Page 10 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“We’re thrilled to have you.” Mona smiled. “Remember, if anything isn’t to your liking, please don’t hesitate to tell us.”

“I know Penelope won’t hesitate to let you know if things aren’t perfect,” Gerald called out with a grin.

Penelope slapped his arm. “Oh, hush.”

Mona laughed. “Good. We won’t be offended if you bring issues to our attention. All we want is for every single guest to have a fantastic time.”

“It’s my first time here, but I’m excited,” River said, giving Mona one of his most charming smiles. “I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this place.”

“Well, I surely do love hearing that.” Mona beamed.

Maxwell shifted and leaned in to whisper, “River is kissing up. What do you suppose his angle is?”

I smirked. “Maybe he wants to set up a holistic clinic here.”

“That would suit me just fine.”

“Anything to get him out of Rainy Dale?”

“Exactly,” Maxwell muttered.

“As those of you who have been here before know,” said Mona, “tonight after dinner we’ll confiscate all of your electronic gadgets.”

There was a collective groan.

Laughing, Mona said, “I know. I know. But the whole point of the farm is to get away from the stresses of modern life, right? Don’t worry, we’ll keep them safe and return them to you once your stay with us is over.”

“Does that mean you’re taking our cell phones too?” River called out.

“Oh, yes.” Mona nodded. “The cell phones are the worst culprit. But you’ll see, after a few days of no phone calls or negative news from the internet, you’ll wonder why you even have a phone.”

Richard Walker looked horrified at the thought of not having his phone. “I need my phone for work.”

“People don’t come here to work. They come here to relax.”

“But… but…” Richard frowned.

Mona shook her head. “Sorry, no phones allowed after tonight. If you can’t comply, we’ll be happy to give you a ride to your car. But I think you’d regret missing out on all the fun.”

Judging from Richard’s disgruntled expression, he did not agree.

Mona called out to her husband, “Ezra, can you get Jax and Jameson to help with the luggage?”

“All right. Hey, Dakota, how about you help out with the luggage too?” Ezra said gruffly.

Looking surprised, Dakota said, “Oh, uh, okay.”

“What?” Frowning, Mona shook her head. “No. I’d like him to help me show the guests to their cabins.”

“Well, I think it would do him some good to work with me and the boys on the luggage, dear.” Ezra’s jaw had a stubborn set to it. “Elle and Chloe can help take the guests to the cabins.”

“And I prefer Dakota does that,” Mona said. “I told you that already,dear.”

I exchanged a glance with Max, and he raised his dark brows. Mona and Ezra had never struck me as a lovey-dovey type of couple, but they didn’t usually bicker in front of the guests.

Dakota looked between his parents, obviously unsure of what to do. “I’ll do whatever. I… I don’t really care.”

“You’re helping me, Dakota. I want to teach you this side of things. I’ve discussed this with your father already.” Mona gave Ezra a hard look. “Isn’t that right, Ezra?”