Page 80 of Daddy's Wild Girl

She gave him a small smile. “I know you’re just humoring me, but it really does grant wishes. Is there anything else you want? You can write it down and throw it in.”

“No, uh, nothing I can think of.”

She nodded.

“What about you? Have you ever made a wish?” he asked.

“Yeah, I did when I was feeling at my lowest. That’s when the real wishes are created. And granted.”

Did she really believe all of this? Surely, she couldn’t.

“And was your wish granted?” he asked.

She gave him a strange look. “Not yet. It’s being worked on.”

Okay, that didn’t make a lot of sense. But he got the feeling he shouldn’t ask what her wish was.

An older woman stepped up to the tree and started writing on a piece of paper. Then she sent it into the hole.

She was thin and hunched, as though life was weighing her down. Her dark hair was streaked with gray, and it was flat and lifeless.

“What wish did you make?” Bebe asked quietly, surprising him.

“Wait, should she tell you that?” he asked.

Bebe grinned at him. “It’s okay. It’s not like birthday wishes. You can tell people what you wish for. If you’re comfortable with it, that is.”

The woman let out a deep sigh. “I got sick last year and my husband took a lot of time off to take care of me. He lost his job, not that I blame his employer or anything. But now, we’ve got three kids to feed and medical bills to pay, and I’m not yet well enough to work and he can’t find any.”

“So you asked for money?” Corbin asked.

The woman frowned. “You don’t ask the wishing tree for money.”

Bebe shook her head. “That’s not the way it works. You don’t ask for money or things. You ask for . . . help.”

“Right. That’s all we want is a bit of help. I was a baker. A really good one before I got sick and my husband used to help me. We’re thinking of something small. A stall in a market. Nothing too big. We’ll build it up from there if we can. We just need help to get started.” The woman gave them a sad smile before walking away.

Anger rushed through him. “Isn’t this giving people false hope?”

“What?”

“It’s giving false hope to people down on their luck.”

“Well, isn’t that what a wishing tree or making a birthday wish or wishing on a star does?”

“Yeah, but this place lures people in with false promises. Into a place where they sell alcohol. So basically, isn’t it like a gimmick to get people into a pub to buy alcohol?”

Bebe shook her head sadly. “It isn’t like that at all. Remember, you can’t get in here unless you’re a member or a member brings you. The Duke doesn’t need more people in here. Look around. It’s all right if you don’t believe it. But try not to sayanything bad about the Duke in here. People around here won’t like it.”

Hell. He didn’t know what to think.

And now he really wanted to know what her wish had been.

“Come on, I need another drink,” she told him.

The TV screens around the pub flicked onto advertisements during half-time. Corbin wasn’t a sports guy, but he knew Hayes would appreciate being able to watch the game.

“What the hell?” she whispered, coming to a stop in the middle of the room.

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