Oh, Fudge (Hot Cakes #5) - Erin Nicholas Page 0,48

lived in Louisiana. And clearly Josh was very willing to indulge her.

“So what about the other three alpacas?” Paige asked.

“Well, I said…” Tori’s cheeks got pink and she looked at Josh.

Paige looked at Josh too. The guy who was holding her hand. He was looking at Tori like he thought she was fucking adorable and hot as hell all at once.

“One of them came up and kissed her on the cheek,” Josh said.

“Come on,” Paige said with a laugh.

“Well, pretty much,” Josh said. “Saw her across the pen and came straight over and put his mouth on her cheek. She, of course, was smitten. Then his girlfriend had to come. And their baby girl. Which, if things go well, will maybe be the other little llama’s girlfriend someday, right?” he asked Tori.

Tori smiled at him like she thought he was adorable and hot as well.

Paige rolled her eyes. She hoped no one in the bakery was really paying attention because no way would they not realize these two wanted to tear each other’s clothes off and sit on the porch in their rocking chairs at age ninety together.

Paige looked at Mitch. He was watching her. It made her feel warm and she smiled at him. Even though she knew that her smile didn’t look casual to anyone looking on either. It was mostly tear-his-clothes-off. But there might have been a touch of rocking chair in there.

Dammit.

“Tell her about the whole plan,” Mitch said to Tori. He picked up a strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger.

Josh shifted to put his arm around Paige.

“Well,” Tori said, her eyes on Josh’s arm. “We’re starting a whole petting zoo and animal encounter as an offshoot of Boys of the Bayou.”

“We’re calling it Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild,” Josh said. He grinned. “Totally tongue-in-cheek since otters and alpacas aren’t very wild.”

Paige laughed. “I love it.” She looked at Tori. “That sounds like your kind of thing, for sure.”

“Yeah, otters and alpacas and goats and my pot-bellied pig and who knows what else.” Tori said with a smile. “But I’m not doing it. I mean, most of the petting zoo animals are mine and I’ll help out, but a friend of mine from vet school has joined me in my practice and Gone Wild will be his thing. And we still need someone to run that part of the business. Josh and Owen and Sawyer don’t have time. That’s where Mitch comes in.”

Paige looked at Mitch. He shook his head.

“I’m just building pens and things.”

“No you’re not. You’re going to be great managing it,” Tori said, pivoting on her chair to look at him more fully. “You’re going to do what Josh and Owen do on the boats.”

Mitch grinned and looked at his cousin. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Tori rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh.” She looked at Paige. “The Boys of the Bayou is a fantastic tour of the bayou with a lot of information and great experiences built in. They talk about the plants and animals of the bayou as well as the history and legends of the area. They make sure the tourists see alligators and other animals in the wild, and they take them to see some of the old cabins and talk about the people who settled the area. It’s a great tour. But…” She cast another affectionate glance at her fiancé.

“But?” Paige asked, looking from Josh to Tori.

“But the boys of the bayou are a huge draw. Josh and Owen and even Sawyer are a part of the fabulous reviews. They flirt. They talk hunting and fishing. They turn on the Southern charm and those drawls.”

Paige nodded, but she was looking at Mitch now. “I know exactly what you’re talking about.”

Tori laughed. “Yep. The women think they’re hot and charming when they’re teasing and flirting, and it’s really weird how often the guys end up shirtless and wet.”

“Hmm, that is really weird,” Paige said sarcastically to Josh.

He just grinned.

“And the men think they’re cool. They drive airboats and hunt alligators and all kinds of manly man stuff.” Tori rolled her eyes again, but she was still smiling.

Paige shook her head, fighting her own smile. “That does sound pretty cool.”

Josh nodded. “And then there’s how great we are with kids.” He looked at his fiancé. “Admit it. That makes your panties melt, Iowa.”

Tori didn’t answer right away, but she didn’t deny it either.

Paige knew that guys interacting well with children were a lust button for a