Page 84 of There's Pumpkin About You
“That’s not necessary, Bash. I trust you and Gus. I’m sure they’re all gorgeous.”
“No, no. Trust me. You’re going to want to come out.”
The smile on his face makes me feel uneasy. I feel like Bash is always knowing something that I don’t, always watching me with his sly smile and mischievous green eyes.
Oakleigh and I follow him out together. Thankfully, the weather is on our side today; the sun unobstructed by any gray clouds. The trees around Goldleaf Farm are bronze as the sun hits them, their dying leaves offering a golden glow all around us.
I watch Bash walk ahead of us towards the truck, and my breath stops.
Gus stands beside his truck, plaid shirt replaced with a plain gray button-up. His hat sits atop his head, keeping the sun out of his brown eyes. His sling has disappeared, his cast now a dark gray in color. He must have gone to the hospital during our week apart.
He looks nervous, hands in pockets, feet shuffling on the dirt. On the bed of the truck is a pile of pumpkins with wildflowers stuck in all of the gaps. On some of them, carved into the skin, are pictures fromTheNightmare Before Christmas. Fake LED candles force a glow from inside of the pumpkins to showcase the scene carved into each one.
“Is it to your liking?” Bash whispers in my ear.
A breath escapes me, sounding relatively like a laugh. “It’s perfect.”
“Then go and get it.”
Following his instruction, I slowly walk towards Gus, each step filling me with that very excitement that I was missing not that long ago. This time, I don’t stop in front of him, I don’t wait for him to say the first word. I just leap up and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. My grip tightens the moment he hugs me back because I was so afraid that he’s been mad at me this whole time for needing both of us to take a breather.
“I missed you,” he murmurs into my neck.
“I missed you, too, Gus.”
He plants a kiss on my lips that steals my breath. “Talk later?”
“You bet.”
The way he kisses me is rough, desperate and loving. It’s not like at his house, last week—all lips, tongues and teeth. This is hard grips and low moans. I can hear Bash hollering in the background, making me smile against Gus, and he smiles, too. I don’t even need to be dating Gus for long to know that he’s about to treat me better than Adam ever did.
What’s more… he’s going to make me treat myself as I deserve.
With respect.
ChapterThirty-Eight
GUS
The party is in full swing, which means that I’m hiding in the corner, ear plugs lodged firmly in my ears. If Wren wasn’t the one that planned this whole thing, then I wouldn’t be here. Instead, I would be holed up in my office, avoiding everyone and everything, knowing that overstimulation is just twenty paces away.
Yet, here I am, sitting on a bale of hay, my newly released and now sling-free arm dangling at my side. It’s not the same as it was and I still seriously need to take it easy, but thankfully, the break healed well despite my tendency to disregard the need for gentleness whilst it was healing.
The barn seems to be holding the number of guests easily enough, and as the owner of the farm, I make a mental note of it so that for future events, I know the structure’s limits.
Wren stands a little way away, chatting with the guests as they enter the new event space. She’s animated, energetic, enough to know that this is the kind of environment in which she thrives. She looks so at ease, shoulders relaxed in her dark red dress. She’s wearing a pair of heeled knee-high black boots that are so goddamn sexy, I fully intend on showing her the effect that they’re having on me later. Her hair is dying to be released from the messy bun on her head, strands of brown curls framing her face and resting on the back of her neck.
I am really proud of her, of everything that she’s achieved. She tries to throw some of the credit my way, but I don’t need any of it. She’s accomplished all of this on her own, all I did was offer the assist here and there. Seeing this party in full swing really does feel a bit surreal. It’s the reason Wren was brought into my life, into the life I was wasting away because I was so determined to hide in the shadows. Oakleigh is clearly enjoying herself, her usual laid-back temperament replaced by a chaotic—albeit drunk—version of her that is dancing to the music as if she’s the only one in the room. I see the way Wren occasionally glances over at her best friend, joy clear in her eyes as she sees the very thing she worked so hard to achieve currently unfolding. She did this for herself, yes, but knowing Wren, the priority was always making sure that Oakleigh had the party she always wanted.
“You almost look like you’re enjoying yourself,” Bash jokes as he sits beside me on one of the hay bales.
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Oh, admit it, Gus, you like being here, getting to watch Wren do her thing.”
My shrug comes with a minimal amount of pain and that genuinely makes me feel so goddamn happy. “I’m proud of her. I’m enjoying watching her do what she’s so talented at, but that doesn’t mean I’m enjoying the party itself.”
Bash scoffs. “You can never just say you like something, can you?”
