Page 4 of Promises & Pumpkins (Haunted in Hazy Cove #1)
Miles
How were there so many leaves already? I had just filled two bags with them two weeks ago, and the ground was already covered again. I dragged my rake across the grass, gathering them into several small piles around the yard. The more I raked, the more it seemed the leaves multiplied.
When I looked up, I saw Harper walking out onto her porch holding a pile of flattened cardboard boxes.
She held them awkwardly, stretching to peer around the pile to find the edge of the stairs.
A mildly entertained smirk tugged at my lips when she took the first overly hesitant step.
But when she took the second and missed the stair, tumbling forward, the smile fell with her.
“Oh shit!” she shrieked, dropping from the step and landing on the cement amongst the now scattered boxes. Then she looked up. When she made eye contact with me, her face turned dark red and she scrambled to her feet while I crossed the yard.
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching down to help gather the boxes. Harper brushed her hands over her legs.
She nodded, but the red tint on her cheeks darkened.
“Yeah, I’m good. Totally fine.” She looked back at the stair she’d missed like it had betrayed her while I grabbed the last box.
Then she took it from me when I handed it to her.
“I’m not locked out this time though.” Her chuckle was dry but then she stopped and cleared her throat.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” I winked, and she tilted her head to the side.
She pursed her lips, but her eyes widened, like she was biting back a smile. “I mean, you live, like, twenty steps that way. Where else would we meet?”
“Well, if I’m lucky, maybe at the haunted house this weekend.
” It was a tradition in Hazy Cove. Everyone went to the haunted house to take their turn seeing if the paid actors could scare them.
And they usually could; it was one of the scariest Halloween attractions in the Pacific Northwest. Apparently, everyone except Harper, who was shaking her head so fast her blonde ponytail was whipping from side to side.
“Oh, nope. I don’t do scary things.” She put her hands up in front of her in the shape of an ‘X’ to make it clear. “Sorry. I’ll see you around though.”
I laughed and put my hands up in surrender. “Are you sure?”
Harper nodded, hugging the boxes to her. “I’m absolutely positive. Me and haunted anything don’t go well together.”
I put my hands up in gentle surrender. “Fair enough. Can’t blame a guy for trying.” When I winked at her, the red tint in her cheeks returned. “See you around, neighbor.”