Page 35 of Pixie Problems
“Hey, trouble,” my granddad said in his raspy-warm voice. “How are things in Moonhaven?”
Downstairs, I could hear Lucky answering the questions fromJeopardyby shouting them at the TV, then squealing in delight when she got them right. The thing was, she almostalwaysgot them right, so there was a whole lot of squealing going down. When I’d come up to call the Circle P, her mini unicorn was curled up beside her on the couch. He was still recovering. Ben seemed a little concerned that it was taking the little guy longer than the others.
Naut covered his ears with his huge paws and whined. Yep, a whole lot of squealing. Poor Naut.
“Well, Hux came by The Laughing Elf.”
“Did you shoot him?”
I laughed. “Nah. A dryad I was talking to attached him to the ceiling with wooden hands.”
He chortled with glee. “I wish I could have seen that. You okay, trouble?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Hux and his pack are still hanging around. Well, Hux is currently in jail, but you know he’ll get out in thirty days or less, but the great thing is that he’s getting an ankle monitor.”
“What will it do?”
“Shock the heck out of him until the sheriff scrapes him up and puts him back in jail. And for a second offense, he goes away for a long time. The paranormal prison Deep Dark is no joke.”
My grandpa’s voice had gone sober. “No, it isn’t. It sounds like it was a good choice for you to go to Moonhaven Cove, trouble. I know I was on the fence about it at first, but Calla was the one who saw sense, like always,” he grumbled.
I laughed. My grandparents’ relationship was warm, but also hilarious. They bickered sometimes over the dumbest things. I think they bickered sometimes just to make the day more interesting. At least that’s what grandpa told me when I asked him about it one time. It was nevertruebickering, anyway.
“Granddad, that’s actually what I wanted to call you about. Can you put it on speaker so Granny can hear?” I heard a shuffle as granny got closer, and then his voice on the speaker.
“Okay, let’s have it, trouble.”
I took a deep breath, and just dived in. “How open would you guys be to selling Hank the Circle P and moving to Moonhaven?” Before they could get a word in edgewise, I kept going. “Guys, I’m getting an apothecary shop! A master vampire who finances small businesses is loaning me the rest of the start-up money that I need. And I really like this town and the people. I really think that you guys would love it too. I’d miss you guys if you stayed on the Circle P.”
My throat closed up a bit. They were all I had left of my family. They were all I’deverhad, other than a few scattered cousins and aunts and uncles. And I didn’t want to live this far away from them. I wanted to stay, but I wanted them with me.
There was silence on the end of the line. “Guys?” Naut, sensing my nervousness, bumped his head under my twisting hands until I started petting him. He watched me with interest as I fidgeted, nearly tearing a hole in the bottom hem of my lilac Sassy since birth tee shirt. I could hear my grandparents whispering in the background, but even with my pixie hearing boost, I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“You guys probably need time to think about it. I mean, it’s a lot to think about.” I was babbling, I was so nervous. And I never babbled!
“Trouble?”
“Yes, Granddad?”
“We’re in.”
I squealed so loud I drowned out Lucky downstairs who’d gotten yetanotheranswer correct.
I flopped down onto my bed spread eagle. “Oh my gosh! I was seriously sweating your answer. I need a soda.”
I could hear my granny laughing in the background.
“You want us to pack up the rest of your things and bring them with us?” Granddad asked.
“Yes. Thank you guys so much. Seriously, I know the Circle P has been your home and your life for nearly a hundred years. Thank you so much for moving here with me.” I was getting teary and choked up. It just meant somuchto me that they were moving to be close to me. I didn’t know how to adequately express my thanks.
My granddad, with a smile in his voice said, “Now, trouble, you know we want to help with your apothecary shop, right? It’ll be all yours. You’ll own it lock, stock, and barrel. But we want to help you out, hun.”
“You mean I get to boss you both around?”
They laughed. “Don’t get too excited about that part. I’m more stubborn than a mule,” Granddad said.
“Don’t I know it,” I could hear my granny say behind him.
