Page 117 of Meet Your Maker: Part One

Her response is immediate and defensive.I didn’t do anything.

Are you helping or causing trouble on your sister’s big day?

There’s a pause before she shoots back with a grin I can practically hear.Can I see the ring one more time?

I sigh, keeping my expression neutral as I turn back to Mishka. “How are the wildflower arrangements coming?”

Gemma steps closer, her small voice piping up. “We ran out of black-eyed Susans, and they’re…”

“Let me guess, Sunday’s favorite?”

Gemma nods quickly. “So we was just gonna get some more from down by the spring house.”

“And she likes fox too,” Lily adds confidently.

Gemma scrunches up her face. “Phlox, not fox.”

Lily gives her a playful shove. Sumi goes wild, twisting out of Mishka’s grip again. The puppy tears off in wild circles, barking at absolutely nothing, while Mishka closes his eyes and exhales like a man who’s seen too much.

Sue joins us, taking in the chaos with practiced calm. “Seems like Mr. Sumi’s got the zoomies.” Poor Mishka just shakes his head, clearly regretting all his life choices.

Gemma freezes mid-step, her head tilting like she’s listening to something no one else can hear. Her eyes go wide, sparkling with excitement. “She’s here! She’s here!”

Her voice cuts through the clearing like a spark to dry tinder. Everything erupts at once.

Lily shrieks, “Don’t move!” and bolts for the barn, leaving Mishka clutching Sumi’s collar like it’s a lifeline.

I turn toward the driveway, straining to hear, but there’s nothing yet. The kids don’t care. Lily flies back out, her hair a mess and her face glowing. She skids to a stop in front of me, thrusting a wild bouquet—mostly weeds—into my hands, followed by a slightly nibbled-on cookie that smells of cinnamon and sugar.

“Here!” she says breathlessly. “If she says no, she might be hungry.”

I stare at the bouquet in one hand and the half-eaten cookie in the other, a laugh caught in my throat. “Thanks, Lily. That’s… very practical.”

“Everyone hide!” she shouts, ignoring me and darting behind the tree, dragging Gemma along with her. Mishka sighs deeply, then dutifully tugs Sumi after them.

Ben steps up beside me, arms crossed, a calm smile playing on his lips. “Maybe you should just ask her right away. Get past the hard part, you know?”

“No.” I shake my head firmly, the velvet box in my pocket suddenly feeling heavier. “She’s getting exactly what she told you she wants.”

Ben raises an eyebrow, tilting his head toward the setup—the picnic blankets, the flickering lanterns, the tablecloth fluttering in the breeze. “You know she’s going to read us all like a book the second she gets here, right? This might be her dream picnic, but she’ll know it’s more than that.”

“I know.” My voice softens as I glance at the scene we’ve worked so hard to create. “But I want her to have a chance to experience something entirely normal. Before I shift into a wolf and bite her.”

Ben studies me for a moment, his eyes steady. Then he nods. “Then let’s make sure she feels it.”

I look down at the bouquet in my hand, the flowers a bit wilted but heartfelt, and tuck the cookie into my pocket for later.

“She will.”

Chapter Fourty Three

Two Step

— Sunday —

“What are you up to?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Daddy turns up the radio and rolls down his window, looking so pleased with himself that I want to pinch him.

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