Page 81 of Rare Blend
Her eyes roll playfully. “The sexy Wicked Witch of the West. Obviously.” She gestures to her family. “We did a group costume this year for my niece Lily. She’s Dorothy, Gavin is the lion, Shane is the scarecrow, and Ethan is the tin man.”
Gavin has his normally tied-back hair loose and free, with his face painted like a lion. It’s a little comical to see a man like him going full out for Halloween, but it also warms my heart knowing it’s for his daughter. Shane also has his face painted and is exposing his bare chest, revealing even more tattoos. And then there’s Ethan, who, not surprisingly, is only wearing a gray henley under his open jacket.
“Where’s your costume?” I ask Ethan, putting an end to our streak of silence.
Elyse nudges him. “Mr. Party Pooper agreed to wear the hat”—she rolls her eyes at me—“for pictures only.”
“Because that hat makes me look like a conspiracy theorist,” he argues.
She places her hands on her hips. “It’s for your niece.”
He looks at both of us through furrowed brows, internally debating, before he relents. “Fine.”
Elyse does a little clap. “Yay!” She pulls the cone-shaped DIY foil hat out of her purse and places it on Ethan, snapping the chin strap for good measure.
His eyes flash to mine. “See? Ridiculous.”
I bite my bottom lip to prevent my threatening smile. “You’re supposed to look ridiculous. It’s Halloween.”
He crosses his arms, but his expression has a glint of humor. “And where’s your costume?”
I shrug. “I’m on the job. I have to look professional.”
Ethan shakes his head at me, the corners of his lips lifting. “Excuses, excuses.”
“Speaking of which,” I shout, so the group can hear me. “Let me take a picture of you guys for theHerald.”
Lily runs out from behind Gavin to stand front and center. As she should.
I glance around for a spot to set my drink so I can take the picture, but before I can figure it out, Ethan quietly takes the cup from my hands. Our fingertips briefly brush, causing a subtle warmth to pass between us, and without a word, he slips it behind his back as he joins his family for the photo.
It takes me a moment to regain my composure, far more affected by him than I’d like to admit.
Shaking my head to focus on the task at hand, I step back to get the right frame. “Alright, everyone say ‘cheese!’” I take a few quick shots. “Okay, I think I got some good ones.”
Gavin approaches me. I thought Ethan was tall, but Gavin has him by a few inches. “Think you could send me a few copies of those?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
He reaches out and gives me a brief handshake. “I’m Gavin, by the way. I don’t think we’ve officially met.”
“Marisa. Nice to meet you.”
Lily stands at her dad’s side, staring up at me, so I bend down to meet her at eye level.
“And you’re a very pretty Dorothy.”
She smiles brightly and does a twirl, mirroring Elyse’s. “Thank you,” she says, cheeks turning a light shade of rosy pink.
Lily spots a Disney princess and takes Gavin’s hand to drag him away, leaving me with Ethan and Elyse.
“I’m going to go grab a hot chocolate. You guys want anything?” Elyse asks us.
We both shake our heads no, and she darts away for one of the various tents.
And then there were two.
Ethan takes a drink of my hot cider, and I can’t help the blush that takes over my cheeks. I’m not sure why sharing a drink feelsso familiar, but it does. Way too familiar when I remember that his mouth was on mine less than twenty-four hours ago. His lips linger on the rim of the cup a moment longer than necessary, and when he hands it back to me, his eyes lock with mine. There’s a teasing glimmer in them, but something else, too—something that sends a spark of heat down my spine.
