Page 27 of Trick or Tease

SAbrINA

B y four o’clock that afternoon, I was practically floating on air.

The farm was absolutely buzzing with activity.

It wasn’t as busy as the weekend, but it was more people than we’d ever had for a weekday.

And we weren’t even officially in Halloween season yet.

Word was spreading faster than we could have imagined.

“Look at this,” I said to Billy, gesturing toward the parking area where cars were lined up along the fence. “We’re going to need to expand the parking situation if this keeps up.”

Billy grinned, his hair even more disheveled than usual from running around all day. And I was sure Lucy’s fingers had been in that hair. For once, they weren’t the only ones getting a little action in the middle of the day.

Not that I was ever going to tell them about the hookup on haunted hill. I still wasn’t entirely sure what that was. But I didn’t want to overthink it. When Garrett got the phone call, I had panicked a bit. But knowing he was just looking out for the farm settled me.

I knew we weren’t madly in love and he wasn’t going to throw away his career to stay on the farm, but that was okay. That was a problem for another day. Not this day. For now, I told myself to live in the moment. Take advantage of the stolen moments and worry about the rest later.

“Lucy’s already talking to her dad about borrowing his back field,” Billy said. “And we’re thinking about setting up a hot cider stand by the entrance when the lines are long and the nights are cool.”

I couldn’t help but grin. This was everything we’d hoped for and more.

The corn maze had a steady stream of families wandering through it, kids were shrieking with delight at the pumpkin chunking, winning prizes, and I’d already fielded three calls from local news stations wanting to do follow-up stories.

“We might actually need to hire more help,” I said, watching a group of teenagers try to figure out the trebuchet. “I saw Jenny Morrison’s mom posting on Facebook that her whole book club is planning to drive over this weekend.”

“About that,” Billy said. “I was thinking we could ask some of the high school kids if they want to make some extra money. You know, dress up in costumes for the haunted hayride.”

I was about to respond when I spotted Garrett emerging from the house.

My stomach did a little flip as memories from this morning came flooding back.

My body reacted in ways I should be embarrassed about.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the way his hands had felt on my skin, the desperate hunger in his kiss, the weight of his body against mine on that pile of clothes.

He had changed into another pair of jeans and had put on a dark Henley.

Fuck me. The man would look good in anything. He belonged on the cover of magazines. He could model for any outdoorsy campaign or an upscale designer for suits. There was nothing he couldn’t wear and rock it.

He caught my eye and gave me a small smile that made my cheeks warm. I quickly looked away, focusing on Billy’s animated explanation of his costume ideas.

“Tommy Rodriguez said he’d be the headless horseman if we can figure out how to rig up the bike thing,” Billy was saying. “His girlfriend Amber could be like a ghost bride or something, jumping out from behind the trees.”

“Sounds perfect,” I managed. I could see Garrett approaching us but was doing my best to look chill.

But dammit, I wanted to throw myself into his arms. Kiss him and demand he take me into his room for another round.

“How’s it going out here?” Garrett asked, positioning himself so that Billy was between us. Whether that was intentional or not, I couldn’t tell, but it created a safe buffer zone that we both seemed to need.

“Amazing,” Billy said, oblivious to any tense undercurrents. “Sabrina thinks we might need to expand parking. And look.” He gestured toward the corn maze entrance where a steady stream of people were paying their admission fees. “We’ve made more money today than we usually make in a whole weekend.”

Garrett nodded as he surveyed the crowds.

“We’ve got the parking and admission lines under control,” I told Garrett, gesturing toward families making their way through the entrance. “But I think our biggest problem is going to be food and drinks.”

I pointed toward our single refreshment table, where a line of at least fifteen people waited somewhat impatiently for bottled water, sodas, and the few snacks we’d managed to throw together. The setup looked pathetic compared to the professional operation we needed.

“That’s not going to cut it,” Garrett observed, following my gaze. “Especially if the crowds keep growing like this.”

“Exactly. People are going to get hangry, and hangry people don’t leave good reviews,” I said. “We need real food options. Something that feels special, not just gas station snacks.”

Garrett was quiet for a moment, studying the situation with that analytical lawyer brain of his.

“What about Granny Mae?” he asked suddenly.

“Do you think she’d be willing to sell some of her desserts and baked goods?

Her apple pies and cinnamon rolls are legendary around here.

That candy we made. Just for a little variety. ”

My face lit up. “Oh my God, that’s brilliant. People would go crazy for Granny’s homemade stuff. It’s exactly the kind of authentic farm experience they’re looking for.”

The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. Granny’s baking was the stuff of local legend.

“And I could ask Carolina’s Diner if they’d be willing to set up a stand here and sell their burgers,” I added, the ideas flowing now.

“Their food is amazing, and Maria’s always looking for ways to expand the business.

This could be perfect for both of us. She takes her food truck to the fair and sometimes she sells at the farmer’s market. ”

“The bacon cheeseburgers with the homemade fries?” Garrett asked. “Those are incredible.”

“Can you imagine the smell of burgers grilling mixed with Granny’s apple pies?” I asked. “People would never want to leave.”

“That’s genius,” Billy said. “We could set up a proper food area over by the picnic tables. Maybe string some lights, make it feel like a real festival.”

I felt that familiar rush of excitement that came with a good plan coming together. This was exactly what we needed to take the farm from a fun local attraction to something truly special.

“I’ll call Maria in the morning,” I said, already mentally composing my pitch. “And Granny.”

“Might as well spread the wealth in the community,” Garrett said.

I loved that he wasn’t just thinking about making money—he was thinking about helping our neighbors. That was how we did things around town. Every day he was back, I saw little bits of the old Garrett.

“Exactly,” Billy agreed enthusiastically. “Half the people here today are from out of town. It’s nuts how going viral works.”

I nodded. “The trick is riding this momentum while we’ve got it. Making this into something that’s regularly successful, not just a flash in the pan.”

“We could add new stuff every day,” I said, the ideas coming faster now. “More obstacles in the maze, different targets for the pumpkin chunking. Maybe even better prizes.”

“What kind of prizes?” Garrett asked.

“Gift certificates to local businesses,” I said, getting more excited. “Dinner at Carolina’s Diner, shopping at the feed store, maybe even weekend stays at the bed and breakfast over in Millfield. Keep the money circulating in the community like good neighbors should.”

Billy’s eyes lit up. “That’s perfect. People love winning stuff, and it gives them a reason to come back to the area even after the festival’s over. I’ll talk to Lucy and have her reach out and see if businesses will offer up some gift certificates.”

I watched Garrett’s face as he processed the idea. I could practically see the wheels turning in his brain. “It’s smart business,” he said finally. “Creates partnerships with other local businesses, gives people more reasons to visit, and builds goodwill in the community.”

“Plus it just feels right,” I added. “We’re not trying to be some corporate theme park. We’re neighbors helping neighbors.”

Billy nodded. “A rising tide lifts all ships.”

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” I murmured, more to myself than to them.

But Garrett heard me. When I glanced over at him, he was looking right at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. He looked both proud and maybe a little sad.

“You did this,” he said quietly. “You and Billy. You made this happen.”

“Everyone helped,” I said. “And it’s been fun.”

The next few hours flew by in a blur of families, laughter, and the constant hum of activity.

Every time I caught Garrett’s eye across the crowds, my stomach did this ridiculous little flip.

We were like teenagers again, sharing secret glances when Billy wasn’t looking, finding excuses to brush past each other when handing out maps or collecting admission fees.

He brought me a bottle of water. At least that was what it looked like to anyone that might have noticed us standing together.

He jerked his head. I frowned and followed his gaze. The barn.

I laughed. “We’re needed here.”

“Two minutes,” he said in a low voice.

And of course I couldn’t deny him.

We walked together and slipped inside. The second we were in the dark, his body pushed against mine. His tongue swept across my lips. I opened for him, groaning into his mouth.

And then he was pulling away. “Shit. I better stop or we’re going to be in here a lot longer than two minutes.”

I loved that I could get him all hot and bothered.

When we walked back to the field, Lucy was standing there with her hands on her hips and a silly smile on her face.

“Everything okay?” she asked innocently.

“Yep. All good.”

“So, are you good with working on the house?” Billy asked.

“What?”

“You said you guys checked out the house earlier,” Billy said. “Do you want to put up some decorations?”

“Oh. Yeah. Yes. I can do it tonight once we’re closed here.”

“You sure it’s safe to be messing around up there at night?” Lucy asked. “That place gives me the creeps even in daylight.”

“It’ll be fine,” Garrett said. “The structure’s sound. We just need to be careful where we step.”

“You’re going to help?” Billy asked with surprise.

Garrett shrugged. “Yeah, why not?”

Lucy looked at me and I knew exactly what she was thinking. I refused to look at her and acknowledge what she was thinking.

She knew.

Of course, she knew.

I played it off but that kind of chemistry was impossible to hide. Not to mention, any chance we could, Garrett and I were sneaking behind hay bales and into the maze to steal a kiss or two.