Page 1 of Halloween in Sleepy Hollow (Heroes of Sleepy Hollow #7)

ARI

I always knew Cash would be an incredible dad.

From the moment I told him I was pregnant—unexpectedly, I may add—he was all in.

Nearly five years later, his response is still burned into my memory. I was so nervous that morning, afraid Cash would think it was far too soon for a baby. That our fledgling relationship might be tested too much. That he’d feel pressured into more commitment than he wanted.

But in just a few sentences, all my worries disappeared.

“I know I want to be with you,” he said as we stood in the kitchen on Christmas morning, my heart pounding out of my chest and my poor first-trimester stomach churning.

“And that includes having children with you. The timing of that doesn’t matter.

I want you and our children. No matter when it happens. ”

And in the years since, I’ve never doubted him for a second .

How could I when he’s done everything in his power to make our daughter happy?

His love for Winnie is in everything he does; from rearranging his work schedule so he can attend all her pee-wee softball games to having tea with her at the American Girl Doll store in Manhattan for her birthday.

He shows how much he loves her every night as he reads book after book to her before bed, sometimes even falling asleep with Winnie cuddled up on his chest.

And tonight.

As I watch Cash crouched beside Winnie at the craft table, gamely glueing sequins onto a pumpkin at her insistent directions, my chest squeezes with love and affection for both of them.

My handsome husband looks nothing like the successful business owner he is, dressed as a fuzzy red dog with long, floppy ears and a jaunty tail.

“I want you to be Clifford,” she informed him last month while we browsed the costume shop in nearby White Plains.

“He’s my favorite dog. And you’re my favorite person. ”

A beat later, Winnie looked at me with a sheepish expression. “You’re my favorite, too, Mommy. I can have two favorite people, can’t I?”

Of course she can. I know I do.

Before Winnie arrived, I was actually worried I wouldn’t have enough love for the two of them. But the second she was placed in my arms, and I looked over at Cash to see tears of joy running down his cheeks, I realized there was plenty of room in my heart for both of them.

And seeing my husband and daughter bonding like this—Winnie’s sweet little face so intent on what Cash is doing, her adorable furred kitten paw resting on his arm—I couldn’t imagine being any happier than this.

Sometimes I think back to the early days of being back in Sleepy Hollow and I wonder how I got lucky enough to end up here.

Is it karma after everything I’ve been through? A fortunate twist of luck? Or perhaps, as I like to think, Cash and I were fated to be together all along.

Whatever the reason, I’m thankful for it.

As Winnie solemnly glues a red sequin to the tip of Cash’s nose, I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Rather than pulling it off, he adds two more of them, so now he looks like a blend of Clifford and Rudolph.

I can’t resist capturing the moment, so I pull out my phone and snap a photo of them, making sure to include the sparkly enhancement to Cash’s nose.

He catches me looking and grins widely at me before mouthing, It’s your turn next , and motioning towards the rainbow of sprinkles set out on the table.

In response, I arch my eyebrows at him before sending a quick text.

Maybe you can bring some of those home and we can have fun “decorating” each other after Winnie goes to bed.

A few seconds later, Cash pulls out his phone to read my text. His gaze heats. Then he quickly returns my message with one of his own.

Is it time to go home yet?

But he knows it’s not. We’ve only been at the Sleepy Hollow Fright Fest for an hour, and there’s plenty more still to do.

Like the hay maze in the town park—a kid friendly one instead of the scarier adult-only maze on the outskirts of town—and the assortment of games set up beside it.

And the spooky storytelling session scheduled in the bandstand at six PM, which Winnie insisted she was old enough for this year.

The stories are meant for kids, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. She’s only four, after all. Even tame ghost stories could be too scary for her.

“I love Cash’s nose.”

Thea comes up beside me, chuckling as she glances in Cash’s direction. “Are those sequins I’m seeing?” she asks. “It’s a good look for him.”

I tear my attention from Cash and Winnie as I turn to my best friend. “Winnie just stuck them on there. I guess she thought his costume wasn’t sparkly enough.”

Thea studies Cash for a second. “Now he looks like a mix of Clifford and Rudolph.”

Laughing, I reply, “I know! I was just thinking the same thing.”

She reaches for her purse. “I need a picture of this. Cash the Big Red Reindeer Dog.”

“I got one already.” I find the photo on my phone and send it to her. “Feel free to use it for his next birthday. I’m sure he’d love it on a T-shirt.”

“Maybe you should get one of Ben, too,” she offers. “His costume is particularly creative this year.”

I follow Thea’s gaze to her husband, Ben, who’s being dragged towards the craft table by their son, Elias. The two of them are dressed in matching robot costumes, which I know Thea spent hours making herself.

“They’re amazing,” I tell her, taking a moment to admire her hand made astronaut costume. “I still can’t believe you made them. ”

“Actually, Laila helped this year.” A proud smile curves her lips. “She was a huge help.”

Thea’s stepdaughter, Laila, just turned twelve, which is hard to wrap my head around.

I still remember her as a the little seven-year-old who came to our Friends-giving the first year Cash and I were together.

That was back before Thea and Ben even started dating, although—and I like to bring it up at least a few times a year—I just knew there was something between them.

“Where is Laila?” I ask, glancing around the craft area. “Is she checking out the maze? Although, I suppose she’s too old for that now, isn’t she?”

Thea makes a regretful face. “Sadly, yes.” She pauses. “Remember the first Halloween I spent with her? When I made her that unicorn costume?”

“I do.” Laila was so excited to have a home made costume that year. And Thea was thrilled to make it for her.

“Laila’s at her first boy-girl party this year,” Thea adds. She shakes her head in disbelief. “It’s hard to believe. My little girl is growing up.”

I glance at Ben, who’s now sitting beside Cash and Winnie, helping Elias pick out his own small pumpkin to decorate. “And Ben agreed to that? A party with boys ?”

Thea laughs. “I know. When Laila first brought it up, Ben immediately said no. But then we talked to the parents of the friend who’s throwing the party, and that helped. Both the parents will be supervising the entire time. So no opportunities to sneak off…”

“And find a closet, you mean?” Nudging her arm with my elbow, I add, “Remember that party freshman year? At Kyla’s? ”

“Shhh.” She claps her hand over my mouth. “Don’t even bring that up. I still cringe when I think about?—”

“Jerry Anniston? The boy you were sure you were going to marry?”

Thea grimaces. “What was I thinking ?” She glances at Ben and Elias again. “Don’t bring that up around Ben. He’s already worried enough about Laila without giving him ideas about sneaking into closets with middle school boys.”

“Who’s sneaking into closets? And what boys?”

From behind us, Grant’s low voice vibrates with laughter. “Do I even want to know what you two are talking about?”

We both turn to face Grant and his wife, Scarlett. Grant’s pushing a double stroller with their twins, Delia and Zack, seated inside it. Almost two-year-old Delia is waving a sparkly wand that matches her fairy princess costume, while Zack clutches a stuffed dragon that matches his own.

“Scarlett,” I blurt, “the twins look so cute!”

Scarlett gazes down at her son and daughter with an adoring expression. “They do, don’t they?”

Grant kisses her cheek. His gaze is soft with affection. “They’re perfect. Just like their mom.”

Aww.

“I was telling Ari about Laila’s Halloween party,” Thea tells them. “Laila is at her first boy-girl party. Which she’s very excited about. Me and Ben, on the other hand…”

“We have too many memories of the trouble we got into,” I finish. “But it’s a supervised party. So it should be fine.”

“Do you want me to have Oliver swing by? ”

Our little group gets bigger as Shea, another of my good friends, joins us.

She’s dressed in a blue denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and has a red, polka dotted bandana wrapped around her hair.

She smiles as she continues, “I couldn’t help overhearing.

If you’re worried about any of the boys getting ideas, I’m sure Oliver wouldn’t mind stopping by the house to say hello. ”

Thea’s eyes light with interest. Shea’s husband, Oliver, is a police officer, so he would definitely add an intimidating element to the party.

But a moment later, Thea shakes her head.

“I’m trusting that everything is going well.

And I talked to Laila about it last night.

She knows to call if there’s anything that makes her uncomfortable. ”

“Okay.” Shea grins. “I remember my first boy-girl party. I was thirteen. And I was so excited because Quinton Pennington?—”

Grant snorts. “Quinton Pennington? Was that his actual name?”

Shea giggles. “Yes. It was. But he was the cutest boy in eighth grade, so I didn’t care about his name.”

“That reminds me,” Thea interjects. “I haven’t heard anything, but maybe I should see if Laila texted and I missed it.” She rummages in her purse for a few seconds before frowning. “Crap. It’s not in there.”

“Did you leave it at home?” I ask.