Page 64 of Something Cryptid This Way Comes
“For me too.”
We draw each other closer and kiss until the dogs dance around us demanding attention.
When we break apart, Trevor grabs my hand and pulls me to sit on the floor beside him. We welcomethe dogs in our laps.
He laughs as Bandit steps on him, turning in a circle, before settling down. “Five-minute break for family time. Then we have a haunted house to dismantle.”
Twisting to avoid Hades’s tail in my face, I lean in and kiss my best friend who’s turned into my forever. “And a lifetime of happiness to build.”
EPILOGUE
TREVOR
The chime of the grandfather clock in the corner of the inn’s lobby overtakes the classical music drifting through the speakers. I finish updating the new photos of the inn’s property on the website, then glance down at Bandit and Hades lying on the rug by my feet.
As if on cue, they look up at me and Bandit barks like he needs to remind me that the three o’clock bell chime is for my coffee break, and their afternoon treat.
Bending down, I ruffle his fur. “I didn’t forget. But today, we’re having a special break. Bram will be here soon and then we’ll have coffee and treats.”
He leaps up, planting his front paws on my thigh, and Hades does the same on my other side. Their tails wag, just shy of being in sync.
The front door opens and Bram comes into the lobby, carrying a tray of to-go cups and a bag from Special Blend, and another from the pet boutique. “Hey. There are my three favorite guys.”
We’ve been together for eleven months. No matter how stressful a day I’m having, Bram always brightens it. The dogsdo, too. After one last ruffle, I stand, and the dogs bolt toward Bram to greet him.
I hurry across the wide-planked floor and grab the tray and bags before a combined hundred pounds of dog can take them down.
Bram grins at me. “Thanks. I would’ve been here five minutes ago, but I ran into Bo at the coffee shop and he wanted to talk about our plans for Mabel’s festival.”
After the mess with the cryptid faking last year, the people involved in the deception have bent over backward to show Bram and me how sorry they are, and that they value what he does.
One of the ideas, floated by Bo, was to retool Cryptid Night to be exclusively for our resident monster. He was also understanding about my decision to stop holding the haunted house at the inn. The Halloween festival committee happily took it on and will be holding the event on the festival grounds.
“What did he say?”
“He asked if we wanted to keep the name as Cryptid Night, or change it to something more Mabel specific. His suggestion is Much Ado About Mabel.”
Biting my lip, I set the tray and bags on the reception desk. “Hmm. I don’t know. I like the Shakespeare vibes, but let’s keep thinking.”
“Agree.” He opens the bag from the boutique and shakes two bone-shaped dog treats onto his palm. In unison, the dogs sit for him. “Such good boys. Here you go, two chicken-flavored treats.”
The sound of their crunching accompanies my opening the bag from the coffee shop. Sugary sweetness wafts from the assortment of muffins inside. Pumpkin, cinnamon spice, blueberry, maple walnut, chocolate, and cranberry orange.
I take the pumpkin muffin. “The Mabel MonsterMash?”
“Sounds like a themed item at the diner, mashed potatoes to go along with the meatloaf.”
Laughing, I peel the wrapper off. “True. We should suggest it to someone at Sparky’s.”
Bram grabs the chocolate muffin. “Mabel Fest? Mabel Madness? Mabel Mania?”
“I like Mabel Fest.” I roll the bag’s top closed and tuck it behind the desk. Jo will want the cranberry orange muffin, and we can take the rest home. “Let’s sit in the bay window.”
We carry our coffee and muffins to the bench seat Alaric and I restored together during the summer. The cushioned seat is a thick pad perfect for sinking in and staying a while.
Outside the window, Maplewoodians are enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. The early September sky is a gorgeous, cloudless blue. We have plans to see Ever and Dmitri, Conall, Alaric and Jake, and Rory, Adrian, and Zach tonight for the monthly game night we started last winter. A board game and card game free-for-all that’s always chaotic and so much fun.
Bram bites into his muffin. “We also have to figure out Halloween costumes. I don’t want a repeat of last year.”
