His Halloween Kisses by Kathy Bosman

Ewen, thought she loved him, but kissing Ewen was like kissing a plank compared to Byron. Now she understood what people meant by the word “chemistry.” She’d never fully grasped the pull of attraction before. And it went deeper than that with Byron. He seemed kind, casual, fun.
    The kitten meowed by her feet. She picked her up, gave her a quick cuddle, and then cleaned up her mess, tired of the smell permeating the room. Putting her in the basket to take with her, she drove quickly to the shop to buy a litter box and some crystals. While she drove, she tried to think of a name for the kitten. All she could think of was “Blackie”—such a stupid name.
    When she arrived home, Brenda sat in the lounge eating a salad and watching TV. She looked up at Ali.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œA kitten. Don’t ask.”
    â€œAw. It’s so cute.” She put her salad down and rushed to see. Soon Brenda, Janet, and Pat were all crowding around, stroking the kitten and fighting over who would hold it. Thankfully, in the end they gave her to Ali who sat down with the blanket on her lap so the cat could sleep. Her little purrs soon lulled the ball of fluff into a deep sleep punctuated with twitches and eye rolls. Ali would have to keep her. How could she ever let the SPCA put her down?
    Problem was, every time she looked at her, she saw Byron and his warm brown gaze sinking into her. She was in serious trouble for falling in love with a guy she couldn’t have.

Chapter Five
    Byron wished he could have flown back to Newcastle, but the town didn’t possess a single commercial airport. Instead, he’d taken a long drive from Pretoria. Especially tedious because of the bombardment of troubled thoughts.
    At least he’d done it. He’d broken off his engagement. At last. He should have ended the relationship months ago when he first started doubting them; when Kelly had asked for some space.
    But no, he’d had to kiss Ali first, because the kisses they’d shared had shown him that what he felt for Kelly wasn’t truly love. He’d cared for her, been passionate about the thought of being married to her, but was never captivated. The pining for Ali the last few days had surpassed the last few months without Kelly.
    At first he’d thought Kelly played the classic “Cat and Mouse” game that couples play. Figured she’d played hard to get to make him want her more. He’d taken it as a challenge and made his own life apart from her. He’d given her plenty of space. Had he misinterpreted what she meant? Kelly had begged him to stay. She’d broken down in front of him, offering a hundred apologies.
    He’d had to turn her away. Too late to apologise now.
    Argh, he couldn’t think about this any longer.
    The engagement was over, and if it weren’t for Ali refusing to see him, he couldn’t be happier. Yes, he had an unstable job, but he couldn’t go back to Pretoria now. Not with Kelly there.
    He felt free. No one in the world could rob his happiness. The confusion of the last few months had ended. What a relief to have finally decided. Now to win Ali back. How, he wasn’t sure. The gifts didn’t do it. Gifts came naturally to him. He’d always spoilt his mom with flowers from the garden, his sister with chocolate bars—his way of communicating love. What was Ali’s way?
    Argh, what to do?
    It became dark as he neared Newcastle, and he struggled to focus on the road. Maybe he should stop for the night, but where? Before he could think of a place, his car hit a huge pothole in the road, knocking it to the side and making it roll. He felt as if he’d entered another world, like a ball rattling around in a cage. Could this really be happening? Pain seared his arm and leg, and darkness encompassed him.
    Moments later, he opened his eyes, surprised he was still alive. He tried to move his right arm and gasped at