Page 115 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

The kids muttered under their breath and sulked off. Within seconds, their grudge was forgotten as they raced for the slide, while Avery’s mother tried to coax him out of the park.

“Not sure that helps the argument for parenthood,” James grumbled as he sat beside me again.

I laughed and hugged his arm. “You’ll make a great dad.”

And for the first time, I could envision being a mom. As long as James was at my side.

CHAPTER42

~ Estelle ~

“Is it real?” Char had busted past reception, and somehow figured out how to get into the bullpen. Then she’d found me in my barf-a-rific pink cubicle where I’d been stressing over something I’d done weeks ago at a summer solstice party. How was I supposed to know that the sweet, white-haired daddy flirting with me was married? Now his powerful wife was upset with me. When it came to the rules of my own magical world, why couldn’t I get it right? It felt like I kept messing up everywhere.

Without even a hello, Char startled me with her abrupt question, causing me to promptly spill my can of Canada Dry all over my desk.

“Is what real?” I whispered, ducking low so nobody would see me over the edge of my cubicle. Grabbing Char’s wrist, I yanked her into a hunched position.

Reaching across the aisle between cubicles, I snagged the pink cardigan Trish left over the back of her chair, even though our offices are always the perfect temperature. Glancing around, and aware of how much trouble Char and I could get in with her being in here, I mopped up the spilled ginger ale.

Technically, Char was a suspended client because of her overdue account. Technically, reception was supposed to tell her I was away if she ever stopped in—which clearly she had. And, technically, I was super glad she’d forced her way in. It was so nice to see her.

“James,” Char demanded. “Our love? Is it real?”

I beamed at her and nodded, dropping Trish’s ruined sweater in my wastebasket, then toed the whole thing around the edge of my cubicle and into the one beside us.

“But I made a wish. Lots of them.”

I shook my head. “Not for him to love you. Not specifically. Just other romantic stuff.”

“Like the necklace?”

I thought for a second, mentally going through her long list of wishes. Yes, she’d wished for that necklace made of pottery. Ancient in her world. She hadn’t wished for him to buy it for her, though. That was my handiwork.

I smiled and nodded.

“Estelle,” she said with a sigh. “That was really expensive.”

The pretty little blond heads of other fairies were popping over cubicle walls, and I pulled Char under my desk and yanked my chair closer in hopes of using it to hide us. My legs were long, and Char was bigger than I realized. We’d both bonked our heads on the underside of the desk, and my elbow was in her ribs, her foot jammed into my thigh. Her running shoes needed new laces, as well as a good washing.

“No matter what you wish,” I said urgently, “James still has control over his life. This isn’t black magic. It’s white. It’s good. He retains determination.”

“What are you two doing under there?” Trish growled, grabbing the chair and shoving it away. It rolled across the pink carpet, banging into a fairy who’d crept out of her cubicle to peek at the unravelling drama.

“Nothing!” I snapped.

“Is that Char?” Trish’s eyes narrowed. She gasped indignantly and super dramatically loud. “I’m telling the head fairy.” Hands on her hips, she turned and flounced off.

“You’d better go.” I pushed Char out from under my desk. “Just remember—no matter what you wish, he always has choice.”

CHAPTER43

~ Char ~

When I’d scooted out of Estelle’s office over a week ago, still confused about why I suddenly wasn’t allowed in there, Estelle had pressed a piece of paper in my hand. It was an update on my account. I’d sort of forgotten about my debt in my desperation to know whether James was in love with me of his own volition.

The latest update stated that the park, even though incomplete, was starting to bring down my tally. Hallelujah.

There were still two weeks to go, and still tens and tens of thousands of dollars to pay back. Who knew if I could do it in time? I was exhausted, and there was a lot that needed to be done. I felt hungover, deflated and drained from the stress of trying to make it all happen with very little money and in such a short period.

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