Page 54 of Any Luck at All

That ought to take a while.

“Wonderful idea,” Aunt Dottie said, brightening. “I worried they wouldn’t feel included. Should we conference them in now so they can watch everything?”

“We gave them the number to call,” he said. “I’ll open the meeting and make sure the volume’s high enough, but they’ll dial in when they’re ready.” Although he couldn’t imagine why they’d want to watch their sister pick a few crystals from a box. It seemed like the New Age equivalent of watching paint dry. He’d be surprised if Lee called in at all—the guy didn’t strike him as a good sport, or someone who had a sense of humor.

He turned around just as Lurch was saying, “Anything can be a toilet if you’re really desperate, is what I’m trying to get across.”

“Sorry to interject,” he said, “but we need you, Georgie. We have to set up the conferencing so your brothers and sister can call in, plus my aunt’s ready to start…” He paused, working on his straight face. “…the crystal selection.”

He’d never seen someone jump to their feet faster. “Sorry,” she said back to Lurch, “duty calls.” But she paused and added, “You know, I’m pretty sure there are prescription medications that can help you with that. I’d suggest talking to your doctor.”

Lurch lit up like one of Aunt Dottie’s lamps. “You know, that might not be a bad idea,” he said, as if no one had suggested it to him before. And maybe no one had. Most people would have probably run out on the conversation right after it started.

Georgie gave River’s arm a little squeeze when she reached them—a silentthank youthat sparked a warm glow inside of him.

Her hand lingered there, making him wonder where her mind was at after the weekend. Did she still think kissing him was a mistake?

Did she want to make that mistake again?

“My stuff?” she asked.

He pulled a face. “Sorry. I tried to save everything I could, but the suitcases themselves are basically shrapnel. I folded your things into a couple of boxes I had in my trunk. I’ll help you bring everything in after the…” He stopped short of calling it a party. “…thing.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, her face flushing. She had to be thinking about just what he’d folded—which made him think about it too. Not that he’d really stopped. He felt his ears burning, and his aunt shot him a knowing look.

They headed toward the computer together, but Tom waylaid Aunt Dottie.

He held out his arm, which sported angry-looking scratches. “Dot, that cat’s guarding the bathroom. Won’t let anyone in.”

“Oh dear, that won’t do. We don’t want Lurch to get any ideas and use the punch bowl,” she said with a wink at Georgie. “I’ll be right back, my dears. Can you make sure the computer’s all set?”

“Will do, Aunt Dottie. Let me know if you need any help wrangling the beast.” Not that River had a particular talent for that. If Jezebel had been pissed that he and Georgie had intruded on her territory the other night, she had to be a thousand times more on edge tonight. No one had ever accused her of being social. Still, he wasn’t worried about his aunt. She had enough of a way with animals, eventhatanimal, that she’d once convinced Jezebel to wear a Christmas sweater. No one had been able to get it off her, not until it essentially fell off from wear and tear, but the initial accomplishment was still impressive.

Georgie pulled away her hand, as if only then realizing it was still there. “Thanks, River.” She paused. “For dealing with the mess, and for saving me with Lurch back there.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he said. “We still don’t know what the crystal ceremony entails.”

Her mouth quirked up. “Just how much were you involved in the preparations for this?” She waved a hand, indicating the insane display in what was now her living room. Yeah, he probably should have warned her.

“Directly? Not much. But enough to know she’d gone a little over the top.” His eyes combed the room again. “Okay, massively over the top. I’m sorry, Georgie. I should have called or texted you about this, but I figured you wanted space. I honestly didn’t mean to encourage her. I just thought all of this might help her feel better.”

Sadness welled in her eyes, and she touched his arm again, in that same spot. He wondered if her touch would be seared there, if he’d feel it always from now on. He hoped so.

“You don’t need to apologize for being a good nephew. Besides, my sister said there’s a 93.4% chance Lee will call in, and I absolutely want to see his face when he gets a look at all of this.”

His smile spread wider. “Will you think less of me if I say I feel the same way?”

“You may be perfect,” she said softly, “but you’re only human.” Then she smiled at him again and made her way to the computer, leaving him with the glow of having been called perfect—again—by a woman like her. Even if it was far from true.

When he joined her there, he started up the meeting, something that only took a matter of clicks given he’d already set everything up. Adalia connected instantly, so she must have been waiting on them. She had on a paint-splattered black T-shirt, and her hair had been pulled back in two short French braids.

Her face stretched into a huge grin when she saw them—only she wasn’t really looking at them, but at the statue of Beau and the insane wall of letters behind it.

“Hi, Georgie. Hi, River. Oh, this is even better than I thought,” she said. “Did Dottie make that?” Her expression had been teasing, but she tilted her head a little, studying it—her attention drifting up to Beau’s sculpted face. Some of the humor dripped away. “Wow, she’s really good! I had no idea your aunt was an artist.”

“And I would be thrilled to create art with you one day, my dear. I see it in our cards,” Aunt Dottie said, joining them. River wasn’t sure whether she meant it literally. With her, there was simply no way to tell. “Soon, I think.” Her gaze darted around the screen before landing on River. He shrugged, indicating the other two hadn’t yet called in. “I’m afraid we’ll have to start the crystal ceremony without your brothers,” Aunt Dottie said, “but you can tell them all about it.”

“Oh, I will,” Adalia said, grinning again. “You can be sure of it.”

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