Page 75 of Love and Other Trials
“We’ll work on that.” Her brother took her hand and led her over to the kitchen table where an empty copper cup sat. “I made a pitcher of mint juleps after hearing about the mud pit extravaganza out back. Help yourself. They’re in the fridge. Then we’re about to get serious.”
Ariel watched him walk toward his Louis Vuitton duffel bag, which he’d treated himself to this past Christmas. Pulling out the pitcher, she watched Dax rise and cross to her. As she poured herself a drink, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, whispering, “I’ve finally met someone related to you that I like.”
She beamed, her heart doing its happy little Jeffrey dance. “There’s no one like him.”
“You two have that in common.” Dax added a sprig of mint from the side tray and finished off her drink with a wink. “Drink up. Your brother has a surprise for you.”
“It’s for all of us really.” Jeffrey brought his duffel over to the table. “Ariel, sit. You look ready to fall down. We’ll have to give you something to eat too. Now, given how things were going, I went the extra mile. Originally, I was only going to bring some sage sticks to burn, but honey, it sounded like we needed more this time. Because you’re going to get the house of your dreams, which was already rightfully yours I might add?—”
“Let’s not go there right now, Jeffrey.”
“Yes, let’s not go there,” Dax agreed, not at all surprised Jeffrey would have known about this insanity.
They traded a look. “Oh, I love having an anger partner in this, but for your sake, Ariel, I’m holding it in and focusing on the positive.” He unzipped the bag and pulled out the first item, his brown eyes twinkling. “Rabbit feet for luck. Party pack.”
She eyed the giant bag of white feet he set on the table, laughing. “You think you got enough?”
He shook his head as he handed Dax a white foot, which he stuck in his pocket. “Not even close, baby sister, but it was the biggest size they had. I thought we might hand them out at the wedding for all the guests to shake in the air—birdseed isn’t going to do anything. With all the new bad luck Dax was telling me about—mud oozing out of the very ground like Tiffany opened a portal to mud hell—we might need to add one to everyone’s welcome bag. Tell them to walk around in the moonlight while chanting invocations to the wedding gods under the moon. Next up.”
He drew out two large Mary candles and handed one to her and then Dax, who was chuckling steadily now.
“We’ll light these now and won’t blow them out until Tiffany throws her bouquet and rides off into the sunset with her hot pilot hubby.” He dug into the bag and brought out a lighter and set the flame to the wick. “May our blessed Mother bring this wedding about with ease and grace.”
Ariel was already wiping tears from her eyes but laughed harder when he drew out a vial of holy water with a label indicating it was from Chartres. He sprinkled it around the candles and then flicked some her way and then at Dax, who jumped back, laughing so hard he was wheezing.
“My God!” Dax could barely get the words out. “I could have used your help before I went on dangerous missions.”
Jeffrey patted him sweetly and winked. “I’m available anytime, Captain Hotpants. Now, let’s see what else we have. Palo santo sticks. The smoke is clearing like sage but very warming, the woman at the metaphysical shop told me.”
He lit two, making Ariel sputter as she tried to drink her delicious mint julep through the smoke.
He pulled out a couple of white and purple sachets and handed one of each to her and Dax after he carefully put down the sticks in a bowl. “Lucky stones, I’m told. The woman said to me, and I quote, ‘Keep them on you at all times to ward off the curse.’ She was a font of information.”
She met Dax’s dancing eyes. He didn’t look like the stressed soldier who’d gazed at the mud pits and flexed his muscles earlier, and she didn’t feel like she wanted to throw up anymore. That was Jeffrey for you. “What else did this font of spiritual wisdom sell you?”
Digging into the bag, he brought out a packet of dried flowers. “We’re to tuck these under the bride’s pillow to encourage love and happiness.” He picked up the vial of holy water again and flicked some on it with his usual aplomb.
“I’ll let you tuck that under Tiffany’s pillow,” she told him, taking another fortifying drink of her mint julep as Dax handed her a power bar with a grin. “Thank you.”
“Ah…” Jeffrey hugged himself. “He’s already feeding you. I knew it! When I saw your picture, Captain Hotpants, my hands started tingling, and that’s always a sign?—”
“That someone’s going to get lucky,” she filled in. “Jeffrey has an inner ‘get laid’ meter.”
Her brother cut her a glance. “I like to call it my divining rod. But I digress. I stopped short at the voodoo stuff. Scares the bejesus out of me. But this last one I could not be without. I think Dax will agree with me.”
Leaning over conspiratorially, he pulled out a thumb-sized dark object. “It’s a lucky piece of wood. I was like, how have I gone my whole life without it? Here, Dax, I got you one.”
Dax slapped Jeffrey companionably on the back. “Jeffrey, I hate to tell you, but my wood is already plenty lucky.”
Ariel put her hand over her mouth to cover another giant chortle. “I can personally attest to that,” she said through her laughter.
Jeffrey pursed his lips and gave Dax a speculative gaze. “I’ll bet. Well, my dears, there ends my contribution.”
When he bowed elegantly, Ariel clapped, and Sherlock gave a happy bark. “Oh my God! Jeffrey, you arethebest.”
“You know it.” He retrieved his mint julep and Dax’s and held it out to him. “A toast. To surviving another Deverell wedding and getting Ariel her house.”
She met her brother’s dancing eyes before locking gazes with Dax. Amusement flickered in those gorgeous green orbs. Her world felt perfect. She wanted to bar the door and keep everything else out.
