“What’s the false part?” she’d asked, genuinely curious. “You have a secret wife somewhere? A girlfriend? Are you in debt up to your ears? Or maybe you’re a criminal hiding under a secret identity?”
“None of the above.”
“Hmm. That’s what I thought.”
Shaking her head at how ridiculous it was to have a crush at her age, Abby stepped back into the warmth of her bedroom and closed the sliding glass door behind her. She really had to stop thinking about Shane. Five months now they’d been neighbors, and he had never once tried to hit on her or ask her out. Which meant he wasn’t going to.
Not that she didn’t understand why, because she did. She was ordinary, he was extraordinary. Like oil and water, they just didn’t mix.
Descending the stairs to the first floor, Abby tightened her customary ponytail, then collected the supersize zip ties and witch decoration she’d bought for her Halloween bash, and headed outside.
Throwing a costume party had been an annual tradition for her when she lived in California, and she was determined to stick to it here in Massachusetts. She didn’t have near as many friends here yet, just her coworkers and Kayla, who lived up the street, but Abby was an optimist. She was hopeful that the flyers she’d posted on the store e-bulletin and the community center here at Markham Estates would be enough to attract at least a small crowd.
As she opened the front door, Abby was hit by a blast of chilly autumn air. Shivering, she reached back inside to grab her favorite multicolored scarf from the carved wooden coatrack.
She was still becoming accustomed to having four seasons after years of living in California’s temperate climate. Even dressed as she was, with sheepskin boots, lined pants, and a sweater jacket, she was cold. But this was what she’d wanted, a change of scene. When she had been offered the position of regional director-a big bump up from department store manager-she’d leapt at the opportunity, considering it a perk of being single that she could move across the country on a whim.
A quick glance across the street showed that Shane and the lady in red had moved on, so Abby hopped down the short steps to the yellowed lawn and set to work attaching the “witch smashing into a tree” decoration to the sapling in her yard. It was obviously meant for a larger trunk, but she’d always wanted one, and this was the first time she had ever owned a tree, so she was going to make the darn thing work whether it liked it or not.
“Here, let me help with that.”
Abby nearly jumped out her skin at the deep rumble of Shane’s voice behind her. She spun around quickly, her heart racing. “Jeez! You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry.” He looked shameless with that sinful grin she loved. “If you hold Witchy up where you want her to hang, I’ll secure it with the ties.”
“Thanks.” She hoped she wasn’t drooling. It was the rare occasion when they stood this close to each other. She preferred to lust after him from afar. Less embarrassing that way.
Facing the tree, Abby watched Shane round the other side.
“I saw your party flyer,” he said, shooting a glance at her as he tugged on a tie. “Mind if I stop by with a friend?”
Great. Just how I want to spend Halloween, coveting Shane Markham while he hangs out with a date.
“Not at all,” she lied with mock cheerfulness. “Though I’m not sure how lively it’ll be. I don’t know that many people around here yet.”
“You have a date?” He held out his hand for the other tie, and Abby passed it over, shivering as his fingers rubbed against her palm as he retrieved it. The wind blew lightly, ruffling his hair and kicking her hormones into overdrive.
What would it be like to have a man that hot in my bed?
He was so fine, she was pretty sure he could just lie there naked, and that would be enough to put a smile on her face.
“Abby?”
She loved it when he said her name. He had a rich, deep voice that reminded her of melted chocolate. Yummy.
He smiled, dazzling her for a moment, then she realized how funny it must look for her to stand there mooning over him. Disgruntled by her own behavior, Abby was tempted to invent an admirer just so she didn’t feel so pathetic, but that wasn’t her style, so she just shook her head.
“Haven’t found anyone you like yet?”
“Something like that,” she muttered.
“That’s too bad.” He yanked on the other tie and tested it to make sure it was secure. “I can introduce you to some people, if you like.”
Fabulous. Now he’s setting me up with his buddies.
“Uh…Thanks, but that’s okay. I’m fine.”
Shane stepped around the tree and stood behind her, admiring their handiwork. Immediately the scent of his cologne teased her nostrils, and her skin prickled with goose bumps.
“If you change your mind,” he murmured by her ear, making her shiver, “let me know.”
Abby gave a resigned sigh but managed a smile when she turned around. He was just being sweet, something he was exceptionally good at. “Sure thing. Thank you for your help.”
“Anytime,” he said easily. “What are neighbors for? Should I bring anything over tonight? Candy? Booze? Pizza?”
“Not unless you have a particular preference for something. Otherwise, I think I’ve got everything.”
“Alright. If you think of anything you missed, just give me a call.” He reached up and adjusted her scarf. “See you in a bit.”
She watched him walk across the lawn to his door, admiring his fine ass and long legs. Then, chastising herself for staring, Abby went into the house, grabbed her keys, and went out to her car. As usual, she had everything she needed for everyone else but still had to get the things she needed for herself-costume and props.
Picking a different costume every year was one of the highlights of the holiday for her. She liked pretending to be someone, or some thing else for a few hours. When she was a kid, she used to dream of being an actress, but she was too shy for that vocation. Dressing up for Halloween was the closest she came to acting.
This year, she’d decided to be a fortune-teller. That choice had been adapted from belly dancer to accommodate her shyness. A belly dancer had to walk around and dance in her revealing costume. A fortune-teller could dress similarly but spend most of the night behind a table.
So Abby hopped into her Range Rover and drove across town to Conjure, the specialty store where her friend Kayla worked. Apparently they sold all sorts of things-gag gifts, magic stuff, costumes. She pulled into a spot across the street, then dodged the light traffic of their small downtown to reach the entrance. The door chimed as she entered, and she was immediately struck with the soothing scents of incense and spices, which made the shop feel homey and welcoming.
“Abby!” Kayla called out. “We were just talking about you.”
“You were?” Abby smiled at the pretty blonde who stood next to her friend, noting the name tag that said BRIANNA-OWNER. “What’s up?”
“I was just telling Brianna that she should come to your party.”
“She absolutely should.” Reaching into her bag, Abby withdrew a flyer. She set it on the counter, and paused a moment to rub behind the ears of the handsome black cat who sat by the register. “I’d actually be grateful if you came.”
“Oh?”
Abby wrinkled her nose and glanced at Kayla. “Shane’s coming. With a date.”
“Ugh.” Kayla shook her head. “The man’s blind. Seriously. You’re better off without him.” She glanced at her boss and explained, “Shane Markham’s her neighbor.”
Brianna’s eyebrows rose. “Lucky. He’s hot.”
The cat growled an ominous warning. Abby yanked her hand back quickly. “Yikes. Sorry.” She turned back to Kayla. “Maybe you should show me those costumes you were talking about.”