So Sugar had kept the baby from imprinting until Ty and Mara got there, and the baby was a dragon.
Walter was so relieved his knees nearly buckled. He didn’t want to risk his friendship or feel he’d failed before the office had even officially opened. He walked toward the van and peeked in.
The others there, those who had helped him subdue the reptiles, also gathered for a glimpse of the brand-new, second dragon on the planet.
Ty reached down and then stood back up, holding his baby dragon aloft like he was Mufasa holding up Simba in Disney’s The Lion King.
Walter chuckled.
He looked at Sugar, so sweet, so beautiful, so brave, and realized he didn’t care if she was human. He knew how much pain came with loving and marrying a human who couldn’t live anywhere near as long as he could, but he didn’t care. He would cherish the lifetime he could have with her — her lifetime.
He loved Sugar and wanted to have her with him always.
Mine, his wolf said.
Yes, he replied. Ours.
His wolf sighed in satisfaction.
She caught sight of him and climbed out of the van, grinning. “It’s a little boy dragon. Mara said to ask you how long he might be a dragon before shifting into his human form.”
Walter laughed and raised his voice so the parents could hear. “There hasn’t been a baby dragon born since Ty’s egg hundreds of years ago. How should I know?” And he laughed in delight. “I guess we’ll be finding out. I’ll write the book on it.”
Ty nodded at him. “Now the curtain is off the wizard and we see that you don’t know everything.”
“It’s true. That’s a huge burden I just set aside.” Walter sighed. “I owe a few people some apologies here. Ty and Mara, I am very sorry for putting the information about the incubator codes in the computer. I did it in the name of efficiency, but the Nazis were also efficient. I’m really sorry.”
Ty bowed his head to Walter. “Apology accepted, my friend. You saved the egg and all is well.”
He turned to Sugar. “And I am very sorry for thinking, even for a moment, that you could be in the wrong. I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
“I’ll probably screw up again in the future. But I hope you’ll take a chance on me anyway.”
Then he took Sugar into his arms and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and he slid his around her shoulders. She fit perfectly — in his arms, in his heart, and in his life.
When they pulled back, her eyes were closed and her lips were parted slightly. She fluttered her eyes open and smiled at him.
“Will you marry me, Sugar?”
“Don’t you want to know if I’m already married?”
“No.”
She smiled. “Don’t you want to know my real name?”
“No. You will always be my Sugar.”
Sugar looked up at Walter with love filling her. “I’d really like to know my name.”
Someone tapped her shoulder, and she turned in Walter’s arms. He let her slip free, reluctantly it seemed.
“Hi, Ginnie. I never saw a genie fight before. You were amazing!”
Ginnie took her hand. “Sugar, I want to know your real name, too.”
“That’s so sweet. Thank you.”
Ginnie took a deep breath. “This is hard for me to say. It’s not given easily.”
Sugar didn’t understand, but Walter gasped. “Ginnie, are you sure? You only have three.”
Ginnie smiled. “I’m sure.” She turned to Sugar. “I’m allowed to grant three wishes, to whomever I choose, throughout my lifetime. We genies are supposed to safeguard those wishes and only use them for the purest of purposes. This is one of those. I want you to know.”
Tears burned Sugar’s eyes. “Oh, Ginnie, that’s beautiful. But I can’t take one of your wishes.”
“You can’t refuse a genie’s wish, not if it’s given freely.” Ginnie raised her voice so all could hear. “I hereby freely grant a wish to Sugar.”
Instantly, Sugar felt power and magic swirling within her and she nearly tipped over. Walter caught her and righted her.
“Say the words like this,” Ginnie instructed. “I wish to have my memories restored fully, in perfect condition, to bring me joy.”
“Ginnie, thank you.”
“Say those words. Quickly.”
“I wish to have my memories restored fully, in perfect condition, to bring me joy,” Sugar repeated.
Power spun through her entire body and began moving up toward her head. Colors swirled around her brain and she felt synapses firing and reconnecting. It was the most amazing thing ever.
When the power faded, Sugar stood there.
Everyone watched her expectantly.
Walter touched her shoulder. “Are you all right?”
She smiled at him. “I know who I am!’
She turned to Ginnie, and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, my friend. I am forever in your debt.”
“No. A wish freely granted incurs no debt. But you are now my dear friend.”
“I’ll accept that.”
They pulled back and Sugar turned to the crowd.
“I am Lydia Hamilton of the prestigious Hamilton Witch Coven from Palisades, Colorado, outside of Grand Junction.”
“Lydia Hamilton?” The voice had a soft southern drawl to it.
She turned and saw — Elvis Presley! “Elvis?”
“You’re the baker I hired, the one who never showed up.”
Sugar smiled. “Yes. I hope you still want me to work with you because it would be an honor.”
That famous, handsome face broke into the familiar, lopsided grin. “I just had a feeling to put off hiring someone else. You’re going to work out just fine, young lady.”
“Thanks.” Sugar — she now knew she was Lydia, but she really liked the nickname Sugar — turned back to Walter. “And I am, specifically, a Good Luck Kitchen Witch.”
“Of course you are.” Walter chuckled. “That explains your serendipity.”
“But getting a concussion and losing your memory wasn’t good luck,” Jareth pointed out.
“The doors opened and I fell out, thereby escaping the clutches of the crocodiles. And I met Walter. And my being in the office made it harder for Jade to get to the egg.”
“How did you guess the password?” Jareth asked her.
She smiled at him. “Lucky guess.”
“And the code?” Ginnie asked.
“Same thing. I have lucky guesses all the time — apparently even when I have amnesia.”
Walter took her hand.
“I thought being a hacker was cool,” she told him, “but a witch is far cooler.”
“Aren’t witches supposed to have wands or something?”
“Ahhh. Yes. And I saw mine in the van.” Sugar climbed in and picked up what had looked like a conductor’s baton to her. Now she recognized it as her wand made of applewood.
Her fingers closed around it in satisfaction and that beautiful pale blue light moved from her hand to the tip.
She had a wand.
With a laugh, she waved it in the air — and blue light shot up into the air above the van, above the people, exploded, and cinnamon rolls fell from the sky like rain.
Startled, people laughed and reached out to catch them.
Walter took a bite and his eyes widened.
Yeah. I’m a kitchen witch and I’m good at what I do. I make enchanted delights.
I just like doing it without my magic, too.
The next day the town threw two huge parties for the new dragon.
The first was paranormals only, and a crowd had gathered at the Unicorn Ranch for fireworks, fun, and friendship.
The humans were free to join in the Town Square celebration — advertised as Steampunk Dragon Kite Day — with rides on the Moonchuckle Bay Studio’s Steampunk Dragon Kite and new dishes in nearly every restaurant, including a new dragon-sized sundae in Cake and
Scream.
Everyone wanted a glimpse of the new dragon.
The second dragon in the entire world.
Walter was picking up Sugar at Jingle’s in two hours. And he had an idea.
After hearing that the odious crocodile had eaten her cat, he wanted to find another cat for her, so he was on his way to the Cats in the Belfry pet store and vet service, where people could, in addition to buying animals, drop off stray animals or adopt those animals.
He walked across Town Square from the SOC office. Inside, he found Tammy Burnside, a pretty little werewolf. She was now about thirty and happily married, but he’d tutored her when she was struggling with history in high school. “Hi, Tammy. How’s the family?”
“Stuart and the girls are doing well. He’s got them over at Cake and Scream right now and they’re sharing the huge new sundae.” She leaned on the counter. “How’s the new office coming?”
“Just great.”
“Are you going to the celebration tonight?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Oh, that’s right. You and the parents are good friends, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
“So what brings you in here? Looking for a pet?” She raised her eyebrow. “I thought you said you were too busy for a pet.”
“How do you remember these things when I said them years ago?”
“That’s what Stuart keeps asking me, too,” she teased.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m dating Lydia Hamilton.”
“The good luck charm? The story’s buzzing about town.”
“Can you keep a secret, Tammy?”
“Cross my heart,” she said with the accompanying motion.
“She lost her cat and I’d like to find a new one for her and surprise her with it tonight.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet, Dr. Clemmons. You’ve turned into a romantic, you have.”
“I suppose I have, at that.”
“Come on back here and see what we’ve got. We have about ten cats, anywhere from kittens to an old eleven-year-old.”
He went into the Catty Corner. There were no cages, but he could feel the light pulse of magical energy keeping them inside the corner area. The three kittens were adorable, but he didn’t feel like they’d be right. There were cats of all colors here.
And then he saw one that he thought would be perfect. “How about that white and brown one?”
“Oh, she’s got attitude, that one does. She was just brought in a couple of hours ago by a motorist who found her roaming around town.”
Walter stepped closer and knelt beside the pretty cat. “I think you’ll be a good cat for a kitchen witch.”
The cat meowed and stood, rubbing its head against him. He scratched behind her ears.
“A romantic, Dr. Clemmons.” Tammy laughed.
“Would you be willing to keep the cat and bring her to the party with you? We can surprise Sugar with it when you get there.”
“I’d love to be part of the surprise.”
“Thanks, Tammy. Did I ever tell you that you were my favorite student?”
“I thought you were from Scotland, and now I’m thinking you must be Irish because of the whole blarney stone thing and all.”
He left the store laughing and happy.
EPILOGUE
An Angel With Attitude
SUGAR LOVED THE UNICORNS, as well as the feeling of friendship and family she’d found here in Moonchuckle Bay. Even without knowing who she was, she’d been accepted and loved by the entire community.
Ty was doing the Simba thing again, this time on the balcony at the Unicorn Ranch — but not over the balcony à la Michael Jackson.
Mara looked on proudly as the baby’s name was announced: Benedict Martin Thrakos. Then Ty said, “But we’ll just call him Benny for now.”
Benedict was a huge name for such a little guy — who had shifted to human after the first twelve hours or so. He was adorable.
Benedict was also the Latin word for blessed, which is how Ty felt to no longer be the only dragon left.
The fireworks started, and they all watched from the balcony and people filled the porch below, as well. Sugar had visited with Ginnie earlier. The genie’s selfless sacrifice had created a special bond between the two of them. Plus, she just liked her.
Jareth had teased Ginnie about having lied about already granting all her wishes, and Ginnie had said, “Get stuffed.” Jareth had smiled at her.
Walter took Sugar’s hand and she looked up at him. He smiled down at her and there was such love and tenderness in his smile that her knees went a little weak.
As the fireworks ended, Sheriff Winston joined them while people began moving inside for refreshments. “I just thought you’d like to know,” he said, “that we have the crocodile shifters in a safe facility. They’ll be going away for a long time for what they did to you and to the dragon egg.”
Walter nodded. “I just heard that the London council is punishing the entire bask of crocodile shifters.”
“Bask? I thought a group of crocodiles was called a float,” Sugar said.
“That’s a group of crocodiles in the water, but a group on land is a bask.”
“Whatever they’re called,” she said, “I’m glad to hear they’re being punished.”
Dr. Johnson also joined them, though he apparently hadn’t heard that Sugar had regained her memory. “I researched that tattoo you have,” he said, “and it’s the tattoo of a powerful coven of witches you don’t want to mess with.”
Walter laughed. “Old news, my friend. It’s the Hamilton Witches of Colorado.”
Surprised, the Doctor gave her a hug and congratulated her.
“By the way, Walter, my grandmother said she’s coming to visit us.”
He blanched. “When?’
“In a month or so.” She touched his cheek. “Don’t look so worried.”
“Easy for you to say. She’ll want to know why I’m marrying a human.”
“I’m not a human. And,” she whispered in his ear, “I think you may want to know that I don’t have a human life span, either.”
His eyes widened. “You don’t?”
She smiled. “We have ways of making ourselves stay young. I’m only thirty, but my grandmother is nearly two hundred years old — and she looks fifty, maybe.”
He pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so relieved to hear that.”
When she pulled back, she pointed to the ring he wore on his little finger. “Tell me about this.”
“I think I can take it off now. It belonged to my first wife.”
“Would you want me to wear it?”
He considered and then shook his head. “No. I want you to have a ring that’s meant specifically for you.”
Walter spotted something — or someone — and said, “Wait here for me, please.” He stopped and came back, leading her to a row of chairs. “Sit here, please.”
“What’s up?”
“A surprise. Now sit.”
Sugar did.
He came back over. “I have a gift for you. My friend, Tammy Burnside, has been keeping her for us today.” He knelt down before her. “I know how much you regret losing your cat, and I wanted to choose another one for you. I realize she won’t make up for the loss of yours, but maybe it could be a new beginning.”
“You got me a cat?” She was so touched. “That’s so sweet, Walter.”
“Wait until you see it before you say that,” a woman said, carrying a white and brown cat.
Sugar’s eyes widened and chills raced up her spine. It was her cat!
“Angel!” she cried.
“An angel with attitude, maybe,” Tammy said, handing the cat over to Sugar.
Sugar snuggled with the cat, who was purring and rubbing against her.
“I’ve missed you so much!” Well, actually she hadn’t because she hadn’t remembered she had a cat, but she had as soon as she regained her memories. “The crocodile d
idn’t eat her, after all! The big fat liar!”
“Even your cat had good luck,” Walter said. “She escaped and was there waiting for you on the day I went in. Tammy said she’d just been brought in.”
After five minutes or so, Angel had had enough, because she jumped down and started exploring.
Walter sat down beside Sugar. “Will you be my personal good luck charm?”
“Like your own rabbit’s foot, you mean?” she teased.
“Much, much cuter than a rabbit’s foot.”
“As long as you know that some of my good luck is good luck in disguise. Like falling out of a van and getting a concussion and amnesia.”
“You really should go out for Miss Paranormal, Sugar,” Ginnie said. “With your good luck, you just might win the prize.”
“I’ve already won the prize,” she said, and kissed Walter.
~ The Happy Ending ~
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The Hacker Pushes Her Luck Page 10