Page 35

Allie

J ack Bradford looks like every Regency romance hero I’ve fallen in love with since the days I was in middle school, sneaking Julia Quinn novels in the library.

He’s so tall, and he’s always had a proud bearing. His hair is messy, which is how it would look after he’d galloped in on his trusty steed. He’s wearing a white shirt with a collar that laces, and I’d love to see his ass in those cotton breeches.

“How did you do it?” I look up at him, and he smiles, letting his eyes run over my body in a way that lifts the small hairs on my upper arms.

“An old friend who does theater. He helped me put it together.” His eyes go to the front of his coat, which he opens. “Apparently it’s not exactly right since I don’t have a waistcoat.”

“You won’t get any complaints here.” I hold his arm, gazing up at him. “You’re perfect.”

He stops, touching my cheek lightly with his finger. “You’re perfect.”

“Let’s do the maze first!” Raven calls, skipping alongside Hendrix. “I’m dying to see which characters they have running around inside.”

My throat tightens, but I don’t want to be the only one to confess I’m a little nervous about the whole thing.

I lean into Jack’s shoulder and whisper, “I wish they had a non-character option.”

He laughs, and that dimple in his cheek almost makes me swoon. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them get too close.”

“I’ll watch the babies.” Hendrix holds up a hand, guiding his wife over to Garrett and taking Gigi from his brother.

“All right, Chicken Little,” Garrett teases. “We’ll meet you at the petting zoo.”

“I’m not a baby!” Kimmie cries when Dylan tries to lead her to her uncle. “I’m almost eight years old—I can go in the hay maze, too!”

My lips twist, and Jack squeezes my hand. “Be right back.”

I wait as he walks over to take a knee beside his sparkly little girl. “What if I promise to bring you back tomorrow and walk through it when the sun is out?” His voice is so gentle and sweet with her.

“It won’t be the same, Daddy! Tonight they have lights and music, and they’re doing that smoky thing, and everybody’s screaming.”

“I know, but they’ll do fun things tomorrow, too.” He puts a hand on her waist. “Remember that time we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, and you couldn’t sleep?”

“That was last year, Daddy.” She rolls her eyes, and her inner teenager is coming out strong.

“I sure could use some help with Gigi and Haddy.” Hendrix walks over, talking loudly. “I wish there was someone they liked as much as me to help me take them through the pumpkin patch.”

Jack glances up at him, then back to his daughter. “Uncle Hen sure could use your help.”

Just then a girl comes running out of the hay maze crying, and her friends gather around her doing their best not to laugh. She’s shaking and dabbing away tears, and Kimmie’s eyes widen as big as saucers.

She puts her hand on her dad’s shoulder. “I should probably help Uncle Hen. Gigi is a lot of work, and he’s not around her as much as me.”

“That’s my girl.” Jack pulls her in for a hug.

“You sure are helping me out, KJ.” Hendrix holds out his hand, and she takes it, glancing back at the crying girl. “We’ll get some caramel corn and maybe an ICEE and some cotton candy.”

Jack watches them go a minute before turning to face me again. “I hope she doesn’t get sick.”

I can’t help a laugh. He’s so good with her.

“Who’s ready to scream?” Garrett yells, and Liv grabs his shoulders, hopping on his back.

“I expect you to keep me safe,” she laughs, hugging him close as he holds her legs.

“Nobody’s getting close to my lady.”

Jack captures my hand in his, pulling it into the crook of his arm. “Mine either.”

Reaching up, I hold his bicep with my other hand, warmth pulsing with every heartbeat. “Am I your lady?”

“You know it.”

Dylan grabs Logan and heads to the entrance, tickets in hand. Zane and Rachel are right behind them, followed by Garrett carrying Liv on his back.

Eerie music plays over tinny speakers, and every now and then a scream will echo from somewhere deep in the maze, stopping my heart.

Lining the entrance are baby dolls painted white in white dresses with blood spattered all over them, and white-painted masks peer at us from between the bales.

“That’s creepy,” I mutter, hugging closer to Jack’s side.

Bright lights shine down from tall poles scattered around the maze, and the walls are illuminated with purple and orange twinkle lights or Halloween-store monsters and witches.

We line up to hand over our tickets, and I jump when an automated hand swings out from behind a sheet.

“You’re not scared, are you?” He grins down at me, and it’s so sexy.

I wonder how crowded it is in this maze. I wonder if every dark corner contains a teenager waiting to scare us or if we might actually have a chance to sneak away and make out.

I’m scared and excited and horny as a teenager when a girl lets out a scream behind me, making me scream and jump in front of Jack.

“Stop doing that, Levi!” she snaps, and I peek around to see it’s Sadie dressed up in a pink dress with a poofy skirt along with her homecoming crown and a wand.

“Cut it out, Levi.” Austin stands beside her, pinching his lips to hide his grin.

He and Levi are both wearing pirate costumes. Austin has a fake mustache drawn on his upper lip, but Levi is painted up like Jack Sparrow.

“Sorry, Queenie. I slipped.” He holds up both hands, doing a little wobble, a flirty gleam in his eyes.

My brows furrow, but Austin doesn’t seem to be bothered by his friend’s behavior.

“I hope they fortified those hay bales.” Edward looks up at the top of the maze. “Some of them are leaning inward.”

“Hi, guys!” I take a step away from Jack.

“Oh, Ms. Allie… And Coach Jack?” Sadie clasps her hands, gushing. “You two look amazing! You’re like something out of a romance novel.”

“Thanks, Sadie.” I look down at my dress, doing my best to be casual around Coach Jack in front of the kids. “I thought it would be fun for the library. You know.”

“I like your boots.” Austin nods at Jack’s footwear. “They’re better than mine. ”

“Are we in the same timeline?” Sadie’s friend pushes past Austin. She’s wearing a sexy pirate-wench costume. “Could we take Coach Jack prisoner and make Ms. Allie walk the plank?”

The way she laughs and leans forward in Jack’s direction gives major Lolita vibes, and I’m ready to jerk her ponytail when Jack puts his hand on her shoulder, all but stiff-arming her away from him.

“No,” he answers flatly.

“Actually, pirates were active during the late seventeenth century,” Edward explains logically, distracting us from the potentially awkward moment. “The Golden Age of Piracy was almost two hundred years before the Regency Era.”

“What’s your costume, Edward?” Levi does another wobble-point. “The Walking Wikipedia?”

My eyes narrow, and I’m not sure I like Levi’s attitude. Then I remember his dad.

Edward is nonplussed. “I’m the Theory of Relativity.”

We all stare at him. He’s wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.

“What does that mean?” Austin finally asks.

“It depends on where you’re standing.”

Again, crickets. Until Jack huffs a laugh. “Good one, Eddie.”

“I’m confused.” Sadie frowns up at Edward. “Why does it matter where I stand?”

“Are y’all coming?” Zane yells to us from the entrance to the maze.

“Don’t ask him to explain his costume.” Rachel cups a hand beside her mouth. “You’ll be there twenty minutes, and you still won’t understand it.”

Edward frowns. “It’s not that difficult. Space-time tells matter how to move. Matter tells space-time how to curve, so it depends on where you stand.”

“Space-time?” Levi walks over to Sadie and Austin, wrapping his arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “You should’ve come as Dr. Spock. You already sound like him.”

“ Mr . Spock was not a doctor.” Edward follows after them .

“Allie?” A voice walking up on my left stops me. “Is that you?”

I turn to see Ronnie Freeman dressed as either a hobbit or one of Snow White ’s dwarves.

“Ron, hi! Yep, it’s me.” I smile, hesitating while he catches up to us.

“My goodness, you just get prettier and prettier.” He shakes his head.

I feel Jack step closer, and this time, I’m way less flustered by his possessiveness. I almost giggle. It’s utterly thrilling.

“That is the sweetest compliment. Thank you, Ron.” I reach over and put my hand on Jack’s forearm.

Ronnie’s eyes flicker to my gesture, and he straightens so fast he takes a step back.

“Oh, well, I understand now why you turned me down for dinner.” He nods, looking up at Jack.

“A fella can’t get too bent out of shape when the lady prefers Coach Jack.

” Then he chuckles, looking even more like a Disney character. “I can’t say I blame ya.”

“Ronnie.” I tilt my head to the side, feeling a little sympathetic. He’s not wrong. “You’re a real dear.”

“Take it easy, Freeman.” Jack does not share my sympathy. He puts his hand over mine, leading me to the entrance of the maze.

Cutting my eyes up at him, I love his sullen expression. It’s so Mr. Darcy. “Oh, come on. You can’t be threatened by Ronnie Freeman. It’s just too silly.”

He turns and looks down at me with those thrillingly stern blue eyes. “I don’t like any man trying to take you away from me.”

Stepping closer, I hug his arm to my stomach and rise onto my toes. “You never have to worry about that happening.”

His expression relaxes a bit, and the corner of his mouth even tilts up with a smile. “Let’s catch up with the group.”

We go to where Rachel is talking softly to Edward at the entrance to the maze. “Are you sure you want to do this? It has strobe lights and loud music, and in some places actors jump out and yell at you.”

Edward’s lip curls, and Jack gives him a nudge. “I think you’ll find the singularity in the petting zoo with Hendrix.”

Rachel’s brother frowns at him, thinking a minute. Then he seems to understand.

“Kim?” he asks.

Jack nods. “You got it.”

“Good one.”