Page 53 of Stay With Me

Unpredictable but loyal.

Wild but steady.

The best kind of storm to curl up and fall asleep to.

“It was either that or a wildfire of suffocation.”

“Tripp Chattanooga.” She shakes her head as I crack a smile at the made-up middle name she’s given me. “You know how to make a girl swoon.”

I flash her a wink. “I decided it was finally time to tell you these things.”

She sighs, and the blush that covers her cheeks is almost too cute not to tease her about.

The Lodge parking lot is nearly full by the time we arrive. The party doesn’t start for ten minutes, but kids from all over Sugarland Creek are coming. The special events aren’t just for the guests. They’re extended to the community, too. My parents, Gramma Grace, and Mallory are coming as well, so I already know it’s going to be chaotic.

Why limit my embarrassment to kids? Of course my family would be here.

I open Magnolia’s door, and instead of easing her to the ground, I pick her up behind the knees and carefully set her down. But not before appreciating her body molded against mine for those few seconds. Her dress is skintight, and there’s no way she can move in that thing.

“Always the gentleman,” she coos, adjusting herself once she’s on the sidewalk.

“Were you expectin’ anything less from a dinosaur?” I hold out my arm so she’ll take it. “Southern manners are ingrained into us from birth.”

She snickers, squeezing my bicep. “Tell that to your brothers.”

“Oh, they’re straight-up gremlins.”

Speaking of which, from the moment we enter, it’s chaos. Tiny kids in costumes are running around everywhere. They’re already high on sugar from trick or treating, and now they’re chasing each other.

“This is nuts…” Magnolia whispers next to me as we stare in shock at the pandemonium before us.

“Is it too late to run away and hide?” I murmur.

She nudges me. “C’mon, you can do this.”

More like I have no choice. The place is already set up with a DJ booth in one corner, a prize table in another, and lots of activities sprawled out in between. The ceiling is dripping in fake spider webs and sparkly fairy lights. Decorations litter every inch of the space. It’s no wonder the Halloween stores were basically sold out. My mom bought them out.

“Tripp, finally!” Mom approaches with sparkles in her eyes. She holds out her arms and then wraps me in them. “The kids are so excited.”

“Hi, Ma. This is a bit more than I expected,” I tell her truthfully.

“Well, ya know. Once Gramma Grace and I got started, we couldn’t help ourselves. Plus, it makes the little ones happy!”

I grin at her enthusiasm. Mom was always in charge of the parties at school when we were younger and for good reason. She goes all out.

“Magnolia, sweetie.” My mom moves over to her and kisses her cheek. “Landen said you were comin’ to help. You look amazing!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hollis. I’m glad to assist in any way I can.”

“Magnolia!” Mallory squeals, then grabs her arm and drags her away. She’s in some kind of cheerleader uniform that looks way too short and tight for her age. But I’m guessing that’s the whole point. My parents raised all boys until Noah came along and even then, she was more of a tomboy than a girly girl all through school. Mallory’s the complete opposite, and I think Mom is just happy to have a girl in the house who will wear dresses and bows in her hair without a fight.

When Mallory moved in with us, Noah and Magnolia took her under their wings. They have scheduled weekend sleepovers, and we’ve all taken part in giving her horseback riding lessons. Now at thirteen, she’s full of attitude and dark eyeliner.

“Well, let’s get started!” Mom leads the way as Dad grabs the microphone and announces the event is officially beginning. Squeals and screams echo throughout the room as they jump around.

The next two hours consist of me flailing in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, singing along to Kidz Bop songs with over a dozen children hanging on me. I explain how to play each game, hand out prizes to the winners, and throw out candy like a piñata. The parents sit and drink cocktails as they take photos and gush about how cute everything looks.

Mom and Gramma Grace made dozens of sweet treats: bars, cookies, and cake pops. All spooky-themed, of course. The punch is a mixture of soda flavors with orange sherbet ice cream floating around. If it wasn’t for the fear of getting into a diabetic coma, I’d be splurging right along with them.