Page 126 of The Photograph

Under the laughter of the small crowd, Aelin gawks at Vania and points at her sister. “But it’s supposed to be Cara.”

Vania chortles while Cara and Emma hug her.

“Lalin, it’s you!”

Sam’s shout jolts the kids on their feet. The kids snatch the whipped creams and party strings. Aelin’s eyes widen, and she runs toward a barn. While the other women laugh and sit back down. I step next to Cara and Mike.

“What’s happening now?”

Cara chuckles as her sister disappear in the barn. “She can run and hide for five minutes, after that some adults are allowed to help catch her.”

Her expression sobers up as she turns to face Mike and me.

“If one of you catches her, be careful of the way you do it. Those kids have already witnessed too much violence, and we don’t want to trigger them.”

We follow Cara further into the green space as Aelin vanishes behind a bale of hay.

Emma joins us and points toward the barn. “Here she comes.”

Cara narrows her eyes and shifts toward Emma. “Plan S.”

“What’s plan S?” Mike asks.

Cara’s expression turns devilish. “We send Sam to her, then one of us catches her.”

I shake my head at the women’s gleeful expressions “That easy, huh?”

“Yep.” Emma and Cara say at the same time.

Emma points at Aelin who’s using one of the windows of the barn as an exit. “Look.”

Cara whips her head to Emma. “Now. Em, send Sam now!”

At the mention of her name, Sam drops the picture she was drawing and claps her hands.

“My turn to catch Lalin?”

We all move to the barn and post near the exits. Emma whispers something to a giggling Sam who runs into the barn. “Lalin, where are you?”

There’s laughter in her voice. “Seriously? You sent Sammy?”

Waiting hidden behind the barn back entrance, I smile as she creeps out with her head turned toward her goddaughter who just reaches the opposite entrance.Straight in my arms.I wrap my arms around her from behind and lift her off the ground.

She shrieks and giggles. “Gabe. Put me d—”

I can’t resist, I plant a quick peck in her neck and shift us, so we’re facing the horde of children racing toward us. “No can do, baby. You’re getting whumped.”

Laughing harder, with her eyes on the fast-approaching kids, she twists and narrows her eyes. “You’re so going pay for this,” she whispers.

“Can’t wait,” I whisper back and set her on her feet before taking a step back.

“Lalin!”

Crouched on the grass, Aelin screeches as the kids smother her in whipped cream and silly strings. When every inch of her is covered, she stands up and bows to the applauding crowd before taking Sam’s hand to walk back to the main house with Cara by their side.

When the sisters return to the table, Aelin’s hair is wet, and she’s dressed in a change of clothes Cara must have brought for her.

“Fuck,” Mike says, and I tense.

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