Page 31 of Prayers for the Prickly

“Not might, you will need those rooms,” Aunty Clara said. “We don’t tend to have just one or two hoglets.”

“And my family isn’t known for having a small number of whelps,” I explained.

“All the more reason to get to it sooner rather than later,” Aunty Eunice encouraged.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You should see the kitchen, it’s as big as the one back there,” August rambled as he gestured to the bakery kitchen. “Gregor said I have free rein to experiment whenever I want.”

“Is he also requiring you to be in the kitchen whenever he wants you to be?” Aunty Eunice asked. “A kitchen like that, either he’s secretly a foodie and hasn’t owned up to it yet, or he’s planning to keep his mate shackled to it whether they want to be or not.”

“It’s nothing like that second part, I swear,” I explained. “I do enjoy grilling, that’s how I take most of my meals, but even grilled meats need side dishes, which I whip up down there. I just didn’t see any reason to do modifications on the kitchen a second time when my uncle had already drawn up one with a pizza oven and everything. I went with his suggestion to set up the kitchen for whatever sized family I happened to have. The only reason I rarely use it aside from making side dishes and soup in winter, is because I have a full grill station on the second-floor balcony connected to the den, and a smaller hibachi on the third-floor balcony that I use to make breakfast in the morning.”

“I get breakfast in bed when we wake up together,” August explained, shooting a grin my way, my belly doing a flip flop when I saw how happy he looked.

“You’re damn right you do,” I said. “I don’t know what it’s like to spend the bulk of my day in a hot kitchen, you shouldn’t have to come home and do it there, too, but you especially shouldn’t feel the need to start the day in one.”

“There is nothing like his steak and eggs still sizzling on my plate when he brings them to me,” August declared. “One bite, and I knew I didn’t need ketchup or Heinz 57. He seasoned his eggs! And oh my gods, did he season the steak, it was amazing. He makes phenomenal caramelized bacon that he won’t tell me the secret of, and a breakfast burrito with a sweet and tangy barbeque sauce that he crumbles bits of caramelized bacon and onions in when he makes them. Talk about divine. You never have to worry about whether I’m getting yummy food or not. Gregor doesn’t play when it comes to making breakfast or boiling up some seafood, either. He made us lobster rolls for lunch, with a tangy chili lime mayo that made my taste buds sing. I do not have to worry about pulling together meals for us when we are at home if I don’t want to. Hell, last night, I forgot about dinner all together, until Gregor showed up with salads from Barnaby’s and urged me to have dinner with him.”

“Urged?” she parroted, raising an eyebrow at him. “Not demanded.”

“Urged,” he reiterated and I watched her lips lift into a smile again.

“As I said earlier, he’s a keeper,” Aunty Clara declared, before pointing her butter knife at me. “Just don’t ever stop behaving that way, ya hear me? No matter how many years go past, you remember the joy of these first few weeks and that smile on his face, and you strive every day to keep it there, understood?”

“Understood and very easy to do when my mate is as remarkable as August.”

“I’m glad you see him for the treasure he is,” Aunty Eunice said. “I hate when a mate needs some convincing to see that the fates know exactly what they’re doing when they choose a mate for someone. I’ve seen too many mates make problems for themselves by fighting against it, and sometimes it isn’t easy to move past that, which means it takes way longer for them to establish a connection with one another. There’s always a subtle disconnect there that they can never fully bridge. It’s a shame, but folks bring it up on themselves when they try to struggle too hard or question too much. Mates aren’t supposed to be the people you think you want; they are supposed to be the people you need and the people who need you. You were created to fill each other’s gaps and holes, be the strengths to each other’s weaknesses.”

“Two halves of a whole,” I said, though it really felt like I was finishing some sort of declaration I didn’t fully understand.

As we sat there finishing our meals, I started to feel like they hadn’t had the best experiences with the younger generations who were just beginning to find their mates. Was it really so difficult to cherish a mate immediately, simply because the fates had entrusted them into your care? For me, just knowing he was mine was all it had taken. Full-stop, my wolverine saidmineand immediately started pushing for us to learn all that we could about who August was, deep down. The things he liked, what he needed, and how he preferred to be loved. There was no purer faith in our beliefs and traditions than one could display as embracing the mate or mates you were given, at least in my opinion. Before tucking into the rest of my meal, I gave silent thanks to the fates for shining on me when they’d given me August.

Chapter 12

August

After Gregor left to head back to his shop, I returned to my kitchen, desperate to put the unpleasantness of the morning behind me. I was grateful to Aunty Eunice, for taking charge of the handfasting and immediately getting the wheels moving in that direction, because the Summer Solstice wasn’t very far away in the grand scheme of things, and with the fairs, festivals, rodeo and other events that would start taking place soon, we were going to be slammed with more work than we’d know what to do with between the influx of tourists, and extended family visiting relatives.

As always, I had a big calendar on the dry erase board beside the break table in my kitchen, marked with every event scheduled for the month. Each night before I closed, I drew a big X through the day and glanced ahead to see what awaited me. Last night I’d noticed that the village’s first Movie in the Park event was coming up on Saturday, and diligently worked to stock my cases so I wouldn’t have to make candy first thing that morning.

With my wonderfully unflappable cousin Stella keeping the front of the house rolling smoothly, I was free to engage in a little planning and design session, starting with making a phone call to the chamber of commerce, to see about the possibility of having a popup candy shop stand at the events.

“Good morning, Periwinkle Cove Chamber of Commerce, how may I direct your call today?” a pleasant voice asked once the call was answered.

“Yes, hi, good morning, my name is August Winterbottom and I own The Candy Kaleidoscope on the corner of Chickadee and Main. I was wondering who to speak to about Movies in the Park and the potential of having a popup candy shop at the event?”

“Oh, oh, what a marvelous idea, let me get you to Mr. Maxwell, the chamber president, he’s the one spearheading the event and I just know he’s going to be pleased to speak with you,” she said. “Hang on one moment, let me transfer you.”

“Thank you.”

There was no wait time whatsoever before Mr. Maxwell’s voice came over the line, as jovial as when I’d met him the day I’d filled out my paperwork to join the chamber.

“Mr. Winterbottom,” he said, chuckling as he greeted me. “Mrs. Greene just informed me that you were about to make my whole afternoon.”

“Well, I sure hope so,” I said. “I’m calling about the Movies in the Park event and wondered if I could set up a popup candy shop if you didn’t already have concessions in mind.”

Now his chuckle deepened and I heard what sounded like the creak of a chair as someone leaned back in it.

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