Page 17 of Hex and the Kitty (Whispering Pines #9)
SEVENTEEN
M olly 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.”
Molly laughed despite herself. “I should have known this was an ambush.”
“Not an ambush,” Fia insisted, her silver hair catching the morning light. “A support group.”
“For what, exactly?” Molly asked, already retrieving more mugs and plates.
“For a witch who’s clearly in over her head with the hottest shifter in three counties,” Ellie grinned, transferring Asher from her shoulders to the floor, where he immediately spotted Amara and toddled over.
“I’m not in over my head,” Molly insisted, setting out the cinnamon rolls while her cheeks betrayed her again. “It was one date. A fake date.”
“Three questions,” Fia said, lifting Vienna onto her lap. “One: did his eyes glow at any point? Two: did he bring you a gift? Three: did he make that rumbling sound in his chest that shifters do when they’re pleased?”
Molly almost dropped the plate she was holding. “How would you even know about the third one?”
Three pairs of knowing eyes locked on her.
“So that’s a yes to question three,” Ellie smirked. “Which means it’s definitely not a fake anything.”
The back door burst open before Molly could respond, admitting Luna, Mari, and Tabitha in a whirlwind of laughter and clinking jewelry.
“We felt a magical disturbance in the force,” Luna announced dramatically. “Specifically, the ‘Molly-is-pretending-she’s-not-smitten’ kind.”
“How many people did you text?” Molly asked Celeste accusingly.
Celeste shrugged, not looking remotely guilty. “The coven text chain is faster than the Whispering Pines gossip mill. Besides, this is important research.”