The day of the Solstice Celebration had dawned clear and bright, not a cloud in the sky and I knew the day would be a good one. Not because of Aunt Mae’s quirky prosperity ceremony, which I was sure would go off without a hitch, but because I’d finally reconnected with someone other than Nash.

“Earth to Vivi?” Maddie waved a hand in front of my face and I blinked, looking at her concerned frown. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I was just thinking about how glad I am that we ran into each other. I haven’t been in town long, but with my work, it’s easy to go days without seeing another person.”

Her smile brightened. “I’m glad too. It’s hard making plans with friends when you have to worry about things like babysitters.” Her smile dimmed a little, and that was just heartbreaking. A woman like Maddie deserved to have more. She worked hard and seemed to be a good mom.

“You can drop Max with me sometimes. I’ll wear him out while you go on a date, or take a bath or whatever makes you happy.” Kids were honest and full of energy. A few hours with them would put your head on straight and make sure you never thought you were too special.

“That’s too kind, Vivi.”

“It’s what friends would do. In fact, if you guys aren’t busy, I’m thinking about grilling for the Fourth of July.”

“Burgers?” Max asked, hopefully.

“Burgers with the works, and my favorite, barbecue chicken. And grilled veggies.” His face scrounged up and I laughed. “I’ll make a believer out of you kid, just wait.”

“That sounds nice, Vivi. Let me know what I can bring.”

“Dessert and beverages are always welcome,” I told her, and bought the miniature flask in my hand because I thought it was adorable. “Let’s get some food before I have to go become a spectacle.” We were on the move again, heading towards the rows filled with food and drink vendors.

“You never did tell me what brought you back to Belle Musique?”

“I suppose you really don’t have time for things like gossip,” I said sarcastically, and gave her a quick rundown of how my so-called friends had treated me. “So I got as much vengeance as I could, and decided I needed a change of scenery. Or an old scenery I’m seeing with new eyes.”

“What a beautiful way to put it. Not that I’m surprised since I am a fan and all.” She stopped and looked at Early’s Fish Booth. “Catfish?”

“And hushpuppies?” Max and I asked at the same time.

“Sure, I can do that.”

“Great, Max and I will go get some Cajun fries and ribs. Deal?”

“Yeah!” Max’s little hand nestled in mine and we walked a few booths down to Ribs & More Ribs to get, what else?

“Vivi! Vivi!” I turned at the sound of my name being called just in time to stop the little girl shaped bowling ball headed my way. “Hi, Vivi!”

“Hey, Norah, how’s it going?” I wrapped my arms around her for a hug because I was learning quickly, kids hugged with everything they had.

“It’s okay. Dad’s being a party pooper.”

“Yeah? That’s too bad. Do you know Max Trenton? Max, this is my friend, Norah.”

“Do you like Cajun fries?” Max pushed up his glasses and grinned at Norah.

“They’re my favorite!” She jumped up and down, staying beside us as the line moved. “Can I get some too?”

“Sure, you can. Is your dad going to be worried about you?” It had been long enough that Nash should have appeared by now. “Norah?”

Norah sighed and rolled her eyes, thick black curls glinting in the sun. “He said not to go too far, but he was taking too long, Vivi!”

I had two choices, leave the line and go find Nash, which might make Max a little grumpy, or I could keep Norah with me and risk Nash’s wrath. It was an easy choice really when one considered just how good Nash looked when he was pissed off.

“Yeah, sure kiddo, come on. You can eat with us, right Max?”

He nodded and tried to tug me forward to place the order. “I’ll help Norah,” he insisted so I turned to the teenage cashier and placed the order.

Ten minutes and two bags of food later, me and the tiny terrors retraced our steps in search of Maddie. And seating.

“Stay close, munchkins, so I don’t lose you.”

Finally, about twenty-seven minutes later, we found Maddie at a table she commandeered. “Looks like you gained a kid since you’ve been gone,” she said with a knowing grin.

“Norah, this is Max’s mom, Maddie or Ms. Trenton.” Most people in Belle Musique didn’t stand on ceremony, but there was always that divide in the south between adults and kids. Every adult in my life was to be addressed as Miss or Mister without fail, but now that I was the adult, it didn’t bother me.

“Hi,” Norah said and held out her hand. “Nice to meetcha.”

Maddie grinned and helped Max get settled with his food while I snapped a photo of me and Norah before texting it to Nash with the caption, ‘Lose something?’ Soon we were all digging in, making more grunting and moaning noises than actual words. But damn, the food was delicious.

So good that I’d probably have to eat a raw food diet for the next few days just to recalibrate my system. “These fries are the stuff of life, I swear it.”

Norah leaned her head against my side. “These are hot!” She fanned her mouth and without even thinking about it, I handed her my water.

“What kind of girl grows up in Cajun country with those taste buds?”

Norah shrugged as she continued to guzzle my water until at least half of it was in her belly. “Dad can’t handle spicy stuff.”

A memory flashed in my mind, and almost as fast, laughter bubbled up out of me. “Oh my god, how could I forget! Remember that hot wing eating contest?”

Maddie’s brown eyes went wide as a slow smile spread and she began to nod. “I do, now.” Her gaze flickered behind me and pink stained her cheeks. I knew without even turning, who was behind me.

“Telling tales again, Vivi?”

I turned to him with a smile. “Yep. The tale about you trying to out eat Fatty Carmichael in a spicy wings contest and the hilarity that ensued.”

“How was I supposed to know ranch dressing could squirt out the nose?” His question sent the kids up in a fit of giggles. “What’s so funny?” Nash dropped down on his haunches and faced the kids.

“Did ranch really come outta your nose?” Max couldn’t stop giggling, spilling fries and barbecue sauce all over the place.

“Unfortunately, it did, and it was pretty gross. I don’t recommend it, kid.” He patted Max’s shoulder and stood, sending a stern look at his daughter. “I also don’t recommend walking away when your father tells you not to. What if it hadn’t been Vivi who found you?”

“I found her,” she said with more attitude than I would have advised given her current crime. “You were taking too long!”

“That doesn’t matter, Norah. Maybe I’ll send you home with the sitter instead of letting you stay up late to watch the prosperity ceremony.” Arms crossed, Nash looked good wearing his dad persona.

“Daddy, no! I gotta watch ‘cause you and Vivi worked so hard.” Puppy dog eyes and the world’s most adorable pout had me ready to argue her case on her behalf. “Please. Pretty please!”

He was good. Really good. Nash stared at her until Norah began to squirm and her gaze became uneasy. Finally, he relented. “One more time, Norah, and it’s home you go. To bed. Got it?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Join us,” I told him. “Better eat now, because who knows if you’ll have the time once our performance is over.” Mae had already warned me that plenty of other priestesses would be in attendance and I figured that meant we’d be tied up for a while.

“Is there enough for me?”

“You can have some of mine,” Max offered with a smile.

“You sure? Us guys eat a lot to stay big and strong.”

Max nodded. “I ate a big bowl of oatmeal this morning, and Mama says it helps little boys grow into big ones.” For extra proof, Max held up ketchup covered hands and flexed his little biceps, chests puffed out like a little man.

“Your mama is right.”

There should be a digital warning label on men like Nash, big and gorgeous and utterly masculine was fine, but tack on being a good dad, and he was near irresistible. That’s probably why I shoved a handful of fries in my mouth when he sat to my left, sandwiching me between him and Norah.

“Words every mom loves to hear,” Maddie added, tossing me a knowing wink that said she knew more of my thoughts than I would have liked.

A strange thought occurred to me and I didn’t like it one bit, but it made perfect sense. Maddie was a single mother and Nash was a single father, their kids were the same age and they were both very attractive. I hated it with everything in me, but I also knew it was right. It would put Nash squarely in the off-limits category and things could get back to normal.

“I think maybe I should have skipped the ribs.”

The reflection staring back at me was one I didn’t recognize, not really. The filmy white dress Mae had flung at me twenty minutes ago hugged my curves a little too closely, never mind the fact that the thing was near see-through. It was nothing more than a nightgown.

“Nah, I think the ribs were just right.”

I spun at the sound of Nash’s voice. “What are you doing in here?”

A pair of white linen pants hung over his forearm. “Apparently, this is our changing room.”

That made sense, and I turned away to finish my own costume. “Go ahead and change while I try to get these wretched anklets on.” Even though they weren’t totally necessary to the ceremony, Mae had insisted I put on what felt like fifteen different noisemaking adornments around my ankles.

“Want some help?”

“No,” I grunted, so near to fastening the clasp, but not near enough. “Just worry about your costume, Nash.” It wasn’t his fault these stupid things were made for doll hands, but I couldn’t help my own frustration.

“I did. It wasn’t all that complicated,” he said, his voice now right behind me, so deep and dark, so dangerous to my peace of mind.

“What? Oh.” Good lord, but the man was made to be without a shirt. Always and forever, Amen. “I like it. Like Mae always says, I like men better when they’re naked.” Oh crap, did I really just say that to him? “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” he said, eyes lit with mischief. “You want me to get naked.”

“I’m not requesting it, but I’m not looking away either.” Arms crossed, I called his bluff, but Mae showed up before I could gloat about it.

“All right children, it’s time to get this show on the road.” Aunt Mae breezed in wearing a long coral caftan with gold embroidery around the neckline, tons of bangles hanging from both arms like her own personal wind chimes. “Now just because my friends have come from all over the state doesn’t mean I expect anything but the absolute best from you two.”

“No need to lay it on so thick, we already said yes.” She laughed and cupped my face with a wide smile.

“My little smart ass. I mean it and I want you to really land that kiss. It was electric in practice, but today I want it combustible! Explosive, no wait, that’s not enough.”

“Explosive isn’t enough?” I asked with more than a hint of amusement, ignoring the way it felt when Nash knelt in front of me and helped put on every trinket. His rough hands heated my skin, the rough pads of his fingers should have been a turn off but it wasn’t. No, it was far from a turn off because I was feeling decidedly turned on. Again. Dammit!

“No. I need it to be nuclear! It has to be hot enough to melt steel if this is going to work. Melted steel, Vivi, you hear me?”

I nodded and looked into her clear, crisp eyes. “I hear you, Aunt Mae. And because I love you I’m going to kiss Nash’s boxers right off.”

Her smile brightened. “That’s my girl. And it shouldn’t be too hard with the way he’s stroking your leg down there.” With a laugh, Mae was gone while I was left with nothing but another grunt of frustration. “Oh, and we start in five minutes!”

Surprisingly, those five minutes passed much quicker than I was ready for, but soon Nash and I were out on the stage in front of the whole town and my heart was beating loud enough to lead the band. “Ready to prosper?” He held his hands out and I placed mine in them without hesitation.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose. At least, I got nice scenery.”

He grinned. “Ditto. Plus, look how happy Mae is.”

Like there was ever a chance in hell that I would bail on Mae, but the truth is she did look happy with her friends, men and women who somehow dealt with the other realms, as Mae called it. “I’ll be fine and so will you.” At least, I hoped so.

Luckily, there was no time to dwell and no intro, just Aunt Mae’s loud voice booming as she spoke the words of the ceremony. Her tone was strong and confident, her words were mostly jibberish to me but the passion she spoke with was palpable.

Nash and I stood facing each other on the stage set up for the ceremony, the only thing between us was the barest of fabrics. Our eyes were locked tight. My pulse fluttered in my throat as his scent swirled around us and mixed in with mine, creating a unique aroma that hinted at…possibilities.

Aunt Mae said the words, and then she began to walk in a circle around us, chanting louder. Nash and I took our cues from her words, eyes connected, hands sharing sensual energy to produce lasting prosperity.

“And now, we shall seal this bond with a kiss.”

Nash raised his brows, a silent question I answered with a nod. And then we drew closer, moving as slowly as molasses until our lips met. Then things went a little crazy. The kiss was the same as we’d practiced, but still different somehow, more intense and charged than before. Electric warmth spread through my body, starting at every point of contact between us. It was everything Mae wanted it to be. Explosive.

Combustible.

Nuclear.

It was somehow all of those things and more as Nash’s tongue swept into my mouth and danced with my tongue. His hard body pressed into mine as the people of Belle Musique whooped and hollered around us.

“And now the bond is complete!” The roar of the crowd brought us up short and pulled us apart.

“That was…” Hell, I had no idea what that was other than a bad idea.

A very bad one.

“That was incredible,” Aunt Mae insisted.

“I have to agree with Mae.” Nash’s words were surprising, but happily so, and his blue eyes glittered with sensual amusement. “And I was there so it must be true.”

Yeah, incredible was a good start to what that kiss was. It was also hot as hell, sensual as fuck, panty melting, toe curling, and shiver-inducing. “It was…nice.” He grunted beside me, and all I could do was grin.