He inhaled the aroma and sighed. "Coffee." He took a few sips, then smiled at her. "Because you made me super happy this morning, I won't insist you drive me home."

She hadn't thought about what others might think about him being gone all night. "Oh wow. That's going to be embarra.s.sing."

"What?"

"Your brother and Julie will know you didn't spend the night there. They'll a.s.sume you went home with me."

"I did." He looked like he'd just won the lottery.

"You know what I mean." And then... "Oh no. Josh will know. He'll tell the other kids at school that I'm shacking up with his uncle."

"Really, Ann? Shacking up? Just what are you teaching my nephew?"

"It's not funny. Stop laughing."

"You want to hear something really funny? Ask me to show you my Grand Canyon."

She tried not to laugh at that and failed. "Oh G.o.d. Stop."

The tense moment that might have been turned into a mirth- and coffee-filled morning. Before she knew it, Jack had weaseled a promise of a.s.sistance from her and her friends to move him into his place next week.

Hours later, she ate her lunch with her coworkers, wondering how the man had slipped under her defenses. "Bonnie, am I too nice?"

Her friend immediately nodded.

"Really?"

Amy Stuart, another second grade teacher, agreed. "Nothing wrong with being nice, Ann. We need more kindness in the world."

"But am I doormat?"

Amy frowned. "Not at all. Why? Has someone been bothering you?"

"No, just something I worry about. I don't want to be a pushover."

Bonnie smirked. "This have anything to do with that hunky guy who keeps bringing you flowers?"

Amy blinked. "Trey brought you flowers?"

"You think Trey is hunky?" Bonnie asked.

"Wait. How do you know about Trey?" Ann asked Amy.

"I heard him mention it to Paul and Mandy this morning. I hear the movie was nice."

Ann groaned at her overly-innocent expression. "I went to a movie as a friend. Trey is a great guy." She lowered her voice. "But there was no spark. Besides, if we did date and things got awkward, I'd still have to see him every day. Not a great idea to date a coworker. Not unless you're really sure about him."

"Or you like to live on the edge," added Amy.

"Good point." Bonnie nodded. "So, your flower guy. What's the scoop?"

She wished she knew. "He's an old friend who moved back in town. We dated a little when we were younger, and we might be-might be-rekindling something. I'm not sure yet." Not sure how much longer I can keep denying I'm in love with him again. Stupid!

All the signs were there-thinking about him at random times during the day, her heart racing when he called or texted, how she looked forward to their dates. And perhaps the most telling, as panicked as she felt about him having spent the night, more than anything she wanted to feel him there all over again. In her bed and in her life.

But what if none of it was real?

Chapter Fifteen.

Ann spent the remainder of her day in a weird funk. The kids must have picked up on her mood, because she had to break up several fights and threaten the cla.s.s with no Halloween party on Monday if they didn't stop the nonsense.

Fortunately, she made it to the bell without any blood being spilled, and even better, Josh showed no sign of knowing where his uncle had spent the night.

That evening she took a small break from Jack. She needed the time to convince her friends not to kill her for volunteering their help with his move. Especially since she had a feeling the Blacks would show up as well. She hadn't missed the way Dex had leered at Maya. Those two were ticking bombs likely to could go off at any time.

She arrived at Riley's bearing her usual cheese platter spruced up with a side of expensive Honeycrisp apple slices.

Maya answered the door and dragged her inside. "Her highness is making pumpkin bread. I love Halloween."

"Me too." Her favorite holiday. She still had to decorate the house, but with all the excitement and stress of having Jack in her life again, she'd put off everything, even carving her pumpkin.

They joined Riley in the kitchen, watching her work. The woman had an economical ease of movement, mult.i.tasking and making it look easy.

"It's so annoying that she can cook like this and still mouth off while doing it," Maya complained.

Ann grinned. "I know."

"Don't hate, Maya. We can't all have my mad skills." Riley blew her a kiss, and Maya told her to do something to herself that usually required a partner or at least a rubber toy.

"Ah, I missed this. Such deep friendship." And there was the finger from Maya. "Our loving way of signing how we feel to one another."

Maya snickered. Riley nodded to the fridge. "Grab me some milk, would you?"

"I don't know, Riley," said Ann. "Are you driving anywhere tonight? You can be such a lush."

"Smarta.s.s." Riley laughed. "Now talk. Maya and I have some concerns about you and Jack Bloom."

"Some? Try a ton," Maya added. "And by the way, you can tell him I don't need any messages from Dexter Black in the future."

"Ah, okay." Ann toyed with the cheese plate in front of her, peeling off the plastic wrap, then putting it back.

"Ack. Stop it." Maya grabbed the tray away from her. "Talk, woman."

"I think I love him," she said in a rush.

"I knew it," her friends said at the same time. Riley sounded triumphant. Maya looked as if she might cry.

"I can't help it. He's amazing in bed. He calls me. He texts me sweet messages. And he's been so terrific. I had dinner with his family last night. Then he slept over, and I wanted him to be there tomorrow. And the next day."

"The kiss of death." Maya groaned. "You're toast."

"Pay up," Riley demanded of her. "Ann, falling in love is a good thing. I never thought you'd go through with that stupid revenge plan. I mean, revenge for what?"

Maya frowned. "For him dumping her for Thorpe, remember? Publically. What did he say about that, anyway?"

"Well, that's just it." Ann swallowed. "We haven't exactly talked about it yet."

Riley scowled. "Why not?"

"What's he hiding?" Maya wanted to know.

"I don't know. It's not just him. I kind of don't want to talk about it either. There are old wounds there, and we're new and having fun. Being with him makes me so happy. Do I really want to go dredge all that up?"

"Yes," Riley surprised her by saying. She would have pegged Maya as someone to indulge conflict, but not easy-going Riley. "Because as much as it's fun and games now, you won't be able to let it go. I know you, Ann. You need to know why, at least. He never mentioned why he left in all the time you guys were apart. Just get it out and let the old wound heal."

Maya nodded. "What she said. I would have said it another way, but yeah. Deal with it. Ignoring it never makes it go away. h.e.l.lo? Me and my mother issues? Not going anywhere."

"I know." She groaned. "I'm just afraid of ruining this. I tried not to love him. I really did."

"Sure... Were your legs open or closed when you were trying so hard?"

Riley sputtered with laughter. "Maya."

"What? Girl got hooked on that boy's-"

"Do not say d.i.c.k," Ann snarled. "I am not so hard up for s.e.x that I'd fall for any man with more than six inches of steel."

"Oh. Steel, huh? And more than six?" Maya's eyes twinkled. "You go, Whorish Ann. You're a lot more fun than Nice Ann."

"Stop talking." Ann couldn't help it and laughed despite herself. "You get me so mad sometimes. I am not too nice."

"No, you're not," Maya shocked her by agreeing. "You need to realize that. Now stop being a wimp and talk to Jack. Or I'll get the answers for you." Her smile suggested her way would not be pretty.

"Um, yeah. About Jack..."

"What?" Riley asked, eyes focused on her dough.

"I kind of volunteered you two to help him move."

Two sets of shocked gazes bored holes into her. Then Riley eyed the sliced apple in her hand and put it back on the tray.

"Excuse me?" Maya glared.

"Sorry, but, well, it's important to me. I want you there, and I want you guys to be friends with the guy I love. Dex and Anson are busy-" she hoped "-so Jack needs the help. Look, it'll get him out of his brother's place. Do it for me, so I can have s.e.x away from my nosy neighbors."

"Oh man. Why do you have to ask it like that? Of course I'll help one of my best buds get some." Maya's stringent moral code-to always help out a sister who needed to get laid.

"Perfect. He's not moving until next week anyway. So, Halloween at my place?" The girls nodded. "Great. Now let's talk about Anson's restaurant next to Riley's. How are we going to handle that problem?"

The collective "we" put their heads together and tried to come up with a solution to Riley's problem. But deep down, Ann knew she wouldn't be able to relax until she and Jack had their talk.

Jack waited on Ann's porch and looked around. She'd gone all out, spreading mounds of cobwebs, a jumping spider that had nearly given him a heart attack and some ghouls and goblins on her miniscule lawn.

The neighborhood was loaded with kids, so the streets had mobs of tiny monsters and superheroes roaming for candy from house to house.

He hurried to push the doorbell before a horde of ghosts could overtake him. He carried a dozen black roses for Ann, whom he knew would get a kick out of the gesture, and two white long-stemmed ones for her friends. When Maya opened the door dressed as a witch, he grinned, pleased he'd been right about her friends being there. "Trick or treat."

She stared at him and raised a brow. "That's your costume?"

He wore a dark black suit under a flowing cape and knew he looked d.a.m.n good. For his boutonniere he wore a rotting red rose, and when he grinned, he sported two subtly placed fangs. "I'm the guy your mother warned you about."

"Fair enough." Maya let him in, and he found Riley inside wearing a witch costume as well. Long black dresses, pointy hats, and overdone makeup made the pair look more like s.e.xy spell-casters than old hags. "Hey, guys, the stud Ann ordered is here."

"Great intro, Maya. Thanks." He handed her a white rose.

She gave him a glare, then softened and accepted it with a flourish. "My pleasure." She turned to greet a new batch of trick-or-treaters while Riley waved at him.

"Hey, handsome. Aren't you cute?"

"I was going for s.e.xy and dangerous, but I'll take cute." He handed her the other white rose.

She looked from her stem to the dozen black ones still in his hand and grinned. "Oh yeah. You're definitely the man our mothers warned us about. Your witch is in the garage looking for extra spiders."

"O-kay." He hoped she wasn't trying to find ingredients to make a potion. Not that she needed one. He'd already fallen under her spell, and last night had only proven it to him.

He found her teetering on a ladder and rushed to steady her.

"Thanks-oh. Hi, Jack." She smiled at him, and like her friends, she made witchery look s.e.xy.

"Are vampire-vitch relations okay with your vitch council?" he asked in a spooky accent. "Because I vant to suck your blood right now."

"Tell you what. As soon as I get those glow-in-the-dark spiders down from the top shelf, you can suck away."

"Come down from there." He yanked her over his shoulder and gently set her down. Jack handed her the flowers, then used the rickety ladder to fetch her box of spiders. "Plastic. Thank G.o.d. I thought you went native and were after the real deal."

"No, just the glowy ones. They're to put on the webs on the porch. I totally forgot about them until Joey Hindenmeier told me they were missing."

"Good old Joey." He had no idea who the kid was.

"You brought me black flowers." She blinked at them, then looked closer at the band holding them together. "Is this a ring?"