27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Riley
I stepped back to look over our trunk or treat set up as Emery made a few more adjustments. We went with a haunted pumpkin patch theme this year. We were both dressed as scare crows.
She stepped back and shook her head before shifting a pumpkin ever so slightly it didn’t even look like she had touched it.
An arm landed around my shoulders and Matt’s scent washed over me. I turned to my side to see him wearing a white sheet with holes cut out for the eyes, his glasses and a black top hat on top holding it in place. His car was parked next to us and decorated with several sheets over clothes hangers with black circles drawn in marker to look like eyes. It looked like he had pulled in, popped the trunk, and hung the hangers up in less than a minute. There was one ghost that appeared to be a sheet thrown over a pile of pillows sitting in the center of his trunk with a saxophone propped against it. “I think mine is better,” he said. He lifted the sheet up with one arm, pressing a quick kiss to my mouth.
Emery wrinkled her nose in disgust when she looked over at his car. “You could have at least put in a little effort.”
“It took forever to get the eyes right on all those sheets,” he shot back.
I laughed as they stuck their tongues out at each other. I tugged his arm down so the sheet dropped back over him before they devolved into making gestures children shouldn’t see. Emery was still upset about him bringing Oliver to the apple festival a couple weeks ago. “Is anyone coming to help you? Things get a little crazy once the kids get here. They always move in mobs and get scary if you don’t hand out the candy fast enough.”
I looked around at the high school parking lot to see that almost everyone was done setting up. All the teachers and other school systems employees set up at the two high schools in the county for trunk or treat the Saturday before Halloween. Most parents preferred to bring their kids around to these set ups rather than true trick or treating. It was safer and they didn’t have to worry about being out late on a school night.
“Oliver is on his way,” Matt answered.
Emery stiffened and then turned away from us to make more adjustments to the decorations. “Maybe we should swap. Can’t have two newbies handing out candy, we might end up with a riot. I could help you, and Oliver could help Emery.”
Emery whirled around so fast I jumped even though I had been expecting it. Her eyes blazed. Matt swallowed hard beside me. Even with a sheet over his face he looked scared.
“Emery, calm down. I was just joking.” I knocked my hip against Matt. “She’s not that scary.”
Cars started to pull into the lot and the sound of excited kids filled the air just as Oliver appeared running toward us with a sheet over his arm. He saw Emery’s glare and stopped at Matt’s car, throwing the sheet over himself, securing it with a pair of sunglasses and a Franklin Auto Shop branded ballcap, then picking up the bowl of candy.
Matt had managed to get Oliver to admit that Emery was the ex that he thought she was but hadn’t been able to get more information than that. The way that Emery glanced at him during breaks between groups of kids had me wondering if there might still be some lingering feelings.
Matt and Oliver ran out of candy within an hour. They were in a frantic discussion over if Oliver should try to make a run to pick up more if they should just call it and close up the trunk early.
I poked Emery in the side. “I know you have extra candy. Could we give them some?” She always bought twice as much as we would go through. The last few kids to come by our trunk in past years had ended up with all the extra. I’m sure their parents hated us.
“They’re giving out too much to each kid and they keep sneaking pieces.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
She grabbed four unopened bags and tossed them to me. “That’s all they’re getting. Tell them to make it last.”
“No need to panic, boys,” I said as I waved the bags at them. Matt threw his sheet off and pulled me into him when I walked over to their trunk.
“My hero,” he gasped with an exaggerated swoon.
I laughed and emptied the bags into their candy bowls, showing them how many pieces to give out to stretch out for the next two hours. “I hope you learned your lesson for next year.”
***
Emery slammed the trunk closed once the parking lot was free of kids. “Are we still doing movie night tonight or do you have other plans?” She motioned toward Matt and Oliver. Halloween movies after trunk or treat had become our tradition. Emery spent the morning baking an assortment of snacks for it.
“I’m not missing out on movie night and Matt knows that. It’s just us sisters tonight.”
She scuffed her shoe against the pavement. “I know I forced you into this thing with him, but I’m kind of starting to miss just our time together.” It was the first time she had mentioned anything about it. She might give Matt a hard time sometimes, but she had been nothing but welcoming when he was at our place. If he wasn’t with us, she was constantly asking if I had plans with him. Just like the night she had bullied me into not coming home, she seemed to always be doing everything she could to force us together. I was starting to think she was trying to get me to hurry up and move out of her house.
My eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say something? You’ve seemed happy to have him hanging out with us.”
“I have been.”
I tugged her arm. “Come on, I’m ready to get this sister date started.” I pointed over my shoulder at Matt. “I’m going to tell him bye and then we’ll get going.”