Page 44 of Save a Wish
“We’re not eating black bears!” Amelia erupted into a fit of giggles.
“That’s too bad. How about moose?”
Amelia laughed harder as she shook her head. “No moose either.”
“Well, what meat is Jimmy cooking?” Beckett asked.
“Chicken and steak,” Amelia said.
“I guess that will have to do,” Beckett said, “but Sadie was looking forward to having some grilled rhinoceros.”
Amelia fell right to the ground, clutching her stomach as she cackled. “Rhinoceros! Grandma Beth wouldn’t let us eat rhinoceros!”
Isaac strode over. “What have you done to my child that has caused her to be inflicted with such giggles?”
Amelia pointed up at Beckett. “He said Sadie wants to eat grilled rhinoceros!”
Isaac held a hand down to his daughter and pulled the pixie to her feet. “That’s silly. Everyone knows we only eat rhinoceros on Christmas.”
Another round of squealing laughter launched out of Amelia and the sound was so joyous I wanted to bottle it and offer it to my new clients.
“I guess I’ll have to make do with chicken or steak tonight.” I feigned disappointment and Beckett slid his arm around my shoulders.
“It’s not too late if you’d rather go out to eat instead,” he said. “Maybe this family dinner is too lame for your tastes.”
“Nonsense,” Logan said as he came over. “Hartley dinners are never lame.” He elbowed Beckett. “However, I’m not sure about this particular dinner because a Hartley is not manning the grill.” He angled his head at Jimmy still standing in front of the grill and now handing Mrs. Hartley an empty platter. “Somehow he was granted grilling rights.”
“Now, now,” Beckett said. “Jimmy has surprised us at every turn. Why shouldn’t he be good at grilling too?”
“The question is,” Joshua said as he joined our circle, “how did Jimmy acquire his grilling skills? Exactly what kind of meats has he been grilling over the years?”
A collective shudder rippled through the small group around us. Except for Amelia who had run off after her Husky dog, Dasha, and two other dogs, one of which resembled an actual wolf.
“I still maintain Jimmy is an okay guy.” Beckett pointed to his brothers. “Deep down, you know that too.” He arced his arm out to include the rest of his family. “We all know it.” He took my hand. “C’mon, let’s get a drink before these morons say anything else that’s ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” Isaac shot back. “Who’s the one saying his girl wants grilled rhinoceros for dinner?”
After relishing being called Beckett’s girl for a moment, I laughed as Beckett dragged me away. “They’re so much fun.”
“A real hoot,” Beckett mumbled, but he loved being with his family. That had become clear the more I’d witnessed them interacting.
My older sister, Maeve, and I had been close. Only three years existed between us and we’d been good friends. She’d always listened when I’d talk against Verdalachian ways. She’d agree with me sometimes, but she’d always defer to tradition and duty.
In fact, she’d been the one that was supposed to marry Cian. Not me. As the eldest daughter, it had been her job to help our father form alliances. She’d been proud to fulfill her royal obligation.
An obligation that had fallen to me after she’d died.
Would Cian hunt down a cousin of mine or something in a last-ditch effort to gain the power he so craved? My sympathies went out to my cousins if that was indeed what was happening, but I didn’t have enough compassion to return to Verdalach and alleviate them of the burden.
Especially now that I’d met Beckett and his lovely family.
We grabbed drinks and when Beckett and Hunter entered into a passionate video game discussion, Carina called me over to where she and the other ladies were sitting around a fire pit.
“How was your date?” Vanessa asked as soon as I sat in the empty seat beside her. “Did Beckett stay off his phone long enough to notice you?”
I angled my head at her. “Off his phone? He never took out his phone.”
“What?” Vanessa’s eyebrows raised, and when I scanned the circle, Flora, Carina, Sylvie, and Ashley had similar expressions of shock on their faces.
