Page 49 of Wilde Ride

“Caden, you know Moreen, of course,” I said, as I motioned to my friend.

“How’s it going, Moreen?”

She smiled. “Going good. I’m just headed out. I’ll lock up, Lilibeth. You kids have fun!” she called out as she headed toward the register.

“Thanks, Moreen,” Lilibeth called out after her. Looking at me, she added, “I decided to close a little early tonight.”

“Caden, this is Lilibeth Asher. She owns the store.”

I watched as my brother took in Lilibeth. His gaze moved quickly over her body before landing back on her face. Before he could say anything, Lilibeth came around the counter and stuck out her hand, smiling from ear to ear.

“It’s nice to meet you, Caden. Emeline has told me a lot about you.”

He looked at her hand, then slowly reached out and shook it.

“I hope you’re ready for a fun night of mixing and finding your special scent,” she said with a wink.

Caden looked at Levi with an expression that could only mean one thing—he hated his best friend in that moment. Then his gaze moved to me, and I grinned.

Caden sighed, then focused on Lilibeth. “You can turn off the sales pitch, sweetheart. I’m already in the door.”

Frowning, she slowly shook her head. “Sales pitch? And I’m sorry, but did you seriously just call me sweetheart?”

It was the first time I’d ever heard Lilibeth have a bit of an attitude, and I wasn’t surprised it was Caden who’d brought it out in her.

“I did.”

She plastered on a smile once again, this one with a sharp edge. “Like your sister said, it’s Lilibeth, and I would appreciate it if you called me by my name. Not sweetheart.”

The corners of my brother’s mouth twitched with a hidden smile. His gaze moved past her to the bottle of whiskey she’d placed on the counter at some point. “Thank fuck. Whiskey.”

“Please, help yourself,” Lilibeth said before looking at Levi. “Thanks for coming, Levi.”

“I’m looking forward to this.”

She grinned. “Then let’s get going! You can pick up to five notes.”

“Notes?” Caden asked.

“The scents for the perfume.”

I quickly made my way around the counter and started smelling different oils. “How in the world am I going to pick?”

Glancing to my right, I saw Levi totally getting into it.

He picked up a bottle. “Leather…okay. Fresh Dirt?” Taking a smell, he pulled back. “Very…earthy.”

Lilibeth and I both laughed.

I pulled down the Jasmine, Lemon, and Rose. Then I grabbed the Magnolia, Cinnamon, and Cedarwood.

Lilibeth walked up and smiled. “These are great combinations, Emeline.”

Peeking at my brother’s picks, I saw he had White Musk, Amber, and Sandalwood. He’d also grouped Bergamot, Birch, and Oakmoss. Looking to my other side, Levi had pulled down Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Orange Blossom, Bergamot, Tonka Bean, and Patchouli.

Lilibeth stood in front of us with a wide smile. She placed small, thin round cotton pieces in front of us, along with a small jar of strips, as well as jars of coffee beans.

“You can do this two different ways. Dip the strips into your oil, then smell them as you build your scent. Or you can put one drop on the cotton pad, then smell that, as you add your additional scents. As you go, you can add more of something if you like. Play around with the different scents you have and the amounts you use. Be sure to write down what you do, though, using the notepads next to you. That way, you won’t forget what combinations you used.”