Cold Burn of Magic
Page 90
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He was wearing his usual Hawaiian shirt, this one a cool white with bright pink margaritas patterned all over the fabric. He got to his feet, came around the table, and gave me a hug.
“I’m so proud of you, kid,” Mo whispered in my ear. “And your mom would be, too.”
He stepped back and swept his arms out to the side, and I realized that the table was covered with food. Platters of eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and, most important of all, bacon. Mounds of it. Piles of it. More bacon than I had ever seen in one place before. All arranged around my usual seat, as if it had been put there especially for me.
“What’s all this?” I asked.
“Breakfast,” Oscar said, twitching his wings.
“Extra heavy on the bacon, just for you.” Felix winked at me.
Devon cleared his throat. “It’s our official way of saying welcome to the Family.”
His voice was quiet and his eyes were dark, telling me just how much I’d hurt him last night. My own heart squeezed tight, but once again, I told myself it was for the best.
“Thanks.”
He nodded, and we all sat down and started eating. Mo dominated the conversation, talking about all the plans he had and all the great deals he was going to make for the Sinclairs. I knew he would do a good job as the Family broker.
At one point, Felix leaned over to me. “Geez,” he whispered, “does that guy ever shut up?”
I laughed.
“Plus,” Mo said, finally stopping long enough to take a breath, “just think of how many more customers I’ll get at the Razzle Dazzle, now that it’s an official Sinclair Family joint. Why, I can already picture all the advertising.”
Mo beamed still brighter, to the dismay of Devon, Felix, and Oscar. Their eyes had long ago glazed over. I hid a smile. They’d get used to Mo . . . eventually.
Felix finally managed to enter the conversation, and he, Mo, and Oscar started debating what color Mo should paint the Razzle Dazzle next. This time, my eyes were the ones that glazed over, at least until Devon nudged me with his elbow.
He nodded at my arm. “The cuff looks good on you.”
My hand crept over to the thin band of silver, my fingers once again tracing the small star embedded in the metal. “Yeah.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Lila,” he said. “I hope you feel that way, too.”
Devon stared at me, a mix of emotions swirling through his eyes. I saw everything I had that first day at the Razzle Dazzle—the guilt, grief, sorrow, and all the other burdens he carried in his heart.
And then there was that hot spark, a little darker and dimmer than before, but still burning all the same.
“Me too,” I said.
Devon smiled, and that spark brightened just for a moment, and I felt an answering bit of warmth stir in my own heart. I nodded at him, and we both went back to our food, things a little less tense between us. A few seconds later, we were laughing, along with Oscar, as Mo and Felix talked over each other nonstop.
Somewhere between those laughs and all the others that morning, I realized something.
My home. My friends. My Family.
Sometimes, good things come in threes.
“I’m so proud of you, kid,” Mo whispered in my ear. “And your mom would be, too.”
He stepped back and swept his arms out to the side, and I realized that the table was covered with food. Platters of eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and, most important of all, bacon. Mounds of it. Piles of it. More bacon than I had ever seen in one place before. All arranged around my usual seat, as if it had been put there especially for me.
“What’s all this?” I asked.
“Breakfast,” Oscar said, twitching his wings.
“Extra heavy on the bacon, just for you.” Felix winked at me.
Devon cleared his throat. “It’s our official way of saying welcome to the Family.”
His voice was quiet and his eyes were dark, telling me just how much I’d hurt him last night. My own heart squeezed tight, but once again, I told myself it was for the best.
“Thanks.”
He nodded, and we all sat down and started eating. Mo dominated the conversation, talking about all the plans he had and all the great deals he was going to make for the Sinclairs. I knew he would do a good job as the Family broker.
At one point, Felix leaned over to me. “Geez,” he whispered, “does that guy ever shut up?”
I laughed.
“Plus,” Mo said, finally stopping long enough to take a breath, “just think of how many more customers I’ll get at the Razzle Dazzle, now that it’s an official Sinclair Family joint. Why, I can already picture all the advertising.”
Mo beamed still brighter, to the dismay of Devon, Felix, and Oscar. Their eyes had long ago glazed over. I hid a smile. They’d get used to Mo . . . eventually.
Felix finally managed to enter the conversation, and he, Mo, and Oscar started debating what color Mo should paint the Razzle Dazzle next. This time, my eyes were the ones that glazed over, at least until Devon nudged me with his elbow.
He nodded at my arm. “The cuff looks good on you.”
My hand crept over to the thin band of silver, my fingers once again tracing the small star embedded in the metal. “Yeah.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Lila,” he said. “I hope you feel that way, too.”
Devon stared at me, a mix of emotions swirling through his eyes. I saw everything I had that first day at the Razzle Dazzle—the guilt, grief, sorrow, and all the other burdens he carried in his heart.
And then there was that hot spark, a little darker and dimmer than before, but still burning all the same.
“Me too,” I said.
Devon smiled, and that spark brightened just for a moment, and I felt an answering bit of warmth stir in my own heart. I nodded at him, and we both went back to our food, things a little less tense between us. A few seconds later, we were laughing, along with Oscar, as Mo and Felix talked over each other nonstop.
Somewhere between those laughs and all the others that morning, I realized something.
My home. My friends. My Family.
Sometimes, good things come in threes.
