You come to party,” Ms. Luci added.
Taylor so loved, loved, loved this very strange woman.
“We’d be honored, Luci.” Taylor snagged the invitation. “Both of us.” She looked at Bennett. “Wouldn’t we?”
Bennett looked at Ms. Luci. “Listen, I am a charitable man.” He reached for his cellphone. “I’ll have my assistant Robin send you a check and add a thousand to it for your trouble, or for your fundraiser or whatever you need.”
Taylor watched the indignation sweep over Luci’s face.
Uh-oh. I think you just lost your cookies, big boy.
“I see why you have a black eye,” Luci said.
“Meaning?” he said.
“Meaning, child, that your money is no good here. And the price for my baked goods just went up.”
Taylor held back a chuckle. Looks like Bennett finally met his match.
Bennett stared at Luci expectantly as Sebastian emerged from the pantry with two tins.
“Here they are, Luci…” He trailed off as he noticed the two forces of stubborn nature at odds with each other across the kitchen island. He set down the cookies, and his one big eye moved back and forth between the two. “Did I miss something?”
Luci nodded but kept her eyes glued to Bennett. “Mr. Wade has just graciously volunteered to work at our gran fiesta.”
Bennett replied, “I did not say—”
Taylor stepped on Bennett’s booted foot. “Yes. Thank you. We’d love to help and thank you so much for the cookies, Ms. Luci. And for inviting us into your lovely home.” With the weird pig.
Bennett mashed his lips together.
Ms. Luci smiled. “My pleasure, niños.” She opened one of the tins, and pulled out two large cookies. One she placed inside the red tin. The other she slid inside a small sandwich bag from her drawer and handed to Taylor. “This one is for you, dear. And this tin of chocolate cookies is for your mother, Bennett. Please tell her I send my regards and hope her health improves.”
Taylor noticed that Ms. Luci got a pass on calling him Bennett. Maybe his little rule had more exceptions than he let on.
“How did you know she’s not feeling well?” Bennett asked, his eyes narrowing.
Ms. Luci’s mouth twisted a bit. “Uh…you must’ve mentioned it.”
“I don’t recall that,” Bennett replied.
Ms. Luci shrugged innocently.
Time to go before Bennett says something rude again. “Have a wonderful day, Ms. Luci.” Taylor nodded to Sebastian. “Nice to meet you and your…Muffin Top. See you both at the party.”
Bennett grumbled a sad little version of “thank you” and followed Taylor out with the cookie tin in his hand.
Once inside the car with the door closed, Taylor was about to comment how she felt like they’d walked into a funny farm when Bennett let loose. “I’ll thank you not to make social commitments on my behalf.”
“You’re welcome, Bennett,” Taylor snapped. “And it’s not like you have to go. People cancel on parties all the time.”
“I’m a man of my word. If I say I’ll be somewhere, I’ll be there.”
Taylor shrugged. “Well, guess you’re going to Luci’s party and serving drinks then.”
“I’m goddamned Bennett Wade. I’m not going to wait on people.”
It was so strange looking at Bennett; with his black eye, faded jeans, muscled frame stretching his soft T-shirt, and his dark unkempt hair, he was the very picture of a rugged, sex-in-boots bad boy. But his attitude still wore that tailored suit. It was like the damned thing was part of him.
“Oh, relax,” Taylor said. “I’m sure she has other things they need help with—parking cars, scrubbing toilets, walking the pig. You know.”
“Don’t get smart with me, Ms. Reed, because you’re going, too.”
“I think it will be fun…” Taylor’s train of thought was interrupted as Bennett grabbed her cookie and broke off a piece.
“Hey! That was mine,” she complained as he chewed.
He shook his head and handed the uneaten portion back.
“Gee, thank you,” she said bitterly.
Then she remembered the article and found herself staring at the thing, then at Bennett, then back at the cookie.
She was going to be with Bennett for the next seven days. And he had just eaten a piece of the cookie.
Oh, come on. You don’t believe in that kind of crap. To prove it to herself, she also broke off a piece and popped it into her mouth. “Hmm…pretty good, but I’m not feeling anything.” She handed the cookie back to Bennett. “Here I think you need the love cookie more than I do.”
Bennett gave her a dark look with those big blues.
Oh, this was going to be fun. “Didn’t you know? According to