Page 11 of Kink in the Road
Before I could respond, Finn spoke up.
“Riley belongs here,” the warmth in his voice was echoed by his slow, lazy smile. “Kink wouldn’t be the same without her.”
Our gazes met and I felt my cheeks heat. “I don’t know about that.”
Aiden bumped his shoulder against mine. “He’s right, you know. You’re the heart of this place. It’s hard to imagine this town without you.”
I ducked my head, unsure of what to say in response.
For so long I’d wanted what I couldn’t have, hiding behind a mask of friendship that I struggled to free myself from the shackles of pining and flirt back.
We reached the wishing well, and sure enough, there was an envelope taped to the side with our team number on it. Aiden reached it first and eagerly tore it open.
“’What has keys but no locks, space but no room, and you can enter but not go in?’” he read aloud.
“Fucked if I know,” Warrick said with a shrug. “Any guesses?”
Colleen danced from foot to foot. “It’s a keyboard, right? It has to be—space, enter, keys.”
“Brilliant,” Warrick beamed at her as if she’d performed brain surgery or flown to the moon. “It could be the library—there’s computer there.”
“Or,” I said, fighting to hide a grin at Warrick’s besotted look. “What about the organ at the church?”
“Yessss!” Aiden hissed, snapping his fingers. “Let’s fucking go!”
Laughing, we followed him, matching our pace to Colleen’s slower steps. As we made our way to the church, we pointed out different landmarks and places to Colleen, sharing stories and local legends.
“That’s an oech’snk rock,” I said, nodding toward the stone that sat in the middle of the library’s front garden.
“A what?”
I grinned at her confused expression. “A fairy rock. Though we call them the little people. Sprites and spirits live inside it. If you’ve a need for help, leave an offering on the rock.”
“That’s darling.” Colleen stopped, digging through her pockets to pull out a coin. “Let me make an offering.”
While Aiden danced from foot to foot impatiently, Colleen walked across to place a coin on the worn rock.
“Don’t want to add your own?” Finn asked, his breath warm against my ear.
I turned, smiling. “I don’t have a coin.”
He reached up, brushing his finger against my ear. With a flick of his wrist, a coin appeared between his fingers. “Now you do.”
Amused, I took the coin and walked across to the rock, standing next to Colleen as I placed it on the sun-warmed stone.
Silently, I bowed my head, asking for the one thing I wanted above all else.
Oech’snk, please guide me to my heart.
My palm tingled against the stone, and I swore I heard the whisper of a giggle as I raised my head.
Goosebumps raised the hairs on my arms as I stepped back.
“Are there other customs here that aren’t on the mainland?” Colleen asked as we rejoined the group.
“A few,” I said, trying to shake off my strange feeling. “You already know about the polygamous marriages.”
“Yes, it’s fascinating. But I suppose it was necessary.”
