Page 68 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

Estelle. Debt.

Ooph. Unfun thoughts.

But the giant grant. The fact that the agency had wanted us to getbothlots and had found enough money to buy the land so we could get started. Well worth any wishes added to my bill.

I felt my smile pick up again.

James was frowning, his focus narrowed as he carefully drew one gentle line from the valley of my nose and cheek outward. I giggled and moved, his line going off course.

“Stay still.” He laughed.

“Sorry.”

“I love that you trust me,” he murmured as he carefully, stroked his thumb across my cheek where the whisker line had strayed.

“Maybe I shouldn’t,” I teased.

“I have no real plan.”

“For what? Your life?”

“That, but also tonight.”

“Who needs a plan to have fun?” I scoffed, before realizing that Sophia had left her mark on him. He’d said she had life all laid out, their routines set. He hadn’t been able to see spontaneity in his future—the one thing I had in spades. Maybe I was his type, from head to toe. And maybe that whole tight knit family business could be learned. Maybe this was exactly what my heart had been waiting for.

“I don’t need things laid out, James,” I assured him.

“I promised you a distraction,” he said, reworking the original wonky whisker.

“You’re delivering.” I nestled deeper into his open arms.

The whisker he was drawing went crooked again.

I laughed at his exasperated expression. “I give up.”

“No, no!” I tilted my head upward for him, my smile properly schooled, eyes watching his. He was shaking his head, not truly upset if his sparkling eyes were to be the indicator. He seemed to love this every bit as much as I did.

CHAPTER20

~ Estelle ~

Ismiled to myself as I stood in front of Gram-Gram in her flowing pink dress. She was a pretty fairy and had a kind face. She was ageing gracefully, and I hoped that when I was in my hundreds, I looked as good as she did.

But even if I didn’t age gracefully, I was still going to look really great sitting in this office when she retired. Yes, I was going to beat out Trish and her family line. I was going to be the family member who held this coveted seat, because I was rocking being a trainee fairy godmother.

“Your report?” the head fairy asked.

“Yes,” I said with confidence. “I had the gnomes recalibrate their equipment. I also requested an adjustment in regards to Char’s most recent charges.”

“I heard.”

I opened my mouth to explain, but she waved a hand. “Undecided.”

“She’s trying, ma’am,” I argued. “I should have had the equipment recalibrated as soon as I?—”

“I’m not blaming you for not thinking of that. Her increased debt for the broken window could have been much worse if the sundial had been properly calibrated.” She held up a hand. “And the good deeds would have been worth more, too, I know. I think in the end, she got off easy. Let’s leave things as they are with her account for the time being. I see you’ve been granting her small wishes?”

I crossed my fingers and nodded. The wish I’d granted so Char could get the grant hadn’t been a tiny one, due to the tight time constraints she’d put on it. I’d given Agnes at the grant agency the intuitive hit to open her email and check new applications during a retirement party. Then I’d influenced her to push her colleagues to hold an impromptu emergency board meeting, interrupting their party. “Yes, small ones.”

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