Page 222 of Fighting Chance

“He’s absolutely obsessed,” Bella chimes in, apparently not totally engrossed.

Pulling back, I flash her a smile. “Thanks, B.”

She raises her glass of soda. “Yep.”

Grayson claps his hands. “We should get going. The community group page said most trick-or-treating starts at six thirty.”

Bella’s nose wrinkles. “There’s a community page?”

“Yes, Blaze.”

“Huh.”

Layla gasps. “Oh no! I don’t have a costume.” Turning to Bella, she asks, “Do you have a spare somewhere?”

At the gleeful look Bella gives her, Layla’s brows pull down into a frown. “What am I missing?”

Bella jerks her chin in my direction. “Lover boy over there has it sorted.”

“You love how whipped I am for your best friend, don’t you?”

“Absolutely, are you kidding? It’s amazing watching you fall all over her.”

Sputtering out a laugh, I head down to the yard to grab Emmy, coaxing her away from Bambi with, of course, a bribe. Although she’s so excited to wear a matching costume with Layla it really doesn’t take all that much convincing. She and Bambi rush into the house like a tornado.

I come to a stop at the back doors, my lips twitching as Layla eyes me cautiously.

“So, where’s this supposed costume?”

I’m still pissing myself laughing two hours later as I watch Layla, holding Emmy’s hand, walk up the next cobbled driveway. Wiping tears from the corner of my eyes, I open my phone and hit record, just as Emmy’s little form, bundled in a white ghost sheet, holds out her orange pumpkin-shaped bucket, Layla singing, “Trick-or-treat!” in a Ghostbusters costume.

Waving in their direction, I grin over at my best friend. “Have you seen a better costume?”

“I may be biased but mine and Bella’s was great.”

“This far outweighsRatatouille.”

Grayson’s gaze lifts to Layla and Emmy making their way back over to us. “Yeah, fair point.”

Emmy comes running, her adorable little face alight with happiness as she holds the bucket up to me. “Daddy! Daddy! Look at the candy!”

Now my eyes are filling with unshed tears for another reason entirely.

I wrap an arm around her waist, my smile mirroring hers as I take a peek inside. I pull back, gasping dramatically. “No way!” I look from Emmy to Layla before dropping my head and whispering, “She gave you three chocolate bars?”

Emmy smacks a hand over her lips and giggles before nodding.

Layla places her hands on her hips. “Apparently Mrs. Bryer is a big Ghostbusters fan, isn’t that right, Emmy?”

Her eyes widen. “Yes!” She steps forward, cupping her hand around my ear and adds, “She said she loves ghosts.”

I gasp again. “She loves ghosts?”

I didn’t think it was possible but her eyes widen even more. “Mm-hmm!” Before I know it, she’s jumping up and down on her toes. “More candy, Daddy! More candy!”

Chuckling to myself, I stand, lifting my eyes to Layla’s. “Okay, one more house.”

With her hand in mine, Emmy spins, holding out her free one with the bucket on her wrist to Layla. She doesn’t even hesitate, doesn’t bat an eye; she simply takes Emmy’s hand in hers and walks with me to the next house, Grayson and Bella strolling behind us.