by M. J. O'Shea
“Arlo you in there?” Sawyer called from the front door of the bakery.
“Shit. Yeah, I’ll be right out!” He’d just closed and figured Sawyer would be over later to fish for leftovers so he’d left the door hanging open to let in the cool breeze.
Later came a lot quicker than he thought it would.
Arlo had been in the middle of balancing a measuring cup of melted butter with his mind while it slowly poured into a huge bowl of batter he was beating by hand. He’d been really impressed with how good it was going until Sawyer called his name and he dropped the butter, cup and all, into the batter with a huge splatting noise.
“You okay?” Sawyer asked as he walked through the door into Arlo’s kitchen.
“Yeah. Just a big klutz. I dropped my measuring cup in the batter.” He fished it out gingerly.
“Gray said we were doing dinner here tonight. I got the night off and everything.”
Arlo gestured with his chin to where he had bowls of towel-covered pizza dough proofing near the warm oven. “Pizzas? I have all the toppings in the fridge.”
“Sounds amazing. What time is lovey boy going to be here?”
Arlo blushed. He still wasn’t quite used to the fact that everyone was used to him and Gray. “He’s on his way. Mack and Fallon are too.”
“I call the sausage,” Sawyer said.
“Pretty sure Gray calls Arlo’s sausage,” McKenna called from the door. “Ow!” she said after that. Apparently, Fallon had a pretty strong arm.
“I think we can all share the sausage.” Arlo chuckled.
McKenna and Fallon dissolved into giggles.
They waited for Gray and Leo and Jake, then got to work making pizza masterpieces. After they were decorated and baked, they sat at three café tables that they’d pushed together and laughed and talked until the pizza and drinks and lemon tarts Arlo had made were gone. It was one of those rare perfect nights where nothing big had happened, but everything seemed to settle into place. It felt really familiar to Arlo, like the feeling in the dream. He wondered if he’d finally made it. Maybe the dream was more of a suggestion rather than a flat out premonition. He’d be very okay with that.
Later that night, Gray took him home and made him fall apart for hours.
Arlo thought he had it pretty damn good.
October bloomed in a rush of turning leaves, the scent of cinnamon and apples, and shortening afternoons. Gray barely noticed the time flying by. It seemed like his days were a long golden haze full of baked goods and more laughter than he knew was possible, long slow nights filled with skin and kisses and more than anything a feeling that kept growing in his chest like a bubble until he felt like he was going to burst.
He walked from his office over to the bakery. He’d cut out early, which, well, nobody seemed to notice. Gray had been doing that a lot lately. It seemed like he didn’t have much trouble getting his work done if he knew the quicker he finished it, the quicker he could get to the bakery. He was greeted by a familiar scene when he got there –Luna and Fallon eating treats and doing homework, Arlo behind the counter with Mack helping him, and Jake perched on a stool laughing openly at something Mack had said. Gray realized Arlo had done this.
Sure, he’d loved his sisters before Arlo had come to town, and he and Jake had smiled at each other when they’d bumped into each other in the square. But he’d never been so close to the girls before – not when he had to be sure they were happy and secure and organized. They were friends now. He was friends with Jake as well. It was incredible what Arlo had brought into their lives. Into his life.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Arlo said when Gray came around to his side of the counter. Arlo took his messenger bag off his shoulder and gave him a soft kiss.
Gray nuzzled his face into Arlo’s neck for a moment then stepped back. “You need help stocking?”
Arlo smiled at him. “Actually, I think Mack has it taken care of. We’re pretty close to cleaned out for the day. You want some tea?”
“Always.” Gray watched Arlo stash his bag under the counter and get him his customary blueberry muffin before shuffling off to make him tea.
I love you…
Gray’s breath caught hard in his throat, and he coughed.
“You okay?” Arlo looked concerned. “You can’t be getting sick. Not for Halloween.”
Gray chuckled. Arlo had been going on and on about Halloween practically since the first of the month. “I’m not getting sick. Promise.”
“Good. Besides, I can’t have you sick tonight,” he murmured.
Gray was about to lean in for a kiss when he heard a loud burst of giggles.
“Sisters present,” McKenna said in a loud voice. “None of us need to hear about Gray’s nightly performances.”
“She is so not going away to college,” Gray muttered.
“I heard that too,” McKenna said. She flipped Gray off casually.
“Still sure you don’t want to trade?” Arlo asked.
Gray snorted. “Sofia still terrifies me.”
“I –” Arlo was interrupted by a new group of customers. “Be right back,” he said and dropped a kiss on Gray’s forehead.
Gray just stared as Arlo grinned at his customers and boxed up the last of the croissants.
I love him. I really, really do.
It was Halloween and Arlo was in love. He’d known Gray was the right one all along – the voice, his smell, the way Arlo’s whole body shimmered into place when Gray kissed him. He knew Gray was it for him. But knowing it and feeling it were so very different. Wanting to be near Gray because his body ached when they were apart, and waking up with a haystack of caramel hair in his mouth, to tickles and laughter and smiles… it wasn’t even in the same league.
“Why are you awake?” Gray mumbled quietly. They did that a lot – woke up when the other one did, like somehow neither of them couldn’t rest when they weren’t both asleep. “Go back to sleep, baby.”
“Gotta get to the bakery. I haven’t finished the pumpkin cookies yet, and the rest of it won’t bake itself.”
Gray made a waving motion with his hand. “’M gonna sleep a little longer,” he muttered.
“Okay.”
Arlo crawled out of the big, fluffy bed in Gray’s room and pulled the clothes from his bag before creeping into Gray’s shower. He heard a small mewling noise from the bedroom and cracked the door open again. Clementine was sitting on the floor looking up at the bed. Arlo grinned and picked her up. She was getting leggy, but she still wasn’t big enough to hop onto Gray’s enormous four-poster when there was no available blanket to climb.
His little ball of fur wriggled her way into Gray’s arms until he grunted and scratched behind her ear.
“Go to sleep, Clem,” Gray muttered.
Arlo could barely hold back his grin.
He showered quickly, got dressed and kissed Gray and Clementine before he walked from Gray’s townhouse to the bakery. He hadn’t been back to his place other than to grab clothes in over a week. Sawyer gave him knowing grins when they came to the pub for dinner but hadn’t said anything about it.
Somehow Baxter Hollow seemed to have gotten the memo that it was Halloween because the weather was perfect for it. The air was crisp and a bit chilly, even in the pale light of sunrise, there were crackly leaves strewn about the streets, and just the tiniest bit of fog hung around the trees in the hills on the outskirts of town. Arlo had on an orange Henley and a black cardigan. He had a black eyeliner in his bag to draw some stitches on his face after he was done with the main baking for the morning. He felt a small thrill of excitement stir in his belly. Arlo had always loved Halloween.
Rather fitting, he thought.
Arlo was deep into finishing the last of the pumpkin cookies when he felt a presence in the bakery. Neither of his doors had opened, so he had a fairly good idea who it was.
“Sof?” He called.
“Hey, dickhead.” She appeared at the doorway to the kitchens. She was dr
aped in a long black dress and had a witch hat in her hand.
“Lovely greeting, sis.” Arlo rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Sofia had been popping in every so often since the first trip her and his mother had made to Baxter Hollow. She’d always been far better at jumping long distances than he was. Apparating. Transporting. Everyone seemed to have a different word for it. Arlo was a bit jealous of her skill, but it was nice. Made for fairly regular visits now that he lived somewhere she actually liked. He didn’t know how he’d explain her presence if anyone actually examined her travel plans. Usually they didn’t.
“I wanted to see you, it’s been a couple of weeks. Besides, nobody does Halloween like small towns and I’m tired of the fam. I flew in last night and crashed at your apartment if anyone asks. Not like you were there.” She smirked at him.
“Seriously.”
“Gray, I can feel you two from Louisiana. When’s the wedding?”
If he thought she wouldn’t decapitate him, Arlo would’ve flicked his spatula of orange royal icing all over her.
“Don’t you dare say that to Gray. We’re not there. Not—” He realized he’d been about to say ‘not yet’ when he realized he hadn’t even told Gray he loved him yet. It was nowhere near time to talk weddings.
“You’ll get there.” Sofia turned and flicked her hand. One of the stools from the main room floated over and dropped in front of her. She plopped down on it. “Have you made the croissants yet? I’m starved.”
“They’ll be out of the oven in a minute.” Arlo pouted. “How do you do that so easily? Last time I tried moving something that far an entire tray of muffins ended up on the ground.”
“You overthink it.” Sofia yawned. “Concentrate less on the actual moving, and more on the object being where you want it to be. I thought you and Frankie worked on that while you were there.”
“Worked, yeah. We worked on a lot of things. He’s really patient.”
“Does he know about Gray?”
“Yeah.” Arlo smiled at the ground. “I called him when I knew the guy from my dream was real and he was here. I don’t think Frankie believed me at first.”
Sofia had finally weaseled the details of the dream out of him a couple of weeks ago. She watched Arlo for a few long seconds. “I never thought I’d see you in love. It’s really amazing,” She murmured. “You seem so settled and happy.”
“I am happy.”
“And I’m happy for you. So. What can I do?” She asked.
Arlo gestured to an old miniature cider press in the corner of his bakery. He’d found it online a few weeks back and had to have it. “Do you mind juicing some apples? I figured we’d have fresh cider today.”
“Not at all.” Sofia winked at him.
“Don’t do too much to it,” Arlo warned. “I want these people to like me in the morning.”
“Me?” Sofia chuckled. “I’m not nearly as good at that as you are. Besides,” she said. “Even if I did add a dash of something to the cider, what difference does it make? You do it to the baked goods all the time and a little bit of fun never hurt anyone. It’s Halloween.”
Arlo was too excited about the day ahead to bother watching her too closely. Maybe it was a mistake to let his mischievous sister loose in his bakery. Oh well.
Halloween night in Baxter Hollow was incredible. Maybe it was just that he and Sofia were in the same place for once and their energies had always played off each other, especially on nights like Halloween, maybe it was just that he was so, so happy, but there was a bright sparkle to the air and it seemed like anything could happen.
The town itself didn’t disappoint. There was another big bonfire, and costumes, and businesses stayed open until dark passing out treats to the children from their doorways. Gray helped Arlo and Sofia pass out candies to tiny mummies and vampires and snow queens, before he put on a pair of devil horns and a black turtleneck and dragged Arlo and Sofia to the square to meet the rest of their little crew. They drank spiked cider and danced. By the time they spilled into Gray’s townhouse, it was far past midnight. Everyone piled onto couches that had been much neater a few weeks ago but much less lived on.
“I’ll make grilled cheeses,” Arlo offered. He was only tipsy, and more off of Gray’s touch than the spiked cider they’d been drinking. He weaved his way out to the kitchen and started assembling ingredients. He grilled and flipped and transferred finished sandwiches to a warming plate in the oven until he had a tall pile of cheesy, golden squares.
Arlo grabbed the plate, a roll of paper towels, and some waters and was on his way back through the doorway to the living room when he tripped on a corner of rug. Out of habit, he floated the plate of sandwiches just for a second while he got his balance back. Then when everything was righted he realized exactly what he’d done.
I just did magic in front of them…
Arlo’s heart pounded in his chest and he froze stalk still. Nobody seemed to be reacting, though. Sawyer let out a loud guffaw at something Leo had said, Jake smiled quietly, McKenna and Gray had their heads together giggling about something. The only one who caught his eye was Sofia who raised her eyebrow.
“I’ll help,” she announced quietly, and made her way across to where Arlo had balanced the plate of sandwiches on a side table.
“Thanks,” Arlo mumbled.
“That was a good one, bro,” she murmured. “You’re getting better at it.”
“Shit,” Arlo whispered. “Do you think any of them saw it?”
Sofia stood still for a moment. “No. If they did, then they already knew you could do it because nobody’s surprised.”
“Thank God.”
Sofia piled two sandwiches on a paper towel. “When are you going to tell Gray?”
“I don’t know. Soon. I really should.”
She nodded. “I think so, too. Especially since you two seem to be getting serious. Remember how Addison flipped out?”
“Frankie said he took it well,” Arlo said.
Sofia snorted. “That’s not the version of the story I’ve heard.” She winked at Arlo and took the two sandwiches and a water to Sawyer.
“Thanks.” Sawyer smiled up at her for a few long moments before he looked away and took a huge bite of his first grilled cheese. Sofia blushed and Arlo, as bad as he was at taking in emotion, didn’t miss that moment. He figured everyone else in the room and maybe the families across on the other side of town probably caught it too.
Arlo shrugged. There could be far worse things.
“Gray?” McKenna asked.
“What’s up sis?”
McKenna tilted her head at him. She’d come to bring him lunch at his office and for a bit of brother sister time. He felt a little guilty that he’d been spending so much time with Arlo. McKenna would be going off to school soon and he knew he’d lose her after that in so many ways. He was tired from the night before, but still fighting back a grin.
“You’re so different,” she marveled.
“I’m not.” Gray knew that was a lie. Every cell in his body felt like it belonged to a new person.
“Right.” McKenna bit her lip, which was something she did a lot when she was concerned.
“You okay, Mack?” Gray knew his sister hadn’t come in to talk about the weather and his first successful relationship.
“Have you…”
“What is it?” Gray almost chuckled, but his sister looked serious for once.
“Have you paid a lot of attention to Sofia when she’s here visiting?” She asked.
“Not really.” Gray still gave Arlo’s sister a wide berth. She was sharp and sassy and her barbs hurt a bit sometimes. So different from Arlo, who wouldn’t hurt a single thing if he could help–
“Hey. Quit mooning. Pay attention.”
It was a habit he’d acquired of late – sitting in his office, staring at the wall and thinking about Arlo. It didn’t lead to him getting a lot of work done for sure.
“I’m pay
ing attention. Just not really to Sofia. I don’t think she likes me.”
“She likes you. Anyway, have you noticed that she can, like, do things?”
“What do you mean?” Gray felt a flutter in his gut.
“I don’t think she’s noticed that I saw. I’m not even a totally sure I did see, but a few times it’s seemed like a plate was all the way across the room, and then it was in her hand, or she was somewhere one day and then somewhere else way too soon for her to logically get there.”
“What do you mean by that last part?”
“She’s here right? Got here the night before Halloween right? Crashed at Arlo’s place?”
“Yeah. I think that’s what Arlo said.”
“She was in Louisiana the night before. She texted me that she’d gone on a date to a concert.”
“She could’ve gotten a redeye or Arlo could’ve gotten his times wrong.”
“Did Arlo go get her in Portland?”
Gray had to sit there for a minute and try to come up with a way to pretend he hadn’t known where Arlo was that morning. And the night before.
“Save it, I know he sleeps at your place most nights. It’s fine you’re sleeping together. I’m eighteen, not five.”
“Okay. No. Arlo didn’t go get her.” Gray didn’t remember seeing a rental car either. Again, he wasn’t paying all that close of attention.
“See, that’s what I mean. Sofia can do things. I think it’s awesome.”
“I’m not exactly sure what you’re saying.”
“Me neither. But watch. You’ll see. There’s something different about her. About Arlo too.”
“You read too many novels,” Gray muttered. He felt an uneasy shiver go up his back. He wasn’t stupid. He’d known all along there was something about the way Arlo smelled, about how he seemed to have this glow around him. Gray had chalked it up to lust and his own imagination. But he still felt uneasy.
