With a sigh, Penny returned to the greenhouse to make sure nothing was on fire. Samantha's fascination with the puny violet continued. The cat buried her face in the plant again, then screeched, leaping back as if something had bitten her. Or burned her nosey nose.   

" That does it." Penny had to make sure the fire was completely smothered. She retrieved the garden hose and put the fan sprayer on the end to make a gentle mist. After turning the water on low, she dragged the hose over to the planters and started to sprinkle all the flowers, including those that hadn't been fertilized.   

Whatever happened to plain, old-fashioned manure? That used to be enough to pacify the organic gardeners, and they had plenty of it right here on the Lazy B. Lisa hadn't said Penny couldn't treat the other plants with manure. Now that was natural. Penny moved to the other side of the planter, giving the violet Samantha'd been exploring an extra good dousing.   

A rumbling, cracking, groaning sound suddenly erupted.  Penny took a step back, still clutching the sprinkler. She stared into the darkness, watching the fertilized plants shoot toward the top of the greenhouse like a scene from a cheap movie. Heather and lavender spiraled upward. Penny took another step back as a vine snaked toward her with spindly green fingers. Swallowing hard, she held her breath.   

Something shiny and orange crawled from the jungle--strangely familiar black spots covered its back. It was a ladybug, much closer in size to a good-sized turtle than an insect. The hair on Samantha's back stood on end, then she wisely retreated through the open greenhouse door.   

Penny dropped the sprinkler and clutched the base of her throat. This couldn't be real.   

" What in the name of all that's Fae has befallen me now?"    

Penny blinked. Forget the mutant ladybug. The organic fertilizer. The cat. The flowers.  A man stepped from the myriad of vines and blooms, shaking water from his hair. He paused a few feet away, glowering down at her. The plant lights formed a golden halo around his head.   

Shock suppressed Penny's fight-or-flight instinct, leaving her no alternative but to stand frozen to the ground. He was beautiful. Muscles rippled along his arms and shoulders taut golden flesh stretched across his abdomen. Her mouth went dry and her heart slammed against her ribs.   

She jerked her gaze back to his god-like face. " Wh--who are you?" Her voice was a strangled whisper. Imprisoned by his probing gaze, she could only stare and wait helplessly for his answer.   

He placed a fist on each bronze hip and straightened--tall, imposing.   

Naked.