“The Sound of Music?”

  “Yeah. You’re like that stepmom.” Placing his hand on my shoulder, he looked at me with those gray-blue eyes just like his dad’s. “Would you like to live here and take care of me and Dad? You make him smile more than he ever did before, and I promise I’ll bathe with soap and I won’t leave my dirty underwear all over the floor, and I’ll take Edward for walks all the time and teach him to do tricks. I think you’ll like being in our family. What do you say?”

  Warmth thickened my voice, but I nodded quickly. “I would love to be your family very much.”

  “Woo-hoo!” He jumped forward, wrapping his arms around my neck and hugging me before pulling away. “Your turn, Dad!” Then he took off with Edward. “Come on, ole boy. We’re going to be a family now! You’re going to be my good dog, too!”

  My nose wrinkled, and Aiden caught my hand. He pulled me to him, lowering his face to mine for a kiss. He just caught my lips with his briefly before stepping back and reaching into his pocket.

  “I asked you this six months ago, but I wasn’t prepared to make it official.” My heart jumped, and he held out a small box. “You’re the magic in my life, and I want you with us every day from now through forever. Then I want to find you again on the other side and love you for another forever, and on and on, through every lifetime.”

  More tears flooded my eyes as he lifted the beautiful platinum band adorned with tiny platinum flowers around a stunning round diamond. “It’s so beautiful!”

  “It reminded me of you with the little flowers and the complete circle,” he explained, sliding the ring onto my left hand. “Do you still want to be my wife? Be Owen’s nice stepmom?”

  Laughing, I pull his lips to mine. “More than anything in the world. Forever, and again and again…”

  I’m smiling at the memory as we reach the shore. He helps me off the surfboard, and before we go, I jump into his arms, kissing him long and slow, sliding my lips across his and touching his salty tongue with mine.

  Strong arms go around my waist, and he looks down at me with a bad-boy grin. “I can’t get out of the water with a semi in front of all our friends.”

  One more kiss, and I pull away. “I was just thinking about tonight, future husband.”

  “Can’t wait, future wife.”

  Hours later, I’m sitting at the bar in the distillery with Cass and Piper laughing and brainstorming small weddings.

  “Do they make a Krispy Kreme wedding cake?” Cass swipes her finger over a large iPad where we’re looking at wedding photos on Pinterest. “You’ll have to have one for Doug.”

  “Dear ole 3-D,” I laugh. “He does love his donuts.”

  “Mom says she’ll attend the wedding, but she’s not buying anything off your registry.” Piper rolls her eyes. “She says your selections are impractical and useless in the event of an apocalypse.”

  “What is Martha going to do when the world never ends?” Cass leans forward on the bar, her dark hair spilling over her shoulder.

  “That’s something we never have to worry about.” Piper takes a sip of her bourbon. “She’ll be waiting for the second coming or the brain-eating fungus or the nuclear storm until her dying breath.”

  “I almost wish something like that would happen. Save me from the hell of dating apps.” Cass turns to me, lifting my finger and studying my engagement ring. “At least you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

  “How’s it going, ladies?” Alex is behind the bar, holding a round bottle of amber liquid. “Who wants to try this year’s special reserve?”

  Three tumblers slide towards him at once, and he chuckles.

  “We’re getting your future sister-in-law loaded while we discuss her upcoming nuptials.” Cass lifts her glass, turning to me with an arched eyebrow.

  Alex’s gaze lingers on the bare skin of her back, exposed by the red halter dress she’s wearing. It’s a look that only lasts a moment, but it’s a look I recognize from his older brother. My future brother-in-law would devour my bestie if he had half a chance.

  It gives me an idea…

  “I want all the scoop on this new line.” Piper sips her drink, turning the bottle. “It’s smoky with a touch of sweetness. How do you do it?”

  “Wheat instead of corn, and age it ten years. Or in this case seven.”

  “Seven years!” Cass’s eyes go wide, and she turns back to him. “You must be so patient.”

  “You have no idea.” He lifts his glass, taking a sip, and I can barely breathe at the heat simmering in his amber eyes.

  Cass seems oblivious, and I glance at Piper, but she’s tapping on her phone. I’m about to ask if Alex is still looking for a nanny when an unwelcome, loud voice interrupts us.

  “Speak of the devil!” Maylynn Evers is behind me, and I turn to see her standing beside a not-smiling Keekee Waters. “We were just talking about you, Britt Bailey! I was saying the last time we saw you, you told that funny story about your car stalling out at a gas station… I don’t know where you get your sense of humor.”

  Embarrassment heats my chest, and I’m sure it’s up my neck and all over my face. I don’t know how to reply, and Cass jumps in to save me.

  “I’m sorry, do we know each other?”

  “That’s highly unlikely.” Keekee’s eyebrow arches, and her eyes slide from my friends to me. “You live in this little town now?”

  “Eureka’s my home.” I stand straighter, having enough of their mean-girl attitudes. “What’s your excuse?”

  Maylynn titters a laugh. “There you go again. Hilarious. I told you, we came to see this incredible facility. It’s been written up in all the major publications.”

  “Including mine,” Piper calls, holding up her tumbler.

  “The best of them all.” Cass taps her glass against it.

  “Are you a journalist?” Keekee’s gaze lands on her.

  “I’m actually the publisher of the Eureka Gazette.”

  “You mean that little rag my cousin’s always talking about? I saw that.” Turning to the bar, she smiles at Alex. “Excuse me, sir, we’d like to sample the special reserve if you don’t mind.”

  Alex’s eyes narrow, and our eyes meet. “Are they friends of yours, Britt?”

  Hesitating, I’m not sure how to answer. I think about the last time I was with these women, how Maylynn ditched me when Keekee turned her nose up at me. I remember how I sat alone in her well-appointed living room nibbling a bland cucumber sandwich and wishing the ground would open up and swallow me.

  “No.” I shake my head. “Not at all.”

  His brow arches, and he sets the bottle down, emerging from behind the bar.

  “What’s in the water?” Maylynn murmurs to Keekee. “I’ve seen more panty-melters in this little town than anywhere I’ve been.”

  “I’m sorry, ladies.” Alex holds out his hand towards the door. “We’re closed tonight for a private tasting. I’m afraid you’ll have to go.”

  “What?” Keekee’s eyes flash. “There was no notice of a private tasting. We came all this way to visit this establishment.”

  “Well, I’m the owner, and unless you’re friends with my sister-in-law here, you’ll have to leave.”

  “What… Why, I…” She flashes her eyes at me before turning on Alex again. “Do you know who I am?”

  “I do.” His voice is flat. “You’re the lady who’s leaving my bar.”

  “I’ve never heard of such a thing!” Keekee bellows like a wet pigeon as Alex clasps her arm and Maylynn’s in a firm grip, escorting them to the door. “This is not the end of this… I’ve never been so insulted in my life!”

  Keekee is still going, but Maylynn, looks back shaking her head with a laugh. “I’ve never been thrown out of a bar before!”

  My eyes narrow, and while I’m not sure how I feel about Maylynn Evers, I hope I never see Keekee Waters again.

  “Were those the bitches from that Greenville Ladies Club?” Cass’s hands are on her hips, and she’s fuming, watching Alex put them outside before closing the door and turning the bolt. “I wasn’t finished with them!”

  She starts to follow the way they left, but I grab her arm. “Easy, Champ. Alex handled it.”

  “Yeah, he did!” Piper cheers as he returns to us. “Put it here, bro!”

  They do a fist bump, and we spend the next hour discussing small-wedding options. I don’t want to do it on the beach. I don’t want to do it in a park. Then Alex offers the distillery, saying he’s been wanting to add an events line, and looking around the beautiful, wood and brass facility, it feels exactly right.

  Later, as I’m crawling into bed with a sleeping Aiden, I rest my head on his chest thinking how much has happened, how much has changed since the day I blew into town with no brakes. It was a bit of a metaphor, since I haven’t stopped since.

  My gorgeous fiancé rouses, turning and pulling me close, pressing his lips to my brow and my cheek, sending happiness sparkling through my veins.

  “Did you have fun tonight?” His voice is laced with sleep, and I trace my fingernails softly up and down his muscled arm.

  “I did. Alex suggested having the wedding at the distillery, and it sounds absolutely perfect.”

  “Whatever makes you happy.” He kisses my lips as his hands drift under my thin sleep shirt, covering my breasts. “I’ve got what I want.”

  “Mmm,” I exhale a moan, moving closer to his touch. “Your brother was my hero tonight.”

  A low growl vibrates in Aiden’s throat. “I taught him everything he knows.”

  It makes me laugh, and I turn onto my back, pulling him over me as heat filters through my body. “He’s got nothing on you.”

  Our mouths collide, and we’re lost in sensations, touching, holding, tasting. His clean cedar scent surrounds me, and as our lips chase, deep satisfaction fills my soul.

  I’ve found the place where my nightmares end, and my dreams come true. Aiden says I gave him magic, but he gave me what I needed most. I don’t dream of drowning now, and when my hands tremble, his strong ones cover them.

  I left to try and find my life. An old vendetta, a dash of pixie dust, and a little taste of heaven brought me home. A lot of love means I’ll never leave again.

  That’s the true magic.

  AIDEN

  The Next Day…

  Never too late to try again. The white sign with blue lettering is nailed above the entrance to the gazebo in the square in front of the courthouse.

  “It’s a nice sentiment.” Doug stands beside me, Krispy Kreme in hand, gazing up at it.

  My arms are crossed, and I’m not sure what to think. “Maybe.”

  Britt has her camera out taking photos of the sign, the ground around the small structure, and the bushes lining the stairs. “I don’t think it’s related to our last case. We got all those guys.”

  “As far as we know.” I motion to Doug. “I want you to check this thoroughly for fingerprints.”

  “We never find any. Whoever’s doing it must wear gloves.”

  “Check it anyway.” Going to where Britt is carefully lifting branches, I lean down. “Find anything?”

  “No.” She stands, chewing her lip. “This person knows how to cover their tracks.”

  Scratching my fingers through my beard, I look around. Pedestrians slow to read the sign, nod or shrug, and continue on. At a glance, it appears harmless.

  “It’s not a bad message.” She looks up at me.

  Reaching out, I pull her close. I’ve got this girl, and she’s safe. That’s what matters to me, keeping her safe always. “We’ll keep an eye on it. In the meantime, we have a wedding to plan.”

  Her nose wrinkles. “And several lifetimes to spend together?”

  “Yep.” I kiss the top of her head, glancing at the sign once more.

  It’s not too late to install security cameras, and I’ll be watching over her this time if someone wants to try again.

  Thank you for reading A Little Taste. Want a little more? Hop over and download your Free Bonus Scene here (link), and Pre-Order A Little Twist(link), Alex and Cass’s single-dad/nanny, fake-dating romance now. Turn the page for an early sneak peek…

  OR...

  Sign up for a preorder email here (link)!

  Prefer a text?

  Text “TiaLouise” to 855-902-6387 and get a short text when it’s live! (Text is U.S. only.)

  🍑 READ THIS NEXT 🍑

  WAIT FOR ME (link) is brother’s best friend, second-chance, military romance with small town sweetness, peaches, one awesome Husky (dog goals!), Dolly Parton, pageants, and so much more.

  Read Now in Kindle Unlimited (link), or keep clicking for a special sneak peek…

  Also available on Audio (link)!

  A LITTLE TWIST

  SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK

  When I was a kid, my granddad would take me fishing. He said it would teach me patience.

  Growing up an over-achiever, bookworm, and ultimately a billionaire, I've always been a patient man.

  Until her.

  Cass Dixon has been in my sights since we were teenagers, and she moved to our small town to live with her aunt.

  She was so beautiful, but I swear on my grandad’s grave, I wasn’t watching her skinny-dipping... technically.

  It was an accident, and her singing was so beautiful, I had to stay ’til the end of the song.

  Now we’re adults.

  I’m a world-renowned bourbon distiller and father to a precocious four-year-old daughter.

  She's a dark-haired, olive skinned beauty in need of a job.

  My plan is to hire her as a live-in nanny, and I have no other intentions... technically.

  The last thing I expect is for her to grab my arm at my brother's wedding and declare me her fiancé.

  A fake engagement is not what I'm looking for, but I’m fresh out of patience.

  I’m ready to make this little twist something real.

  (A LITTLE TWIST is a steamy small-town, single-dad-nanny romance with a fake dating twist. No cheating. No cliffhangers.)

  PROLOGUE

  ALEX

  Fifteen years ago

  “Patricia, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Reverend Andrews clasps my mother’s hand, smiling warmly into her eyes before moving to my dad. “Sheriff Stone, Gladys and I are praying for you all.”

  “Thank you, Jim.” My dad shakes the older man’s hand, his arm around my mom’s narrow shoulder as she clutches a cloth handkerchief to her nose.

  I’m standing between my older brother Aiden and my younger brother Adam in a navy suit that makes my neck itch, in front of a stinky wreath of flowers.

  Stargazers, my mom observed when she lined us up. “What a lovely arrangement of stargazers,” she’d said, her nose red from crying.

  Stinkgazers is more like it. They’re making the pressure in my head worse. Looking over my shoulder, I notice a narrow door with a green Exit sign in front of it, and I wonder if there’s any way I can get the hell out of here.

  Aiden’s jaw is fixed, and at twenty, he only has one year left at Annapolis, the naval academy in Maryland. With his dark suit, short hair, and perfect posture, he already has the look of a future Marine. He’s stoic and unflinching, and I guess that’s what I’ll be in three more years, when I graduate from high school and follow in his footsteps.

  Adam, by contrast, is dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and khakis. His brown hair is a little too long, and it curls around his ears in waves bleached caramel from spending all summer surfing.

  He’s doing his best to fight his tears, roughly wiping any strays that make it onto his cheeks. But he’s only thirteen. He can still get away with crying if he wants.

  Not me. At fifteen, I’m supposed to be Mom’s brave young man. At least, that’s what Dad said when he’d helped me with my necktie. The only problem is when I see Pops lying in that casket, stone cold and unmoving, it pits my stomach and makes my throat tight.

  He’s too thin. His skin is the wrong color, and he never wore suits. He said we had that in common. We’d rather be in our waders fishing in the marsh.

  Even when he was so sick with cancer he couldn’t get out of bed, I’d sit beside him, and he’d close his eyes. He’d ask me if I could see the redfish swimming in the reeds. I’d hold his hand and say I could. He’d remind me how important it was to be patient, to wait for the fish to come to me, don’t rush them.

  I like to imagine he’s found the best fishing hole in heaven, and he’s hanging out with all of Jesus’s friends, who were also fishermen. They’re probably swapping stories and comparing lures.

  Pops wouldn’t want us to be here crying. He’d want us to be out by the water, taking in the sunshine and smiling over our memories. He’d say you have to have the clouds, the overcast days, to catch the biggest fish. You don’t catch anything on sunny days.

  Reverend Andrews has gone to the back of the room, and Aiden has joined my dad and our uncles around the casket. They’re going to carry it out of the church. Adam has his arm around Mom’s waist, and the two of them have moved closer to the aisle.

  I take a step back, in the direction of that door, as the organ music starts and the men reverently lift my grandfather’s casket off the stand. They take another step forward, and I take another step back. Again and again we move until the entire group is at the top of the aisle, and my hand is on the cold metal doorknob leading out of the small sanctuary.