Lib Novel Page 69
I pulled at her hips, wanting to feel every inch of her that I could. “I’m thinking about how tired we’re going to be tomorrow. And the next day . . . and the day after that.”
She smiled, making every future yawn worth it. “As long as that’s the only thing you’ll regret in the morning, I’m fine with it.”
I nodded. “Not having you riding my face for the next hour would be the only tragic thing to come from tonight.”
Her eyes crinkled with a surprised laugh. “Ambitious tonight.”
“We’ve taken it pretty slow. I mean, I don’t even know what names you have picked out for our future kids yet. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
That earned me a full belly laugh and a poke to the ribs. “Should I book the U-Haul?”
Our playful giggles ebbed into slow kisses once again.
“I love you, Harlow.” Jordyn hummed, snuggling into me.
“I love you too, little witch.”
34
JORDYN
ONE YEAR LATER
Istood nervously in the center of the gazebo, bouncing on my toes. The ground was slick with ice, another inch of snow having fallen the night before. Our spooky town was now blanketed in white. The details of city hall and the shops gave off a more festive than spooky vibe. Add a few string lights and evergreen trees and we’d practically be one of those Christmas towns. My desire to return to the black and grays of the town was tempered by Harlow’s excitement for Christmas and eagerness to go frolic in the snow. I swore more and more every day that she was turning into a werewolf.
In a lineup of humans and paranormal, Harlow would be picked on our team every time.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor doing that,” Iris muttered beside me. “Calm down before Billy makes us repaint it.”
“I can’t calm down.” I checked my watch for the hundredth time. “They should be here by now. Willow said three. Willow’s never late.”
“Yeah, but Harlow is! She probably wanted to stay longer,” Iris reassured me. “And Willow didn’t have a good enough excuse for getting her back here without telling her why.”
“I’m freezing my ass off here,” Agnes hissed from behind one of the spindly maples in the square.
“You all don’t need to be here!” I grumpily shouted back. “Why don’t you all just go home?”
“We don’t want to miss this,” Rudy called gleefully from his hiding spot. “Besides, it’s not that cold.”
“Easy for you to say,” Agnes spat. “You don’t even have an ass.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced nervously at Iris. “They’re going to ruin this for me, aren’t they?”
“It’s going to be fine,” she said in her calmest, most even tone. She reached into her pockets and started fishing around. “Do you want something for the nerves?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you so chill?”
“I may have smoked some calming herbs before we came out here,” she said with a giggle. “It’s a new blend. We’re going to be rich as thieves.”
“I thought I told you, no dipping into the apothecary stash.” I pointed at her. “And if you do, you have to share with me.”
“Sorry!” she said with a laugh as she turned out empty pockets. “Next time!”
Dougall came running down the road, his arms wheeling as he hit a patch of black ice. “Their car is just turning off Misty Lane! I repeat: their car is turning off Misty Lane!” he shouted and then dove with a belly flop behind a snowbank. “Less than ten minutes to go.”
“And that’s our chief of police, ladies, gentlemen, fangs, and ghouls,” I muttered.
A throat cleared behind us, and we whirled to find Ramona standing there. Her hands were clasped in front of her like a bouncer, a spotless black trench coat covering her normal uniform of a well-tailored suit.