The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,19
the photos that Magnus would be thrilled by them. He was easy that way.
“Can you print these for me? If I try to work that printer I want to throw it into the sea. And that’s an environmental issue.”
Hayley carried my phone away to cajole the printer into working.
I said to Archie, “You know what I like about you?”
“What?”
“When I have an idea you like to do it. You’re one of my favorite people.”
“You my fav-it people too.”
Hayley returned a few minutes later with five printed photos. I chose three. I wrote on the back, we love you, and tucked them into the book.
Twelve - Kaitlyn
Day Three
Isla was toddling around the room banging ‘gator with lunch’ on furniture, on the verge of a massive tantrum, tired from her day, winding down by lashing out. Ben was trying to rescue a toy car, she was trying to yank it away from him. I felt helpless because of numbness. Hayley marched in. “Ben dude, what’s up?”
“Iwa hurt car.”
“She is not going to hurt that car, at all. And whatever, right? You’re a cool dude, she’s just little. She needs you to give it a magic shrug.”
“Magic?”
“Yep, watch.” She shrugged, screwed her face up, and said, “Whatevs.”
He said, “Whatevs,” with a funny face.
Hayley and Ben pretended to be interested in a doll and Isla, cute as heck, said, “Me, me!” threw down the car and toddled over to see.
Hayley said, “I told you it was magic.” She and Ben fist-bumped and he went to recover his car.
Hayley looked around the room and announced, “Look at Mookie, he’s depressed.”
Mookie was sitting at Beaty’s feet like always. He cocked his head at Hayley, a lot like a dog would.
Beaty scratched him under the chin, “Dost ye think he is sad?”
“Yes, look at him! What we need is a slumber party for Mookie.” She commanded, “Everyone, grab a mattress, drag it in here, we’re all sleeping in the living room tonight!” She didn’t have to ask me twice, I really didn’t want to sleep alone.
She said, “Emma and Zach, you want to do a slumber party?”
Emma said, “Sure! Can we have the pullout sofa?”
“Of course! Katie, drag out Archie’s mattress.” She left for the garage and retuned with a queen blow up mattress.
Together we dragged away the coffee table and pulled out the sofa bed and I made it for Emma, while Zach blew up the mattress for Hayley. She grabbed a pile of sheets and blankets from the linen closet, while I dragged Ben’s mattress to the living room too. Then everyone ran off to grab pillows. I yelled after them, “Put on your pajamas, too!”
I scooped up Isla and went and changed her diaper and put on her pajamas.
When we returned to the living room, we got comfortable with contented sighs in the piles of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. Beaty had made up the loveseat and Mookie was on one end curled around her legs. Hayley grabbed the remote control. “Okay, Aunt Hayley is turning on Mookie’s favorite movie: Finding Nemo.”
A robust cheer went up from the kids even though, as Emma said, “You watch it All. The. Time.”
Hayley said, “You can’t argue with Mookie, Emma, we have to watch it, look at his face.”
We all glanced at the pig who said, right then, ‘gruff, gruff.’
It was dark outside but my eyes were drawn to the back porch, where the wind was gusting against the awning. Zach and I moved our gaze to the monitor in the kitchen — a storm. Two vessels.
Zach said, “Let me go check with Fraoch and James. Go ahead and start the movie, I know it by heart.” He went out the door.
Isla cuddled up beside Emma, but once I got my pillows situated, and Archie leaned against my side, she climbed off the sofa-bed and wheedled right in between me and Archie. Archie and I glanced at each other and like a good boy he just got comfortable and snuggled in.
We started the movie.
It was hard to concentrate on the movie though, and I had forgotten the plot, I actually wanted to watch it. Doing something as normal as watching Finding Nemo was exactly right for my mindset, but at this moment I desperately wanted to know what was happening, a storm?
Then through the glass door, I saw Hammond. He was on the porch, talking to Fraoch and a couple of the security men. Then he opened the door and entered the living room. I started to