Enchanting the Beast

by Maggie Dallen

  Huh. Her interest was officially piqued. The Decklands were the kind of family she’d been obsessed with keeping tabs on when she was younger. They’d seemed to have everything she did not. They’d had the ridiculously kind, involved parents, the acres and acres of gorgeous land with all the animals that went with it, and the kids had each other. As an only child in a one-parent household, the Decklands had seemed to have it all.

  Of course, that perfect picture was ruined when their parents died five years ago. Claire had been dancing with the New York City Ballet at the time but she’d heard about it from her mother. She’d wanted to come home for the funeral, but hadn’t been able to take time off from the ballet.

  “I was sorry to hear about your parents,” she said.

  He looked up in surprise at her softly spoken words. She caught the flicker of pain in his eyes before he gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”

  There was another silence and this time it was broken by the blonde who Claire had managed to forget about for a moment there.

  “Cole,” she whined. “Are you going to order, or what?”

  His eyes never left hers and his grin turned rueful. “Sorry, I’m holding you up, aren’t I?”

  Before she could say no and point out that they were currently one of three tables, he continued. “I’ll just have a beer. Whatever’s on tap is fine.”

  She gave a nod and turned back to head to the bar. She hadn’t gone far when she heard the blonde say, “The service is so slow here. We should have gone to my place.”

  Claire rolled her eyes so hard it hurt.

  To continue reading, check out Homecoming Promise

  About the Author

  MAGGIE DALLEN IS a big city girl living in Montana. She writes romantic comedies in a range of genres including young adult, historical, contemporary, and fantasy. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFEVsL

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