Page 21 of Hex and the Kitty

Her dreams tonight would be filled with tiger-gold eyes and the phantom touch of his fingers against her skin. Tomorrow, she’d see him across the town square and pretend her heart didn’t race at the sight of him. She’d wave casually as if they were merely acquaintances playing along with the town’s matchmaking schemes.

But in the privacy of her thoughts, she’d remember the way he said her name, the intensity in his gaze when their fingers touched, the promise of Thai lagoons and untold adventures hidden in his smile.

The last candle flickered out, leaving only moonlight streaming through the windows. Outside, something shifted in the shadows across the street—a brief movement, gone so quickly she might have imagined it.

Molly tightened the wards with a flick of her wrist before heading upstairs to her apartment. Whatever lurked in the darkness would have to wait. Tonight belonged to the memory of Warrick’s smile and the growing certainty that her heart was in serious danger of forgetting this was all supposed to be pretend.

SEVENTEEN

Molly had barely flipped the “Open” sign when the chime above the door announced her first visitor. Not a customer—Celeste, with baby Amara propped on her hip, the child’s chubby fingers tangled in her mother’s dark curls.

“So?” Celeste’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she kicked the door closed behind her. “Don’t keep me in suspense. How was your ‘strategy meeting’ with the delicious fire chief?”

Molly felt heat rise in her as memories from last night flashed through her mind—Warrick’s golden eyes in the candlelight, his fingers brushing hers, the way he’d leaned in to taste her creation directly from her spoon.

“It was fine,” she managed, busying herself behind the counter.

“Fine?” Celeste scoffed. “You’re blushing, Molls. ‘Fine’ doesn’t make a witch blush.”

“I’m not blushing,” Molly protested, though the traitorous warmth in her cheeks said otherwise. “It’s hot back here.”

A wooden spoon rattled in a nearby bowl, though no one had touched it. Celeste’s eyebrow arched knowingly.

“And your utensils always dance when you’re completely calm, right?”

Molly sighed. “Let me close the front for a bit. I made cinnamon rolls, and there’s a fresh pot of coffee.”

“You’re stalling,” Celeste sang, but followed Molly to the back room where a small table nestled in the corner of the bakery’s kitchen area. “But I’ll accept bribes in the form of baked goods.”

Little Amara babbled happily, reaching pudgy hands toward Molly as she approached with a tray.

“And for the princess,” Molly said, presenting a tiny carrot muffin, its top shaped like a blooming flower. “Made special this morning.”

Amara’s eyes widened with delight as she grabbed the muffin. A tiny spark of gold flickered in her dark eyes—just a hint of her shifter heritage from her father’s side.

“Careful,” Celeste warned as her daughter shoved half the muffin into her mouth at once. “She’s in a ‘mine’ phase. Anything that fits in the mouth is fair game.”

Molly poured two lattes, adding an extra sprinkle of cinnamon to Celeste’s. “How’s Kade handling the baby’s teething?”

“Nice try.” Celeste settled Amara on her lap with the muffin. “You’re not changing the subject that easily. I want details. Did he kiss you? Did you want him to? Did he do that intense staring thing shifters do when they’re interested?”

The coffee in Molly’s cup rippled without being touched. She set it down hastily.

“It wasn’t like that,” she started, then paused. “Well, maybe a little. He brought exotic ingredients from his travels—Fire Lotus petals from Thailand, mist essence from the Cloud Forests. Things I’ve only read about.”

Celeste’s eyes widened. “He brought you rare magical ingredients? On a fake date?”

“It was for experimenting,” Molly said quickly. “With recipes. Not... the other kind of experimenting.”

The bell above the front door chimed again, and Molly heard a familiar voice call out, “Hello? Are you closed or avoiding customers?”

“We’re in the back, Ellie!” Celeste called before Molly could answer.

Moments later, Ellie appeared with her toddler Asher riding on her shoulders, his little hands covering his mother’s eyes.

“Guess who I found lurking outside,” Ellie announced as Fia slipped in behind her, little Vienna toddling alongside clutching her mother’s finger.

“We weren’t lurking,” Fia protested, helping Vienna climb onto a chair. “We were strategically waiting for Celeste to soften her up first.”

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