Stone is still talking to my dad, but he turns and winks. I grin back, so full of happiness I might burst.
For the next hour my family takes over, talking to folks about everything from water-filtration systems to the best way to run a trout line.
It’s overwhelming, so when I get a second, I find a corner and plop into it, giving myself a chance to breathe.
Stone is in his element, apparently, talking to my dad, asking him questions about prepping. He seems genuinely interested, and it makes my heart swell.
And my family is eating it up. They fawn over him, dangling on his every word. He’s charismatic, explaining how exemplary service is the lifeblood of a hotel like he’s giving a TED Talk.
That’s when Cristina slides into the seat beside me with a smirk. She nods in Brittany’s direction. “This is intense.”
My sister keeps the camera on Stone but manages to slip herself into his stratosphere every once in a while. You know, to remind her viewerswhythey’ve subscribed to her channel.
“I’m surprised Brittany hasn’t turned this into a competition where you can win ten thousand dollars by seeing who can outdrink Stone Maddox,” my friend says, sipping her beer.
I chuckle. “She wouldn’t do that.”
Cristina gives me a death stare.
“Okay, she woulddefinitelydo that.”
We both laugh, and it’s then that I remember the good news. “I know where Dot is.”
“Who?”
“The woman who owned the spell book.”
Cristina sits up. “No! When will you see her?”
“Tomorrow, if you want. Maybe she can shed some light on things. There’s only one hitch.”
“What’s that?”
“She’s at a nursing home. I don’t know if she can receive visitors.”
“We’ll find out.” Cristina pulls gloss from her purse and reapplies a slick pink coat to her lips. “This feels reallyreal.”
“What does?”
“The way you two are together. It’s hard to explain.”
“You don’t have to.”
Her gaze falls on me. “So I’m not imagining it.”
“Nope.”
“You sense it, too, then?”
“Sense what?”
She shakes her head. “That it’s almost like fate, you two. I’m the last person who should be saying this, but you seem really good together. You know, if the circumstances were different and Stone knew who he was, I’d say you had a chance.”
“Yeah,” I reply, ignoring how her words make me shrink.Focus on the good, Coco!“But no worries, we’ll get what we need as long as Dot knows about the flower. If her mind is gone, then where will we be?”
“With Brittany shoving a phone in your face and asking Stone if thousand-dollar bills are a real thing.”
I burst into laughter. “Stop it.”
