Love and Other Wild Things by Molly Harper

Author:Molly Harper
Language: eng
Format: epub

12

Dani

Dani parked her rental car on Main Street, bobbling her covered Pyrex dish as she closed the driver side door behind her. The dish was just hot enough that she needed hot pads to carry it. If she had Bael’s dragon powers, she wouldn’t need them. Of course, he could probably bake by breathing on the Pyrex.

It was so weird to think those things about her friends, and for them to be true. She’d really expanded her weird quotient, living here in the Bayou.

“Miss Teel!”

Dani turned to see Maureen Sherman trotting down the sidewalk in sensible loafers and an even more sensible beige pantsuit. Dani blew an irritated breath out of her nose. Shit. Why did Maureen Sherman always show up when Dani least expected her? She was like the snotty redheaded Spanish Inquisition.

Dani sighed. “Hi, Maureen, how are you?”

“Just brilliant, dear. My book is really coming along. I was just at the library, doing a little research. I was just speaking with Bardie Boone. I was so sorry to hear about your difficulties. Were you really attacked while sleeping at your table? How very odd.”

Maureen didn’t seem sorry about her difficulties. She seemed very smug about her difficulties. And not just in that “if you hadn’t been there in the first place you wouldn’t have been attacked” kind of way.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Maureen sniffed. “Well, research isn’t for everyone. I would say perhaps you’re better suited for field-work, but you don’t seem to excel there, either. Don’t worry, dear, I’m sure you’ll find your strong suit soon enough. Perhaps it’s baking! That smells delicious!”

Dani’s jaw dropped. “Oh, Maureen, I’m sure I could never find anything as ‘strong’ as that pantsuit.”

Maureen’s tinkly laugh echoed off the buildings. “Well, I really must run, I’m simply bursting with ideas. Have to get home and let the muse take over!”

Maureen waggled her fingers as she trotted down the street toward a blue sedan.

“I hope you do burst…” Dani muttered through a faked smile while waving. “Into flames.”

Dani sighed. “I do not like that woman.”

Still murmuring ill wishes against Maureen, Dani ducked into the pie shop. There was a rare lull in store traffic, with only a few older Mystic Bayou citizens drinking coffee and chatting in the booths—Jimmy Hickens, Earl Webster, Jeb Cho, and Karl Bruhl. Zed said this was all the retirement some of the seniors would tolerate, because they couldn’t stand sitting at home all day doing nothing. So they sat at the diner, doing a little more than nothing.

“We don’t allow outside food,” Siobhan called from behind the counter.

“I know that, Miss Siobhan,” Dani said, carefully placing the warm dish between glass cake stands. “I made something for you as a thank you for all the pie.”

“People usually don’t bake for me.”

Dani chirped, “I know, that’s why I thought you might enjoy it. The novelty of it.”

Siobhan frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Dani asked.

“I’m trying to remember if I’ve said anything salty enough to warrant you trying to poison me.”

Dani

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