Page 45 of Better Together

They carried their silly string and jack-o-lanterns outside. They set them on the deck, and Owen placed a candle in each of them. “Maggie, why don’t you do the honors and light the candles.” He handed her the long grill lighter.

Everyone stepped into the yard to admire the row of orange masterpieces. Alexis pointed to Nikki’s carving of a ghost flying over a cityscape, and Nora’s cute owl. “Okay, I’ve been duped. You two are so creative.” The girls beamed at the compliment. They hadn’t even used templates. “Wow.”

Maggie wrapped her arms around her nieces. “I think you need to help me in the shop, and I’ll teach you girls to weld.”

“Can we?” the girls asked in unison.

“Of course, but we’ll have to ask your dad first.”

The twins groaned and everyone laughed. Owen took his phone out and snapped pictures of the girls next to their pumpkins.

Alexis and Maggie stood next to each other, posing for a picture, when a hand tapped them on the shoulder. They both jumped, because seriously . . . no one was behind them when they came out to stand on the deck. They turned and screamed as they came face to face with a man in a creepy clown mask, trying to figure out which Reynolds brother it was. Alexis’s eyes moved to his torso, and she knew. Zeke had scared the hell out of her.

The girls were screaming and shooting the clown with silly string. Nikki karate-chopped Zeke in the shin, and he went down and pretended he was hurt. They continued to spray him.

He pulled off his mask and yelled, “Okay, I give! I give!”

The house lights were bright enough to illuminate Zeke’s form on the ground, laughing as the girls piled on top of him.

Maggie looked to her smiling husband. “Oh my gosh, you two planned this.”

Owen shrugged. “Guilty.”

“Hey! What’s going on out here?” Roman’s booming voice rang out.

That made everyone jump. They were all in hysterics, including Roman, the guilty interloper.

Maggie glared at her brothers. “It’s a good thing Mom and Gram aren’t here. You’d be in so much trouble.”

Roman and Zeke smirked as Maggie chastised them. “Oh, come on. That was fun,” Roman said.

“Who wants hot chocolate?” Maggie asked.

The girls answered at the same time, “Me!”

Owen held up four envelopes and handed them out to Maggie, Alexis, Nikki, and Nora. Nikki and Nora opened theirs and shrieked with happiness. “Fifty dollars to Rural Chic?”

Both girls ran to Owen and hugged the big softy. Maggie sighed. “He’s going to make a great dad someday.”

Alexis agreed. “Thanks, Owen, but you didn’t need to do this.”

He waved her off. “You and Maggie have been working hard. Take time out of your day and enjoy shopping.”

Alexis blew him a kiss. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Zeke sat at the island next to her. He handed her the bowl of miniature marshmallows.

“Thanks.” She plopped a handful of the sweet morsels into her steaming mug of chocolate.

Since she ran away last night, they hadn’t talked. Zeke’s woodsy smell engulfed her; their thighs rested comfortably together. She swallowed down the thoughts of his lips on hers and picked up the mug and sipped.

“Don’t you think, Alexis?” Owen asked her.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Zeke chuckled and squeezed her thigh, then brought both hands to the counter to pick up his mug.