Page 102 of Any Luck at All

Georgie leaned forward and snagged the reins as the donkey raced toward the bounce house. Bounce house? When had Dottie added a bounce house? Heck, when had she added a donkey? She tugged the reins as hard as she could, and the animal came to an abrupt stop, sending Georgie tumbling over his head and into the inflatable structure.

She flew head over heels, sprawling out on her back on the bounce house floor, staring up at the ceiling strung with white Christmas lights and streamers. Sparkles filled her vision. Had she hit her head? Did she have a concussion?

“Oh, my God, Georgie,” Adalia called out breathlessly in the opening. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.” But she remained spread out, trying to catch her breath and thanking the stars overhead that no one else had been inside.

Adalia crawled in and knelt next to Georgie, her eyes wide. “Seriously, Georgie. Are you okay?”

“I think so. How’s the donkey?”

“The donkey seems fine. Dottie’s begonias, not so much.”

Georgie still lay on her back. “That’s good. And everything else?”

“A few cans of beer may have perished, but the video I plan to upload to TikTok should make up for it.”

Georgie’s eyes flew wide. “You wouldn’t.”

“Calm down,” Adalia said with a chuckle. “I was too busy running after you to dig out my phone.” She heaved a dramatic sigh, part Scarlett O’Hara, part Gossip Girl, and said, “And I’m sure that will be the biggest regret of my life…”

The word regret reminded Georgie of the well of it she carried inside her, and tears sprang to her eyes. “I want to go home. Can I go home now?”

Indecision wavered on Adalia’s face. Without a word, she grabbed Georgie’s hand and pulled her to a sitting position, then tugged her to the opening.

Once Georgie’s feet hit the ground, Josie burst out through the back door. She was wearing a pink tulle ballgown along with small pink gossamer fairy wings, a large tiara on her head, and a wand in her hand. “Oh, drat! I heard you went flying, Georgie, but it looks like I missed it.”

“Sorry,” Georgie said, looking down and realizing she was missing a shoe.

Josie reached for her hand and started to drag her toward the house. “You have to come in and have your fortune read.”

Shaking her head, Georgie said, “No. I already know my fortune. I’m going home.”

“Here,” Lurch said, handing her a red plastic cup. “This’ll help.”

Without thinking, she accepted the cup and took a big gulp…then spit out the liquid all down the front of her dress. “Oh my word!What is this?”

“That’s the point,” Lurch said with a hiccup. “You’re supposed to guess.”

Adalia took a sip, then made a face. “This tastes like cat pee.”

Georgie shot her a suspicious look. “And how wouldyouknow what cat pee tastes like?”

Twisting her mouth to the side, Adalia grimaced. “Some things are better left to the imagination.”

Georgie wasn’t so sure about that. Her imagination hadn’t been good to her lately. “I’m going home.”

“But Georgie…” Josie protested.

“I’m going home,” she said more firmly, starting to limp toward the gate.

“You’re going to disappoint Dottie,” Adalia said, running over to her. “And I think your shoe might be in the bounce house. And I still have to see that statue. We’re already here, so can we just go in and see it? Please?”

“You go in and I’ll wait in the car.”

“No!” Josie and Adalia both said in unison, and Georgie had to wonder why they wanted her in the house so badly. What new horror awaited her inside?

Adalia took her hand and walked backward, dragging her sister with her. “Let’s just go inside for a minute, Georgie,please. And then if you still want to go home, I’ll chauffeur you. You can sit in the back and everything. But please come with me.”

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