Chapter 1

1

AURORA

“ W hat do you say when we get to the door?” I asked, looking down at my niece and nephew.

Harper and Aiden were six and eight, and they’d done this before, but they seemed to keep forgetting the magic phrase. This would be the third house we’d visited, and with the first two, they just stood staring at the homeowner, bags outstretched.

“Trick or treat,” Aiden, the oldest of the two, said.

“Just treat,” Harper said. “I don’t want a trick.”

Yeah, she made a good point. I probably questioned it myself as a kid. But it was the thing to say on Halloween night.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said.

We all three turned to face the charming log cabin that sat by itself at the perimeter of Sugar Plum Farms. It was part of the neighborhood that had been devastated by the tornado, and this neighborhood happened to be the one where everyone brought their children for trick or treating.

The kids took off like a shot, making it a struggle to keep up with them. The cabin was pretty far off the road, but the porch light was on. I assumed that meant the resident was open to trick-or-treaters.

I started having second thoughts as we approached the front door. What if the person inside was one of the grumpy mountain men who usually lived farther away from town? He might come out yelling at us.

I’d only been a Rosewood Ridge resident for a few weeks, but my stepbrother had moved here with his kids several years ago. I’d visited him numerous times, though, so I had the lowdown on the many grumpy, hermit-like dudes in this town.

“Hold on, kids,” I yelled, my voice tinged with panic. “Maybe we shouldn’t?—”

It was too late. They were already heading up the stairs of the front porch, Harper struggling with the skirt of her princess costume and Aiden tackling the steps like a professional mountain climber. I took off at a quick sprint, my witch costume swishing around my ankles.

My stepbrother Wyatt owed me big time for this. He was a volunteer firefighter when he wasn’t working construction. Tonight, the firefighters were at the station, where there was a whole mini-party happening. We’d be heading straight over there once the kids filled their bags with candy.

But it was too late to stop them from disturbing this homeowner. Aiden was already reaching for the doorbell, his little index finger pressing the button. If it was a grumpy mountain man, he wouldn’t answer. That was what I told myself.

But then the door burst open, and I nearly tripped over the second step at what I saw. Holy hell. The guy was tall and muscular and hot—so hot, it almost didn’t seem like he could be real.

His gaze softened when he saw the kids, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he was a grump, maybe not. But at least he wasn’t a monster.

“Hi,” the man said. “Who are you supposed to be?”

He was looking at Aiden. Tonight, he’d dressed as his favorite superhero. He watched the movie over and over again while I babysat the two of them when my stepbrother worked.

Aiden shouted out the name of his favorite superhero proudly. “And my sister’s a princess.”

“I see,” the man said.

But as I moved to stand behind the two kids, a look flashed across the guy’s face. Not recognition. We’d never seen each other before. But something else. Something that might be close to what was hitting me too.

This was the guy I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

That bizarre thought flashed through my mind before I could shove it back. It was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever thought.

I’d never believed in fairy tales or happily ever afters. I worked in cybersecurity, which meant I had a very technical mind. I believed in science and facts, not fairies and unicorns.

“Trick or treat!” Harper yelled.

She was looking back at me now, and I nodded my approval. Then she flipped around to see the guy, who was still staring at me.

Maybe that snapped him out of it. He turned and looked behind him, then back toward us. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t have any candy. I was just heading out to the fire hall. We’re doing a big trick-or-treat event there. You know what? You should come. Both of you and your mom.”

“She’s not our mom,” Aiden said. “She’s Aunt Aurora.”

Did he really think I was old enough to be their mom? I was only twenty-three. I did some quick math and realized if I’d had Aiden when I was fifteen, I could technically be their mother, but that would’ve meant being sexually active at fourteen. I shuddered at the thought.

“We’re going over there,” Harper said. “That’s where my daddy is.”

“My stepbrother works for the fire department,” I explained.

The guy’s eyes widened. “What’s his name?”

“Wyatt Owens,” I said. “He’s a single dad.”

What difference did that make? This guy would know that if they worked together, anyway.

“Can’t say I recognize the name,” the guy said. He crossed his arms over his chest and let his gaze scan my body. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“Aunt Aurora,” Aiden said. “I told you already.”

He sounded a little exasperated. It almost made me giggle.

“I’m a witch,” I said, shrugging. “It was a last-minute costume.”

“I like it.” He smiled. “Well, head over to the fire station and I’ll track you down there. I owe you some candy.”

His eyes didn’t leave my face as he said those words, and it sent warmth straight through my body. Holy inappropriateness. There were two kids here. I was the worst aunt ever, getting all hot and bothered over a guy who was keeping things G-rated.

“Can we ride in the fire truck?” Aiden asked.

“No, but I heard they’re going to let kids climb up in it,” he said. “They might even let you hit the sirens.”

“I want to go now,” Harper said, looking back at me again.

“Me, too,” Aiden added.

“We’re going to finish up our trick-or-treating here and head to the station,” I told both kids, feeling the guy’s eyes on me as I spoke. “That’s the plan, remember? Let’s go.”

I held out a hand for Aiden, and he took it. But before I turned to leave, I nodded at the hunky firefighter.

“I guess we’ll see you at the station,” I said.

His eyes were locked on my face, and I went a little weak in the knees under his stare. It wasn’t just that it was intense. I saw a warmth there that I hadn’t expected to see when I first spotted him.

Underneath that gruff exterior was a big teddy bear. I’d seen that with the kids, but now, looking at him, I could see how he might be that way with a woman he cared about too.

And I wanted to be that woman.

The kids would rush me to the fire station, and I couldn’t say I’d blame them. I was looking forward to it myself.