Dream Wedding(118)

“I’m impressed you two got all that said. After all, I wasn’t gone that long.”

“Guys read between the lines. He understood, as did I.”

“If you say so. You would have more experience with the guy thing than me.” She paused. “Why wouldn’t they trust you? I do.”

His first thought was to tell her that was because she was so young. She didn’t have enough life experiences to know that she should be wary. But then he realized it wasn’t about age at all. It was about Cassie. She was one of the most open people he’d ever met. She would be this trusting at eighty.

“You take the world at face value,” he said. “That’s not always a good thing. Be grateful you have family watching out for you.”

They’d reached the first house. Cassie dropped to one knee and straightened Sasha’s crown. “Do you remember what we talked about this afternoon?” she asked. “About trick or treat?”

Sasha nodded.

“Okay, then all you have to do is walk up to that door and knock. When the people come out, hold out your pumpkin, say ‘trick or treat’ and they’ll give you candy.”

Sasha hesitated.

“We’ll go up with you,” Ryan assured her.

With Sasha leading the way, the three of them moved toward the front door. The porch light was on and more light spilled from the open windows.

“Go ahead and knock,” Cassie said.

Sasha stood immobilized.

“I guess this is a bigger moment than I’d realized,” Ryan said. He leaned forward and rapped his knuckles on the door.

When it opened a large, older woman peered out. “Oh, look, Martin, this one is so precious. Aren’t you just the prettiest thing.” She beamed at them all. “What a lovely family. Can you say ‘trick or treat’?”

Sasha opened her mouth, but there wasn’t any sound.

“Next year,” the woman said kindly. “She’ll be demanding seconds for sure. Here you go, hon.” She dropped a small candy bar into Sasha’s pumpkin. “You have a good time tonight and don’t eat too much sugar.”

They thanked the woman and left. As they walked down the path, Sasha fished the candy out of her pumpkin and held it up to both of them. “Look,” she said.

“I see.” Cassie took it from her and put it back in the container. “We’re going to wait until we get home before we eat any. You want to go to another house and try again?”

“More,” Sasha said.

Ryan smiled at Cassie over the girl’s head. “I think she’s getting the hang of this.”

At the next house they had to wait while the group in front of them collected candy. Sasha held out her pumpkin. She still didn’t say “trick or treat,” but she managed a faint “tank you” when a candy bar was placed in her container.

“More!” she called out. “More and more and more.”

“Ah, the greed is setting in,” Cassie said with a laugh. “It sure doesn’t take long.” She bent down and swept the girl into a hug. “Yes, we’ll get you more. Unfortunately you won’t eat very much of it, so that means I’ll have to help. Like I need more chocolate decorating my hips, thank you very much, young lady.”

Against his will Ryan found his gaze focusing on Cassie’s hips. They were round and womanly. Did she really think there was something wrong with them? He loved the shape of her hips. He’d spent many pleasant moments thinking about touching them, of having her on top of him and grabbing those perfect hips to guide her up and down on his….

“Unk Ryan, there.” Sasha pointed to the next house.

“As my lady wishes,” he said, forcing his mind away from his passionate, albeit inappropriate, thoughts.

This time Sasha raced up to the house and eagerly knocked on the door. When it opened she held out her pumpkin. “Candy,” she said.

The man at the door laughed. “Not the traditional greeting, but it gets the point across.” He dropped two wrapped pieces into her pumpkin.

Sasha smiled at him, set her container on the ground, then carefully took out one candy bar and handed it back to him. He took it and winked.

“You don’t have this thing figured out yet, do you?”

“Candy!” Sasha said loudly. “Candy, candy, candy. Tanks!”

With a little wave, she turned and headed for the street.

“What about this?” the man asked, still holding the treat she’d given him.

“I think she wants you to have it,” Ryan told him. He took Sasha’s free hand. “How long do you think she’ll hold out?”

They ducked around Darth Vader, a ghost and a kid in a really ugly slobbering-monster mask.