Most of the kids screamed with delight. Some just flat out screamed. They had quite the light show going, and with him and Molly shuffling out through the smoke, it was a hell of a scene.
Chelsea and Samantha had shown up, and they’d snuck out through the side door in the garage and were taking pictures.
Several of the parents were, too.
Carter had to admit his was a popular house, because he was certain several of the kids made more than one trip. And it wasn’t for more candy, it was to see the lights and the skeletons and smoke and the graveyard.
Awesome.
Once he’d had to run inside and refill the bowl, and his house was filling up, too. Fortunately, his friends knew to make themselves at home, and Logan and Des pitched in as bartenders, since Bash couldn’t be there to fulfill his duties.
He had to admit, he enjoyed watching Molly with the kids. She seemed to know which ones she could be scary with, and which ones to tone it down with. One girl—she had to be about four years old—tentatively came to the door, clutching her daddy’s hand like a lifeline. And even though her little brown eyes were wide as saucers, she was determined to come to the front door for candy.
So Molly grabbed the bowl, crouched down, and smiled at the little girl, spending a few minutes talking to her, explaining that this was all make-believe, and not to be scared. Then she invited Carter over, and let the little girl see that Carter wasn’t a real monster.
After that, the little girl got her candy and happily ran down the street to the next house.
Molly had an instinct about kids. Someday she was going to make a great mother.
His stomach tightened as he thought about what could have been between them. They could have had a kid—maybe more.
He hadn’t been ready for that kind of responsibility back then. He’d have totally fucked it up.
Maybe things happened for a reason.
But now? As he watched Molly laughing with a group of adolescents who’d come to the door, he reevaluated his current life.
He wanted a wife. And kids.
He just wasn’t sure who he wanted them with.
Or maybe he did know, and he wasn’t sure how in hell he could make that happen.
Tonight wasn’t the night to be thinking deep thoughts. Especially since he didn’t have answers to any of the questions that had suddenly started popping nonstop into his head.
A few hours later, when the kid traffic had slowed to just a few of the older kids, he and Molly took a breather.
“Beer?” he asked as Chelsea, dressed as a vampire vixen, took over door duty with Samantha, who was perfect as Raggedy Ann.
“I think I’ll have a glass of wine instead.”
They headed into the kitchen to grab drinks and some snacks.
“Hell of a turnout tonight, Carter.”
“Thanks, Evan. And you get the night off for Halloween, huh?”
“Yeah. Lucky me.”
“Evan, you remember Molly, don’t you? She’s Emma’s sister.”
“Oh, right. Nice to see you again, Molly. We met at the wedding. I work with Luke on the police force.”
Molly put her plate down and shook Evan’s hand. “Of course. Nice to see you again, too. That whole wedding thing was kind of a whirlwind for me, since I’d just gotten back in town.”
“Understood. How’s your mom doing these days?”
“She’s doing okay. Thanks for asking.”
Carter turned to Evan. “Did you bring a date?”
“Megan’s here with me, but you know how it is. We’re just friends who decided not to come alone. Less awkward that way.”
Carter nodded. “Yeah, I totally get it.”
Molly was trying to keep up with everyone. She had no idea such a crowd was going to be here tonight. She knew a lot of people from high school, even the ones who’d gone to Oakdale, the other school. Growing up in a small town meant you ran into the same people over and over again, or went to a lot of the same parties when you were teenagers. But some were a few years older or younger than her, so tonight was spent reacquainting herself with people she hadn’t seen in years.
“Molly, I’m so glad you’re here tonight.”
She turned and smiled at Samantha Reasor. “Me too, Samantha. Are you having a good time?”
“It’s Sam, remember? And who wouldn’t? Carter’s Halloween parties are legendary. I wouldn’t miss one. Well, there was the one year right after he and I broke up when we weren’t exactly speaking to each other, but other than that, I come here every year.”
“You . . . broke up. You two dated?”
“For about a year.”
“I see. I had no idea.” Of course she’d had no idea, because she hadn’t been here.
Samantha waved her hand back and forth. “It’s no big deal, and that was a long time ago. Carter and I are friends now. That’s all water under the bridge.”
“Really. So you two can still be friends after being . . . involved?”
Samantha laughed. “Of course. We had a few months of trying to adjust after realizing we just couldn’t make it work together as a couple. It was more on my part than his. He’d ended it well, and he’s always a gentleman. I was the one who had to drown my sorrows for a couple weeks in several pints of Ben and Jerry’s. No woman likes to get dumped, you know.”
“Ouch.” So now she knew who’d done the breaking up. It had been Carter who’d ended things. Molly wondered why.
“Yeah. But, like I said, we weren’t right for each other. I’ve moved on, and so has he. And as friends, we’re great.”
“I think you’re a much nicer person than I would be, Sam.”
“I don’t know about that. You and Carter were a big deal back in high school, as I recall. And you’re here now, too, aren’t you?”
She let out a soft laugh. “I suppose you’re right.”
Sam looped her arm through Molly’s and led her toward the living room where there weren’t so many people. “Carter has that way about him. It’s just too hard to stay angry with him. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, and he’d never deliberately hurt anyone.”
Her gaze drifted toward the dining area where Carter stood talking to Logan and a few other guys. “No, I don’t suppose he would.”
“Anyway, we really need to spend some time catching up.”