Despite her smiles, Nova radiated a weird energy. I knew something had her upset, but I doubted she knew the reason. Nova had learned to ignore even obvious problems. She was raised to avoid complaining, even to herself.
We kissed next to the SUV for ten minutes. Mostly, I held her against me and let her steal my calm. She was overwhelmed in a way that did no one any good.
By the time we walked to the carving station, Nova smiled more easily. We found Skylar and Lyric at a table, surrounded by foxes. Vanessa drew silly, fun faces on a group of pumpkins. Goldie sat on the other side of the girls, cutting along Vanessa’s ink marks. Jas and Dali scooped out the pulp and added it to a tray.
“Have you eaten roasted pumpkin seeds before?” Goldie asked the fascinated girls.
They shook their heads in unison while staring at how Vanessa drew a ghost on the front of the pumpkin.
“They’re yummy. The gift shop sells them and other treats. We’ll need to load up on them if that’s okay with your mom.”
The girls blinked wildly as if awakening from a dream. They suddenly noticed Nova and inhaled sharply before talking over each other about everything going on.
“Look at their guts,” Lyric said and pointed at the bowl of pulp. “Pumpkins don’t feel anything.”
Nova settled at the table and watched Vanessa and Goldie work with the same amazement as her girls. I stood behind Nova and rubbed her shoulders. She looked like a kid, discovering a new, fun activity.
“Our mom is really good at carving,” Goldie said as she smoothly moved the small blade along marks left behind by Vanessa. “Next year, we’ll need to invite her to join us.”
I shared a grin with my sister. Despite her wariness toward romantic relationships, she couldn’t help protecting mine.
Skylar and Lyric began their time at the pumpkin patch, seeming horrified. They were all smiles by the time we headed out. They each had a small jack-o'-lantern, a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin-flavored lollipops, and a pumpkin snow globe. I bought extra goodies for Nova and a snow globe for my mom.
The foxes followed us to the restaurant. The girls loved their mini burritos and Mexican fried ice cream. I sat next to Nova and admired her beautiful face. Her brown hair felt like silk against my fingers. Her bright eyes couldn’t hide how much fun she was having.
By the time we arrived home, the girls were exhausted. They still talked a mile a minute when they showed Exile and Lula their goodies.
“We got you pumpkin seeds,” Skylar said and handed a bag to their uncle. “We got a lollipop for Dillon.”
Skylar and Lyric were yawning wide by the time we lit candles for their jack-o'-lanterns on the front porch. I picked up the girls and carried them to their room.
“Did you have fun?” I asked while Nova wiped them down and changed their clothes.
“Vanessa is my friend,” Skylar told me. “I’m going to draw like her.”
“Me, too,” Lyric said immediately. “I like art.”
