The kids walked down the stretch of the mossy carpet, and the mice blew the dandelion tufts that erupted and multiplied as they drifted across the guests.
Ransom slid the ring on her finger and she looked up into the depths of his blue eyes to discover he was absolutely right. He could offer her Happily Ever After because it sparkled like a promise in the oceanic depths of his gaze.
She cupped his face and pulled him down to kiss her.
The crowd cheered.
“I love you,” Lucky whispered against his lips.
“In my day, we got married before the kissing,” Grammy said from her place on the altar with a wink.
So much love welled in her heart, it was like an eternal spring that overflowed and the world around them erupted in flowers and vegetation. Life was everywhere, thriving on the love of those who had come together to celebrate and cherish it.
Luckily for them all, there wasn’t a mutant cherry in sight.
Only two hearts who had chosen to beat as one, eager to begin their new journey. The one the storybooks called Happily Ever After.
JUST A SMIDGE MORE MEDDLING
Petty cried as she waved Lucky and Ransom off to Monaco on their first date. Honeymoon. Whatever they wanted to call it was fine with her.
All that mattered to Petty was that her charges had found their way to each other and they were currently skipping down the primrose path of Happily Ever After.
“Another job well done, I say,” Bluebonnet said, sniffing. She tucked a delicate lace handkerchief up to her nose. “Weddings always make me cry.”
“Did you know that we have bookings again?” Jonquil asked, swiping her finger over her iPad notifications. “Look at this, it’s ridiculous. We’re not going to need that carnival Lucky suggested.”
“I still like the carnival idea,” Bluebonnet said.
Petty leaned over her sister’s shoulder and pushed her glasses back up on her nose. “Huh. Looks like people found us anyway once I removed the cloaking from Ever After. Just goes to show you that some things are meant to be and they will find a way.”
“Oh, girls. Have I got a story for you. I was reading through the applications to hire some help at Fairy Godmothers, Inc. You know, planning for the best. This one is a doozy.”
“Do tell,” Jonquil encouraged.
She pulled up the résumé on her tablet of one Zuri Davis.
“Zuri has been a wedding planner for several years—”
“How many? A couple is two. Several can be three, four, five?” Jonquil asked.
“Bah, we don’t care about that. She needs our help.”
“Thought you were tired of helping?” Jonquil needled her.
“Hush. Listen. Zuri fell in love with the groom in the last wedding she helped plan. Unbeknownst to her, of course. It did not have the cute ending like that one movie. Her whole life is in flames. She needs a place to recover. A place to hide from the fallout, at least for a little bit anyway.”
“What she needs, girls, is Fairy Godmothers, Inc.!” Petty cried.
They all agreed, and that was how failed wedding planner Zuri Davis acquired herself not one, but three fairy godmothers with a strong penchant for meddling, and a story she’d retell her children night after night until they, too, dreamed of their own Happily Ever After.
Can’t get enough of Petty, Jonquil, and Bluebonnet?
Keep reading for a sneak peek at more adventures
from these mischievous matchmakers
in Ever After,
coming soon
from
Saranna DeWylde
and
Zebra Books.
Petunia “Petty” Blossom was currently fluttering around the boardroom of Fairy Godmothers, Inc., making quite the sparkly mess. Glittery fairy dust followed in her wake as she zipped from one project to the next like an overcaffeinated bumblebee with too many luscious blooms to choose from.
Of course, it was Gwen’s fault for bringing them so many of her decadent espresso brownies.
Oh, bless that child. Petty made herself a mental note to shake some fairy dust into Gwen’s coffee. She needed to get things moving so Gwen and Roderick would be a done deal before Roderick’s MIA fairy godmother could show up and thwart her lovely plans.
“Petunia!” Bluebonnet’s voice startled her and Petty dropped out of the air and landed firmly on her rounded bottom.
She rubbed her rump. “I don’t know why they call it extra padding. I don’t feel padded at all.”
“Never mind that, sister. I see that look in your eye. What are you up to?”
Petunia widened her eyes and blinked slowly. “Whatever do you mean?”
Bluebonnet squinted at her. “I’ve known you for too long. You’re wearing your meddling face.”
“Of course I am. That’s what we do.” Except Petunia and her sisters had all agreed they’d be leaving Roderick and Gwen alone to find their way when they were ready. Petty just didn’t think she could risk Roderick’s FG messing up their plans. His FG hadn’t seen the whole thread. (Actually, she hadn’t seen much of anything since she’d fallen off her broom and with magic stores low, it had taken her several years to heal.)
Jonquil popped her head in the door. “Did I hear the sounds of meddling in the morning? I brought coffee from Bernadette’s!”
“Oh!” Bluebonnet clapped. “Bernadette’s cappuccino always pairs well with meddling.”
Petty spread her wings and used them to lift herself off the floor. She also zapped her bottom with her wand because she wasn’t about to deal with a bruise.
“We also have a fresh batch of espresso brownies from Grammy’s Goodies. Gwen made them,” Petunia said. “Also, I need you each to eat at least one or extra hijinks may ensue. You know what it’s like when I’m on the caffeine.”
Bluebonnet and Jonquil were quick to come to her aid and each grabbed several brownies from the pretty red box.
“Is that why you’re such a firecracker this morning?” Bluebonnet asked.
“Mmm.” Petty nodded after taking a sip of the coffee.
“Oh, wait. Then perhaps you shouldn’t be drinking the magic bean juice?” Jonquil dared to ask.
Petty growled at her and clutched the coffee close to her chest.
Jonquil held up her hands in surrender. “Calm yourself. I swear, you’re acting like Grammy on a full moon.”
“Sorry.” Petty slouched. “It’s just we have so much to accomplish.” She glanced skyward, then over both shoulders. “Not that I’m complaining. It’s a blessing to be so busy. Ever After is flourishing, as are our charges, and our wedding planning business. But it is a lot of balls to keep in the air.”
Bluebonnet snorted her coffee and spewed it out of her nose like a geyser. “Balls!”
The three of them cackled, and with a wave of Bluebonnet’s wand, she cleaned up the mess as if it had never happened.
“You’re worse than me, I swear.” Petunia took the opportunity to swipe the last brownie that her sisters had so lovingly left for her.
“Can this be right?” Bluebonnet nodded to the seven different columns on the far wall, each column allocated to a different wedding. Then she turned her head to the opposite wall, which had been plastered with their ideas for the spring carnival.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Jonquil said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that after Ransom and Lucky’s debacle we’ve still gotten so many bookings. The magic wells in town are full and we’re able to begin exporting. I just don’t know how we can keep up this pace.”
Bluebonnet squealed so loudly that Petty’s spectacles cracked.
Petty sniffed and wiggled her nose, trying to get the glasses to move without touching them with her fingers.
“Sorry,” Bluebonnet apologized. “I’m so excited. Zuri will be here tomorrow.”
Jonquil zapped Petty’s spectacles, mending them instantly before she said, “I’m afraid she’s going to be a project as well. More so
than any help to us.”
“She’s a modern woman.” Petty gave up and adjusted her glasses with her fingers. “She can do both.”
“Hmm. But should she have to?” Bluebonnet asked.
“I have been noodling on this,” Jonquil said. “First, we shall start her testing the wedding favors and services from the local vendors. That way she gets to meet everyone, she knows what we have to offer clients, and I think it especially important we get her set up with one of those wish favors.”
Petty clapped gleefully. “Oh, you’re brilliant. Just brilliant.”
“But there’s more,” Jonquil teased in a sing-song voice.
“For an additional twenty-nine ninety-five?” Bluebonnet asked.
“For free.” She tapped her wand on the long table. “Listen. We put her on the Petrovsky-Markhoff wedding. It’s important.”
Petunia narrowed her eyes. “Are we sure? I mean, the last wedding she worked on the bride took her dress off in front of everyone and lit it on fire. FIRE, Jonquil.”
“Hmm. Quite.” Jonquil nodded. “Don’t tell me that you’d have done any less if you’d discovered your groom had been having an affair with the wedding planner. Actually, that’s really rather mild in comparison.”
“Oh yes!” Bluebonnet agreed. “The bride was quite reasonable. After all, it’s not like she turned a prince into a frog. Forever.”
Petunia rolled her eyes and flopped back in her chair. “Oh my gods. Will you two give it a rest? I have apologized profusely to Charming. And really, he hasn’t yet apologized to us, Bon-Bon. I mean, he’s sorry. I made him sorry.” Petty narrowed her eyes at the memory. “But the actual apology, being sorry for his actions because they were wrong, he hasn’t owned that.”
Jonquil shrugged. “His problem, I suppose. Maybe that’s why none of the kisses have worked to free him from his green hell?”
“Hmm,” Petty mused.
“Hmm,” Bon-Bon agreed.
“When you have time, dears, you should really look at their threads. They’re all tangled up like a cat in a basket of knitting,” Jonquil advised.
“I should start brewing headache powder now, shouldn’t I?” Petty asked.
Bluebonnet waved her off. “Oh hush. You know this is your favorite part.”
Petty grinned. “It really is.”
“Seven weddings. I can’t believe it. I didn’t think this crazy scheme of yours was going to work.” Jonquil shook her head.
“Ha!” Petty pointed her wand at each of her sisters. “I knew you doubted me!”
Bluebonnet swatted her hand away. “Don’t point that thing at me.”
Petty pocketed her wand. “Sorry. But really.”
Jonquil grinned at both of them. “We’re awful. Absolutely wretched. If we didn’t use our powers for good, we’d be wicked witches.”
“Evil queens,” Petty giggled.
“Damn,” Jonquil swore. “I almost forgot. Our own evil queen Ravenna is going to be a problem.”
“On purpose?” Bluebonnet wrinkled her nose. “I mean, she’s always a problem, but is she going to try to thwart us because we already lived that story and I’m not about to tolerate any of her nonsense again. If she’s not careful, why . . . I’ll . . .”
“You’ll what? Make her more miserable than she already is? She’s not ready for love. It would be particularly unkind to give her what she’s always wanted before she’s ready for it,” Petty said.
Bluebonnet crossed her arms over her chest. “I am feeling unkind. She thwarts us at every turn.”
“Love is a gift, not a punishment, Bon-Bon.”
Bluebonnet harrumphed. “I know. She just irks me.”
“It seems she’ll be at the center of the tangle.” Jonquil gestured to the wall. “Of all of our threads.”
“This calls for more fortification,” Petty declared.
“Loose the dogs of war!” Bluebonnet cried, shaking her fist.
“Um, no. I was going to suggest we eat more treats,” Petty said.
“I seem to recall someone telling me I simply needed more sugar,” Jonquil offered soothingly. “And I did and it all worked out just lovely for Ransom and Lucky.”
“I suppose. Perhaps an ice cream soda?” Bluebonnet replied softly.
“That’s the spirit,” Jonquil said.
“Wait, so what about the Petrovsky-Markhoff wedding is so important for our new assistant?” Petty brought them back to the subject at hand.
“Closure, as far as the threads of fate seem to be concerned.”
Bluebonnet shook her head. “That doesn’t bode well. Weddings are about beginnings, not endings.”
“We’ll all find out soon enough,” Jonquil promised.
This definitely called for ice cream sodas all around. Perhaps the kind that could only be had at the pub.
“I say we take a break with a more adult kind of fortification at Pick ’N Axe,” Petty suggested.
“Why Petty, it’s not even noon.” Bluebonnet pretended to be scandalized.
“It’s brunch somewhere, dearies!” Jonquil said. “They have those delightful shakes. The ones with the mango ice cream and the rum.”
“Sugar is always the answer.” Petunia nodded. “If it can’t be fixed with a brownie, try an ice cream soda. If that doesn’t work, well, we go to the sugarcane spirits.”
Bon-Bon giggled. “That’s what I’m going to call it from now on. We’re consulting the spirits.”
Jonquil cackled. “Let’s go consult the spirits.”
Petty linked arms with her sisters. “I wonder if they’ll have any answers for us.”
As they started on the short walk to Pick ’N Axe, Petty saw a geyser of water shooting out from one of the mushroom-capped cottages beyond the square.
“Right on time,” Bluebonnet said. “Roderick should be running to her rescue at five, four, three, two . . .”
Petty squinted through her spectacles and they enhanced her view just enough so that she could see the door to Roderick’s cottage as it opened and he sprinted to Gwen’s.
She grinned. “A decent round of meddling before brunch.”
“Quite.” Jonquil said, obviously pleased with their efforts.
Even if the shrieking from mushroom cottage number two said rather the opposite.
Photo courtesy of the author
Saranna DeWylde has always been fascinated by things better left in the dark. She wrote her first story after watching The Exorcist at a slumber party. Since then, she’s published horror, romance and narrative nonfiction. Like all writers, Saranna has held a variety of jobs, from operations supervisor for an airline, to an assistant for a call girl, to a corrections officer. But like Hemingway said, “Once writing has become your major vice and greatest pleasure, only death can stop it.” So she traded in her cuffs for a full-time keyboard. She writes as Saranna DeWylde, Sara Wylde, Sara Arden, and Sara Lunsford. She loves to hear from her readers. Visit her at www.sarannadewylde.com.
A Hilarious and Charming Feel-Good Read Page 27