Page 10 of Stolen Hours

I hurry to the closet and pull out a faded pink peasant blouse and a long skirt. If I wore this, I’d really look like a woman from back in Toby’s day. Molly—the first Molly, the one who lookedso much like me that it made Toby stop and save my life—might have worn something like this. It would be a great tribute to her.

But it also might make him sad.

“It’s a ball. Not a party. They call it aball. At anestate,” I mutter, diving back into the closet. Gloria, the ghostess with the mostess hostess, is sweet as pie, but radiates elegance and charm, and even as a ghost, she always manages to look stunning. Her Wall Street tycoon hubby (retired early with his millions or billions and a stressed-out cardiovascular system) looks like he should be staring into your soul in an expensive cologne ad.

Yeah, I’m not going over there looking like a London street urchin, circa 1600, or parading into the classiest, swankiest place in town in a dress that would bring me up in front of the HR department.

“Ah ha!” I pull out a little black velvet dress. Cocktail length. Chic. Sexy, but not slutty.

“Toby’s going to love this,” I tell my reflection as I sway in front of the full-length mirror.

“MOLLY IS GOING TO LOVEthis!” I whisper to Musketeer as the last parents usher their children away. The clock on the campus is chiming four, and you can hear it across the river, drifting on air that’s filled with fireplace smoke, chocolate, pumpkin spice, and the sounds of laughter. I shut the door and rub my hands. I heard Molly start the shower close to an hour ago, so I know she’ll be down soon, and she’s going to have the best Halloween of her life.

Spa pillows down on the massage mattress I had shipped overnight. Chocolate cream body butter. Pumpkin spice candles. Soft music, a satellite station we found on our honeymoon called “Hawaiian Thunderstorm.”

I drop a bottle of champagne into an ice bucket and scatter peanut butter cups (silly American invention, but that’s okay) on the stairs andlead a trail into the living room. I put out some of my prized Terry’s Chocolate Orange bars next to my side of the massage mattress, rub my hands, and wait.

Musketeer looks at me. Athos and Porthos are looking at the chocolate longingly, and since they’re not mortal dogs in the least, I consider letting them have one of the peanut butter cups... but knowing them, they’ll just scarf down all the treats I laid out, wrappers and all, once they get a taste. Aramis is clearly worried about why the humans now have a bed on the floor that’s prettier and plusher than his. He whines and starts to paw at the edge.

That’s all I need. Fur all over the surface that I hope will soon be covered with Molly’s naked body and edible body butter.

“Boys. Leave for a bit. Go guard the house. Make sure nothing evil enters or gets to the neighbors. Patrol!” I give the last word as a command, and Musketeer changes forms into something spectral and terrifying, a three-headed nightmare with blue flames around a Clydesdale-sized body. “But as little guys, at least until you need to pull out the big guns,” I hiss, and shoo them outside as they shrink back into an orange and white ball of three-headed fluff.

There. That covers my civic duty for tonight. It’s no secret to us paranormal types that this town is a beacon of energy thanks to three intersecting Ley Lines, and that dark and light beings love it here. But the good guys here win. We drive off and dispatch anything evil in our midst that’s not here to reform. Honestly, it’s so often the humans, usually the stupid ones fooling about with things they don’t understand, that bring the dark beings in, and there’s a big uptick around Halloween when society emphasizes the dark and deadly While most of the adults who can find a sitter or aren’t blessed with children head to White Pines, there are always a bunch of us working to secure the town, both beforehand and during the night to make sure things stay safe.

Well, it’s not my turn tonight. Not unless there’san emergency.

I really want to get my private party with Molly started. I rush around when I hear the bedroom door opening, making sure all curtains and blinds are sealed up tight, the doors are locked, the music (soft ukulele with loud crashing waves, thunder, and rain) is just loud enough to be atmospheric, and oh, yes. Me. I have to look the part, too.

Molly probably doesn’t want to do anything but relax and be pampered, not after her week. I’m tempted to morph into true Reaper form to pleasure her with my more-than-human attributes, but I hesitate. Instead, I shed my standard hoodie and slouchy lounge pants for a pair of black silky boxers and flop onto the mattress. “Happy Halloween!” I shout as Molly starts down the stairs.

“Happy Halloween, baby! Mm, my favorite candies, you are so— So not dressed!” Molly makes it to the bottom of the stairs in record time, which is incredible given what she’s wearing.

Sexy black stilettos. Brown and blonde curls piled and pinned into some elegant tower. Clinging black velvet dress that clearly has a secret, subliminal code woven into it, because all I can think of is licking the miles of smooth, silky legs extending from under the skirt.

“Molly!” I gasp.

“Toby, what... What is all this?” She spins around the room, her confused face turning into a soft, sweet smile. “Honey! It’s like a little spa!”

“Yes, yes! That’s exactly what it is, a little spa for the two of us,” I say, jumping up to take her hands—even though I want to take all of her in my arms, but she looks so pristine, so perfect.

So sexy.

“But tonight is the ball. I’m all dressed up. I even had three different outfits I was agonizing over,” Molly exclaims.

“I can see that. Agonizing paid off. You look gorgeous. Glorious. I... Is that a new dress?”

“No, I just haven’t had a chance to wear it since Mom gave it to me for Christmas. And now no one will see it.” Molly pouts, fingering thedelicate necklace at her throat, then tugging on the matching earrings. “I wanted to look so good so you could show me off to all the people in your community,” she murmurs, coming closer to me.

“My community? Our community.”

“Yes, but you’ve lived here for years.”

“And for years, I’ve only talked to Sera. I never even knew my neighbors’ names until I married you. To be honest, I’m not sure most of the humans in town can even see me in any form, human or reaper.”

“I know you said that’s how most human minds work until they’re forced to see something they can’t comprehend any other way.”

“Well, don’t worry about pleasing me, love! I wanted you to have the perfect relaxing night in. Soft music. Do you recognize it?”