For Love of Mister Cotton Tail: An Apocalyptic Fairytale (Single) (2 page)

“How about water?” Cotton asked. “Just bring some water.”

“Five, twenty nine.”

“For water?” Cotton
almost choked on the air.

“Sweetened or barbecue flavored water. Everything is sweetened
or barbecue flavored.” Her voice held great annoyance. “If you want regular, it’s the same price, sir.”

“Fine, whatever.” Cotton gave up. She’d be in a better mood at home. “Get me a simple glass of water.”

* * *

Candy turned to head back to get the orders, but she found herself stuck in a familiar embrace. Darren eagerly kissed her, giving her little room to complain. He was supposed to be marrying her after all. His breath wasn’t the cleanest, but it never had been. Even barbecue would have been better than what she smelled. The customers could probably smell it too.

When he let go of her, she tried to act like that wasn’t completely embarrassing.
“Darren, what are you doing here?”

“Counting the days ‘til we do it.” Darren looked over toward Cotton and the other guy. “You’re not trying to flirt with my Candy, are you?” Neither of them bothered to answer, but Candy felt mortified. If anyone could get a reward for less tact, it would be him.

“What do you want, Darren?” Candy asked again, hoping she could find out so he could then leave.

“The big day is getting closer. We’ll be doing it soon.” He grabbed her by the waist. “Marriage, of course.”

Candy didn’t want to look at anyone. What a display. Why did he have to be such a showoff? “I’ve got to go get an order.”

“Hurry up then.” He
patted her butt before she headed on her way.

* * *

That had to be the biggest creep Cotton had ever seen. He’d heard of him several times, but he’d never met Darren before. Who in the world comes in grabbing their fiancé like that? He’d seen romantic displays, but that was far from romantic. That smell on his breath too, even Cotton could smell the hard whisky.

It wasn’t right. Candy was the sweetest owner in the world. Well, part time owner. He only spent his mornings, nights, and the weekends in his rabbit form. The other
times he walked around like everyone else, doing his own thing.

He knew that he should have hopped off, but he had got rather close to her in his rabbit form. His family
also reinforced him to stay, believing that they were both the prophesied ones. That large load standing in front of him though, the thought of him always being near Candy. It sickened him. There would be no more curling up in her bed with that guy around. “Why does she have to marry you?” He knew the answer yet Cotton just couldn’t help himself.

“Pardon?”
The guy moved up closer, pounding his hands on the table. “What do you mean
why
does she have to marry me? Who are you?” Cotton moved back slightly, wincing at the awful breath. He heard him take a big sniff. Yeah, that’s attractive. “You’re a Vegan, what are you doing here?”

“I’m allowed.” Cotton scratched his shoulder.

“Cotton, damn it, that’s none of our business,” Matt began. “Who cares who is marrying who?”

“Anyone would have to be blind to want to marry him after that showoff display.” Cotton sat back in his chair. He shouldn’t care. He should be going about his business complaining about the five, twenty nine water.

He remembered all those nights though, complaining about Darren Manner. She didn’t want him in her life at all, and whether he wanted to say it out loud or not . . .Cotton wanted to be more than her pet. Not that that mattered, if she was the prophesied one then she would never have to worry about Darren Manner again.

“You need to watch that mouth of yours.” Darren pointed at him. “I’m the guy who trademarked the currency signs. You should thank me when I let my wife use it for the menus around here in the future.”

Oh, so this was the guy who actually got the dollar and cents signs trademarked? The reason they had to use commas for pricing now. Candy didn’t mention that, but it probably wasn’t at the top of her complaints.

“I always wanted to own the currency signs. I always own what I want, so don’t cross me again.”

Cotton kept himself under control. Just because he was a Vegan didn’t mean he was a pushover. And just because this Darren guy was a meat lover didn’t make him strong. Nor did having money make him smart. It was his family who had that money after all.

Candy came around Darren without even a glance at him and sat down the
broccoli stew in front of Matt. It smelled weird, that spicy barbecue broccoli concoction. Candy then sat down his water in front of him. “Five, twenty nine, as agreed.”

“Honey, you don’t need to do that.” Darren muttered closer to h
er ear. “Say five dollars and twenty nine cents. You’ll get to say that every day soon since us Manners own it.”

Cotton couldn’t help himself. “Showoff Spice man.”

“Vegan.”

“Boys.” Candy chided between the two of them.

“Fine, I’ll be good.” Darren repicked up the water and sat it in front of Cotton closer. “Here.”

Cotton held his hands up. “I would
never
touch anything you’ve touched.”

“Oh, ouch.” Darren knocked the water over. “Oops.”

Cotton stared at the water on his shirt while Candy mopped up the mess on the table with a rag.

“Sorry, that’s gratis. I’ll get you another,” she said. Turning she looked toward Darren. “Stop screwing with the customers, what do you want already?”

“I have some news.” Darren crossed his arms. “Posh is coming over and, well, we need to discuss some things before she does.”

“Posh? Posh
Yum Num?” Cotton could hear the growl beneath Candy’s words. “Why?”

* * *

“If it isn’t little Candy,” a voice called over before Candy could leave. A woman decked out in glitter sequins and showing off far too much skin strolled over to her like she owned the world. From that look and the way Candy looked at her, Cotton knew it was Candy’s competition. Posh Yum Num.

“Posh.”
Candy held her ground against the other woman. “What are you doing here?”

“Letting you know that your family is about to fall.” The woman breathed on her hand and showed Candy a pink sparkling cupcake ring. “I found the perfect
Spice man. Sweet Meats is about to go down.”

“Yum Num Cakes can’t take down Sweet Meats.” Candy shooed her away, missing the look on Darren. Cotton caught it though, and he knew things were about to get serious. “I’m working, I’ll deal with you later.”

“Your sister wants a husband that has no magic line at all.”

“So.”

“So it’s up to you, and last I looked, you’re screwed.”

Candy took a deep breath. “I already know
who I’m marrying, okay?” She gestured toward Darren who politely coughed in his hand.

“Apparently you don’t.” Posh laughed in her face as she shook her ring. “Marriage second, winner first.”

Candy dropped her notepad. Her face was frozen with her eyes wide and her jaw completely dropped. “Darren?” She turned to look at Darren who had his hand on the back of his forehead.

“And the penny drops.” Posh danced around her a second. “Good luck looking for anyone else, he is the top man. He may have
chose you, but it took one night, and he was mine. Like I said, pack it up. Soon it’s all over, Yum Num Cakes will be number one.”

Cotton looked down at his table. Oh damn. That was going to hurt Candy.

“It’s not too late.” Candy sneered, her nose even getting wrinkly. “I’ll find someone else, I’m only twenty five. I’ve got a long time to find the right man.”

“You don’t have to give up,” Darren said to Candy. “Just give me some motive to change my mind like she did.” Candy didn’t bother responding back.

“You wish, Candy Sweet,” Posh prodded. “You think we don’t know? Your dad is going to be dead soon.” Posh snapped her finger at her. “The doctors predicted date, Yum Num is having a fifty percent off sale in celebration of it.”

Cotton watched as others posing as customers grabbed Candy and held her back. Cotton jumped up along with Matt second. Things were getting out of hand.

“Stop right there.” Cotton stood firmly in front of Posh with Matt at his side. “You don’t go that far in a restaurant. Powers or not, you start something here, and witnesses will drive your business to the ground.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Posh looked like she was ready to start a fight with him, but one of her followers whispered something to her. Her frow
n turned into an all out grin. Posh snapped her fingers and they all let go of Candy.

Candy didn’t move, bu
t her eyes didn’t leave Posh. “You okay?” Cotton asked softly. He moved closer to her face. People sometimes were so mean.What he wouldn’t give to be her Big Bunny right now so h
e
―

Cotton felt himself getting shoved forward, his lips touching Candy’s haphazardly.

Posh laughed as her crew began to leave Candy. “Guess what Candy? You just got kissed by a Vegan!”

* * *

Cotton had to admit, he didn’t plan on Candy dragging him aroun
d to the back. He tried to keep it together as they moved through the meat section. Piles of raw food in different sizes, piled up, bleeding and ew! How could people eat like that? He didn’t say a word until he was yanked roughly in front of the main owner of Sweet Meats.

Her face was on TV. Everyone knew it. It was Momma Sweet.

“What’s a customer doing back here?” Momma Sweet asked Candy.

Candy couldn’t speak. She just pointed, harder and harder, drawing her hand back and forth. When she did finally speak all she shouted was “Vegan!”

Wow, what a crime.

“We have vegetables, I don’t understand your point.” Momma Sweet shook Cotton’s hand. “I am terribly sorry, I don’t know what’s come over my daughter. Your meal is gratis.”

Cotton nodded and looked toward Candy. She needed to get it under control, it was just a kiss. Not even a good one, it was off balance and he barely met her lips. He had better rabbit smooches with her than that one.

“No, not his choice in taste.” Candy’s eyes dwelled on her mother. “Not vegan, Vegan. His family line.”

“Oh, Vegan magic, I understand.” Sweet Momma looked toward Cotton. “I never hear about that much.”

“Yeah, that
is because all it does is make the women unable to taste sweet.” Heh, sort of. A good enough explanation for her. For the life of him though, Cotton didn’t see the problem.

“Posh pushed him into me.” Candy gestured to Cotton again. “Posh knows
Marlen is going downhill. She stole Darren Manner too, she’s wearing his ring.”

Momma Sweet’s mouth dropped. “Why that no good wench! Those Yum Num’s, they can just go to hell.” She grabbed Candy’s hand. “Don’t worry, whatever happened, Darren likes you more. You’re kinder and prettier, a regular princess. It doesn’t matter
, we can work this out.”

“She said all that . . .” Candy gestured to Cotton. “Before pushing me into him, making him kiss me.”

This time the ho hum attitude of Momma Sweet was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes were filled with panic. “A Vegan kissed you?” Her hands reached up to her forehead. “No, no! Your sister’s already marrying someone from a normal line, and you’ve kissed a Vegan. Your dad is almost gone, what are we going to do?”

Missing something, Cotton knew he was missing something.

“A kiss from a Vegan? As pure as we’ve kept ourselves?” Her mother covered her eyes. “Cotton. Please, let me discuss some things with my daughter. Go sit down and Candy will meet you later.”

* * *

“You know what is next, Candy,” her mother warned her as she unwrapped a piece of chocolate and popped it in her mouth. Candy spit it out
fast. It tasted disgusting. “It’s already begun. You know what must be done.”

“I can’t,” Candy said as she grabbed her head, “it’s crazy. I do not even know Cotton.”

“He is a Vegan. He stole your Sweet power, and soon you will have no Sweet power. The only way to save your Sweet power is to dominate the Vegan power. To dominate, you must be with Darren for his Spice power.”

“I will have nothing left to hold over Posh to make him marry me.”

“Which is why you need to be with the Vegan. Be with him completely, and share the power. You will get your Sweet magic back.”

“But the busines
s
―
”

“Be with him,
but
marry Darren.” Momma Sweet shrugged. “He likes to fool around. It should make him pine for you even more, knowing a Vegan had you.”

“Momma . . .” Candy fidge
ted with her fingers. “Is there no other option?”

“You cannot live in limbo. Pure Sweet and pure Vegan do not mix haphazardly. You know that you will lose more than just your Sweet power.”