“McKenna?” a rigid voice calls from behind just as an older woman, broad shoulders, boxy build, short hair with curls that cling to her scalp—and well, for lack of a better descriptor, the face of a bulldog. She has two adorable children attached at the hands and I can’t help but smile at them, each with a mop of red hair and freckles. A boy and a girl.
“McKenna,” the woman gruffs out her name once again a little too rough for my liking. “I’m taking the kids to the beach for a walk along the sand. The wedding planner is looking everywhere for you. I’ve already instructed her on how the floral arrangements are to be displayed, and I’ve switched out that awful nude layer cake you had in mind and opted for something a little more traditional instead.”
McKenna’s mouth opens and closes as if she wanted to say something but thinks better of it.
“Bizzy, this is my mother-in-law to-be, Hilda. And these cuties next to her are Caleb’s sister’s children, Mirabelle and Dakota.”
The little girl gives a hop and her pigtails bounce in rhythm.
“Call me Mimi,” she trills, and I can see she has a tooth missing, which only adds to her adorable appeal.
“Hello, Mimi,” I say. “And hello to you, too, Dakota.”
McKenna gives Dakota’s hair a quick tousle. “These two are in the wedding. Mimi is the flower girl, and Dakota will be her escort.”
Dakota gives McKenna’s dress a tug. “And don’t forget Misty and Lucky! They’re in it, too.”
“That’s right.” McKenna laughs. “Misty is already looking forward to being in the wedding.” She holds the precious sweetheart up a notch.
Am I looking forward to it? She twitches her whiskers up at my old friend. More like dreading it. That dog is going to eat me one of these days. And then you’ll really be sorry you ever got mixed up with Caleb.
I press my lips together to keep from laughing.
McKenna motions toward the ballroom. “And Lucky is Caleb’s Siberian husky. They are indeed both in the wedding, too. In fact, Lucky is here somewhere with Caleb.” She points to the ballroom where the setup for tonight’s magic show is currently underway. “I can’t thank you enough, Bizzy, for allowing our furry family to tag along today. Caleb and I really appreciate it.”
Hilda scoffs. “You won’t appreciate it when half the wedding party is dealing with fleas on your big day. I’m afraid the wedding pictures won’t turn out.”
She stalks off with the kids sailing behind her like a couple of kites, and McKenna groans.
“I’ve got a lifetime of that to deal with.” She sighs. “Jealous much?”
A laugh bubbles from me. “Believe me, my new mother-in-law to-be is a bit of a pill herself.”
Someone clears their throat from behind and, horror of all horrors, I turn to find my handsome fiancé along with my aforementioned pill-in-law to-be.
“McKenna,” I squeak. “This is Jasper Wilder, my fiancé, and his mother, Gwyn.”
Jasper and his mother share the same jet-black hair, same pale gray eyes, but that’s where the resemblance stops. Jasper is warm and funny and doesn’t mind one bit that I can pry into his deepest thoughts. His mother doesn’t know anything about my transmundane status, further classified as telesensual, and I plan on keeping it that way.
Gwyn, or Gwyneth, just so happens to be engaged to my father. It’s a long and sordid story. I’m not really sure what will become of them. My father has a habit of collecting wives—or ex-wives for that matter—the way some men collect neckties.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” McKenna is quick to shake their hands. “Jasper, I’m sure you know how lucky you are to have Bizzy by your side. You’d better be good to her or you’ll have me to answer to.” She gives a little wink. “It’s nice meeting you, too, Gwyn. I hope to see the two of you tonight at the show. I’d better get to the ballroom and make sure everything is moving along.”
“I’m providing the refreshments and your favorite dessert for the night,” I call out. “And don’t worry. I didn’t have anything to do with the actual making of the dessert.”
She laughs in response.
It’s a well-known fact my last name is more or less an irony. I’ve singed, burned, and incinerated more dishes than should ever be legal. The tragedy of it all is that I would give anything to be able to bake something that is more than palatable, but that in itself is more or less a pipe dream.
“You’re too nice, Bizzy,” McKenna shouts back. “And after all these years you still remember?”
“Blondie bars. How can I forget? We must have eaten a mountain of them.”
We share a laugh as she disappears out of sight, and my laughter quickly dies down as I meet with Gwyneth’s sour expression.
“I’m headed upstairs to change,” she grouses my way before looking up at her son. “This pill has a date with your soon-to-be father-in-law this evening. We hear there will be magic at the inn tonight. Who knows? I might just dust off my wand for the heck of it.” She sneers my way before heading on up.
A few months back, Gwyneth’s home flooded and she’s been staying at the inn ever since. Jasper and I just so happen to live on the grounds ourselves, each in our own private cottage. We’re neighbors actually.
The Country Cottage Inn is laid out on vast acreages, and the site has over three-dozen cottages we rent out for long-term use. We also have a pet daycare center, Critter Corner, that we run off the back of the facility, and the café attached to the inn sits right on the white sandy shores of Cider Cove. I’ve always loved the convenience of the inn, but the thing I love being in proximity to these days is this man right here.
“Kiss me,” I instruct and Jasper’s lips curl as he does just that. “How’s the case?” I ask
