by Simon Archer
I’d promised Gisele I would relay her message, and I hopped off the bed to do just that.
12
After the spellbook history, the rental issues at Lottie’s office, the run-in with Tobin Keene, and Vila’s information from Gisele, all of us needed to blow off some stress by the time evening rolled around. We’d invited Glen and his wife over for dinner and horseback riding on the beach. Glen could make it, but his wife had prior plans, so it would just be the five of us.
Dinner was quite interesting. Vila had gone on about some new method of cooking that Gisele had shown her, and she cooked our food, white fish and vegetables, in the dishwasher. It was rather comical watching everyone take their first bite, wondering if it was going to either be raw or taste like dish soap. Luckily, Vila had run the dishwasher empty and without soap before placing the fish packets made of double-wrapped tin foil in the top rack and turning the machine on.
Not a single person at the table expected the meal to be so incredibly tasty. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the vegetables were crisp. Vila had always been good at picking good spices, so she had wonderfully seasoned it.
After we’d spent fifteen minutes complimenting her, and twenty minutes finishing our meal, we headed out back to meet our horses. I’d contacted a nearby stable, and they’d sent their five best mares over with a couple of trainers. We had the horses for a few hours. Since all of us knew how to ride, I gave the trainers free rein of the fire pit in the beach yard, and Andi whipped them up some lemonade to drink while they waited for us. I realized I needed to have a television installed outside for circumstances like those. It would’ve been much more entertaining for the trainers than just sitting and watching a fire for hours.
The five of us headed east down the beach, away from where the lightning stone cave was. We kept the horses at a walk for quite a ways, just enjoying the sound of the ocean and the beginnings of the sunset. The girls rode their horses in circles in the surf, and Glen and I laughed at their antics. Andi’s horse had a hoof sink deeper into the sand than the animal expected, and she jerked. Andi squealed as she slid sideways on the saddle. She managed to stay on, but we all took advantage of the opportunity to get a good laugh out of the situation.
“Weren’t you raised with horses?” I called out to Andi. She brought her horse around and rode up to me.
“Yeah, but I rode hills, not the ocean!” she replied. “You notice I didn’t fall off, didn’t you?”
“Aren’t there rivers in Ireland? Surely you’ve been next to the water on a horse!” Glen chimed in.
“Rivers don’t tend to be as soft in the sand!” Andi defended her riding ability. “Let’s go ten feet up shore, and I’ll leave any of you eating dust!”
Glen immediately started shaking his head as Vila rode up next to Andi.
“I’ll take that challenge,” Vila said, and without another word, the two girls took off up the beach. They both suddenly looked like professional racehorse riders. Lottie, Glen, and I urged our horses faster just to keep the girls in sight. They pulled so far ahead that they weren’t more than mere dots in the distance before too long, however.
The rest of us slowed finally, as it became clear there was no way any of us would be able to keep up. The horses we rode impressed me. I was used to trail horses who would barely kick up past a trot, but the ones we had were apparently much more versatile.
“Do you think they’ll be back anytime soon?” Lottie laughed, pulling up next to me.
“I don’t know about soon, but eventually, yes,” I replied with a chuckle. “How do you like your horse?”
“She’s really calm, just the way I prefer,” Lottie answered. “I’d rather watch the sunset than have to worry about falling off!”
“Mine seems to be the same,” I told her. I saw Glen glance at us out of the corner of my eye.
“You two love birds can swoon over the sunset. I’m going to catch the girls!” He leaned forward, squeezed his legs around his horse, and was off down the beach. It shocked me that he could ride so well. I reached my hand to Lottie and took hold of hers.
“Just the two of us.” I winked at her and admired the way the pink skylight shone off her hair.
“The last few days have been a whirlwind, haven’t they?” she mentioned. “This little excursion was a great idea. Thank you for suggesting it.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied. “I figured a little time where nobody knew where to find us would be beneficial.”
“What do you think about doing the wedding on the beach?” Lottie asked, suddenly changing the subject. I hadn’t taken much time to think about our wedding since the move, but I didn’t want her to know that.
“If we can keep the water off your dress, I don’t see why not,” I answered finally. “Which part of the beach were you thinking?”
“I’d love to do it near the stone cave, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea, does it?” Lottie asked.
I knew I had to be careful with a question like that. It was one of those that was easy to answer wrong.
“It is a wonderful idea. It just may not be safe for keeping the stones a secret,” I told her, choosing my words carefully.
“My thoughts exactly.”
I breathed a sigh of relief at her agreement.
“How many people will we be having at the wedding?” I asked, realizing we really hadn’t talked about any details regarding the event. “I don’t really have many I’d like to invite.”
“It will turn out to be small,” Lottie replied without hesitation. “My dad and brother, the girls, Glen and his wife, Jack and Lorraine. Who else do you want to invite?” It relieved me that she wanted it to be a small affair.
“Sven, Asher, and of course, Carson,” I told her. Carson had been my best friend since school. He moved to Australia several years ago, so I didn’t get to see him often, but we had a standing gaming appointment on most Saturday mornings.
“I forgot about Carson!” Lottie said apologetically.
“It’s easy to forget about someone you’ve never met,” I laughed. “Is there any other family you’d like to have in attendance?” Lottie’s mom and grandparents had passed away years earlier, and they were the ones I knew she had been closest to.
“No, none that I talk to,” she answered.
“Any other friends?” I thought my group was small, but I noticed that she had even fewer people to invite than I did.
“Nope,” she answered. “A lot of the girls I thought were friends back in the city turned into catty snobs when they found out I was moving and marrying a millionaire. I don’t know if they are just jealous or what, but there is no way I want them here.”
“That’s crap,” I told her. I felt bad that she had so few people to invite, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. “So, a beach wedding, then?”
“Yes, let’s take advantage of what we have right in our own backyard!” she replied. “In fact, we could even have the reception at the house. It’s large enough for everyone to stay, and with the different patios, it would be a cinch to keep everyone entertained. Maybe set up a dinner in the foyer?”
Her mind was really starting to churn out ideas suddenly. I thought about having so many people stay at the house. As long as Andi and Vila behaved themselves, which was never a problem around those who didn’t know about magic, I didn’t see why it would be an issue.
“We could even do a slideshow or mini-movie in the theater,” I suggested.
“That’s a perfect idea!” Lottie agreed happily. “Maybe we could make a movie about us.”
“We should’ve hired a filmographer for this ride,” I told her. “You look absolutely beautiful.” She winked at me and blushed a little, which was rare for her. Lottie wasn’t one of those girls who didn’t know she was pretty, but it still humbled her occasionally. Her face changed to one of concern suddenly.
“You don’t think that newscaster is going to cause any problems, do you?” she asked, scowling.
“Not a chance in hell,” I told her without hesitation. “I don’t see how he could. Not without making a total fool of himself.”
“We don’t know him well. He may be perfectly okay with that,” she replied. An idea popped into my mind.
“You let me take care of Tobin Keene. Don’t worry another second about him,” I replied. Lottie shrugged her shoulders, squeezed my hand, and then let go just as Glen, Andi, and Vila came back into view, riding toward us.
“Sounds good to me,” she said just as she nudged her horse forward and pulled ahead to go meet them. I looked out over the water and took a deep breath. I was already in love with my new home but was still getting used to the fact that I would get to see an ocean sunset every night. I took in the pink and orange sky for a moment longer before urging my own horse forward to go meet the others.
13
It was dark out when we returned the horses to the house. We’d taken the liberty of not only watching the sun go down but to watch the moon come up as well. Riding along the beach as the tide came in and seeing the blanket of stars overhead grow in brilliance was the closest thing to magic that I imagine the natural world could get. When we all decided it was time to take the horses back, I immediately had the thought that I should buy a few of my own, so they were available whenever I’d like. I made a mental note to look into that.
The trainers were nearly asleep in the loungers by the time we returned. I cleared my throat to get their attention, and they jumped up like a bee had stung them in the butts.
“Hello, sir,” the head trainer greeted us, obviously embarrassed that I literally caught them sleeping on the job.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your nap,” I joked. I had absolutely no issue with them catching a bit of relaxation while we were out. After all, there wasn’t really anything else for them to do.
“Our apologies—”
“Don’t apologize,” Vila cut him off. “He’d nap every chance he got if he weren’t so busy all the time!” She caught my eye and winked at me.
“She’s not wrong,” I confirmed as I dismounted my horse.
“How were your horses?” the other trainer asked.
“They were perfect,” Lottie answered him. “They may be a bit tired, though. We exercised them pretty well.”
“We will take care of that right away,” he answered. After we were all on our feet again, and the trainers tied the horses together for the walk home, the head trainer turned to me once again.
“Thank you for your business, Mr. Anders,” he said politely. I strolled over and handed both trainers a five-hundred-dollar tip. They stared at me with open mouths.
What was it with people noticing the size of their tips so quickly on this island?
“Who owns those horses?” I asked the man to avoid the ‘are you aware of how much money you just handed me’ question.
“The owner lives in the states,” the trainer answered. “Mr. Owens.”
“Ah, I see. And you work directly for him?” I raised a brow at him.
“Yes. I’ve been training for eleven years. Five of those I spent with his track horses,” he told me.
“I may be calling on you for some consulting if you don’t mind. I’m thinking of buying my own horses,” I told him bluntly. “Have a great night.” I didn’t want to discuss the horses further because I hadn’t made my mind up completely, but I did like making a connection in the industry.
“Thank you, sir. Have a great night, yourself!” the trainer answered me. He and his cohort mounted the horses Lottie and I had been on and started leading the rest of them away.
The five of us headed into the kitchen, and Lottie started pulling snack food out of the refrigerator. We’d been out for several hours, and everyone was hungry again. We sat around the island, sampling the various trays she’d taken out until we calmed our hunger. Glen stood up and put his arms over his head to stretch.
“Past my witching hour, folks,” he said after he yawned. “I appreciate dinner and the ride. That was fun. I’m going to have to get the ol’ ball and chain on a horse soon.”
“You’re welcome, of course,” I told him. “See you tomorrow.”
He hugged each of the girls goodbye and headed for the door. Just before he walked into the foyer, he turned around.
“Oh, did we have an appointment tomorrow?” he asked me.
“Not yet, but we will have one soon. Don’t worry. I’ll give you plenty of notice,” I told him with a chuckle. He rolled his eyes at me.
“Go figure,” he laughed. “Morning or afternoon?”
“Afternoon, most likely, but I can’t make any promises,” I answered honestly. I didn’t like to keep him on call with no schedule, but for tomorrow, I had no choice. I had an idea about how to take care of Tobin, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out.
“Gotcha,” Glen chuckled. “I’ll be ready whenever.” He turned on his heel and continued out the door. I turned back around to the girls sitting at the kitchen island.
Lottie tilted her head to the side and looked at me. “Where do you have to go tomorrow?”
“That depends on what happens in the next few minutes,” I told her. I turned to Andi and Vila. “I need a wish previewed.”
One of the unusual characteristics of my relationship as the genies’ master was that Andi and Vila allowed me to see how a wish would play out before I actually made the wish. They’d decided decades ago that their next master would have the option because they were sick of people making bad, selfish wishes that ended up leaving them worse off than when they started.
“What would you like to see?” Vila asked, walking around the island to stand beside me.
“I want to see what would happen if I wished that I could make people see the truth,” I replied.
She nodded and looked at Vila. The two of them smiled at each other.
“What?” Lottie asked, seeing their smiles.
“Nothing specific,” Andi said, sweetly sarcastic. “Truth wishes are always rather interesting, is all.”
“Interesting-good or interesting-bad?” Lottie wanted to know. I could’ve told her that the genies weren’t going to tell her.
“He’ll see,” Vila assured her. Andi came to stand beside Vila, and they each put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I instantly found myself standing on the corner of a busy street, in the rain, in the city I’d moved from.
“What are we doing back here?” I asked the girls who were standing on either side of me. I noticed I was holding an umbrella.
“This was a very simple way to start demonstrating your wish,” Vila answered. “See that old woman over there?” She pointed to an elderly woman standing about seven feet away, waiting for the light to turn green so she could cross the road. She was aimlessly twirling a clear umbrella over her head.
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly. I hadn’t even been shown anything yet, and I already felt like the experience may not be the best.
“Her grandson is draining her retirement account dry, and she has no idea he is doing it,” Andi informed me. “He is acting as though he is managing her accounts for the retirement home she lives in. Soon, she’ll lose her home because she won’t be able to pay for it.”
“Well, that's just disgusting,” I retorted.
“You get to show her the truth about her grandson,” Vila added. I guess being a bearer of bad news was part of the truth process, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
“Shouldn’t be too bad. She’ll have the rest of her retirement intact, even if her grandson’s betrayal hurt her.” The girls stood there looking at me impatiently. “How am I supposed to show her this information?”
“She has to be looking you in the eyes when you tell her, and then the magic will show her,” Vila continued.
“Sounds easy enough,” I replied. I casually walked over to the old lady. I still had a little while before the light turned green, so I’d be able to have a relaxed conversation with her. When I was standing b
eside her, I glanced down and decided to start with some small talk.
“Good afternoon,” I said loud enough for her to hear through the rain. She looked up at me and grinned.
“Wet afternoon, I’d say,” she replied in good humor. “Do you have far to go?”
“Not far at all,” I answered with a smile on my face. I suddenly felt slimy making idle conversation when I knew she was in danger of losing everything to her grandson’s swindling. It was time to just dive in. I turned toward her and cleared my throat loudly. The moment she turned and looked in my eyes, I launched into my explanation.
“Your grandson is draining your retirement account. He is taking your money for himself, and soon, you won’t have a penny to your name,” I said bluntly.
The old woman’s eyes went blank for a moment while the magic showed her that what I was saying was correct. My heart sank at her pending disappointment, and I prepared myself to comfort her. She shook her head slightly and looked me squarely in the eyes once more.
“How dare you!” she yelled at me. She pulled her umbrella down, closing it at the same time, and swung it at me, hitting my left arm with a sharp crack.
“Ouch!” I yelled out at the unexpected pummeling. She pulled back again, and that time, the umbrella came down on my shoulder.
“I don’t know how you thought you’d spin a tale like that, but you’ve got a lesson coming to you!” Her umbrella kept laying blows. “Trying to tell lies like that about my dear grandson, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Get out of here and never come back or I’ll throw myself into the street and tell the cops you pushed me!” She hit me one more time in the leg and cocked her umbrella back but paused, giving me the option to run or get framed for malice.
My first instinct was to convince her that I wasn’t a heathen, that I was actually trying to help, but the fury in her eyes made me think twice, so I retreated back to where Vila and Andi were standing. They were laughing hysterically.
