Seven Roses (Haremworld)

“Hey, I helped.” Steve walked in behind him and sighed. “How the hell did your grandmother get so many?”

“I have no idea.” I tilted my head when I saw something under Steve’s arm. “What is that?”

“Oh, I found this in your Grandmother’s house. It appears to be her recipe book.” He smiled and handed it to me.

“This is nothing but pie recipes.” I raised my eyebrows as I flipped through it.

“Did someone say pie?” Mayor Danvers popped his head out of the kitchen.

“We found Mrs. Grant’s recipe book.” Steve folded his arms and beamed like he had just discovered gold.

“Seriously?” Mayor Danvers walked out into the living room. “Samantha, do you think you could make them like she did?”

“Well...” I flipped through a few more pages. “The directions are here, I could give it a shot.”

“Good! I’d love to have a dozen or so when they break ground on the new American Motors plant.” Mayor Danvers’ nodded. “Of course, you’d need to practice and make sure you know how to make them first...”

“Which means we’re about to eat a lot of pie?” Steve raised his eyebrows and his face turned to a hopeful grin.

“It looks that way...” I tucked the recipe book under my arm. “Who wants to go on a grocery run?”

It was like a cascade of hands all volunteering at once—apparently, they really did like my Grandmother’s pies.

“AMERICAN MOTORS JUST faxed over the details on the new plant. We’ll have five hundred new jobs by this time next year—all because you.” Mayor Danvers leaned against me and kissed my neck.

“That is wonderful news.” I closed my eye and leaned my head back against his kiss. “Did you find out what the holdup was with the state?”

“Yeah, apparently they were dragging their feet on the permits. American Motors wanted to take our bid, but the state made it seem like they needed to do a lot more work and it would take years to complete it. They even offered to discount their land at first, but once your friend’s father put words in the right ears, things took off like a rocket.” He kissed my neck again.

“Good, I’m glad things are working out.” I reached back and caressed his hair.

“When will the pie be ready?” He pulled his lips away and looked over my shoulder at the mess in the kitchen.

“Relax...” I shook my head and laughed. “I’ve barely got the ingredients in the bowl.”

“If it is a good pie.” Mayor Danvers leaned back and licked my ear. “We’ll all spend a little time showing your gratitude once we’re done.”

“You’ll do that whether they’re good or not.” I turned to him with a sarcastic scowl.

After a few hours of figuring out my grandmother’s recipe, failing, trying it again, and turning the kitchen into a disaster zone, my first pie was done. The eight of us gathered around it and I started cutting slices, hoping it would be half as good as the ones my grandmother made. The sound of satisfaction echoed through the room once they all got their first bite. I pushed my fork into my mouth and immediately understood why—it was absolutely delicious. One thing was for sure—they were definitely going to be showing me a lot of gratitude once their plates were empty.

Bonus Content – Seven is my Lucky Number

Chapter 1: Mia

“Let’s go Wildcats, let’s go!” My pompoms went into the air and I waved them around while the sound of shoulder pads mixed with helmets. Bodies crashed together and the play was over before it even began.

We lo

st.

It was our biggest game—the last game of the season. The only part of my college career that I cared about ended when our team lost the bowl game. It was time to hang up my short skirt and pompoms. It was the best season the team had while I had been a student there, but none of us went back to the locker room feeling very excited. The cheerleaders that were dating players dressed quickly and ran off to console their boyfriends. I put my stuff in a duffel bag and went home alone. There was a time when a certain blue eyed, blond haired back-up quarterback would have been waiting for me, but when the starter went down, he got the top spot on the team. That meant every girl in the school started throwing themselves at him and he no longer had time for a virgin that didn’t put out. It wasn’t the first time a guy had said goodbye when I didn’t spread my legs. I had been through it in middle school and high school. There was no reason for college to be any different.

I guess I’ll have more time to focus on school now that the season is over and my love life is nonexistent.

Without the short skirt and revealing top, I was practically invisible. The glasses and ponytail I wore to class every day with barely one layer of makeup certainly didn’t enhance my appearance. With the season over, things returned to normal and I finished college without much fanfare. My family came to see the first Franklin girl from Florence, Alabama get her degree from a major university and then I drifted into the workforce. An accounting firm in Texas needed some cheap labor to mash buttons, so my education earned me a starting salary and a desk beside all the others that didn’t graduate top of their class. It was a peaceful life living from paycheck to paycheck in my dingy apartment in the heart of Texas, but it didn’t stop the memories. Every time my head hit the pillow, I was on the sidelines again, cheering so loud my lungs hurt.

Let’s go Wildcats, let’s go!