Page 33 of Save a Wish

When I’d come by to discuss my ideas for the event, I’d gotten the impression Beckett had wanted to ask me to do something not business related. I’d wanted him to ask. I’d been prepared to accept his invitation whatever it had been.

Alas, he hadn’t issued the invitation, and I’d left wondering if I’d said or done something to make him change his mind. I supposed I could have asked him to do something. I’d become aware that American women did that sort of thing, but it seemed so bold. In the end, I’d let my decades of old-fashioned upbringing in Verdalach get the best of me, and I’d kept my mouth shut. I honestly didn’t know how long I could keep it just business between us though.

“Hey, Sadie.” Beckett greeted me with a warm, friendly smile and that Verdalachian upbringing crumbled a bit more, like an aging palace wall. “We’ve lucked out with beautiful weather today for the event.”

I took a moment to look around us. I’d been so focused on packing up my materials and reviewing the schedule of offerings I wanted to showcase at today’s event that I hadn’t tuned into the weather. Bright sunshine filtered through the colorful trees. What I could see of the sky through the branches was a spotless blue. A light breeze rustled the leaves, creating a natural music conducive to the tranquility I wanted to deliver to the people who came to the event.

“Indeed,” I said after a deep inhale of autumn air. “It’s a perfect day.”

“And that’s exactly what people will say after they experience what you have to offer.” Beckett lifted my yoga mat, tribal drum, and rain stick out of the car, but he let me carry my singing bowls because he was deathly afraid of breaking them.

“Like, I don’t even want to look at them for fear I’ll crack them with the force of my gaze or something,” he’d said.

“They do break easily,” I’d said. “And they are expensive.”

Not being able to afford things was taking some getting used to. Being a princess in Verdalach had come with many financial advantages, but the little money I’d made by selling the pendant necklaces had felt different than my inherited wealth had. I was truly earning the money now with my actual skills and not just because of who I was.

Hopefully, I’d be earning even more after today’s event.

Beckett tapped on his phone several times as I set up my yoga mat, the singing bowls, drum, and rain stick in an area backed by a small grove of pine trees, still sporting their green needles.

“According to the online registrations, forty-eight people pre-registered for today’s event. Glad we capped it at fifty. This is a good size to help spread the word about Kalm Kingdom, but it’s also manageable in terms of making people feel they’ve been a part of something personal.”

“I do hope that’s what they feel.” A wave of nervousness crested over me. As a princess, I’d been in the public eye before and had addressed large groups of people so there shouldn’t be any reason for me to be anxious.

But this was all different. These people weren’t my subjects. They weren’t required to revere me. I wasn’t royal to them. I was just someone who claimed to know how to help them relax.

But did I actually know how to do that? I had no expert training. I had no degrees of learning in these practices. All I had was some self-teaching, a great deal of reading, and some dabbling.

Was that enough?

“Hey, what’s happening?”

I looked up from where I sat cross-legged in front of my singing bowls to find Beckett had crouched on the other side of the bowls to be eye-level with me.

“You look as if you’re having a freakout.” His mesmerizing eyes were full of concern and somehow comforting me.

“A freakout?”

“Yeah. You’re letting little voices in your head tell you that you can’t do this,” he said. “But I know for a fact you absolutely can.” He angled a hand at himself. “You worked your breathwork and sound bath magic on me, remember? I’m proof that what you do is effective.” He rubbed his bearded jaw. “Effective and necessary. I’ve felt better overall since that session.”

“You have?”

He nodded. “Even Vanessa said I was less glum.” He peeked at the bowls between us for a moment. “I actually think that’s due to more than just the session.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, talking to him already alleviating my . . . my freakout.

Still not meeting my gaze and with a slight pink tingeing his cheeks, Beckett said, “Well, I like spending time with you. Not just because you’re a sorceress with these offerings.” He peeked up at me with a little grin on his lips. “But because you’re . . . you.”

That warmth that had been simmering inside me whenever I interacted with Beckett erupted into something fiery. The bashful way he spoke, the kind words he said turned whatever I was feeling for the man into pure desire.

I stepped around my bowls to be on the same side as Beckett as he rose to standing.

“I like spending time with you too, Beckett,” I admitted. “A great deal.” I studied our shoes for a moment before shifting my gaze up to meet his. “Maybe we could spend some time together that isn’t focused on building my business?”

“I would love that,” he said, his voice a whisper. “I’ve actually been thinking about asking you to do that, but I didn’t want to distract you from launching your business.”

“Distract me? You’re the reason I’m able to launch my business,” I said.