Page 7 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

3

Beth

Present Day

“Good morning, Mama,” Taryn said. “I’m starving.”

“Good morning, Starving,” Beth said, smiling down at her daughter. “Whatcha cooking for breakfast?”

“Really? I get to cook something?”

“If it’s cereal. Otherwise, you can make the toast, if you’re careful.”

“That’s mean,” Taryn said, crossing her arms, pretending to pout.

“I’m sorry, my little love. You have so many talents. Cooking is one that you need to practice on.”

“Phooey,” she said, sticking her tongue out.

Beth laughed as Taryn sat down at the table. For the billionth time, her heart twitched because the little girl reminded her so much of her father. She had Beth’s red hair, but Conner’s chocolatey brown eyes. Taryn looked like her father. The child also had his attitude. Taryn also got something else from her father. She was a wolf shifter as well as a witch.

Taryn sat down at the table and picked up the Rick Riordan book she was reading.

“Has Apollo finished his quests so he can become a god again?”

“Nope. Not until the end of this book,” Taryn said.

Beth smiled as she put slices of bacon into the pan. As always, her mind traveled back eleven years ago when Conner had put his arms around her and told her that he loved her. She had been so happy and in love. Her mind had conjured up a million images of them getting married and raising kids. She imagined them working together to create a life together.

Then, Matilda had caused him to forget her. Beth knew that it had nothing to do with Matilda trying to protect Beth’s heart. It had everything to do with the fact that her mother wanted her to go down the same dark path that Matilda, and now Lyla, traveled. Beth was a powerful healer. But as with all good things, there was the bad as well. Beth could inflict great harm on people. She had the power to make a person’s heart start or stop beating or steal a person’s breath away – permanently.

Matilda didn’t understand that Beth had a good soul. She would be the first to admit that she wasn’t perfect and wasn’t an angel. However, she could never, in a million years, intentionally hurt another living being.

Beth’s heart and soul had stayed true to Conner. Men had hit on her and asked her out, but the answer was always no. She was resigned to the fact that she would spend the rest of her life alone. Sometimes she resented, even hated, her mother for it.

“Speak of the devil,” Beth muttered as her mother sauntered to the front door.

She knocked and then walked in without an invitation. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Mother,” Beth said.

“Good morning,” Taryn said, quietly.

Matilda had always been hard on Taryn, not just because she looked exactly like Conner, but also because Taryn was a wolf shifter.

“I see you’re reading that crap again,” Matilda said, tugging on the book.

Taryn’s eyes flashed. “It’s not crap. I love Greek mythology, and I love these books.”

“You should be reading the books I brought you.”

“I don’t like them, and I don’t want to read them,” Taryn said.

Matilda raised her hand, and Beth said, “Don’t you dare hit her or hurt her with a spell. I will end you.”

Grinning, Matilda said, “I knew you had some fire and brimstone somewhere inside of you.”

“Taryn, why don’t you go get washed up for breakfast? It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

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