Page 8 of Enduring Magic

“Of course we were, darling,” her mother said as she ran her fingers through his hair, rumpling the thick mass and making him look more approachable. “It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

He laughed and drew her down into his lap. “You are going to make a mighty hot mother of the bride.”

“Ugh!” Summer stood up and grabbed the empty cups. “Try not to use words likehotin relation to Mama, okay?”

“Why? She’stotallyhot,” he deadpanned. The twinkle in his eye gave him away, and they all laughed.

“Yeah, on that note, I’m going to return these to the bar and leave you two lovebirds alone to plot whatever it is you have in mind.”

“You know me too well, child.”

Summer kissed his cheek. “I love you, Dad. And thank you.”

4

Summer had just stepped from the shower when a knock sounded on her stateroom door. Going with the old tried-and-true witch way, she snapped her fingers to dry off and clothe herself. As she reached for the knob, the door burst open, knocking her on her butt.

“Fuck!”

A tiny squeak was quickly followed by an overly loud squawk as first one fellow cruiser, then another ran by the door opening, followed closely by a nest of mice. Multiple screams sounded in the hallway, and harried-looking crew members ran this way and that as they tried to calm passengers and collect rodents at the same time.

“Summer Thorne strikes again.”

She glanced up at the auburn-haired sex kitten with her daisy-yellow bikini top and leopard sarong. “Shut it, Tums. That’s on you for your dam—uh, darn impatience.” Summer accepted her older sister’s hand up and dusted off the seat of her white capris. “You couldn’t wait two more seconds for me to open the door?”

“Not when I’ve heard that you set a date for your wedding, I can’t.” Her sister’s tone was drier than desert sand. “I’m hurt I wasn’t the first to know.”

“I felt I owed that to Mama and my dad. You were next after my shower.”

Autumn’s warm amber gaze swept her face, looking for any signs of deceit. Summer could’ve told her she’d never find any. Keeping secrets was next to impossible for her. For any of them, really. Such was the curse of a close-knit family.

Speaking of curses…

“We have to gather the mice, or we are going to have a major incident at sea.”

Laughing, Autumn leaned back to check the hallway. “There had to be a lot of emotion behind that ‘fuck’ to have that many of the little buggers running around.”

“You surprised me, and landing on my a—butt didn’t exactly feel great.”

“Well, do your little hocus-pocus and relocate them. I’ll wipe the minds of everyone in the vicinity.”

“If you weren’t the cause of this, I’d say you’re a lifesaver.”

“Pfft.” Her sister started to step into the hall, then quickly turned back. “But I want to hear all about the proposal and the plans you’ve made so far when I get back. Deal?”

“You can’t wait until lunch in”—Summer checked her smartwatch—“ten minutes?”

“No.”

With that, Autumn sashayed out the door and lifted her arms. The last Summer saw before the door slammed shut was the swirling of her sister’s fingers and a gray mist filling the air behind her.

Oh, to have Autumn’s effortless talents.

“Goddess, hear my plea; assist me in this time of need. I ask you bring all those rodents back to me.”

Squeaks and scratches sounded at the door, and one particularly gruff voice said, “Hurry the hell up, woman! The natives are restless, and one guy’s looking a little like he wants to roast us over a spit.”

After a deep, cleansing breath, she opened the door to the hundred or so mice loitering there.

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