Excerpt from Cat, Charmed

“What do women see in him?  Why the big fuss over him?  Geez.”  Cat Hendricks leaned back from peeking at Devin Hughes sitting further down the bench seat next to his brother.  She took a sip of her hot cocoa and shivered, pulling the stadium blanket a little higher up on her lap.  It had been a beautiful and sunny day in Whitfield, with a November snap in the air.  She pulled her cap down a little further over her ears, and then waved a hand over her cocoa, spelling it with delicious peppermint schnapps. 

The thought of spending one more night at home watching HGTV was so unappealing that when her best friend Baylyn Travers asked if she wanted to accompany her and her boyfriend Declan Hughes to the Whitfield High School senior football game, she accepted immediately.  Anything to get out of the house for a while.

Although she didn’t especially like football, the thought of spending some time around people out in the fresh air beat out staying at home.  However, she had no idea that Declan’s gorgeous brother Devin would be there.  Sitting three people down from her.  Gah.

Two very attractive women sitting directly in front of and below them had been giggling and whispering to each other, then not so subtly pointing to Devin.  Cat watched as one winked right at him.  Cat rolled her eyes and nudged Bay.

“Gag.  Is it like this all the time?  Women throwing themselves at his feet?”

Baylyn took her friend’s mug and topped it off with hot cocoa from the thermos and whispered back to her.  “You mean Devin?  Cat, he’s really not that bad.  So he’s dated a lot of women.  That doesn’t make him…”

“A playboy?  Yes, it does.”

“It’s just what some people say about him.  Once you get to know him he’s a really nice guy.”  Bay got a speculative gleam in her eye.  “Maybe you should get to know him a little bit better.”

Cat’s jaw dropped open.  “Are you kidding me?  Him?  He’s not my type at all.  You know that.  He’s the one who told me…”

“…to get the stick out of your ass and loosen up.  Yes, I know.  You’ve told me the story a thousand times.  Methinks the lady doth protest too much.  I bet you secretly have a crush on him.”  Bay oofed as Cat elbowed her.  “Cat, seriously.  He’s employed, he’s good looking, and he’s funny.”

“Not a chance.  He’s an unrefined caveman.”

Despite all her protestations, Cat couldn’t deny that he was a good looking caveman.  A charming one.  Probably the nicest looking caveman she’d seen. 

And as long as she was admitting things, she sort of, kind of, had maybe hoped Devin Hughes would be at the game tonight too.