with whipped cream and raspberries. “I want a piece of that one,” the tall woman confided, pointing to a nut pie that definitely had chocolate in it. “It’s a new recipe, and it looks heavenly!”
Prissie cringed at her choice of words, but nodded in agreement.
Uncle Lou kept his eyes on his newspaper as he nonchalantly said, “Your pa might let us test a few, being as it’s the end of the day.”
“Are you trying to get Prissie to sweet-talk a piece of pie for you?” Pearl scolded.
The old man peeked from under bushy white brows. “I wouldn’t object to a wee wedge — or a warm-up?” He lifted his coffee cup hopefully, and Pearl shook her head in mock dismay.
Prissie smiled as the two entered into their usual routine of polite wheedling and gentle bossing that always ended in Uncle Lou’s favor. She was feeling better by the minute, and then, the kitchen door swung wide, and her father strode through, dressed in chef’s whites and wiping his hands on a well-spattered apron. The minute he spotted her, he broke into a wide, boyish grin.
Jayce Pomeroy was tall and broad, with brown hair and blue eyes that sparkled with good humor. While Prissie didn’t necessarily want her friends to find out that her dad spent most of his day wearing a hair net, that didn’t stop her from hurrying forward when he opened his arms. “There’s my girl! What are you doing here, princess?”
She explained the bare minimum, and her father nodded his understanding. “Then call your mother and tell her we’re bringing home peach cobbler tonight!”
A couple hours later, soft chimes sounded when Mr. Pomeroy opened The Curiosity Shop’s front door and stepped inside. He lifted a hand to greet his old friend. “Good afternoon, sir! I hear you’re in possession of one of my lot.”
“I am at that!” Harken gestured broadly at Beau, who was hunkered down in the corner, poring over an illustrated history of nearby Sunderland State Park. “As you can see, he’s enjoying the fruits of his labors.”
The teen stirred enough to blink blue eyes at his father over the top of the oversized book before breaking into an enthusiastic grin. “Hi, Dad! Mr. Mercer’s letting me keep this! It’s pretty cool … it even has maps of the caves!”
Jayce raised his eyebrows at Harken, who waved his hand. “The boy earned it.”
Milo strolled out of the back room, a hammer in hand. “Hey there, Mr. Pomeroy! Did Miss Priscilla make it over to the bakery all right?”
“Sure, sure … that’s partly why I’m here,” her father replied, causing the two angels to exchange a quick glance. Jayce shoved his hands into his pockets and addressed the shop owner. “My wife tells me that Milo’s coming to dinner, and she asked me to invite you as well … unless you have other plans?”
“Well, now,” Harken replied thoughtfully. “That’s very generous, but I don’t wish to impose.”
“Don’t even think it,” scoffed Jayce. “You know Naomi, it’s always the more, the merrier. She said my mother’s pulled out the stops, and Prissie and I made dessert.”
The old man’s low chuckle filled the shop. “I would be honored to accept your hospitality, Jayce. Thank you for thinking of an old bachelor like me.”
“You and Milo are most welcome,” Jayce assured.
“Yo, Prissie, anybody home?” demanded Neil, her next brother up the family order.
Snapping fingers in front of her eyes startled Prissie out of her thoughts, and she looked in confusion at her oldest brother Tad, whose lips quirked in amusement. “Where’ve you been?”
Pointed ears, shining clothes, blue doors, and forest glades filled her mind, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “Sorry, what?”
Neil rolled his eyes and half-stood to reach across the table and snag the butter dish sitting in front of her plate. “Here ya go, Milo,” the sixteen-year-old declared. His blue eyes twinkled with mischief as he added, “Please excuse our sister; she’s not usually this neglectful of our guests. You must be a special case.”
“Thank you, Neil,” the mailman politely replied, though his gaze rested uncertainly on Prissie.
If she hadn’t prided herself so highly on good posture, Prissie would have slouched … or slid right under the table. Having Milo over for dinner was a rare treat. On any other day, she would have fought tooth and nail to claim a place of honor at his side, but tonight, Grandma Nell had needed a firm hand to haul onto her usual seat between her mother and