Stud Muffin (Donner Bakery #2) - Jiffy Kate Page 0,62

to his intelligence or success… or the success of his father.

As we drive down the road, I decide that his modesty is my new favorite trait. After we sit in silence for a few moments, I can’t help but continue to ask more questions. “Four brothers, huh?”

“Yeah,” he replies.

“Are you the oldest?”

He shakes his head. “No, Viggo is a year-and-a-half older than me… then me, Vali, Ozzi, and Gunnar.”

“Interesting names,” I say, liking that they’re different.

“Scandinavian,” he says. “My dad’s grandparents immigrated here from Finland.”

“Vikings,” I say, fighting back a smile, because now that I think about it, that’s exactly what Cage reminds me of. “A few years ago, I was obsessed with that HBO show.” Cage grunts and I look over to see him… blushing? Is he…? “Are you blushing?”

“No,” Cage says incredulously.

I laugh, turning in my seat. “You’re totally blushing.”

“I am not,” he argues, sounding more like a petulant child than a big, bad Viking and it makes me laugh. “What’s wrong with me calling you a Viking?”

“Nothing… and I’m not blushing.”

Biting back another laugh, I watch his profile for a few moments before pulling my eyes off him and turning back around in my seat. But I can’t stop thinking about him… and eventually ask another question. “How did they all get cool Viking names and you got Cage?”

He cuts his eyes at me and I’m afraid I’ve offended him, so I backtrack. “Not that Cage isn’t a cool name… I love it, but it’s not Viggo… or Vali.”

“Cage is my middle name,” he mutters, barely audible.

I get that this isn’t something he wants to talk about, but I can’t help prying. “So, what’s your first name? I mean, you’re talking to Tempest Cassidy… the Sundance Kid,” I offer, hoping my own cross to bear will make him comfortable enough to share his.

“Leif,” he says and I’m confused.

“That’s an awesome name… I love it,” I tell him.

“Leif Erickson,” he says and then it finally clicks.

I bite back the laugh and clear my throat. “So you’re… named after a famous explorer… that’s… really… cool.” I stumble over my words, but I mean them. It’s also funny as shit, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Coming from the daughter of Butch Cassidy, I know what it’s like to be teased about a name. So, I can only imagine the jokes Cage… I mean, Leif… got when he was younger.

“I’ve always gone by Cage,” he says, a bit of hardness to his tone. “My brothers and the neighborhood kids had already made fun of me for it before I ever made it to first grade. I’d already decided I was going to be Cage… and that was that. But,” he continues, taking a deep breath and blowing it out. “Once I started fighting bigger bouts and earning a name for myself, everyone started referring to me as The Fighting Viking.” He huffs a laugh and shakes his head. “My brothers always tease me that they’re going to let it slip one of these days, but so far, it’s been kept under wraps.”

The Fighting Viking.

Is it wrong that I want him to conquer me?

Yes, Tempest. It’s wrong. He’s your friend… let’s keep it together.

“You’ll take a right up here… and then the church is on the right,” I tell him.

When he pulls up at the curb, he goes to turn the truck off, but I stop him. “You don’t have to stay… just go ahead and do your errands. I’ll be done in an hour.”

“You sure?”

I nod, reaching for the handle. “Positive.” Opening the door, I can’t help myself as I climb out and turn back to him. “Don’t get lost, Leif.”

The smile that splits my face makes my cheeks hurt. Cage rolls his eyes and shakes his head, already regretting confiding in me, I’m sure. But I wear the smile all the way into the church and into the session, earning a few looks from everyone around the circle.

Chapter 18

Cage

Watching Tempest walk into the church has me reflecting about the saying that goes “I hate to see you leave but I love to watch you go.” I’d never given it much thought before but I get it now. And the view I have makes me want to get it now with Tempest.

Being surrounded by her sweet scent on the drive to Knoxville was killing me in the best way. I’m becoming addicted to being close to Tempest and I’m not sure how much longer I can resist.