Ten

Wilder

Present Day

Pulling into the privacy gates of our subdivision, I was so ready to get home and see Sarah. She’d seemed beyond happy every time I talked to her. Hell, she’d been fucking giddy. It was me who was missing her, not the other way around. I was sure she’d be fine if I stayed gone another week. That didn’t sit well.

When I reached our house, it was dark, but spotlights lit up the front of it, allowing me to see the additions that had happened since I’d been gone. I sat in the drive, not pulling up past Oakley’s car to enter the garage. Instead, I took in the lit jack-o’-lanterns, among the other twenty or so pumpkins on the front steps and by the front door. Corn stalks were tied on the posts with orange ribbons, and there were fake spiderwebs on my front doors. A large, lit-up ghost stood to the left of the doors while a black tree with bare branches, covered in orange lights, was on the right.

Sarah had mentioned they’d done some decorating, but she had left out the extent of it. Our front porch now looked as good, if not better, than our neighbors’. I hadn’t asked Oakley to do this, and I sure as fuck wasn’t paying her back. If she’d wanted to decorate, then she should have discussed it with me. Not gone off and taken it into her own hands. This was my house. She had no say over how I did things here.

By the time I parked in the garage and grabbed my suitcase to head inside, I was well past annoyed. Jerking the door open, I went into the house, and the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin filled the air. I paused and took in the garland of fall leaves coming down the banister. The fall candles and ceramic pumpkins on the foyer table.

Laughter and music came from the kitchen. Belladonna came running down the hallway, apparently the only one aware I had returned. When she saw it was me, she paused and tilted her head to study me, as if she wasn’t sure my being here was a good thing.

“Sorry, pup. I own the house,” I informed her.

She turned and walked back to where she had come from, clearly not impressed.

Oakley should be meeting me at the door, packed up and ready to leave. Not the dog. I was home. What the fuck were they doing in the kitchen? I hadn’t asked her to make dinner. I was going to order out something for us after Oakley left.

Stalking in the direction of the noise, I noticed more damn pumpkins, leaves, and other fall shit scattered about. How much had she spent on all this? No way was I paying her for it. I hadn’t wanted this. She wasn’t going to be here when it had to be cleaned up.

When I walked through the door of the kitchen, I paused and watched as Sarah and Oakley stood with their backs to me, doing moves to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, which was pumping over the stereo system in the house. Belladonna was in front of them, watching closely, as if she, too, were trying to learn it.

“Hands up,” Oakley instructed as they continued the famous moves from the ’80s.

When they spun around, grinning, both sets of eyes landed on me. Oakley immediately froze while Sarah beamed at me.

“I learned a new dance!” she told me, then ran over to give me a hug.

Belladonna barked then and followed Sarah, as if she were just now seeing me and happy about it.

My anger diminished some as Sarah wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tightly. I bent down and returned the hug, happy to see her having a good time. Even if it was because of Oakley. Who needed to not be cooking in my kitchen and heading for the damn door to leave.

“Did you see the decorations?” Sarah asked with so much joy shining in her eyes that I didn’t have the heart to voice my annoyance over Oakley’s taking over my home.

“I did. It’s very festive.”

She nodded her head enthusiastically. “We made chili and are setting up a chili bar. That’s where you put out lots of toppings and get to choose the things you want to put on your chili. I also saved you some of all the treats we’d made. We have a lot!”

I lifted my gaze to Oakley. My irritation returned. “Can I help you with your bag, or can you carry it to the car yourself?” I asked her, making it very clear that she needed to go.

I didn’t want to see her in my home. Doing things a wife and mother would do. That was shit my head did not need. Especially with Oakley.

The hurt that flashed in her eyes made me feel a slight wave of guilt, but I shoved it away. This was what had to be done. No need confusing Sarah with things. Oakley was her aunt who would visit on occasion when I wasn’t home. Not someone we would hang out with, and she sure as hell wasn’t here to fill a mother role.

“Uh, I can get it,” she said, her voice tight as she made her way to exit the room.

Belladonna left us to follow her. Damn dog was as bad as most men when it came to Oakley.

Sarah let go of me and spun to go grab Oakley. “Wait! I thought you were going to set up the chili bar and eat with us? We made caramel apples, and we were going to slice them up and watch The Lost Boys.”

Oakley smiled down at Sarah and brushed her hair back from her face. “I thought your dad would be later getting home. But he’s here now. You can catch him up on your week. You know the things we were going to set out for the chili bar. I need to be going.”

Sarah’s face fell, and Oakley bent down to kiss her forehead.

“I’m just a text or FaceTime away. No sadness. We will see each other again soon. Send me pictures of you in your Wonder Woman costume on Halloween. I need a new wallpaper on my phone,” she told her, then winked.

I watched my daughter nod her head, but the smile was gone from her face.

Dammit. What was so wrong with me? She used to love coming to stay with me. We had fun together. Oakley was just making her forget that. If she wanted to play this game, fine. I had the money to combat her “fun times.” I would take Sarah to Disney World. She could trick-or-treat there. See how much fun Oakley was compared to the damn magical mouse.

Oakley gave Sarah one last hug and excused herself without looking at me before leaving the room. Sarah watched her go with a forlorn look in her eyes that hurt my chest. I had to fix this. Make her see I was fun too. Remind her she used to enjoy the things we did together.

Belladonna sat at Sarah’s feet, but the dog looked fucking torn. As if she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing.

Slapping my hands together, I got Sarah’s attention and beamed a bright grin at her. “Let’s get these toppings set out. I’m starving.”

Sarah looked from me back to the kitchen door. “Okay. But first, I want to walk Oakley to the door. Tell her bye again.”

Standing there, I watched as she left the room with Belladonna at her heels to go after her aunt. I didn’t want to hear what they said to each other. It wouldn’t help my mood. Instead, I went about pulling out the things that I knew would go good on chili and setting them on the counter.

Tucked in the fridge was half of an apple pie, brownies with icing ghosts on them, cookies decorated for the spooky season, and less than half of a chocolate pie. The caramel apples sat on a plate, covered in orange and black sprinkles. Was Oakley trying to give my kid diabetes with all this damn sugar?

Closing the fridge door with more force than necessary, I glared at it as if the appliance itself had offended me. Sarah’s and Oakley’s voices traveled down the hallway.

Turning, I walked over to the bar and pulled out my best whiskey. I needed a drink.