Page 124 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“We can’t reach,” Lilly said as she jumped beneath the clue.

“That’s why you have Kat to help.” Zander gave her a small nudge with his elbow. Link followed behind as she joined the kids at the clue. She took the necklace, a strand of shiny toy pearls, and looped it over Lilly’s head. “Here you go.”

“Thank you! Read the clue. What does it say?”

Kat read the note attached to the first clue. “When it’s time to roast a tasty treat, puffy white things we like to eat. We chop up the logs and stack them high. This special place is very nearby.”

“Oh,” Link piped. “The fireplace.”

“You mean the fire pit,” Lilly corrected.

The little ones tore ahead of the group toward the back.

“There’s coins!” Ben hollered along the way. “Tons of them.”

“There sure are,” Claudia said with a laugh. “And Uncle Duke’s going to go get your little pots out of the garage so you can start collecting them.”

Duke groaned and headed toward the garage.

He came back with four small buckets that looked like black pots suited for the end of the rainbow.

“Who likes Uncle Duke now?” he called, holding them out for the kids.

The adults walked slowly, the group talking among themselves as the kids scurried throughout the wooded area, plopping both gold and chocolate coins into their pots along the way.

“Here’s clue number two,” one of the kids yelled out. Log stools surrounded the fire pit.

“You can have the necklace this time,” Lilly said, looping it over Ben’s head.

“Thanks.”

The kids took a seat as Kat read it aloud once more.

“When raindrops threaten to get us wet, grabbing one of these will be your best bet.”

“I saw umbrellas by the front door,” Ben shouted. “Let’s go!” This time Link led the way through the back of the house, and soon he was handing Kat the next shamrock.

“This is never going to end,” Duke grumbled.

“It’s the last one,” Zander said.

“Clue number three. It holds fishing rods, sports toys, and snow mobiles too. We head to this place when we want something to do.”

“The shed,” Lilly called, and the group was off again.

“Maybe I should have done one less clue,” Zander said under his breath as they made for the outdoor shed.

“Are you kidding?” Kat said. “This is awesome.”

“Here’s the last one,” Link said, handing over the clue and flinging the necklace over his own neck.

The family was really gathering around her now. She could feel them close by as she opened the final note. The air shifted; Kat could sense it as her parents came into view, arm in arm.

She set her focus back on the page before her and read. “More fun will follow for the boys and our girl…” she shot a wink at Lilly, the only little lady in the bunch. “But now it’s time for Zander to give this a whirl. We all know it’s coming so let’s make this right. Spin around slowly, he’ll be in your sight.”

Kat spun around as directed, tingles and warmth dancing around her heart, and caught sight of Zander. He’d lowered himself to one knee, and was looking up at her with those brooding blue eyes.

It felt as if the balloons were back, a fistful of them ready to carry her away. She pulled in a breath and brought a hand to her heart.