Page 20

G rabbing my sunglasses and a baseball hat, I follow Lily into the garage. She carries her bug catching kit—essentially a small tote bag full of various sizes of plastic jars. If it’s creepy and crawly and belongs outside, Lily Wilcox insists on catching it and bringing it inside .

The child doesn’t have a squeamish bone in her body, and I’ve had to learn to be okay with every slimy worm and warty toad she throws my way.

“Four-wheeler ride?” Lily’s smile nearly takes over her little face when she stops next to the vehicle in question.

“Umm.” I eye the dirt-crusted red vehicle. It’s… intimidating .

My gaze swings to the open garage door. “It’s a nice, sunny day. How about a walk instead?”

I don’t need a five-year-old judging me for my inadequacy when it comes to motorized vehicles.

Years of living in the city have made me reliant on public transportation and walking.

Honestly, I’m lucky I even have my driver’s license.

“We’ll leave the four-wheeling to your mom. How’s that sound, little one?”

“Okay!” She beams at me before taking off out of the garage as fast as her little legs will carry her.

We work our way through the rows of apple trees, looking for ladybugs. Apparently, Lily is on a mission to find every single one in the orchard today. “How many so far, Lily?” I ask as I squat down beside her.

Holding up the jar, her finger taps around the outside as she counts. “Ten, eleven… What comes next?” She squints up at me from beneath the brim of her hat.

“Twelve.”

“Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen!” She lifts the jar higher for me to see, pride radiating from her little body.

“That’s a lot of ladybugs! Should we—”

“Mon petit bug!” A gruff voice has my head darting up.

Jean-Luc cuts through the trees to get to us. We’ve interacted briefly, but he usually has a massive scowl on his furry face, so I steer clear.

My job doesn’t concern him, so he seems to have given me a wide berth. Not that I’m complaining… Although, I could use his help with my plan.

Quest for bugs forgotten, Lily hops up and runs toward the minotaur, who scoops her into his huge arms .

And I mean huge .

I haven’t come across many minotaurs in my time, since they tend to choose rural or more remote habitats for their homes, but I imagine Jean-Luc must be on the larger size for his species.

At six-foot-five, even I feel small next to him.

With Lily still tucked in his arms, he closes the distance between us, and my chin tips up to skim over his stern snout and wide horns. His red flannel and blue jeans look like they might split at the seams when he bends to place Lily back on her feet.

“ Bonjour, Viktor.” He extends a hand to me.

Even his hands are fucking huge . His grip is crushing, causing me to wince as we shake hands. Not letting the pain show on my face, I smile up at him. “Jean-Luc. Nice to see you again. Do you have a moment to chat?”

“ Oui , but I need to keep an eye on the crew.”

I nod. “Of course, lead the way.”

As we follow Jean-Luc back the way he came, the orchard is abuzz with workers just a few rows over.

Winged creatures flit around the tops of the trees, picking fruit that’s too high for anyone else to reach.

A troll carries a large bin full of apples to the bed of a waiting pickup truck. Swapping his bin for an empty one, he heads back to the trees.

This is the first time I’ve seen the harvest crew at work, and it has my chest swelling with hope. Hope that Maggie will be okay. Hope that she’ll get to keep this place. Hope that Lily will get to experience the magic of the orchard for years to come.

And hope that maybe—just maybe—I’ll get to be a part of that magic, too.

Jean-Luc braces his back against the side of the truck, crossing his arms over his chest. Imposing and stern, his dark eyes scan the workers before stopping on my face. “Alright, Viktor. ?a va? What can I do for you?”

Stepping closer, I lower my voice so the workers don’t hear. Although, I’m not sure which ones might have sensitive hearing, like myself.

“Has Maggie told you about the state of the orchard?” I choose my words carefully, not sure how much Jean-Luc knows.

His eyebrows dip, and he blows out a breath. “Oui.”

I wait a beat, hoping he’ll expand. When he doesn’t, I sigh and adjust my hat. “Well, I have a plan, but I need your help.”

“Why would you help Maggie? You’re just the nanny.” His eyes slice from the trees back to me.

Just the nanny. Those words cut deep, but I brush it aside and forge on. “I care about her, and I’m pretty sure you do, too. Don’t you want to do everything in your power to make sure this harvest is an absolute success?”

The hard set of his jaw softens at my question. “ Oui. But Maggie is a prideful woman. How do you plan on helping without stepping on her toes?”

“That’s where you come in, my new friend…” I spend the next ten minutes explaining the details of my grand plan to Jean-Luc. By the time I finish, the corners of his mouth twitch before spreading into a wide smile.

I knew I could get through his hard exterior.

“You really do care about her, don’t you?” A heavy hand falls on my shoulder, squeezing .

Like it does every time I think about Maggie, my body tingles and my fangs ache. “More than you can imagine.”

“Calvaire!” His voice softens, dropping to a whisper. Well, as much as a big minotaur can whisper. “She is your mate, no ?”

I shrug, but a wide smile takes over my face. “I hope so.”

“She has a dark history.” The stony expression returns to his face.

“I know.”

His eyes flit to Lily, who’s somehow convinced a pixie to search for bugs with her.

“I don’t know you well, Viktor, but all I’ll say is, be good to her.

She deserves happiness and stability after what she’s been through.

If you can’t be that for her, then leave her alone.

I don’t think she’d survive another heartbreak. Tu comprends? ”

“Vampires are loyal to a fault.” Just look at my mother, who refuses to leave Father, even though he’s a colossal asshole. “My heart is set on Maggie, and I don’t plan on straying from that path.”

That big hand is back on my shoulder, squeezing a little harder than before. A warning. His eyes darken when they land on mine this time. “ Bon, mon ami , because there are a lot of good places to bury a vampire out here. If ya catch my drift, Viktor.”

I gulp a swallow and nod, thankful Maggie has someone like Jean-Luc in her corner.

“Viktor.” Lily tugs on my hand, pulling my attention away from the brooding bull. “I’m hungry,” she whines.

“Right. Okay. Grab your bugs, and let’s head home for some lunch.

” I turn back to Jean-Luc. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.” And since I don’t know when to shut my mouth, I push his buttons a little.

“And maybe you could smile a little when you give those hayrides we talked about.”

Before he can punch me—or worse, bury me under an apple tree—I grab Lily’s hand and swing her onto my back, prepared to speed back to the house, but a deep chuckle meets my ears first.

“You know, I think you might be perfect for her, vampire .”