Framed Shadows: Shadows Landing #6, Kathleen Brooks [great novels of all time TXT] 📗

have a feeling you’re not going to just give that to me, are you?” Paxton asked skeptically.

“You’re a smart one,” Miss Winnie said with mischief in her eyes as she patted his cheek.

“You see, Trent’s poster with our pie got us a lot of attention the other week. The fall festival is up next. We can’t just reuse the same sign,” Miss Ruby said matter-of-factly. “That would be bad branding.”

Tinsley clamped her mouth shut to stop the laugh from escaping as Paxton raised an eyebrow and tried to appear intimidating.

Miss Winnie rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t bother with that look, young man. We could stare the devil in the face and still not hand over our apple pie until he stripped for it.”

“If I’m reading this situation correctly, you want me to strip for the next banner and in return I’d get this apple pie?” Paxton asked.

“You’d get this one, and one pie a month for one year. That’s what we’re doing for Trent,” Miss Ruby said with a look that implied she knew she had Paxton hook, line, and sinker. To seal the deal, she moved the pie slowly under Paxton’s nose. Tinsley couldn’t be sure, but she thought Paxton was drooling.

“Deal,” Paxton said, yanking his T-shirt off as he reached for the pie.

“You got the camera, Win?” Ruby asked, walking by Paxton as she held the pie up.

“Sure do. You’re thinking nature shots?” Winnie asked as Paxton followed as if he were tethered to the pie.

“Yes. I think he’d look real nice leaning against a tree.”

Tinsley just shook her head as she followed the group outside. Paxton had stripped along the way. There were shoes, socks, and a pair of pants strewn about on the way out the back door.

Tinsley followed behind, letting Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie instruct Paxton on how to lean against the tree.

“Now lose your drawers,” Miss Winnie instructed and Tinsley saw Paxton pause.

“What? Can’t I just hold the pie down here?” Paxton asked.

Miss Ruby replied by sticking the pie under Paxton’s nose again. Paxton stepped behind the tree and shucked his boxers. Then he leaned out and held out his hands for the pie.

“Sneaky devil,” Miss Winnie muttered.

Miss Ruby handed the pie over and Tinsley was treated to the show of a lifetime. She didn’t know if it were funnier to watch Paxton trying to keep the pie in front of him or Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie trying to get the pie to slip to the side a bit so they could sneak a peek.

Tinsley was still snickering when three blurs of color shot by. One was tan, one black, and the other one was red. They streaked past her and right toward Paxton. Paxton jumped back behind the tree, but it was too late. The three dogs had zeroed in on the pie.

“No!” Paxton yelled as he ran around and around the tree with the three dogs chasing him. The red dog made a leap for the pie and Paxton was forced to hold it up over his head.

Miss Winnie gasped and then turned to Tinsley with a smile. “Lucky girl.”

“I know,” Tinsley said with a wink.

“Well, this is certainly a different kind of welcome than I expected. Can’t say I’m disappointed, though.”

“Aunt Annie! Miss Bridget!” Tinsley jumped out of her chair and hurried off the porch. The two ladies watched as Paxton reached up with one hand and began to pull himself up into the tree while still holding the pie with his other hand. They got a nice clear view of Paxton and his not-so-little Paxton.

“Does he regularly climb trees naked?” Annie asked.

“No. He got naked to get twelve apple pies from Miss Winnie and Miss Ruby.”

“Heck, I’d get naked for that,” Annie said, and Bridget nodded her agreement.

“You think I should tell him Robyn can climb trees?” Bridget asked Annie.

“Nah, let him experience that surprise on his own,” Annie said before turning back to Tinsley. “So, this is the guy?”

“That’s him. All of him.”

Bridget leaned forward and lifted up her hand for a high five.

“Help!” Paxton yelled from where he now sat halfway down the first branch in the tree. “I will not lose this pie after stripping down for it. And you two better delete any picture of me being chased by these dogs!” The last word was yelled in surprise as the red Vizsla ran straight for the tree, leaped up, bounced off the trunk and up onto the thick branch Paxton currently occupied. “Oh no. I don’t care how cool that was. You’re not getting my pie!” he yelled at Robyn.

“He’s braver than your husband,” Annie said to Bridget who nodded.

“Ahmed gets nightmares if he sees Robyn in trees. He loves her to death, but he says it’s just not natural for a dog to be able to climb a tree. Robyn’s father, Bob, did that and it freaked him out.”

“He has a good point. It’s a strange sight,” Tinsley said as she watched the dog walk carefully forward and then sit. She cocked her head to the side and reached out with her paw to place it on Paxton’s arm.

“Ahmed can’t resist that. Paxton’s a goner,” Bridget whispered to them as Miss Winnie snapped pictures.

“One bite and that’s it,” Paxton tried to say sternly as Robyn’s short tail thumped with victory.

Paxton fed her a bit with his fork and then Robyn licked him and Paxton was lost forever to the rust-colored dog.

“Tinsley, you think you could help this sweetie down? I don’t want her hurt,” Paxton called out.

“Told you. Point for Robyn. Though your guy also gets a point for treating her well,” Bridget said before she walked over to the tree. She patted her chest and Robyn leaped instantly from the branch and into Bridget’s arms. She caught the forty-plus-pound dog and set her down before looking up at Paxton. “Do you need help down?”

“Are you going to catch me, too?” Paxton asked.

“I was going to offer to take the pie,” Bridget