Page 30 of Prayers for the Prickly

“Sunrise?” he asked, inclining his head at me.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking, too,” I replied, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Outdoors at sunrise it is,” Aunty Eunice said. “Gregor, you know the lay of the land around here, is there a spot that overlooks the ocean that can accommodate the kind of crowd we’re expecting?”

“I know just the place,” I replied, grinning when August locked eyes at me and nodded. “Our home is the converted lighthouse on Outreach Point. “The yard spans the top of the cliff. There’s plenty of room for everyone.”

And unlike my old man, I wouldn’t be grumbling about them being on the lawn, either.

“That’s your house?” Aunty Clara squealed.

“It’s our house, yes,” I replied, giving August’s hand another squeeze. “August’s things arrive this weekend, and we’ve already rearranged so everything has a place.”

She looked pleased at that, which actually made me feel a surge of joy and pride at having put that look on the elder woman’s face. I’d learned at the family supper that she was deferred to by almost every member in the family. The head elder, and the one who oversaw many of the family’s decision.

Beside me August nudged Everett’s shoulder and glanced over to where he sat on the other side of me.

“You’ve been awful quiet,” August said. “What’s going on in your head?”

“Trying to figure out how a sweetheart like Olly can even come from a woman like that,” Ever snapped.

“Lots of things can warp someone,” Aunty Eunice said. “We don’t know her story, so we won’t judge, we’ll just make sure she doesn’t hurt you or Oliver or try and get in the way of the connection the two of you are forging.”

“I’d have closed up the shop and brought him with me if I’d known this involved him, too,” I explained.

“I’d like to be the one to explain what happened,” Ever said. “There are parts no one else was privy to, before she got loud and drew everyone’s attention. I’d rather I tell him what took place before she gives him a distorted version of it.”

“Head on over, let me give him a call and let him know you’re coming and to close up and go wherever you want to take him so you can talk,” I said, punching the call button beside Oliver’s name.

“Hey, yeah, I know I tore out of there pretty fast,” I said when he answered. “I’m sorry, you’ll understand in a few minutes. Everett is on his way over to talk to you, so lock up and be ready to listen when he gets there. Don’t worry about the shop, if there is anyone in there right now, just tell them that we had a family emergency and we’ll be open again at our normal time tomorrow.”

“But, but there are like five people in here, are you sure you want me to tell them that?”

“What did I just say?”

“Can I at least apologize for asking them to leave?”

“Yes, you can apologize for any inconvenience and anything else you’d like to apologize for if it will get them out of the door any faster.”

“They, um, sort of heard me and are heading for the door.”

“Oh, good. See, it all worked out and you didn’t have to say anything. Now lock up before someone else comes in and you do have to shoo them out.”

I ended the call and Ever got moving, leaving me to drop an arm over the back of August’s chair.

“I’m sorry for hijacking your morning,” Aunty Eunice said. “But all of us seem to put in long hours, so I thought I’d take advantage of the fact that I had you both right here.”

“Sound strategy,” I said.

“I thought so.”

We inclined our heads toward one another as August’s cousin Denver brought over this morning’s breakfast sandwiches, which were a trio of biscuit and omelet sliders, each served with a different type of pepper jelly coating the inside of the biscuits.

“Is there a house attached to that lighthouse or do you just live in the tower?” Aunty Eunice asked as we dug into our breakfast.

I loved that they were sliders, rather than full-sized breakfast sandwiches. Those miniature omelets were packed with flavor and oozing chunks and cheese.

“When I bought it, my uncle and I renovated it and we included a house with three bedrooms and a downstairs apartment, with plenty of room to expand along one side, which might be a good idea to start drawing up plans for.”

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