Wishful Thinking Read online

  “They did not,” Nana said with satisfaction. “I filled their nasty little hole right in—it took me nearly an hour. I dare say I’ll have to have a talk with Mister Clausen about it. In fact, I’d go over there tonight if it wasn’t so late and if I didn’t smell so.” She wrinkled her nose delicately. “Really, I must shower.”

  Cass sniffed the air. “There is a funny odor in here but I don’t think it’s dog shit. Sorry, Nana, dog crap.”

  “Dog excrement might be a more lady-like thing to say,” Nana huffed

  Cass sniffed the air around their grandmother again and fixed her with a stern stare. “Have you been dabbling in the Craft again?”

  Nana lifted her chin. “Certainly not. I gave my word not to and a fairy’s word is her bond as you well know, Cassandra.”

  Phil jumped to her grandmother’s defense. “Leave her alone, Cass. I’m sure she’s telling the truth.” She didn’t want to admit to burying the last batch of potion in such a foolish spot and was immensely relived that their grandmother had filled in the hole dug by Mister Clausen’s poodles. The last thing she needed after the day she’d had was more drama.

  “You know, girls.” Nana’s full lower lip was trembling and her bright green eyes were abruptly about to overflow. “I understand that I’ve caused you some trouble this week, but it’s only because I’m afraid to be all alone when all of you are gone. Oh, I do wish your grandfather was still alive! I miss him so much sometimes.”

  “Oh, Nana.” Phil and Cass got up simultaneously to give their grandmother a hug.

  “There, there, now. I’m just being a silly old woman.” Their Nana patted Phil affectionately on the cheek and smiled at Cass. “You mustn’t mind me. I must go and shower. You can always tell a true lady by her bewitching scent but right now I positively reek.”

  “Goodnight, Nana,” Phil and Cass chorused and with a final pat to their cheeks, their grandmother swept out of the room.

  “Well…” Cass yawned. “I think I need to turn in, too. It’s late and I have to present at least two of the pieces for my show at the ICU tomorrow. Did you decide what you’re going to do? Please don’t be an idiot about this, Phil. Just tell Josh you care.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Phil wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. She wanted to be sure she was doing the right thing—not just going along with someone else as she had been doing her whole life. She knew Josh loved her, but how did she feel about him? The encounter in the RipTide dressing room still made her blush, but as Josh himself had admitted, there had to be more than just the physical element.

  She thought of all the times she’d cried on his shoulder, all the times he’d made her laugh and given her pep talks, all the sweet, considerate little things he did for her on a daily basis. She felt warm just thinking about it—the way he always remembered her birthday, the way he knew she hated éclairs. There was definitely something there but she wanted to be fair to her best friend—was it enough to ask him to stay for? Or was she still in shock from her abrupt break-up with Christian? Everything was moving so damn fast Phil felt like she was stuck on the Tilt-a-Whirl at the amusement park and couldn’t get off. If only she had a day or a week or a month to think things through!

  Doubtless Christian would be calling her soon to ask when she was coming back. She still had to pack up her things and get out of the apartment she’d shared with him. Besides, Phil thought, if she did decide to start something with Josh in the future, she didn’t want to base a relationship on something either one of them was magically compelled to say. She wanted a fairy godmother-free bond with her best friend and right now, that was impossible.

  No, Phil decided, she was just going to be honest with her friend. I’ll tell him I care about him deeply but I need a little while to sort things out, she told herself. She felt sure if she gave him hope, he would give her time. Time to get away from Christian, get over him, get on with her life. Time to find her feet again before she went jumping back into the deep end of the love pool. And time to get out from under this damn wish.

  “Hello, Phil? Cass surprised her by snapping her fingers in front of her face. “Are you okay? You kinda zoned out on me there.”

  “Fine, I’m fine.” Phil grabbed the cocoa mugs and put them in the sink. “Just tired and wondering how I’m going to get this wish fixed,” she said, hoping her sister wouldn’t keep harping on her romantic entanglements. “I mean, the FG was so nasty about it last time. I bet she won’t show up again for a month no matter hard I yank my earlobe and scream.”

  “Oh, and you’ve got to go to that beach party tomorrow, don’t you?” Cass gave her a sympathetic look. “Wow, no matter how good you look in that bikini Josh bought you, I wouldn’t want to go out on a public beach and hear what everyone thinks of your body.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cass,” Phil said dryly. She picked up the RipTide bag, tucked it under her arm and sighed. “You’re right, though. I don’t need anyone telling me I look indecent or else saying out loud that they want to get into my polka-dotted panties. But I just don’t think I’ll be able to get the fairy godmother to show in time to change it.”

  Cass looked grim. “Oh, we’ll make her show, all right. Wait until breakfast tomorrow. You and I and Rory are all going to summon her at once and you know we’re stronger when we’re all together—she’ll have to come.”

  Phil frowned doubtfully. “Yes, but forcing her to show up won’t exactly put her in a good mood when it comes to fixing this wish.”

  Her sister waved that minor detail away. “Just be sure you word your request very specifically this time. Don’t leave her any loopholes to work with. We’ll get it fixed so everybody can keep their opinions to themselves and you can stroll on the sand with your honey-bunny in peace. I promise.”

  “But what about you? Your wish is coming up in less than a month,” Phil reminded her.

  Cass looked slightly discomfited but then she frowned. “Well you know, maybe it’s time to let her know we’re tired of putting up with her crap. She’s probably already pissed off so pushing her a little more won’t matter. Anyway, you let me worry about me and you worry about getting that wish fixed so you can get with Josh.”

  “You’re so brave.” Phil smiled and gave her sister a quick hug. “We’ll think of something airtight so that the FG can’t screw you no matter how much she tries.” She grinned. “Maybe you can wish that all Brandon’s pants are permanently see-through? For the artistic potential.”

  “Uh-huh. Right. Good night, Phil.” Cass went to bed, leaving Phil to run water in the cocoa mugs and contemplate exactly how she would word her wish.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Fairy godmother, come for our need is dire!” Phil, Cass, and Rory all yanked on their earlobes and shouted the words simultaneously for the second time. They were sitting around the large kitchen table, concentrating hard. But Phil was beginning to think this wasn’t going to work. She was already wearing the sky blue polka-dotted bikini and she had left her hair down because she knew Josh liked it that way. She was still wondering what she was going to tell her best friend. Just thinking about it made her stomach feel like a hundred butterflies had taken flight and were currently doing nosedives and barrel rolls inside it.

  “D’you think this is gonna take much longer?” Rory yawned hugely. “I need to get dressed and get going. Doctor Robinson hates it when we’re late to work.” Doctor Robinson was the head veterinarian at the animal clinic and kennel she was working for that summer.

  “Don’t get your panties in a knot,” Cass snapped. “I have a big day too—I’m trying to get my show together for the ICU down on North Hanna. But Phil needs to get this wish reversed before she goes to the beach.”

  “Wish I could go to the beach,” Rory mumbled around her cornflakes. “Phil, you look really good in that suit but I think the top is too small. I’ve always wished I had boobs as big as yours.” She choked on her mouthful of cereal. “Oh my God! I didn�€