Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(50)

Cody swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat, watching her expressive face as he listened to what she said. “That’s how you saw it?”

“I wanted to reciprocate and you gave me what I wanted. What part of that was you not doing right by me?”

Cody chuckled as she plopped back in the seat and buckled her seat belt again. “I guess I didn’t see it that way.”

She put her hand on his forearm as he put the truck in gear and in a no-nonsense tone said, “I feasted last night. The trappings you’re lamenting are nice and you can do them next time. Now that I have an idea of how things work, I’m going to become a glutton. You’ll probably have lots of trouble with me.”

“Spoiled rotten already?”

She nodded once and a devilish smile tilted her lips. “Damn straight.”

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Okay. By the way…”

“What?”

“I love your curly hair. It’s wild.”

She grinned and he was pleased when she didn’t try to tame it down with her hands. He liked the way the curls spiraled everywhere.

“It’s going to be hell to deal with today.”

“I would say sorry but I’m not. I like it. Can we see you tonight? It’s our night off.”

“Yes. I’ll be home by five. I’ll need time to shower though.”

“I don’t want to waste a minute with you. We’ll be working on the house all day so we can shower together. One of us will pick you up.”

She directed him to her house in a residential area of Divine and he was relieved there was no activity outside any of the houses in the predawn hours. He pulled up in the driveway and turned off the lights. When he cut the ignition off and reached for his door handle she put a hand out.

“I can walk myself to my door.”

“That may be but I’m walking you to your door anyway. We’re not the type to just drop you off and skulk away, baby.”

She smiled. “Okay.”

He walked her to the porch and gave her a quick, soft kiss that wasn’t long enough to satisfy, but sufficient to whet his appetite for more that evening. “I hope you get some more sleep. The guys already miss you.”

“How do you know that?” she asked softly as he walked down the front steps.

He turned back to her. “Because I already do, too.”

The way her eyes glowed as she looked at him, like he was the man, while she leaned against her open doorframe made him feel like pounding his chest. It was hard to walk away but he did. He started the truck and backed out of her drive and headed back down the street. He might say he wasn’t the skulking type but as he turned on the headlights he felt like that’s exactly what he was doing.

He wanted to drive through the center of town with her, with the windows down and her hair blowing in the breeze. He wanted everyone to see she was with him—with the three of them. Until he could do that, this driving away quietly—anonymously—was going to suck.



* * * *



“Earth to Maizy,” Lucy said through a giggle as they both knelt in front of one of the baby Mutabilis bushes in the Divine Memorial Rose Garden.

“Huh?” Maizy blinked and then laughed with Lucy. With a gloved hand, she scooped the mulch away from the base of the antique rose bush and sprinkled a handful of organic rose food granules onto the soil and then pushed the mulch back into place.

“I asked if this was one of your babies?” Lucy lifted the pitcher from her five gallon bucket and slowly poured the compost tea over the mulch to soak the granules and water the bush.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, this rose bush is one of mine. I took cuttings from that big one that’s part of the original garden down at the creek.” She gestured at the young bushes along the old retaining wall lining the ragged path that led through the garden. “All of these came from cuttings from that bush.”

“Did you get any sleep last night? You look done in.”

Maizy appreciated that Lucy didn’t pry about the men. The bears. That’s how everyone referred to them. It suited them.

“You’re smiling.”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah. I did get some sleep after Cody brought me home early this morning.” She clipped away a couple of faded blooms the bush had produced recently and then moved on to the next bush to repeat the routine. “I like having your help down here. Lola doesn’t have many volunteers once it gets this hot.”

“I like it. I’m learning, and the work is not that strenuous.” Lucy looked up at the oak and pecan trees that towered over them, providing some respite from the burning sun.

“I know Lola appreciates your help, too. What we’re doing will bear pretty fruit in October and November when it cools off a bit.”