Gypsy Magic - J.R. Rain Page 0,55

her slender, athletic build and perky breasts would have been the envy of some twenty-year olds. Even dressed in a pair of sweats and a cutoff Def Leppard tee, she looked like a million bucks.

Was I the only forty-something in town that had a muffin top? The women of Haven Hollow were going to give me a complex.

As she approached, I realized she was quite a bit shorter than I was, which was saying a lot because at five-four, I wasn’t exactly tall. But, Bailey had to be five foot or less. It was only the dangerous hum of her aura that let me know she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

“Thanks for coming, Bailey,” Marty said as he then turned to face me, but just as he was about to introduce us, she interrupted.

“You must be Poppy,” she said. Her voice matched the rest of her exterior. Soft, almost girlish, at odds with the steely look in her eyes. I wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t seem happy to meet me.

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you,” I said and extended my hand. She took it and shook it briefly, her own grip tight.

“Yeah,” she said, those perfectly blue eyes narrowing in suspicious splits. She scoured me, taking in every detail. And her eyes were hard. For some reason, this woman didn’t like me.

And I had a good idea why. Clearly, she had a thing for McFly…

Marty didn’t seem to notice, which wasn’t a surprise, given how oblivious men could be, in general. Instead, he started up the walkway to the Clemmons’ front door, and I noticed Bailey hung behind.

“What are your intentions with Marty?” she demanded in a whisper as I felt surprise ricochet through me. Wow, she was certainly to the point. No beating around the bush with this one.

It took me a second to compose myself enough to splutter out, “W-what?”

She shoved up on her tiptoes so she could put her face level with mine. “I heard through the grapevine that you’re dating Marty. And I just wanted to know what your intentions are with him?”

I watched as Marty knocked on the door, and then waited for someone to answer it. He turned to face us and smiled, clearly not realizing I was being interrogated by his… friend? Girlfriend? Ex-girlfriend? Scary stalker?

I blinked down at her, unsure of how to get the tiny, furious woman to back away long enough to let me think. “Marty and I aren’t dating and I don’t have any intentions where he’s concerned,” I managed at last. “We’re… just friends,” I finally managed. “Are you his… girlfriend or something?”

Bailey blinked in surprise, leaning away from me with another, more speculative look on her face. When she scanned me the second time, she seemed less hostile. We both turned to watch as Marty knocked on the door again. Then Bailey looked back at me.

“I’m not dating Marty,” she said and finally smiled, revealing a set of perfectly white, straight teeth. The smile transformed her face, fanning lines out around her eyes, making the blue twinkle.

“Are you sure?” I asked with a frown. “I mean, you sounded like a jealous girlfriend.” I felt the need to defend myself.

She shook her head. “No. Marty’s my friend. Possibly my best friend, and has been since high school. He looks out for me. So, I return the favor.”

This was her way of looking out for him? Scaring off any potential girlfriends? Not that I was a potential girlfriend… because I wasn’t… I was just a friend, but…

Oh my gosh, Poppy, why are you tripping over your words inside your own head?

“Okay, so why did you get in my face if Marty isn’t your boyfriend?” I demanded.

“Just because I was worried about him and wanted to make sure you were a good egg.”

“Well, I think you can rest assured that I am a good egg,” I answered, finding this whole conversation beyond strange.

“Good. Just wanted to see for myself.”

“And?”

“And I think you’re a good egg, as far as I can tell.”

“Okay, so does that mean we can be friendly now?” I asked. Even though she’d come off as tough and angry, I still liked her, though I couldn’t exactly put my finger on why. I mean, after that introduction, I had all the reasons in the world not to like her. And yet… There was something about her—she was genuine and she genuinely cared for her friends. Clearly. I respected that.

“Yes and, uh, please don’t tell Marty about