Mind Games

“I couldn’t believe it myself, but there he was. God, God! He’s so good-looking even all rumpled from traveling. I almost squealed. Inside I did, many times, but I managed to maintain. Then there was a giggle, right in here.” She tapped her fingers at the base of her throat. “I held it back. Barely. I might’ve drooled,” she considered. “I really hope not, but I might’ve.”

“Holy hot shit. Miss Leona had a rock star in the family and never said?”

“I don’t think she thought of him that way. Plus, she didn’t talk much about her family. Little things, like going up for Christmas, or how he called her every week. But she didn’t share a lot in that area.”

Thea lifted her shoulders, let them fall. “I took them down half the skillet pork chops and potatoes and leather breeches.”

“Come on. Are you serious?”

“I’d have done that even if he hadn’t been Ty Brennan. He’d driven down here with a little boy, looked so tired, had all that unloading to do. But I’m not ashamed to admit I kept thinking how I was making dinner for Ty Brennan when I made dinner for Ty Brennan, and Braydon. His son’s Braydon.”

“It’s going to take me awhile to wrap my head around this. Are you going to make a move on him?”

“Oh, stop.” Laughing, Thea shook back her hair. “We’re neighbors, and that’s thrill enough, even though that’s probably temporary. And the really adorable little boy must have a mother somewhere.”

“My knowledge of him and the band isn’t as extensive as yours, but I know he kept his personal life private—must’ve gotten that from Miss Leona. And since the band broke up, I haven’t heard much about it.”

“He’s been mostly songwriting the last few years. But that’s all I know. I’ve been a little too busy for celebrity crushes.”

“We could find out. No, not that way,” she said at Thea’s look. “Google knows all, tells all. Or close enough.”

“I’m not going to google him. That’s just rude.”

“I have no problem being rude.”

Maddy pulled out her phone, and googled.

“Not a whole lot after the basic history, where he grew up, forming the band, hitting it big at nineteen. I’m not seeing any mention of the kid here, so that’s keeping the door locked. But, Jesus, Thea, I didn’t know he’d written all these. Hasn’t recorded or performed in the last couple, three years, but he’s written some hits. Like ‘Crazytown.’ I love that song. Oh, and ‘No Regrets.’”

“Put that away. Let’s go eat.”

“Since I’m starving, I’ll dig more later. This was definitely big, in-person news. One more thing,” Maddy said as she rose. “If you don’t put some moves on him, you’re going to regret it forever.”

“He’s a single father—most likely—trying to settle his great-grandmother’s affairs, and obviously a very private person.”

“So what? If he blocks the move, you accept. But if he doesn’t?” Maddy added a shoulder wiggle. “Teenage dream fulfilled.”

“Shut up and come eat your pork chops.”

Chapter Fifteen

She dreamed of him that night, dreamed of Ty sitting on her porch playing his guitar while the sunset turned the western sky into a palette of pinks and golds.

The summer breeze wafted the scents of lavender, rosemary, heliotrope. It set the witch bottles on their branches ringing, and the wind chimes sent out a quiet bong.

Of course he sang “Ever Yours,” the song that had always made her heart sigh, and when he sang, he smiled at her. Only her, those green eyes full of warmth.

A harmless dream, so she burrowed into it, feeling light, happy, maybe just a little foolish.

In the way of her dreams, she saw him so clearly. The way his hair fell, always carelessly sexy. The line of his jaw, the long fingers moving over frets and strings.

The shape of his mouth, then the feel of it when he leaned over to touch it lightly to hers.

Just a dream, and harmless, even though that light kiss stirred inside her so in sleep, she sighed.

The shadows in the woods lengthened as the sun dipped lower and lower behind the mountains.

And in those woods, something cried out as the predator took the prey.