Wanted: Fairy Godmother by Laurie LeClair

She moved fast. “I’ll just be in the way,” he said, trying to dodge her. But she planted herself in front of him.
    “Not true. The boys need you there.”
    “It’s clothes shopping.”
    “They just want to spend time with you. You’ve avoided them.” He read between the lines. And her.
    It was the truth. “You’re right.” Guilt nudged him.
    “I know I am.” She smiled. It kicked him in the gut.
    Jake gave in; he knew she’d never give up. How long could it take, anyway? “All right. The sooner we get this over with the better, as far as I’m concerned,” he said, trying to look anywhere but her mouth. He wanted to kiss her again. He stopped himself.
    Somehow Callie’s presence weaved a magic spell around all of them, including Jake. With her skillful persistence, she’d taught the boys lessons on ranch life, cowboy lingo, and many of the things Jake had tried and failed with them.
    Last night she’d talked the boys into trying a few new things: shopping for cowboy gear; short, neat haircuts; and a social life.
    Today marked the first day on the road to their outward transformation. And she’d roped Jake into accepting the challenge himself. After all, she reminded him, the boys idolized him and he had to set a good example.
    With a great deal of difficulty, he stomped down on his need to touch her and seized the opportunity to lay down the law as far as this transformation involved him.
    “We should get some things straight. We can talk after I take a shower.” A very cold one. “Is that all right with you?”
    “Sure, why not?” Her voice croaked on the last word.
    With every bit of control Jake possessed, he turned his back on her and walked away. Entering the bathroom, he left the door slightly ajar.
    Callie tried to quell the rapid rise of warmth in her body, but nothing worked. He had the most disturbing effect on her.
    The sound of running water brought her back to the moment. She should go and wait for him downstairs.
    Her feet refused to go in that direction. Instead, she moved closer to the door and nudged it open as he stepped behind the clear shower curtain. A fleeting glimpse of his sexy derriere made her face hot. She swallowed hard. The spray of water clouded the tantalizing image of him soaping his chest.
    “Beautiful,” she whispered. “Right now I’d pay anything to be that bar of soap.” Her knees grew weak.
    “Callie? Is that you? I thought you left already. Did you say something?”
    “Me?” she squeaked, flattening her back against the wall. Slowly, she slid down the length until she sat on the hardwood floor. “Not a peep.” Looking over her shoulder, she peeked into the bathroom, gasping when his hand made soapy, tantalizing circles lower and lower on his abdomen.
    Swinging her head back around to avoid that heart-stopping picture, Callie frowned deeply. For the first time, she surveyed his bedroom. Other than his jeans crumpled on the floor beside his bed, she discovered nothing to mark the room as his. The stark white sheets contrasted sharply with the dark, heavy furniture, drab brown drapes and matching bedspread.
    “You still there? We might as well talk then. Listen, about the boys,” he said. “I need them ranch ready in two weeks. You stick to outfitting them in cowboy gear and I’ll teach them how to round up and brand the newborn calves. As far as this project, I’ll go along with the haircut and a new Stetson, but that’s all. It’s the boys who need the transformation, not me.”
    She turned to look at him. His tall, broad-shouldered body, outlined against the see-through fabric, ignited heat in the deepest part of her. Sucking in her breath, Callie pressed her forehead against her raised knees.
    “Did you hear me?”
    “Oh, yeah,” she said, pulling herself together. “I think it’s best if you let them do the things they’re good at, too. Stan’s done such a great job with compiling the rodeo bull statistics that he wants to set up the