Page 58 of Love Expert

Or thought.

Or done.

Oh, the power of a fantastic pair of legs.

“Alright.” She stops at the door with a bright smile—for my son—and long brown locks hanging loose. “I’m ready to go.”

“You want me to take that?” I extend my hand and work on softening my voice. Because there’s a chance my harsh tones are half the reason we bicker. “The basket?”

“Um… sure, thanks.” She dumps the twenty-pounds onto my arm, then she extends her hand—for my son—and smirks as he accepts. “How was school yesterday? Was it good?”

“It was fine.” He leads her down the porch steps and across her yard, since we’re going in my car. “I spilled my lunch on my seat in the cafeteria and almost sat in it.”

“Oh, no! That would have been embarrassing.”

“Uh-huh. But I didn’t. But then I sat on my friend’s lunch instead.”

“Oh, no!” she giggles. “So neither of you got to eat! Did it make a complete mess of your clothes?”

“Yuh.” He helps her across the garden. “We had chocolate pudding with our lunch yesterday. Do you know what chocolate pudding smooshed on the bottom of your pants looks like to people who wanna pick on you?”

She covers her smiling lips with her hand, her rosy cheeks rising anyway to encroach on her glittering eyes. “That sounds really unfortunate.”

“If you really are a witch, maybe you could put a spell on the kids who laughed at me.” He leads her all the way to the passenger door, opening it wide and keeping a hold of her hand, even as she slides in. “They laughed and said I pooped my pants. But I didn’t, Maggie. I haven’t pooped my pants since I was four.”

“I believe you.” She cups his cheek. “That’s not very nice of them to laugh at you.”

“I mean…” He rolls out of her touch and dives into the back seat. “I would’ve laughed if it happened to someone else. So if youdodo a spell, probably don’t make it way bad. Cos then next month, it might be me laughing. Karma might whack me in the butt if I’m not careful.”

“Quite the conundrum indeed.” She twists in her seat and glances into the back. “Why don’t we consider this a lesson not to laugh at others, since, one: we know how it feels to be laughed at, and we don’t like it, and two: karma is a nasty woman who she never misses.”

“I guess.” He releases an unimpressed huff. “What’s the point of having a witch next door anyway if I can’t use her spells? Why does karma have to watcheverything?”

“That’s just one of those things in life, I guess.” Clicking her tongue, Maggie twists to the front and meets my eyes. “You coming, or what?”

I’m still on her porch. Still holding her picnic basket. Still trying to decide for myself if she is, in fact, a witch. Or just a really beautiful fucking succubus who refuses to give me even a minute of her time.

“Billy?”

“Yeah.” I yank her front door closed and move down the steps, depositing the basket into my trunk right beside a six-pack of beer. Striding to the driver’s side, I slide in and meet her eyes. “I like your hair, too.”

“You…” She grabs a long lock and holds it between her fingers. “What?”

“Your hair.” I close my door and start the engine. “Looks pretty. Your whole…” I gesture her way, from her head to her legs. “All of it. Looks pretty.”

God. Just shut the fuck up already. Idiot.

“O-okay,” she stammers. “Thanks.”

“You’re here!” Ramone swings his front door open and reveals a megawatt grin, a beer in one hand, and no shirt—no fucking shirt—covering his torso. It’s damn near November, and the prick is wearing board shorts and his bedroom eyes. “You look fantastic.” He grabs Magnolia’s wrist and jerks her forward until she crashes against his chest. “I hope you’re wearing your swimsuit under that sweater, Ms. Sava, cos I’ve had the hot tub warming all morning.” He presses a noisy kiss to her cheek, then he looks down at Jeremy, winks, and stakes his claim, despite my son’s beady-eyed wrath.

Turning on his heels, he drags Maggie inside and leaves us behind. “Come on in. Kitchen’s that way.” He gestures… away,absolutely notthe direction of his kitchen, because he’s too fucking busy flirting. “Not sure I need to introduce you to anyone, since you met ‘em all at that event you hosted, but,” he leads her straight through the house and out the back door, “Tommy and Lana. That’s Franky over there, and sweet baby Hazel.”

“He’s gonna steal our girl if we’re not careful.” Jeremy’s eyes swing up to mine, furious and determined. “He’ll take her, Dad, and then neither of us will get her.”

Stunned, my stomach flips with nerves. “You don’t get her. Ever. You are a child!”

“Bet.” He smacks me square in the gut and takes off at a jog.