Wishful Thinking Read online

  He took a bite himself. “Mm-mm, can’t tell you. If I tell it won’t come true.”

  Phil sighed, wishing that was really the way it worked. Wishing that she didn’t have the added burden of her birthday wish on top of all the crap she was going through at work and home. Too bad she couldn’t just wish the wishes away, but that was another rule that couldn’t be broken. No wishing for more wishes and no wishing for no wishes.

  “You look deep in thought—that’s the second time in two days. Better be careful or it’s going to get to be a habit.” Josh licked his fork and Phil was surprised to see that they had nearly finished the cheesecake. She took half of the last bite, leaving half for him.

  “Just thinking about tonight,” she murmured. She half expected her friend to say something but Josh seemed to decide to leave their earlier topic of conversation alone.

  “Oops.” He looked down at his watch and ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “My lunch is almost over.”

  “Mine too, I guess.” Phil was grateful that her boss was going to be in court all afternoon and she wouldn’t have to put up with anything more annoying than Kelli’s chatter. “Thanks again for the cheesecake, Josh.” She got up from the table and started to take the plate to the sink but he stopped her.

  “Uh-uh, birthday girl. Allow me.” He put the plate in the sink and ceremoniously poured a huge dollop of green dish liquid on it, making Phil giggle.

  “That’s enough to wash a whole sink full of dishes,” she pointed out.

  “Well, Supersize Bowman is what they call me. I think you can guess why, sweetheart.” Josh wiggled his eyebrows at her and did a little bump and grind with his hips, imitating her boss.

  Phil laughed out loud. “Josh, you are bad. I need to get back to work. ”

  He grinned. “I have to get back, too. I have a very special virus to work on, as I recall. Hold on.” He put a hand on her arm to stop her from leaving the break room.

  “What?”

  “You’re still wearing your war paint.” Josh grabbed a paper towel and wet it. “Hold still,” he directed, leaning down to cup her chin in one hand.

  Phil submitted quietly, a little surprised by how much she enjoyed his touch. Then she pushed the thought away—she was engaged and she didn’t think of her friend that way. Of course there was that one time she’d had that really embarrassing dream about him… Okay, better not go there, either. Phil tried to clear her mind of any inappropriate thoughts. Josh was too important to her to mess up their friendship with sexual tension.

  “Thanks,” she said when he had wiped the small smudge of dried blood off her cheek.

  “Any time—can’t have you going on the war path even if Dickhead Junior deserves it.” Josh smiled, an expression that lit his whole face. Then he shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling under the dark green shirt. “Well, I’d better get back.”

  “Wait a minute.” Following an impulse she couldn’t explain, Phil reached up and put her arms around her best friend’s neck, even though he was so tall that it was a stretch.

  Josh stood frozen for a second, like a statue in her arms, and then he wrapped his own arms around her carefully, as though he were afraid he might break her. “What’s this for?” he asked, his breath warm against the side of her neck.

  “For just being you. And for remembering my birthday. Twice.” When some people can’t even remember once. She planted a kiss on his slightly scratchy cheek. “Thank you, Josh. You have no idea how much it means to me.” She started to withdraw but his arms were still around her waist and Phil found herself noticing how good he smelled. Spicy and warm and masculine. She wondered what kind of cologne he was wearing or if it was just him. She could feel the entire length of his body pressed against hers now, the hard, warm wall of his chest felt good against her and his arms wrapped so tightly around her were strong and sturdy, giving her a sense of security. Suddenly she wished the hug could go on forever.

  “Maybe I do know,” he murmured softly in her ear. “Phil, for a long time, I—”

  “Well, isn’t this a cozy scene.”

  They both looked up to see Alison standing in the doorway, one hip cocked to the side and a sardonic expression on her sharp, fox-like features. “Why don’t you two love birds get a room?” she purred.

  Phil disentangled herself and jumped back. “I was giving Josh a hug for remembering my birthday,” she babbled, feeling strangely guilty.

  “Oh, it’s your birthday?” Alison gave her a smile as real as a three-dollar bill. “Well happy birthday, hon. How old are you now? Thirty-five?”

  “She’s about five years younger than you, I think Alison,” Josh said mildly. “So I guess that makes you forty?” Alison frowned but before she could come up with a reply, he nodded at both of them. “Hasta la vista, ladies. I’ve got to go fight for truth, justice and the American way. Or at least make sure the server doesn’t crash.”

  Phil watched as he walked down the hall, whistling carelessly. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been about to say something before Alison walked in. But she still had piles of work at her desk—and a wish to think up before six fifteen that night.

  Chapter Six

  “We have a crisis of epic proportions on our hands.” Cass’s usually sardonic voice sounded panicked.

  “What are you talking about?” Phil spun the steering wheel and stared at her cell phone as though her sister’s face might suddenly appear to clarify the situation.

  “It’s Nana—remember, the woman who raised us?” Her younger sister’s voice was sharp and Phil wished she could shout back. Instead she took a deep breath and blew it out.

  “Tell me all about it. What happened?” She turned a corner too fast and nearly ran a light.

  “I don’t have much time right now. Are you anywhere near the house?”

  Phil knew her sister meant the big Victorian mansion at the crest of States Street where all three of them had grown up and where Cass and Rory continued to live with their grandmother. Nana was a sweet, excitable lady with delusions of grandeur where her half-fairy status was concerned. With her modest inheritance, she hadn’t had to work, and had turned toward magic as a full-time hobby. The only problem was, she didn’t have enough fairy blood to do any kind of magic very well and she was constantly getting into trouble. Phil thought she might be the only granddaughter she knew of that had bailed her grandmother out of jail. Twice.

  “Rory has my car but she’s on the way. We all need to go together. We need the power of blood behind us.” Cass’s voice on the other end of the cell phone pulled Phil back from her musings.

  “Go where?” she asked, with rising apprehension. Though they didn’t have much fairy blood in their veins, having all three sisters together did increase their ability to deal with magical situations. “Is Nana in the lock-up again?”

  “No but she will be if we don’t get down there. Just hurry up!” Honestly, for a younger sister, Cass was unbearably bossy and sometimes Phil ached to tell her so. Like right now.

  “But I’m supposed to go out with Christian at seven. And I still haven’t even thought of a wish!” she protested. But she was already taking the left that would take her to States Street. Even without her sister’s bossing she knew she would always come to her nana’s rescue. Despite her eccentricities, her grandmother had done the best she could to raise three little girls on her own.

  “We’ll think about it on the way.”

  “On the way where?” Phil demanded, exasperated.

  “The bowling alley,” Cass said and clicked off abruptly.

  By the time she got to the big lavender mansion at the top of the hill, Cass and Rory were both waiting out front. Cass was dressed all in black, tapping her foot on the sidewalk. Rory was dressed more conventionally in jeans and a T-shirt, twisting one long lock of her brilliant red hair around her finger nervously. Phil barely had time to pull up to the curb before they were piling into her ancient bug.

  “Hurry up,