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Authors: Geralyn Dawson
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stuck away, just where she wanted it.
***
TYE TOOK her horny-toad hunting. He gave her the choice between that and snagging for crawdads, but the minute she heard the word “mudbugs” she went for the toads. Tye didn’t care which they did. All he wanted was to get away from town and the predatory females with their baked-goods bribes.
But he was glad to have the company of a friend. As they stepped across the rangeland south of town, he promised himself he’d continue to consider her just that. Friend , and nothing more.
It was a damned difficult assignment.
Even out here in the wide open spaces, with nary a hint of Magic in the air, he felt drawn to her. She was pretty and smart and full of surprises. Most important, she made him laugh. He hadn’t laughed with a woman in so damned long.
Look at her now, her bonnet lost and her eyes bright and sparkling as she knelt facing the sun and holding the horned toad in her palms like a pagan offering. She was downright beautiful, even with her tongue flicking in and out like that “What are you doing, Claire? It’s not gonna talk back to you.”
Wrinkling her nose, she said, “This is the most fascinating animal. I don’t know that we have these down in Galveston. I’ve never seen one before. Look at what he’s done, Tye. It’s like he’s playing dead. See how he’s gone all stiff? That must be a defense mechanism, don’t you think?”
“That, or he likes what you did with your tongue and he’s flirting,” Tye replied, pretending seriousness. When she wrinkled her nose at him, she looked so cute he couldn’t stop himself from adding, “Well he is a horny toad, after all.”
“I can’t believe you said that,” she murmured, a pink blush stealing across her cheeks.
“I can’t believe I did, either,” Tye said, laughing. “Ah, Donovan, you are too fun to tease. Now, put your friend in my burlap bag here and let’s find us a couple more toads. Even though Maribeth is the only one who’ll be interested, one thing I’ve learned from the Blessings is that if you come home with anything, it’d best be three anythings.”
“It was the same way at my house,” she told him, slipping the horned frog into his bag. “Whenever my da made us walnut-raisin muffins for breakfast, he had to be sure to make a number divisible by three because heaven forbid one of us kids would get one more or one less muffin than the others. And only one of us even liked walnut-raisin muffins.”
Tye smiled along with her as they searched the field for another anthill, ants being the main attraction on a hungry horny toad’s menu. While they walked he was pleased to pry a few more details from her about the Donovan family. It had not escaped his notice earlier that she went out of her way to dodge discussion on that subject.
He found he was uncommonly curious about this woman, and as they hunted their pointy prey, he could tell she’d begun to relax her guard. Now was the time to ask about the fiancé. Tye decided to ease into the subject slowly.
“So tell me about your shop. Have you always wanted to be a baker?”
“Always.” She stooped to pick up a shiny rock, then moved it back and forth in the sunlight so that it sparkled. “My da is a baker and he passed on the trade to his children. Recently the boys both opened bakeries of their own.”
“Both of the boys and you.”
She tossed down her rock. “Not exactly.”
Claire picked up her pace and Tye had to hurry to keep up with her. They walked right past an anthill, but he chose not to bring it to her attention. He thought he was getting somewhere. Finally, he put his hand out and stopped her. “Slow down, you’re paining my sore knee.”
“I didn’t know you have a sore knee.”
“I don’t, but I will if we keep running. So what’s the deal, Claire? Is The Confectionary not yours after all? Are you getting it set up for one of your brothers?”
“Absolutely not” She whirled around and
***
TYE TOOK her horny-toad hunting. He gave her the choice between that and snagging for crawdads, but the minute she heard the word “mudbugs” she went for the toads. Tye didn’t care which they did. All he wanted was to get away from town and the predatory females with their baked-goods bribes.
But he was glad to have the company of a friend. As they stepped across the rangeland south of town, he promised himself he’d continue to consider her just that. Friend , and nothing more.
It was a damned difficult assignment.
Even out here in the wide open spaces, with nary a hint of Magic in the air, he felt drawn to her. She was pretty and smart and full of surprises. Most important, she made him laugh. He hadn’t laughed with a woman in so damned long.
Look at her now, her bonnet lost and her eyes bright and sparkling as she knelt facing the sun and holding the horned toad in her palms like a pagan offering. She was downright beautiful, even with her tongue flicking in and out like that “What are you doing, Claire? It’s not gonna talk back to you.”
Wrinkling her nose, she said, “This is the most fascinating animal. I don’t know that we have these down in Galveston. I’ve never seen one before. Look at what he’s done, Tye. It’s like he’s playing dead. See how he’s gone all stiff? That must be a defense mechanism, don’t you think?”
“That, or he likes what you did with your tongue and he’s flirting,” Tye replied, pretending seriousness. When she wrinkled her nose at him, she looked so cute he couldn’t stop himself from adding, “Well he is a horny toad, after all.”
“I can’t believe you said that,” she murmured, a pink blush stealing across her cheeks.
“I can’t believe I did, either,” Tye said, laughing. “Ah, Donovan, you are too fun to tease. Now, put your friend in my burlap bag here and let’s find us a couple more toads. Even though Maribeth is the only one who’ll be interested, one thing I’ve learned from the Blessings is that if you come home with anything, it’d best be three anythings.”
“It was the same way at my house,” she told him, slipping the horned frog into his bag. “Whenever my da made us walnut-raisin muffins for breakfast, he had to be sure to make a number divisible by three because heaven forbid one of us kids would get one more or one less muffin than the others. And only one of us even liked walnut-raisin muffins.”
Tye smiled along with her as they searched the field for another anthill, ants being the main attraction on a hungry horny toad’s menu. While they walked he was pleased to pry a few more details from her about the Donovan family. It had not escaped his notice earlier that she went out of her way to dodge discussion on that subject.
He found he was uncommonly curious about this woman, and as they hunted their pointy prey, he could tell she’d begun to relax her guard. Now was the time to ask about the fiancé. Tye decided to ease into the subject slowly.
“So tell me about your shop. Have you always wanted to be a baker?”
“Always.” She stooped to pick up a shiny rock, then moved it back and forth in the sunlight so that it sparkled. “My da is a baker and he passed on the trade to his children. Recently the boys both opened bakeries of their own.”
“Both of the boys and you.”
She tossed down her rock. “Not exactly.”
Claire picked up her pace and Tye had to hurry to keep up with her. They walked right past an anthill, but he chose not to bring it to her attention. He thought he was getting somewhere. Finally, he put his hand out and stopped her. “Slow down, you’re paining my sore knee.”
“I didn’t know you have a sore knee.”
“I don’t, but I will if we keep running. So what’s the deal, Claire? Is The Confectionary not yours after all? Are you getting it set up for one of your brothers?”
“Absolutely not” She whirled around and
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