• Close Kin by Clare B. Dunkle

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Seylin went to see the goblin King to discuss his new employment, but he had a question to ask first. "Why did it fulfill your fondest hopes when Em and I married?" he wanted to know. Marak gave him a sidelong glance.

"It isn't enough that you two have always loved each other and that I myself am very fond of you both?"

The young man considered this for a minute. Then he shook his head. "Not to make it a fondest hope," he declared.

"Then perhaps I should add," remarked the goblin King cheerfully, "that, with your overpowering elf blood and M's overpowering human blood, you'll have far more children than in a normal goblin marriage. My hope is that your children will have practically no goblin blood in them, and I'd say there will be seven or eight at least."

"You want me to have eight children?" demanded Seylin, considerably startled. His King fixed him with a stern glance.

"Don't be a coward, boy! Your kingdom needs you," he admonished. "You'll strengthen the high families for generations."

"When you told me to see you about new employment," said Seylin bitterly, "I had no idea it would be fatherhood."

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• Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

"Devil take the rocket," came a gravelly reply. "What is the woman's condition?"

"Unharmed."

The silver-haired gentleman remarked, "Impressive, Rohan. You covered a distance of fifty yards in no more than five or six seconds."

"I would hardly miss a chance to leap on a beautiful 'woman," Rohan said, causing the older man to chuckle.

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Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

An attractive waitress was flirting with him. And he wasn't doing one thing to discourage her. She watched him cock his head, then smile at something the waitress said. She experienced a pang of jealousy at how much more he seemed to be enjoying the waitress's company than he enjoyed hers, but she was still prepared to ignore what was happening until she remembered the promise she'd made to honor her vows. With a sense of resignation, she straightened her shoulders and made her way to the table where she gave the waitress her brightest smile. “Thank you so much for keeping my husband company while I was gone.” The waitress, whose smiley-face name tag read kimberly, seemed a bit taken aback by Daisy's friendly attitude. “It was—that's okay.” Daisy lowered her voice to a loud whisper. "Not everyone has been so nice to him since he's gotten out of prison." Alex choked on the mouthful of coffee he'd been about to swallow. Daisy leaned down to thump him on the back while she beamed at Kimberly's shocked face. “I don't care how much evidence the state presented. I've never for one moment believed he murdered that waitress.” This started Alex choking all over again. Kimberly quickly backed away. “I—excuse me. My next order's up.” “Run along,” Daisy said gaily. “And God bless!”

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The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Growing up in the Crowley Ridge area of Arkansas, I paid little attention to the sweet gum trees except to admire their brilliant colors during the fall.

It wasn’t until I was a grown woman that I realized the true nature of the tree. A sweet gum is the chameleon of wood, its corky exterior hiding its inner ability to imitate anything from cherry to mahogany. But its real value, one unrealized by most people, is its deep red heart, steady and strong. They see only the pale fibrous wood, easily warped, that surrounds the core.