Page 13 of Vow Of A Fox

I could tell she was being modest, but I didn’t push. Instead, I grabbed my bag, said goodbye to Donna once more, and we headed out to my truck.

I wasn’t ready for the night to end, though.

“Do you like cupcakes?” I asked Sienna as I cranked my truck to life. “Sugar Sweets Bakery has these apple cinnamon cupcakes that are amazing.”

She raised an eyebrow. “No pumpkin spice?”

“Sorry, not a fan.”

Her laugh was warm and infectious. “A man after my own heart. I can’t stand pumpkin spice.”

“We’re a match made in heaven,” I said. “So, is that a yes, then?”

“Yes.”

“Great, because they close soon, but I think we can make it in time.”

“Pedal to the metal,” she teased.

I backed out of Donna’s driveway and headed toward town. We made it to Sugar Sweets Bakery just as Fern was flipping the sign to ‘Closed,’ but she noticed me and waved us inside.

“Let me guess, apple cinnamon cupcake with buttercream frosting?” Fern asked with a knowing smile.

“Two, please,” I said.

Fern packaged two in little boxes for us. Once I paid, we made our way back to the sidewalk so she could finish closing up for the night. Sienna took hers out of the box, eyeing it.

“This looks almost too pretty to eat,” she said, peeling back the wrapper.

“Almost,” I teased.

She took a bite, her eyes widening. “Okay, this is worth skipping karaoke for.”

“I’ll take that as a win.” I laughed, and then took a bite of my own.

As we strolled under the glow of the streetlights, I found myself stealing glances at Sienna. Something about her made even the simplest moments feel like they mattered. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but I liked that about her.

5

SIENNA

The morning rush had finally tapered off, leaving me with a few minutes to breathe before the lunchtime crowd rolled in. My thoughts, however, were anything but calm. I’d been replaying last night in my head all morning—the puppies, how calm Ben had been under pressure, the way he’d smiled at me like I was someone he was genuinely happy to be around.

I liked him.

My fox liked him too, which was saying something since she wasn’t exactly impressed by most people. Even so, I couldn’t allow myself to get too carried away. Timing was everything, and right now, the timing was crap. My priority had to be figuring out a way to get a feather from Xander’s raven.

Nothing more.

As I wiped down the counter, the door swung open, jingling the bell overhead. I glanced up out of habit and my stomach flipped at the sight of Ben strolling in. He held a paper bag in one hand and wore that easy, confident smile that made my heart do annoying little somersaults.

“Hey,” he said, making his way to the counter. “I come bearing lunch.”

I hesitated, torn between the thrill of seeing him and the nagging voice in my head reminding me of my self-imposed boundaries. My fox, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with joy, urging me to say yes before I could even think about saying no.

“Ben,” I started, trying to sound casual but probably failing. “That’s sweet, but?—”

Before I could finish, Cassie appeared at my side, her timing as impeccable as ever. “Go. I’ve got this covered.” She smiled warmly at Ben, her cheeks flushing slightly.

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