I shushed the beast. Nine a.m. left plenty of time for basking, and we had a lifetime of mornings to enjoy afterward.
“Lily mentioned a classic car…” Delmont hinted.
Gen grinned. “Absolutely. I’ll show it to you at the end of our tour of the buildings. See you at nine o’clock.” Gen hungup, then gave her sister a high five. Everyone hugged — apart from Henrik, though he did look impressed — and I patted Gen’s shoulder.
“She specializes in the impossible.” I grinned proudly.
Gen’s eyes sparkled. “Now I just need to come through for you with that Wiggly carburetor.”
“Wrigley,” I corrected her, one hundred percent sure she would manage that — as well as assuring Delmont he would get a free ride…eventually.
Bene reappeared with a bottle of champagne, and we all raised our glasses in a toast.
“First, to Claudette,” Mina said somberly.
She didn’t add,To ridding the world of the monsters who killed her, but I guessed everyone thought that. I definitely did.
“To Claudette.” Everyone touched glasses, and a long, quiet minute went by.
“I feel like we have to do something in her honor,” Gen finally said.
“Like planting a tree or a rosebush, maybe?” Mina suggested.
Gen shook her head. “I was thinking something really special. Like…hosting a summer camp here or something. Something that offers kids a safe place and good opportunities.”
Two things poor Claudette had never had the “luxury” of, I figured.
“I like that idea, but it will take time until we can offer something like that,” Mina cautioned. “We’ll need power, plumbing, and a roof that doesn’t leak.”
Gen nodded. “Extra motivation for us to work hard.”
Typical Gen. All heart, all forward momentum.
Weeks ago, I might have thought Gen was biting off more than she could chew. Now, I had no doubt she would pull it off — and sooner than anyone expected.
I, for one, was ready to work my ass off to make her vision a reality.
“You know, that would be worth me and my coffee machine sticking around a while longer,” Bene decided.
“Anyway… I think Claudette wouldn’t mind if we asked Bene for a joke to lighten things up,” Gen said.
“I agree.” Mina turned to him expectantly.
He cleared his throat — twice, hinting at hidden grief.
“Let’s see… Okay, here’s a joke. Two sisters and their cousin inherit a chateau, but the catch is, they have to put up four strangers. A lion, a dragon, a tiger, and a vampire.”
Mina rubbed her hands together. “This, I have to hear.”
Even Henrik was hooked.
“And?” Marius prompted when Bene hesitated.
The lion shifter grinned. “The straitlaced sister gets the wildest guy, and the wilder sister gets the straitlaced guy.”
Mina laughed outright, while Gen protested. “Wild?”
“In the best possible way,” Bene assured her. “Which leaves the vampire and the lion.” He let a beat go by, then blew Henrik a kiss. “I guess you and me get to live happily ever after, dude.”
