Chapter Twelve
Halloween Night
“Look at all the candy I got, Mom!” Charlie was saying. “Want some?”
He held up his bag of candy, emptying its contents onto the kitchen counter. He grinned up at his mother, gesturing at all the pieces of candy he’d gotten from trick-or-treating, and she reached for him, patting him on the head of his costume so that the long beak wobbled a little.
“That’s great, honey,” Janice replied, offering him a kind smile, “but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for candy right now.”
She glanced around the kitchen, suppressing her hundredth sigh of the day.
It was Halloween Night, a fact she’d been reminded of by the occasional knocks and cheers from trick-or-treating kids out in the street, not to mention the skeleton decorations and jack-o’-lanterns on the neighbors’ lawns.
Since she obviously wasn’t trick-or-treating and there was barely any work that needed to be done today, she’d spent most of the day at home.
The only other alternative would be to head to Theon’s Halloween party, and that was out of the question.
“Oh, come on, Mom,” Charlie said. “It tastes great! And there’s like...uh, four—no, six different flavors. Just try one.”
“Alright.” She reached for a random piece of candy, putting it in her mouth and letting it melt onto her tongue. “That is good.”
“See? I told you.” His grin broadened, then quickly faded. “What’s made you worried again tonight?”
She lifted an eyebrow at him. “Worried? I’m not worried.”
He looked at her as if to say, I wasn’t born yesterday. “You’ve got a look on your face. I can tell when something’s wrong, Mom.”
“I’m not worried,” she repeated, reaching for another piece of candy and unwrapping it. “I guess you could say I’m a little sad.”
“That’s not much different.” He picked up a piece for himself. “So what’s wrong? Why are you sad? Is it the case?”
Janice almost scoffed. The case was already closed.
She’d solved it, and Old Man Benny was behind bars.
The gnome...well, Theon hadn’t told her what he planned to do with the creature, but he’d assured her that he wouldn’t be bothering anyone in Sylva again.
She’d gotten what she wanted. Shouldn’t she be happy?
She should. But something didn’t feel quite right, and with every second that went by, that feeling grew more prominent.
“It’s not the case,” she told him. “It’s...it’s Theon.”
The boy’s eyebrows rose. “What happened?”
Janice bit her lip. She really didn’t need to be having a conversation with her kid about her ex. But it wouldn’t hurt to talk to someone about the way she felt.
“I miss him.” It felt a little weird to say that aloud, but it was the best way to describe the way she was feeling right now.
And it was the truth, anyway. “I miss Theon. Now that I’ve solved the case—thanks for your help, by the way—we’re not working together anymore.
We’re back to living our separate lives.
I know it’s probably for the best, but I can’t help wishing it wasn’t the case. ”
She supposed she wouldn’t be feeling this way if they hadn’t made love in her car last night.
What had she been thinking, kissing him?
One thing had led to another, and they’d ended up in her backseat.
The details were still crystal-clear in her mind: Theon gazing deep into her eyes as she took him into her mouth, Theon smirking as he filled her.
To be honest, at a point, she’d found herself wishing that moment would last forever. And then he’d said the words that brought her forcefully back to reality.
I love you.
She’d been beyond stunned when she heard that. For a few seconds, she’d been fully convinced she’d imagined those words. Except she hadn’t. And Theon hadn’t stopped there. He’d gone on, talking about wanting to try again, wanting to be better.
To be honest, none of it had felt real. It had seemed like a dream, and at the time she’d been hesitant to believe he even really meant what he was talking about.
That hadn’t been the Theon Gardener she knew.
Had it been because of the sex? It was as though he’d swapped places with someone entirely different.
But she’d also seen the look of hurt on his face when she turned him down.
I think this was a mistake, she’d said. Guilt tugged at her gut. At the time, it had been the best response she could think of. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
And now, Theon was gone. With no case that required his help, they wouldn’t be working together anytime soon. The mere thought left her with an ache in her heart. He’d offered her a chance to get back together with him, and she’d turned it down.
“We’re not together anymore,” she said. “Not as partners. Not as friends. Not even on the case.”
Charlie frowned for a little while, like he was trying to think of the perfect response. Then he said, “If he’s what your heart wants, why not just go for him?”
Janice shook her head. She still couldn’t believe she was talking to a boy in a pterodactyl costume about her failed love life. “It’s not that simple.”
“Isn’t it?” He held up a handful of sweets. “Have some more candy.”
***
Theon’s party was a whopping success. It seemed as though half the entire town had shown up at Green Sanctuary tonight.
The field was brightly lit, canopies surrounding the large bonfire Theon and Bryon had set up.
Loud music and cheers filled the air, and three of the animal rescuers danced around with the party guests.
He caught sight of Bryon talking and laughing by the fire.
Theon sat alone, drink in hand, observing the scene from the front porch.
From his seat, he could make out some of the party members.
Cal was dancing with his fiancée, Henry with his girlfriend.
Even Mama Martha and another farmer, Ed, had shown up for the party.
Every now and then, he heard laughter or a deafening whoop.
A few of the adults were in costume, but most of them wore regular clothes.
He took a sip of his beer, a wistful smile unfurling on his face. Perhaps he should join in on the fun. It was his party, after all. But the thought didn’t quite appeal to him. Sure, the party was going exactly as planned, but something was missing.
No, that wasn’t quite right. Someone was missing.
A familiar figure crossed his mind, with auburn hair and green eyes.
He gripped his drink a little tighter. Maybe he should’ve invited her to the party.
But the odds that she would’ve accepted his invitation were pretty slim.
Especially after he’d confessed his feelings for her in her backseat.
Even before they caught the gnome and arrested Benny, he’d figured she wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
And now that the case had been solved, it was officially over between them.
Theon ignored the wave of sadness that immediately swept through him. At least he’d tried. It hadn’t been guaranteed to work. Besides, she might’ve rejected him, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. The least he could do was accept it and move on.
He took a longer sip from his bottle, sitting back in his chair as he observed the bonfire. Just then, a figure broke away from the rest of the party, jogging toward the big house. It was Bryon. He slowed down as he reached the stairs, shooting Theon a look of puzzlement.
“What are you doing sitting all by yourself, boss?” he asked. “The party’s over there.”
Theon gave a shrug. “I’m not really interested.”
The man looked at him like he must’ve lost his marbles. “Are you kidding? That’s your party. You’ve been planning it for weeks, if not longer. If anyone should be down there by the bonfire, it’s you.”
“I know.” Theon stared past him, watching someone in a Catwoman outfit wander off from the crowd, a man stumbling after her.
“Is this because of Janice?” Bryon frowned down at him. “You’re still thinking about her, aren’t you?”
It was a rhetorical question, Theon knew. Why else would he be sitting all by himself when the biggest party in town was taking place just forty feet away?
Bryon shook his head. “Why not just go over and talk to her?”
“You want me to head over to her house?” Something told Theon Janice wouldn’t take too kindly to surprise late-night visits on Halloween Night. The fact that she owned a gun didn’t exactly help matters.
“What? No. She’s here. I’m pretty sure I spotted her a couple of minutes ago.”
“She’s here?” He was on his feet before he even realized he’d moved. His eyes scanned the crowd for Janice. She was at the party?
It didn’t take him very long to find her. She was standing by her car, a few dozen feet away from the rest of the party. His pulse raced, his heart pounding in his ears. When had she arrived? And how come he hadn’t noticed her since?
Without another word to Bryon, he set down his drink, practically flying over the porch steps, and made a beeline for Janice’s car.
The light was on inside. In the passenger seat, he could see a figure in a blue Halloween costume.
Charlie, no doubt. Janice stood with her arms folded, looking around nervously.
When her gaze landed on him, her eyes widened slightly.
“You came,” he said.
She blinked. “I...I did. The party looks great, by the way. Good job.”
“Thank you.”
Silence descended between them, broken only by the cheers and music from the party.
“Theon...” She lowered her arms to her sides. “I wanted to talk about yesterday. About what you said to me in the car, and what I said—”
“You don’t have to apologize,” he told her, cutting her off. “You’re not obliged to try again with me, especially since it was my fault we ended to begin with.”
She frowned. “Theon, I—”
“I’m willing to accept your decision. I’m not offended by it. And I don’t hold anything against you.”
“Theon...” She shook her head. “Just stop.”
His eyebrows knit together. “What?”
“I came here because I wanted to tell you that I was wrong.” A sheepish look came over her face.
“I was wrong about what I said yesterday. What happened wasn’t a mistake.
I just...I was surprised when I heard you open up to me.
I wasn’t expecting it. For a moment, it didn’t even feel real to me. I didn’t know how else to respond.”
Surprise and confusion bubbling inside him, he simply stared at her. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I guess...what I’m trying to say, Theon, is that I want you back, too. I want us back together. I want to give us a second chance.”
Theon frowned. He had to have misheard her...right?
“I really do,” she told him. “I want to be with you. That is, if you’re still interested in being with me.”
The nervous look was back on her face. Theon simply stared at her for the next few seconds.
“If you’re no longer interested,” she began, and he heard a quaver in her voice, “that’s perfectly okay. I’ll just—”
“Of course I still am.” He stepped toward her, and a smirk tugged at his lips. “I just wasn’t sure how to respond. For a moment there, what you said didn’t feel real to me.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you making fun of me, Theon?”
He took another step closer until he was right before her, unable to hide his smile. “Maybe.”
With that, he leaned in and kissed her, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.
She froze for a second, then relaxed into him, kissing him back for all she was worth.
Theon felt a rapid flutter in his chest. Her words replayed themselves in his head. I want to give us a second chance.
Just like that, they were a couple again. Excitement raced through him, all the way to his extremities. They were back together. And this time, he silently vowed, he wouldn’t mess things up. This time, he’d keep to his word and be a better lover to her, or his name wasn’t Theon Gardener.
By the time they pulled apart, her face was a little flushed. A faint smile played on her lips as she looked up at him.
“I love you, Theon,” she told him.
“And I love you, Janice.” He reached up, cupping her cheek, before glancing toward the party. Suddenly, he felt like joining the others. “Why don’t we head over to the bonfire?”
“Sounds like a plan.” She looked toward the passenger seat of her car, where Charlie sat gazing at the pair of them with wide eyes. “We should bring him along. I couldn’t leave him alone at home, so I asked him to ride along.”
Theon peered through the windshield at the boy. “What’s he wearing, anyway?”
“It’s his Halloween costume,” she explained. “He says it’s a pterodactyl.”
“What, like a flying dinosaur?”
Her green eyes twinkled. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”