Scarlet's Dilemma: Shifting Crossroads, #45

By Zenina Masters

Scarlet is content to be the product of two very different cultures and slightly oddball parents. She has her job, her home, and her family so why would she want anything else?

The wild magic in her veins is looking for an outlet, and it wants to bring for the next generation.

With no prospects in her area, the Crossroads is offered as a chance to find a mate, so Scarlet packs light and heads out to seek the man she hasn’t even thought about.

Hiro is an architect doing design work for the Crossroads as he has for years. When he sees the lady with brilliant hair dismissing an eager suitor with the deft twist of her wrist, bringing the idiot to his knees, Hiro knows that he wants to find out what brought her to the Crossroads, even if he can’t offer it to her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Dec 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781487417383

Book preview

Mixed bloodlines and a surprising urge to find a mate drive Scarlet into the arms of the one male in the Crossroads bar that isn’t looking.

Scarlet is content to be the product of two very different cultures and slightly oddball parents. She has her job, her home, and her family, so why would she want anything else?

The wild magic in her veins is looking for an outlet, and it wants to bring forward the next generation.

With no prospects in her area, the Crossroads is offered as a chance to find a mate, so Scarlet packs light and heads out to seek the man she hasn’t even thought about.

Hiro is an architect doing design work for the Crossroads as he has for years. When he sees the lady with brilliant hair dismissing an eager suitor with the deft twist of her wrist, bringing the idiot to his knees, Hiro knows that he wants to find out what brought her to the Crossroads, even if he can’t offer it to her.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Scarlet’s Dilemma

Copyright © 2017 Zenina Masters

ISBN: 978-1-4874-1738-3

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

Look for us online at:

www.eXtasybooks.com or www.devinedestinies.com

Scarlet’s Dilemma

Shifting Crossroads Book 45

By

Zenina Masters

Chapter One

She flipped the cards over, one by one. They said the same thing no matter how many times she drew them. She was at a crossroads. Love at the crossroads.

Scarlet growled and pulled the cards back into a deck. She was going to be late for work, and nothing made folks who needed caffeine more aggressive than having to wait for it.

On her way to the front door, she paused to put her shoes on while her hand groped for her apron.

Scarlet, you are going to be late, her mother’s voice called it out from the kitchen.

I will be on time if I leave now. Night, Mom.

Have a good shift, dear. Her mom remained in the kitchen, working on dinner.

Scarlet smiled and closed the door behind her as she headed out of the house, down the path, and into the woods. It took her five minutes to make it through the thick shade, but she eventually came out in an area as wide open and bright as the path had been dim.

She pulled her apron on and was finished tying it when she walked through the door. The place was busy with hikers and locals. She stuck to the wall and made her way past the counter and into the back. Hey, Dad.

He smiled. You are right on time, Scarlet. What is your mom up to?

Making your dinner. My guess is you have half an hour. As she spoke, she started pulling the coffees that weren’t simply coffee. Her mouth may be moving, but her hands were busy. Her hands were always busy if she could manage it.

They cleared the backlog with Sara taking orders and Scarlet and her father filling them. They worked well together, not stumbling into each other, and soon, the shop was full of folks who were happily slurping their coffees.

Arthur Wilson cocked his head and left Sara at the counter for a moment while he went to the small office. Scarlet followed him.

What’s up, Dad?

What did the cards say, darlin’? He smiled slowly.

They were weird. They kept saying that I was at a crossroads. That love would be in the crossroads. I have no idea what it was about, but six layouts later and it was the same. I am stumped.

He sighed. I will walk you back to the house tonight, and I will explain what it means then. Okay?

She gave him a thumbs-up and headed back to work. Six hours of working the shop and closing up would drag by; she had the feeling that she was going to hear something important. She almost flubbed her next order just thinking about it.

She worked away from the