Free Love Potion #9 by Claire Delacroix Page A

long pointy flowers Ralph liked. “But we don’t have any flowers for him.”
    â€œNot yet.” Lilith turned the red flower. “This is called beebalm. Ralph looks for bright flowers and ones that are long with nectar at the bottom.” She handed it to Jason. “If you put this in water, it will probably root. Then you’ll have a whole new plant for your garden.”
    â€œWhat about yours?”
    Lilith touched the spot where the plant came out of the ground. “Beebalm is a perennial. That means the top dies but the root lives through the winter and it grows again every spring. It just gets a little bigger every year. My beebalm will come back.”
    Jason frowned. “But it wouldn’t be fair if Ralph stopped coming to your flowers.”
    Lilith smiled. “I don’t have enough flowers for Ralph. He needs to eat a lot of nectar, so that he can keep flying so fast.” She touched Jason’s arm with one fingertip. “You can help make sure that he gets enough to eat.”
    Jason liked the idea of that. He decided it would be pretty neat if Ralph came to his yard every day. He turned the plant in his hands and it smelled a bit sweet.
    No wonder Ralph liked it.
    â€œDo you like birds?” Lilith asked.
    â€œI like Ralph.” Jason nodded. “And I like bugs. A lot.”
    â€œWell, bumblebees like a lot of the same things that Ralph likes. What do you say we get your garden started?” She looked at Dad. “If that’s okay with you?”
    Dad grinned. “That would be more than okay.”
    â€œWell, then, that’s that. Jason, if you go back there” - Lilith pointed to the end of her yard - “you’ll find some plastic buckets. We’ll put some water in them, then some of these flowers.”
    This was so neat! He was going to have bugs and Ralph and everything, right in his own backyard! Jason set out for the back of Lilith’s lot with purpose.
    â€œBut please don’t step on the toad!” she called after him.
    Toad? She had a toad ?
    Wow!
    Beebalm clenched in his fist, Jason inched toward the back of Lilith’s yard. He frowned at the path, determined not to miss the toad or anything else of interest.
    He liked their new house already.
    Â 
    * * *
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    Mitch cleared his throat. Here he was supposed to be apologizing to Lilith, he was expecting her to be furious with him, yet she was being nice to his son.
    â€œLook, Lilith, it’s really nice, but you don’t have to do this.”
    She smiled at Mitch and his heart took a little flip-flop. The sapphire dress she wore swirled around her ankles as she stepped closer. Her hair was in a ponytail, the way she had it tied up revealing the graceful curve of her nape.
    The woman was so lethally sexy that Mitch just wanted to eat her up with a spoon. A night’s sleep had done nothing to diminish her appeal.
    â€œBut I want to show him!” she protested with a smooth smile. “He’s so interested and it’s nice to share what you know with someone who wants to learn.”
    Mitch couldn’t argue with that. “Well, yeah. Jason will listen to you for as long as you keep talking to him.” He grinned at her. “Forewarned is forearmed. Just send him home if you get done with it.”
    â€œHe’s just like a little sponge!” Andrea interjected pertly. Mitch blinked, having forgotten his stepmother’s presence. Andrea peeked around the end of the fence that Mitch was fixing and smiled sunnily at Lilith.
    Lilith smiled back. “Well, hello.”
    â€œAndrea Davison. Mitch is my stepson.” She shook Lilith’s hand and practically bounced in anticipation.
    â€œPleased to meet you.” Lilith’s gaze slid to Mitch and her eyes danced with mischief. “You must be the one interested in having your fortune told.”
    Mitch opened his mouth to interrupt, but neither woman was listening to