Eden sighed. “Sure.”
“Up yours, Caitlynn.”
Eden closed her eyes, shook her head slowly to and fro.
“That’s how I say grace, too,” Mac said happily.
Chapter 4
Immediately after dinner, Avalon said, “Hey, Eden, would you do me a favor?”
“Sure, babe.”
“Could you go check on that hanging ivy you gave me? The one out on the porch? I think it has brown spots on the leaves. Gabe can reach up there and get it down for you, right Gabe? Leesy, come with me and Mac upstairs to get that trifold paper. It’s in the turret!”
“Theturret!” Annelise needed no persuading. The turret was magical, as far as she was concerned.
Eden knewexactlywhat Avalon was up to.
“Um... Leesy and I kind of need to get going, Avalon... We have to get that Aztec project—”
“Hey, we can pretend to be horses on the way upstairs, Leesy!” Avalon interjected, ignoring Eden. “Let’scanter.”
“YAY!” Annelise exulted.
That was a dirty, dirty trick. Annelise would never miss an opportunity to pretend to be a horse.
Avalon pawed the ground and tossed her head. “C’mon, Mac, let’s go!”
“We’reallgoing to the turret?” Mac was confused. “I’m not sure I understand this game.”
Eden mouthed a furiousyou’re deadat her sister. “Annelise, we’re leaving here at seven on the dot. Avalon, make sure she’s back down here at seven!”
Avalon batted her eyes at her, then darted up the stairs, dragging Mac by one hand. “C’mon Mac, gallop,” she said. “And don’t forget to neigh.”
“Whatthe—?” Poor Mac still hadn’t copped on to Avalon’s little machinations.
Avalon was already galloping up the stairs, and Annelise was loping after them, tossing her head and whickering. And so Mac went, because frankly he liked to be wherever Avalon was.
And so Eden went out onto the porch.
And Gabe went out on the porch.
And they stood there.
Eden wondered if this was how endangered rhinos felt when someone shoved another random rhino into their enclosure and expected them to mate.
And they stood there in silence, as the lowering sun painted long shadows across them.
“There’s nothing wrong with that ivy,” Eden said finally. Dryly.
“Yeah, I know.”
“They’re real sly.”
He laughed softly and leaned against one pillar and faced her. “You sorry?”
She turned and leaned against the other pillar. She didn’t answer that.