Mom was so busy ordering everyone around that she didn’t even notice my costume at first, and by the time she did, April and I were already manning the caramel-apple booth. I could tell by the look on her face that if I hadn’t been surrounded at the time by half of the ladies from the Sunday school board, she probably would have thrown a massive fit and sent me home. Luckily, Mrs. Ellsworth, bouncing her fairy-princess baby on her hip, smiled and said, “Don’t you look adorable?”
But then again, that comment was probably directed at Baby James in his wolf suit as he pulled on the hem of my dress while begging me to take him through the trunk-or-treat to get some candy.
I scooped him up in one arm and then grabbed a basket of caramel apples in the other. “I’m going to take James trick-or-treating and try to sell some of these along the way.”
“Thank you,” Mom said. She patted her forehead with her long kimono sleeve and then counted out change for Amber Clark and her boyfriend. “But don’t let him get too much candy.”
Baby James and I set out along the street. “Just me and my big bad wolf,” I said, and set him down with his trick-or-treat bag. James made a little growling noise and then took off running for the first car in the trunk-or-treat. I followed after him with my basket. We stopped at each car, and everyone fawned over James and his cuteness, and I sold a caramel apple for every third piece of candy he collected. I had only about half a dozen left when we made it to the end of Main Street. We were about to cross and go up the other side when Charity and a couple of her friends came bounding up to me to buy apples.
I handed out three and was counting their money while James pulled on my dress, trying to force me to cross the street toward more candy, when I heard another customer ask, “How much?” from behind me.
“Two dollars each,” I said, and handed Angela Leonard three dollars back.
“Thanks,” she said.
“But what if I want the whole basket of goodies?” the customer behind me said.
I looked over my shoulder and almost dropped my basket. “Talbot?”
He stood there in a yellow-and-blue flannel shirt and faded blue jeans, but he was without his customary baseball cap. He had a slight smile on his face, but his green eyes seemed serious and concerned.
“What are you doing here?”
“Just checking out the festival,” he said, and winked at Charity and her friends. Then he leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “I need you to come with me, Grace. Right now.”
“What? I can’t. I’ve got my brother.”
James pulled on my hand and pointed in the direction of more candy, making his little growling noise.
“Oh. My. Gosh,” Mimi Dutton said. “You guys are so cute. Look, Angela, they’re Little Red, the wolf, and the woodsman.” She pointed at Talbot last.
Talbot cracked a smile, then cocked his head like he was pointing in the direction that he wanted me to go. Come now, he mouthed.
Charity gave me a funny look. “Where’s Daniel?”
“I don’t know.”
Talbot put his hand on my arm. “Excuse us, little ladies,” he said to Charity and her friends. “Grace, I need your help with something.”
James wailed and started to dart for the street. I bolted forward and caught him by the hood of his wolf suit.
“Whoa,” Charity said. “That was fast.”
I gave myself a little shake—I hadn’t meant to use my powers. I picked up James, and he kicked my legs and whined for candy.
“Charity, will you take him?”
“But Mom said I could hang with my friends. I’m not the one who’s grounded.”
“Just for a few minutes, okay?” I looked up at Talbot. “We’ll be right back, right?”
“Sure,” he said, and nodded to Charity. “I just need your sis for a minute.”
“Whatever.” Charity grabbed James out of my arms and let him drag her across the street toward Gabriel—dressed like a monk—who was handing out Snickers bars from a plastic cauldron.
I slipped around the corner with Talbot before Gabriel could see me with him. “What’s going on?”
Talbot grabbed my arm. “We have to get out of here,” he said. “You and me. Right now.”