She wiggled hers as if she could shake it off; like the magic would fall off like cookie crumbs. Nothing helped. "So, I. Hi, I'm Marci."
He smiled, a dimple playing at his cheek. He seemed nice. Opposite of her ex. Opposite of most men she knew.
"Marci, nice to meet you. Glad you made the trip out here. We don't usually get a lot of people this time of year." He held out his hand. "I'm Caleb. We've been emailing back and forth."
She nodded. "Right. Of course. Sorry about the horn earlier. It's Hazel. She's not well trained."
He laughed, and the sound almost made her smile, almost. She liked the deep velvet of his voice.
"It's fine. You wouldn't get far in this town with or without the horn. You do know chickens aren't all that trainable, right?" He smiled, and her eyes narrowed.
She fought the urge to get closer to him. Every second ticking by seemed to make the need to be closer worse. Did he feel this too?
Searching her senses, she tried to place her metaphorical finger on why suddenly everything in her pointed to the stranger in front of her. What did he have, or maybe it's what he didn't have?
The deep-rough of his voice pulled her out and back to the present. He also took an obvious step backward.
"So, right. I own the hardware store across the street, and I have the keys to the inn."
Magic or not, she couldn't ignore the late afternoon light as it sparkled off his emerald eyes.
He's just so pretty. She blinked twice. Look away. Look away.
"Hardware store? So why are you here then? I mean with the inn?"
He fidgeted, finally hooking his thumbs in his pockets.
"We help each other here. The Lowensteins were kind to me when I first got here; in return, I helped them out."
Stealing a look at the house again, she asked, "why did they leave?"
He cleared his throat. "I know they'd planned to retire to Arizona, but everything happened so suddenly, I don't know."
"Okay. Did you ever ask them? I mean like call them? Can it still be run as an inn? I need an income, regardless of what my magic or fate are telling me, I can't live off of air."
Sucking in his bottom lip, his teeth grating over his goatee, she didn't like the way he hesitated.
"Honestly, I never thought much about any of it. The place should be easy enough to get fixed up. They haven't been gone long."
So far, he was kind, helped old people, had gorgeous green eyes, and had so many muscles that his muscles appeared to have muscles. She wanted this to all be a mistake, or maybe not.
She took a half step back. Her ex had looks and money - and Jeff had smooth-talked his way into someone else's pants. Good looks wouldn't ever end up in a happily ever after, but this guy was more. She didn't need magic to figure it out though, what she was looking for would never be a man like this. She was dull, curvy, and odd. She wiggled, and realized a bit of popcorn might still be down her bra - men like him didn't date women who could squirrel away snacks in their cleavage.
If a sleek, not nearly as good looking warlock couldn't accept her; what the heck would she offer this guy.
Hazel's incessant clucking interrupted her internal debate.
Hitching a thumb over her shoulder. "You don't know anything about chickens do you?"
"Other than cooking them?"
By the laughter that came out of him, she assumed the look on her face had said everything she couldn't find the words to.
"Just kidding. But no. Annie, the owner of the coffee shop down there, has some though. She can probably help."
"You might want to unwrap her from that seat belt though."
Marci rolled her eyes. "Right." Just as she freed Hazel, the bird flapped wildly, a wing catching Marci in the eye. She fell back.
"Careful now."
Caleb's arm wrapped around her waist before she hit the ground and an odd peace swept through her, and her magic settled down as he stood her up quickly and his hands fell away.
"Let's get you into the house before the chicken wanders off."
The sting of stronger magic set in like pins and needles over her the second he removed his hands. "Wait. What? Why would she wander off? I feed her whatever she wants. She ate half of my cheeseburger last night. She's spoiled. Besides, I'm the best she's got. The family that hired me to find her didn't want or expect a chicken. "
Heat crept up Marci's neck. This guy was trying to tell her how to raise her dang chicken. First, her mother told her how to live, and now this. Then she realized Hazel was pecking her way down the street.
"Hazel! I put up with your roosting, your scratching, and the pooping everywhere. You're obviously incapable of judging people's character. Just no. Come back here."
Marci walked over and scooped up the chicken, who began squawking and flapping as though the world depended on this very moment.
"Fine." She dropped Hazel back down the three inches to the ground where she landed feet first and picked right back up with her exploring. "Just fine. Don't worry about me. Let's see how well you do at night with the animals."
Heat burned her cheeks and embarrassment squeezed around her chest like a vice. This was her new life. She closed her eyes, blew out a long breath, and shook out her hands.
Let it go.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to distract her. She seems sweet though. She'd probably like Frank."
"Who's Frank? Wait; tell me later." She was starting over. Hitting the reset button.
Seconds passed, as her heart settled down allowing her brain to regain rational thoughts. Hazel took off on little hops and flaps to the grass closest to the curb.
