Pumpkin Spice ⭐

6 - The Secret

It had been a few days since I ran into Steve at the store. We were now in the middle of the week, and I was just bored at the shop. I was outside just enjoying the crisp cool air and a John free morning. He had to get Garrett to school and then said he had somewhere he needed to be. I should have asked questions, but I figured a morning without John was a good morning.

Sitting on the haybales looking out over the pumpkin patch, tired, on my 3rd cup of coffee already. I felt someone sit next to me.

"Well, you look like shit little one." I gasped and turned to see Thor sitting there and I threw my arms around him.

"Oh god I was hoping John didn't let you go." I said and he shook his head.

"No sweetie, I put up a fight when he tried. He said we didn't need the hayride this year, but I told him that until I heard it from you, I wasn't going anywhere." Thor said as I took my arms from around his neck. I just sighed placing my head on his shoulder.

"It's all kinds of fucked up this year Thor. Maybe we shouldn't have even opened..." I said and Thor looked down at me in shock.

"Little one, look at me." I lifted my head and looked at Thor as he placed a hand under my chin making sure I was looking at him. "You needed to open up, you needed this as did John even though he might not see it. Not only did you need this place, but the community needs you too." Thor said and I sighed.

"I think they are looking at me as a suspect again." I said getting my chin from Thor's grasp and looking down at my lap.

"Are they insane?! You had nothing to do with it!" Thor said.

"I know this, but they questioned me again a few days ago. I think they are wanting me to change my story or confess something...I don't know." I said and Thor groaned.

"Well, you have me as a witness if you need someone." Thor said and I shook my head.

"How, you only saw me leave and you only had eyes for Jane." I said and he groaned.

"I'll figure it out." Thor said and I laughed.

I heard a car pull in the side parking lot and I saw John arrive and I groaned.

"I better go get the hayride ready." Thor said, kissed my cheek and went to walk to the barn.

"Is Loki helping this year?" I asked and Thor scoffed.

"If he knows what's good for him." I smiled and walked over to John's car.

"I didn't expect you back already..."

"Yeah, well you have those wedding people coming today so someone will have to run the store while you show them around." John said and I just chose to ignore him and walked into the kitchen to see Agatha busy working.

"Hey, do you possibly have the wedding cake sample list?" I asked and she nodded as she walked into her office. John followed me.

"You can't ignore me, Autumn!" John growled right behind me.

"I can actually, it's really easy." I said and he growled as Agatha handed me the wedding cake sample menu. I walked from the kitchen and back out to the shop. John grabbed my arm, and I winced in pain.

"I went to the bank this morning. I wanted to check on the land finances and they told me since I wasn't the majority property owner, I couldn't do anything on the account. What the fuck is going on Autumn?" John asked.

"I don't know." I winced and he squeezed tighter.

"Well figure it out." John shoved me when he let me go. I heard the bell above the door ring. I looked to see Bucky, Nat and Steve. I smiled at them as I rubbed my arm.

"You okay?" Steve questioned me as I approached.

"Fine, just bumped into the cabinet." I said with a smile. "You ready for the tour of the grounds where everything will be?" I asked. They all nodded.

We walked outside and got in the gold cart since I had a lot to show them.

🎃 🎃 🎃

I showed them the barn, the grounds, the maze...all of it. They even met Thor and he offered hayrides for wedding guests. I smiled as we walked the aisle of the pumpkin patch as Nat told me how her and Bucky got together.

"I was really just friends with Steve first. When he told me he had a childhood friend he wanted me to meet I was so tired of being set up by my friends at this point in time. Bucky and I met at the local bar though and just chatted the night away. Before we knew it, they were yelling last call and we had to get out of there -..."

"But we didn't go home." Bucky added as Nat shook her head.

"We didn't, we ended up walking down to the riverfront and just sitting on a bench and talking. I mean you wouldn't believe what in all we talked about, but it was just kismet and I felt like if I walked away from this man, I would never find him again." Nat stopped and turned to look at Bucky who was walking with Steve behind Nat and I. Bucky placed his hand under Nat's chin and his lips gently connected to hers. Steve and I found ourselves looking at each other trying not to interrupt their moment.

As I was about to turn back when they broke apart, I looked past Steve and groaned.

"Can you guys excuse me for one moment?" I asked and they nodded. I walked down the aisle and stopped right next to someone.

"You can't be here, you need to go." I said to the man standing there who was now smirking at me.

"Autumn! Lovely to see you too." Lemar said. Lemar used to be best friends with John, until he slept and had an affair with Olivia that ended about 6 months before she disappeared.

"Lemar, seriously, if John see's you here -..."

"What he'll kill me? Yeah, heard that before Autumn when he caught us together. His threats don't scare me." Lemar said.

"Lemar, I'm begging you, please go." I pleaded causing him to chuckle.

"You begging, that's something I would love to see, maybe while on your knees in front of me..." Lemar stepped closer to me, and I went to back up but ran into someone's hard chest. I turned to look and saw Steve standing there.

"I believe she asked you to leave." Steve spoke up.

"Who are you? Her boyfriend?" Lemar asked.

"Just a friend." Steve said and I turned to Steve.

"I got this..." I said with a small smile then turned back to Lemar. "You know not to come here, I warned you of that after the whole Olivia thing. Don't think I didn't see you at the memorial. If John had known he would have lost his shit. Please just fucking go." I pleaded again.

"No, I don't think I will..." He said and grabbed a pumpkin. "He in the shop? Would he be the one to ring me out?" Lemar asked. Lemar went to walk away, and I grabbed his arm. He pushed me to the ground with a hard thud to my ass.

"HEY!" Steve yelled, snatched the pumpkin from him and placed it down. He grabbed Lemar by the neck of his shirt.

"I believe she asked you to leave and never come back so how about you fucking listen and just go!" Steve growled and pushed Lemar. He stumbled back and then looked at Steve.

Lemar just looked at me as Nat was helping me up.

"You know, I don't need this. I would just watch my back Autumn. I would hate for what happened to Olivia to happen to you." Lemar said and walked away. Steve walked over to me and gently grabbed my upper arms.

"You okay?" Steve asked and I nodded.

"Yeah..." I said as I watched Lamar leave. "Did he just threaten me?" I asked.

"Sounded like one..." Bucky spoke up.