Page 1 of Harvest Maze

Chapter 1 – Ivry

Ateeny flame danced on the metal tip of the lighter. It eagerly strained, reaching out for the wick. Embracing the new source of life, it glowed bright, writhing and twisting straight upward. A smile crept over my lips as I sucked in a deep breath.

On the table beside the pumpkin cream cheese muffin, my phone buzzed. I glared at it. It was my own damn fault for not silencing it. But no one ever called me.

Except…him.

Lucian Ravello, The Boss of Bosses in this little slice of the world, and my distant cousin on the twisted, gnarled family tree.

I slid my finger over the red button and put my phone in airplane mode. There. No more interruptions.

Now where was I….

Oh, yes! Fall. It was officially fall.

The teeny flame dared to grow bigger as it ate the wick. Waxen tears slid down the slim candle into the cream cheese. Scrunching up my nose, I took a big breath.

And blew.

A wish latched onto the exhale, spreads its ethereal wings, and charged into the world. If it manifested into reality, well, I would wait to see.

I was still as single as when I kissed my twenties goodbye a few years ago. It wasn’t the impending tick-tock of biology that made me want to find someone. I was tired of being alone. Friends were great, but someone who was all mine—and I was his—was the best kind of friendship.

And I wanted it.

But, I wasn’t going to let my relationship status get me down! It was my birthday. And the first day of fall. Screw what the calendar said, September 1st was fall. Plain and simple. Had I been celebrating for the last few weeks? Secretly making pumpkin spice lattes and covertly baking caramel apple cookies? Sshhh…. No one needed to know!

I hopped off the stool on my bistro table and hustled into the living room. There were totes of decorations to put out. Later, I would bake until sunset, when I would curl up outside with a projector in the backyard and watch the Gilmore Girls until well after midnight. My tabletop fire pit was full of fuel, and I was ready for chilly nights and feel-good movies.

I loved all things cozy, even a little spooky. I wasn’t a big-time horror girly, but I enjoyed a fright. This town adored Halloween. Next week, the haunted maze would open, though I didn’t want to wander through the corn.

Okay, that was a lie. I would go every chance I got.

But only during the day. When there were scavenger hunts and the family-friendly mazes were open.

It was at night when the other paths of the maze turned haunted. That was when my friends would want to go. I would rather stay home, knit something cute, and enjoy my granny era. That was my favorite part of fall. Granted…if I had someone special to go through the haunted corn maze with, maybe then I would enjoy the macabre atmosphere more.

On second thought, probably not.

I began decorating like a crazy woman, but I couldn’t help the trickle of unease. I chalked it up to Lucian calling me. The big, bad mafia boss man would be mad. But if he used even two of his brain cells, he would realize today was my day. Everyone who knew me, knew that I was a Virgo and a fall girl. Still, I kept glancing out the window, half expecting to see him drive up and start shouting. I helped the famiglia out from time to time, but I refused to be at Lucianus’s beck and call.

I wasn’t part of their organization, nor was I a sworn member of the mob.

“There’s no one out there!” I rambled to myself. “He didn’t send a goon, and even if he did, so what? He’s not ruining Fall Day!”

I grabbed the cornstalks that were sitting by the front door. Sheer orange ribbons as big as my face were tied around the clumps. There were five, one for each pillar of my front porch. I was glad I’d taken the railing down this summer. It made the space open and inviting. It was the type of porch that said, Hey! Come have a sit! It was going to look so great decorated for fall, and next month a little spookier. I had cute little pumpkins ready for October 1st. Happy, smiling ghosts would play peek-a-boo. And a skeleton dressed like an 1800s Victorian debutant would reign over the yard from one of the rocking chairs on the porch.

I planned to have tea with her.

That was as spooky as I wanted my Halloween to be.

Turning up the volume on my TV so the ambient playlist could float out the door, I flung it open and wrestled the cornstalks out.

Only to stop short as a sharp gasp cut my throat.

Ma che cazzo!

I blinked. My nice clean porch!