Page 37 of The Wedding Toast (The Hamiltons #10)

“Oh.” Bentley glanced back at her too, sounding disappointed. “Really? The girls aren’t going to be happy about that.”

Jacob cocked an eyebrow.

“They’ve all fallen in love with her work. Alyssa’s talked about asking her to do the flowers for our wedding.” He gave Jacob a wry smile. “I already told her we can’t have a bluebell arch – I don’t want you to feel like I’m copy-pasting all your ideas.”

Jacob laughed. “I’d never think that! It’s not as though I’m the only guy in the world who incorporated flowers into his proposal, is it?”

“No, but knowing what you did with the cornflowers did inspire me to figure out the bluebells for Alyssa.”

“And to me that just means we’re two smart guys who know what our ladies like. The thing is, though, whatever you do with flowers for your wedding, it looks like you’ll have to find someone else.”

Bentley made a face. “Maybe – maybe not. Willow has her heart set on asking Alara to do their flowers too, and you know what she’s like – if she has her heart set on something …”

Jacob chuckled. “Then maybe we should put Willow in charge of persuading Alara to stay. Hannah and Delaney have talked about using her work as well, so …”

“Do you know why she’s headed to Oregon?”

“All she said was that she has work there” – he smiled – “and that Zia has to start school.”

“Well, it sounds like she could have all the work she wants and more here. And you have an in at the elementary school.”

“True, and Becca’s fallen in love with Zia.” Jacob laughed. “She said she hopes at least one of our kids will be like her – although I’m not sure I’d survive.”

Bentley laughed with him. “I’m with you.”

They’d reached the garage now, and Jacob looked around before he reached for the door handle.

Bentley hurried inside with him and pulled the door closed after them. “It’d be a shame if your secret got out now, wouldn’t it?”

Jacob nodded with a smile. It would, but he thought he was in the clear. Becca would be far too busy for the rest of the day to even wonder what the secret was that he’d been keeping. And when she saw … he couldn’t wait to see her face.

~ ~ ~

Zia clung tighter to Reaves’s hand as he led her through the house toward his dad’s office. It surprised him when he looked down to see that she was scared. He stopped and squatted in front of her.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.

She nodded emphatically but swallowed visibly as she did. It occurred to him that he hadn’t seen her look scared before. It made his chest tighten.

“We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, but I do. I want to meet your daddy. But … do you think he’s a wizard?”

He rested his hand on her shoulder. “If he is, he’s only a grape wizard. What I can tell you for sure is that he’s a good man, a kind man.” He winked. “He might be a little bit grumpy sometimes. But he won’t be grumpy with you, I’m sure. Want me to carry you?”

She nodded vigorously, and he picked her up, surprising himself at how natural it felt to sit her on his hip as they continued. When they reached the arched wooden door to his dad’s office, he realized that even that must give the impression of this place being a castle.

When he reached out to knock, Zia clung to him a little tighter. “Dad, it’s me,” he called. Normally he would just walk right in, but he wanted to give both Zia and his dad a moment to be prepared for their first encounter. “I’ve brought Zia with me.”

“Well, bring her in then,” his dad called. “I’m looking forward to meeting this young lady.”

Reaves smiled at her, and she nodded, so he opened the door.

He could tell that his dad was surprised to see him carrying her, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he got up from his large oak desk and came around it to greet them.

“Well, hello there. It’s nice to meet you.”

Reaves had to hold her steady as she leaned forward, offering her hand to shake. His dad chuckled and shook with her as she said, “It’s nice to meet you, too. I never met anyone who lives in a castle before. I’m Zia.”

“Well, you’re welcome in this castle,” said his dad. “I’m Charles St. James.”

It occurred to Reaves that he hadn’t seen his dad around children before. He couldn’t imagine him being comfortable with Zia addressing him as Charles.

She wriggled to get down and then stood staring up at his dad, arms hanging loosely by her side. He held his breath, waiting to see how this would go. His dad shot him a quick smile while Zia studied him. After a few moments she announced,

“You look like a grandpa, and I’ve never had one of those. I think I’ll keep you. You can be Grandpa Grape.”

Reaves didn’t manage to hold in the laugh that bubbled up, and it came out as more of a snort. He felt bad when they both turned to look at him.

“Are you okay?” Zia asked.

“I think he’s fine,” said his dad. “I think it’s that neither of us were expecting him to make me a grandpa just yet.”

Zia came back to Reaves and took hold of his hand. “He’s your daddy. You don’t mind sharing him with me, do you?”

“I don’t.” He met his dad’s gaze. “As long as you don’t.”

His dad chuckled. “Not in the least. Although I’ve never been a grandpa before, Zia. I don’t know if I’ll be very good at it.”

“Oh, you will,” she said. “I can tell. You live in a castle. And you have sunflowers.” She glanced back at Reaves and then lowered her voice as she added, “And you might be a wizard. You’ll be the best grandpa ever. And now you’re mine.”

His dad laughed. “Well, I’m not sure about the rest, but I’m pleased that you like the sunflowers. Although it doesn’t surprise me. You’re a little ray of sunshine yourself, aren’t you?”

Zia nodded emphatically. “That’s what my mom says. Sunflowers are like me, all sunshine and happiness.”

Reaves was stunned to see the way his dad’s eyes shone before he turned away, taking his handkerchief from his breast pocket. It seemed that he dabbed at his eyes before he turned back around.

It had to be about the sunflowers and his mom, but Reaves didn’t know what – or what to say. Zia went to his dad and took hold of his hand, running her little fingers over the skin that he noticed for the first time was weathered and wrinkled.

“It’s okay, Grandpa Grape,” she told him. “I get sad sometimes too.”

Reaves racked his brain to think of something to say that might lighten the moment. There was more emotion in this room than had probably flowed through the entire house in years.

They all turned when a knock came at the office door.

“Anyone in there? It’s me, Ollie.”

Reaves’s shoulders sagged with relief as his dad called, “We’re here. Come on in. Join the party.”

When Ollie came in, Zia grinned at him. “You’re one of the Flying Ones. I need to check you.”

Ollie shot Reaves a puzzled look, but all he could do was shrug. He had no idea what she was talking about.

He and his dad watched as Zia beckoned for Ollie to come down to her level. When he squatted beside her, she ran her little hands over his shoulders as if searching for something.

“What are you up to, sunflower?” his dad asked.

Zia continued probing Ollie’s back for a few moments before she said, “I’m looking for his wings. They fold away really neatly, you know?”

Reaves choked out a laugh. This was a new one on him.

“What do you know about Flying Ones and their wings?” his dad asked her.

She gave Ollie’s back one more poke, looking a little frustrated, before she came to stand before his dad. “I’ve already met two of the Flying Ones.” She glanced at Reaves. “Sir Oak is one of them. And Prince Sky is the other. Did you know that they’re Flying Ones?”

He nodded slowly. “They’re pilots,” he explained.

“That’s the word Lady Darling called them,” said Zia. “But it just means that they’re the Flying Ones, and they have wings. Prince Sky said that he has to tuck them neatly away when he’s not flying.”

She turned back to Ollie. “I know there are two more Flying Ones. You’re one of them, aren’t you? And the other one is your friend – I know because the Queen of Cookies told me.”

Ollie chuckled. “I am, but you don’t know who the other one is?”

She shook her head slowly. “I haven’t worked it out yet.”

Ollie raised his eyebrows at Reaves, but his dad spoke before anyone else could. He came to stand beside him and rested his hand on Reaves’s shoulder.

“He’s right here,” he told Zia.

Her eyes grew round when she looked up at Reaves. “You’re a Flying One?” she asked in an awed whisper.

“I am,” he agreed, surprised at himself – he mustn’t have mentioned to her before that he was a pilot.

Just as she’d done with Ollie, she beckoned for him to come down to her level. He squatted down, and she reached forward, touching his shoulder lightly like she was searching for wings.

She gave him a puzzled look. “Do they only come out when you fly?”

He didn’t know what to say. He hated the idea of disappointing her, but at the same time, he felt like he shouldn’t mislead her.

He glanced at his dad, who seemed to understand. “Most people think that it’s only the planes that have wings,” he told Zia. “But I know better.” He smiled at Reaves and then Ollie. “These two have wings – just not the kind you can see.”

That seemed to satisfy Zia, even though it left Reaves and Ollie with a few questions. While he was still recovering, she went to set her backpack on his dad’s desk.

“Do you want to make glitter postcards with me, Grandpa Grape? I need to send some. I’ll send you one if you like.”

His dad chuckled and went to sit behind his desk. Reaves was amazed to see Zia climb up onto his lap.

“Very well. We can work on making postcards while these two go and fetch us some lemonade. How about that?”

Reaves wondered if she’d be okay left alone with his dad, but she smiled at him and said, “I’d like lemonade, please.”

Ollie left the room ahead of him, and as he followed, Reaves touched the place on his shoulder where she’d rested her hand. She’d looked at him like he was truly magical, and that had left an impression on him.

He didn’t know what it meant yet, but he was going to remember that moment for a long time.