Page 15 of Enduring Magic

“Let’s make a pact,” Winnie suggested with an excited smile. “From this day forward, we will make the time to get together at least once per month for a family picnic. Husbands, children, and all. No exceptions.”

“No exceptions,” they all replied in unison.

“Mama’s going to love that,” Holly said with a soft smile. “Have you noticed how attentive she is since she returned to the living? Do you think she’s trying to make up for the past?”

“She has nothing to make up for,” Summer replied. “I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing had it been Coop. I’d have followed him anywhere. Done anything.”

“But at the expense of your children?”

They all faced Spring. Summer considered her question, weighing it in her mind. “Probably not. I can’t imagine leaving Olivia with anyone else to raise.”

“Don’t judge her too harshly. She suffered enough because of her choices. The stasis stole a lot from her.” Autumn cleared her throat and blinked her eyes, clearly affected by the conversation. “Yes, we have the right to be a little salty, but we didn’t live her life. We don’t know what trials she faced or how much they weighed into her decisions. She loved one man to distraction while being married to another, and all because she thought Alastair was dead.” She looked at each of them in turn. “What would you have done for the love of your life if he returned after all those years?”

“None of us are in a position to judge, Tums, and we all love her.” Summer stepped forward and hugged her. “What’s going on with you? Why are you so adamant about this?”

“I’m not sure. I guess I just don’t want her to feel like an outsider.”

“She’s not. We all love her.”

“I know.” Autumn gave Summer one last squeeze. “Now, let’s conjure the dress of your dreams!”

“Quickly, before Mama drags me to a brick-and-mortar store to find another one.”

7

“Saul’s acting weird.”

Summer glanced up from feeding Olivia.

Coop stood with his hands on his hips and a grim expression on his face. It had been a week since he’d officially quit his job, and Summer suspected he was looking for problems to solve, as he was wont to do.

“How so?” she asked, turning back to spoon mashed potatoes into her daughter’s rapidly closing mouth. When Olivia spit them out onto the high chair’s tray, Summer sighed tiredly. The little gremlin refused to eat these days unless she could feed herself.

Giving up, Summer handed over the spoon and silently prayed it wouldn’t turn into a potato rain shower in their kitchen. Olivia had learned her latest trick of flicking food from her mischievous cousin, Jolly. It was all fun and games until Summer found dried guck on the cabinets that she’d happened to miss the first time.

“No flinging food,” she warned her daughter. When Olivia grinned evilly, Summer narrowed her eyes. “I mean it, you little monster.”

They had a stare-off for another thirty seconds before Olivia shrugged a shoulder, Autumn-style, and crammed a fistful of potatoes in her mouth with one hand, then followed it up with a spoonful from the other. Satisfied she could turn away, Summer faced Coop. He was resting back against the counter, arms folded over his chest and ankles crossed. An amused grin graced his face.

Joining him by the sink, she lowered her voice to say, “It’s not funny. Your daughter is a brat. But that’s on you, Nanny Man. Anyway, what makes you think Saul is acting weird?”

“He’s being sketchy.”

“He’s always sketchy. He’s Saul.”

“Well, sketchier than normal.”

With an eye roll that almost revealed her brain matter, Summer began putting their leftovers into containers. “Whatspecificallyhas Saul done, Coop?”

“Nothing.”

“Then don’t worry about him. He’s probably organizing his squirrel mafia for some unknown reason.”

“There!” Coop pointed at her. “That’s what I’m talking about. Why would he need to organize his squirrel mafia?”

“He’s Saul.”

“You keep saying that, and it doesn’t make me feel any better. I sleep with one eye open since your cruise. That thug terrifies me.”

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