Page 89 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

“Interesting.” Gram-Gram’s lips formed a slow smile. “She’s wishing him to her, but also away. Is she afraid to love him?”

I shrugged, unsure. Humans were complex.

“Well, all of her wishes will wear off,” Gram-Gram said, “if they haven’t already. Looking at these dates, he’s likely back under his own agency, and choosing to be close to her. In other words, there is little to reverse.” She was reading the lines of her printout, eyes flicking like she was speed reading. “Besides, reversing these would be too much work and the cost is high. Too many tendrils of effects reaching out everywhere to clean up. Let these things continue to resolve on their own.” She was still skimming the long list of recent wishes.

“She is a very good wisher, isn’t she?” Gram-Gram tapped a line and looked up at me. “Is this the other one you want to grant? She wants to be innocent and get the park back on track?”

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“The park is her karma project to repay her debts, is it not?”

I nodded again, cringing.

“Debt repayment related.” She shut the file. “Automatic no.”

CHAPTER30

~ Char ~

The mess with the police, the museum’s stolen artifacts, and the stalled-out park were giving me a headache. And with my work hours abruptly cut back, thanks to Joan’s caution surrounding my property being part of an ongoing investigation, I had few distractions.

Along with the headaches was my guilt for pulling James into it all. Everyone else had been allowed to return to work after the police questioned them, except James.

Why? Because he’d been in the warehouse with me. He’d let me into the security room. He’d shown me pricey items in the gift shop, and I’d confirmed their value. And also because I’d mentioned the swapped-out items on display, and he hadn’t gone straight to Richard about it.

How was he supposed to know there were thefts happening? Yes, he was security, but he wasn’t the only one watching the place. And he wasn’t privy to the comings and goings of objects that were on display.

The guilty ache in my heart was more than I could handle, and so while sitting in Sally’s kitchen a few days ago, with James’ words about helping me with the park echoing in my head, and Tamara’s earlier warning about the ripple effects of my wishes, I’d made another one. I’d wished for James to be distanced from me. For him to be declared innocent, and for whatever was going on in my own life, to not interfere with his. In other words, I wished him completely free of me. I wished to undo any wishes that I’d ever made that had him bound to me.

I knew how badly my wishes could backfire on the people I cared about, and I’d made so many wishes over the past few months. So many. From wishing him to see me as a woman he might want to date, to wishing for him and others to help me with the park.

And so now, thanks to Estelle’s handiwork, he was caught in the crossfire and going down in flames. He deserved so much better than my selfishness. He deserved to be with someone who didn’t make wishes that caused him harm.

I’d given Estelle several days to set my latest wish in place, and now I was ready to put it to the test.

CHAPTER31

~ James ~

“Can’t. I have a night class,” I said regretfully into the phone. “You’re feeling better?”

Char had invited me to an evening concert in Prince’s Island Park. Which was nice, seeing as she’d been busy and distant since our questioning by the police. She’d even bailed out of going to our first baseball practice, claiming she had a sore throat.

“Night class?” she asked, her voice lifting, ignoring my question.

Was it my imagination, or did she sound a bit happy that I couldn’t go? It felt like her asking me out was a test, and I’d just passed it. Which was wrong. So very wrong.

“Since when?” she asked. “For what?” Her interest was piqued. I was right about her. Curious. Always up for something new.

Too bad she didn’t seem to want to jump into something new with yours truly. She kept dipping a toe, but it was like the water was too cold for her. It was starting to get really frustrating. I wanted to drag her off somewhere private where we could be alone, and love her until she saw that what we might have wasn’t a reason to be afraid.

“I’m taking some geography and mapping courses online. Signed up and started this week.”

“Oh.”

“Seemed like a good time.”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft with apology.

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