Page 55 of Lilly's Little Labor Day

Edward’s phone dinged. He checked the screen and shook his head.

“Everything okay?” Lilly asked.

“Yeah. Just my assistant Holly calling. I told her to take the holiday off.”

“Do you need to answer it?”

“Nope. She needs to forget about work and enjoy her day. So do we.” He appraised Lilly for a moment. “You can’t stand still! You that eager to find your friends?”

She spread her hands. “What can I say? I’m ready for some fun.”

“Go on, honey. But be careful. I’ll be right over at that table, talking to Roman. Come back in an hour so we can eat.”

“Yes, Sir.”

She craned her neck up, kissed her new Daddy on the cheek, and then hurried off to find Betty and Halle.

She just prayed she wasn’t too late.

“I haven’t seen her anywhere,” Halle said.

“Oh crap! We have to find Betty!”

“She’s probably rigging up the fireworks,” Halle noted.

“Crap! I should have planned to do it myself,” Lilly said.

“But this was all part of the plan: she does it, because she doesn’t have a Daddy looking over her shoulder every second, but you take credit for it so Edward would think you’re too much trouble to keep around,” Halle said.

Now that Lilly heard the plan aloud, it sounded foolish. Of course, she’d made it before she and Edward had given into their desires. Before they’d confessed their love to each other.

She couldn’t go back in time and never hatch the harebrained scheme, but she could stop it from occurring now.

If they could find Betty.

“There’s Sadie,” she said, pointing to Master Derek’s Little. “Let’s ask her to help us find Betty. If we all split up, we should be able to find her.”

The Littles did just that, each going their own way, desperately trying to find Betty.

It was all for naught, though. It seemed as if the mischievous Little was nowhere to be found.

“I’ve got to go to the sack races,” Sadie said after nearly an hour of searching. “We’re going to do the first round now, before lunch.”

“Thank you for helping search,” Lilly said. “Maybe she’ll turn up.” She didn’t sound very hopeful, though.

She and Halle went to the table where their Daddies awaited.

“Did you girls have fun?” Roman asked.

“Sure did,” Halle said.

She flashed Lilly a brief look that let her know she regretted the lie.

Lilly hated dragging her friends into this. Why had she done it in the first place?

“Everyone, if I may have your attention!” a booming voice called out.

Everyone looked to see Master Derek standing on a small stage that had been elected. To the side of it were multiple smokers, no doubt filled with delicious meats and grilled corn. Other tables had been set up a few feet away, filled with sides and desserts.

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