Page 4 of Masked in Deception
They’ve been on each other’s nerves for what feels like forever now, although I know it’s ramping up as Ledger has had more and more pressure on him from his dad to grow up and take all his extra lessons seriously. I can’t blame him for being stressed, but it’s not Margot’s fault. Besides, she’s big enough now to understand more, and it’s been kind of fun to teach her things I always wished I had an older sibling for. Henry was never really available to play with us, so Ledger and I figured out certain things on our own—like the best trees to climb, the fastest route from point A to point B in the house, and how to ride bikes. Margot doesn’t have to worry about that, though. She’s got us.
“She’s getting kind of good, man. I think you’re scared she’ll homer off you and show you up,” I say, walking up to Ledger and winking where Margot can’t see. He rolls his eyes at my obvious manipulation but smiles and picks the softball back up.
“Okay, Princess, but you’re getting my best pitch. I’m not taking it easy on you!” Ledger yells.
Margot steps up to our makeshift home plate very seriously and levels a stare at Ledger that makes me a little scared for whatever man she ends up with one day.She’s going to be a whole damn problem for some poor guy. And before that, she’s going to be our problem for about the next twenty years.
“Bring it on, scaredy-cat,” she yells to her brother, although her pink glitter bat and helmet take away most of the sting of her taunts.
She’s still growing like a weed, taller than other girls in her class, and so scrawny that looking at her, you’d wonder how she can hold up her bat. But I’ve learned it’s never a good idea to underestimate Margot Sinclair, and as Ledger sends her an underhanded pitch that’s by no means a gimme, she swings and sends the ball soaring over our heads and past the invisible boundary we had marked as our field of play.
Ledger’s mouth drops open as she takes off her helmet, gives him the biggest gap-tooth grin I’ve seen all day, and flips her bat in the air toward the pitcher’s mound.
“Loser carries the equipment in!” Her laughter rings out as she turns and heads back to the house.
Yep, six years old and Princess is already a force.We’re all in trouble.
Chapter six
8 years old
“Wow, Margot! You look like a real princess,” Jack says, twirling me around on the dance floor at my cousin’s wedding reception.
I got a couple of dances out of Henry and Ledger, but it’s been Jack dancing with me for the past hour. We’ve all had boring ballroom dancing lessons, but I prefer either standing on Jack’s feet or just goofing off.
When the band announces a thirty-minute break, I let out an exaggerated sigh, pouting at the news as Jack guides us back to the table where Ledger and Henry are fighting over who’s the strongest.
This is the first wedding I can remember going to, and it’sbeautiful.I’m already making mental notes about what I would change for my own wedding. I think I would want to have it in a castle, overflowing with pink flowers. I would get a real pop star to sing at mine, though. I’ve never even heard of the band that’s here tonight. I don’t think I would serve any regularfood. Instead, I would have a gigantic chocolate fountain that everyone could dip sweets into.
“We’re going to get married when we’re old enough, right, Jack?”
All three boys look my way, and Jack chokes on the water he was chugging down.
“Excuse me?” Henry asks. “Why on earth would you think…ow!”
Ledger elbows him in the side, cutting him off. “What makes you say that, Princess?” His tone is much kinder than our older brother’s.
I roll my eyes at Henry before giving my attention to Ledger. “Well, Daddy says I can’t marry him since he’s already married to Mommy, and I can’t marry you or Henry either because you’re my brothers. So that leaves Jack!”
The three boys exchange glances before Ledger responds. “Jack is basically your brother too, though.”
I look beside me at my beautiful Prince Charming. He’s not quite as tall as my brothers are, but he’s at least a head taller than me, and that’s all that matters in fairy tales. His dirty-blond hair looks almost brown as it drips with sweat from dancing, and his chiseled jaw could cut through diamonds. I look into his deep blue eyes and have no doubts that he’s the one.
“Jack isnotmy brother. Plus, he’s notgrosslike you and Henry are. He's like…like a prince!” I say, noticing how Jack’s cheeks have the faintest of blushes painted across them at my words.
My brothers hunch over laughing, only stopping when Jack clears his throat, pulling their attention back toward me.
Ledger is the first one to stop. “And here I thought Jack was the one with all the jokes. Margot, you don’t need to worry about getting married any time soon anyway. I promise we will findyou a suitor worthy of our Princess. But not until you’re thirty. Or I’ll beat him up. Okay?”
I roll my eyes but nod anyway. They’ll see. They may not think so right now, but Iknowit’s Jack.
I’m lying in my bed, looking up at the glowing stars on my ceiling and thinking about the conversation earlier. Turning to my side and propping myself up on my elbow, I look down at Jack. I stopped sleeping in the same bed as him years ago, but most nights, I still insist on him sleeping beside me on the pull-out trundle that was intended for girlie slumber parties.
“Jackie?” I whisper, trying to gauge if he’s still awake.
“Yeah, Princess?” he says as he rolls over to face me. He really is the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen.
“You will marry me when we grow up, won’t you?”
