now?"
She felt Kendrick straighten. "We're going to listen to a very wise little girl and be happy."
Anne watched as slow smiles began to appear around the table. Everyone sat down and kept smiling. Anne reached under the table and took Kendrick's hand. He didn't change expression or give any outward indication that he noticed her gesture, yet his long, warm fingers squeezed her hand and didn't let go.
Anne took a deep breath and looked around. She realized everyone needed this to begin moving past their own guilt.
As she was looking around, she caught Meryn's eye and Meryn winked. "You're officially family now; you've cussed at the breakfast table."
Anne made a face and Meryn laughed in response.
"Then you were officially family in the first thirty seconds after you sat at the breakfast table for the first time. I distinctly remember you threatening to castrate Colton." Gavriel teased.
Colton groaned. "Don't remind me."
Anne kept her left hand wrapped around Kendrick's and picked up her coffee with her right. For the first time in a very long time, she felt like she had a family again, cussing, jokes, and all.
CHAPTER SEVEN
After breakfast, everyone lingered over coffee. Anne suspected that no one wanted to leave each other's company just yet.
Meryn was tackling her second stack of pancakes when she turned to Kendrick. "By the way, Keelan-From-the-Future, you keep showing up wearing different clothes, but you didn't have any luggage. You've set up a lab, but didn't have anything delivered, how did you get all your stuff?"
Kendrick smiled and detached a small pouch from his belt. He held it up swinging from his fingers. "It's bigger on the inside."
Meryn dropped her fork and stared. "Can I see?"
Kendrick nodded, and Meryn ran around the table. He set the pouch in her hands and watched as she opened it.
A look a disappointment bloomed on her face. "It's empty."
Kendrick winked and cupped his hands around hers and whispered a word.
Meryn's eyes widened. "Holy shit balls! It's like a whole castle in here. Wait! Go back! Was that a library?"
Kendrick nodded. "It's called the Bag of Wishes. I can place anything I want inside, regardless of shape, size, or weight."
Meryn looked at his clothes. "So you have a closet in here too?"
He shook his head. "No, these" he plucked at his blazer, "are the Gentlemen's Garments. I received them as a present from the queen of the fae."
She smiled. "Like my dress."
Kendrick tilted his head. "You're the new owner of the Gown of Éire Danu?"
She bopped her head yes and kept tilting the pouch side to side.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Elizabeth snorted. "You have no idea."
Meryn placed the bag in his hands and turned to Aiden. "I want one."
Aiden's mouth dropped. "Baby, I can't just go out and buy you one. Enchanted fae items are extremely rare."
Meryn walked back to her chair and sat down. "I need it in my life."
Aiden turned to Darian who was chuckling. Darian nodded at Aiden. "I'll see what I can do."
Meryn smiled brightly at Darian. "Thank you big brother-cousin."
Darian looked around the table. "We never really stood a chance, did we?"
The men all shook their heads. Kendrick laughed. "Never has a truer statement been spoken. Women always have the upper hand, always."
Meryn pumped her fist in the air. "Because we kick ass!"
Kendrick smiled slyly. "It's because you have the magic bean."
Meryn frowned as Aiden choked on his coffee. "What magic bean?"
Elizabeth blushed. "Oh, dear."
Anne had to suppress a giggle.
"I only know of two magic beans: the cocoa bean and the coffee bean," Meryn insisted.
Kendrick clucked his tongue. "Commander, you have been remiss in your duties."
Around the table, the other men were trying not to laugh and failing horribly.
Finally, Gavriel took pity on the confused Meryn and leaned in to whisper what the third magic bean was. Meryn's reaction caught Anne by surprise
She felt Kendrick straighten. "We're going to listen to a very wise little girl and be happy."
Anne watched as slow smiles began to appear around the table. Everyone sat down and kept smiling. Anne reached under the table and took Kendrick's hand. He didn't change expression or give any outward indication that he noticed her gesture, yet his long, warm fingers squeezed her hand and didn't let go.
Anne took a deep breath and looked around. She realized everyone needed this to begin moving past their own guilt.
As she was looking around, she caught Meryn's eye and Meryn winked. "You're officially family now; you've cussed at the breakfast table."
Anne made a face and Meryn laughed in response.
"Then you were officially family in the first thirty seconds after you sat at the breakfast table for the first time. I distinctly remember you threatening to castrate Colton." Gavriel teased.
Colton groaned. "Don't remind me."
Anne kept her left hand wrapped around Kendrick's and picked up her coffee with her right. For the first time in a very long time, she felt like she had a family again, cussing, jokes, and all.
CHAPTER SEVEN
After breakfast, everyone lingered over coffee. Anne suspected that no one wanted to leave each other's company just yet.
Meryn was tackling her second stack of pancakes when she turned to Kendrick. "By the way, Keelan-From-the-Future, you keep showing up wearing different clothes, but you didn't have any luggage. You've set up a lab, but didn't have anything delivered, how did you get all your stuff?"
Kendrick smiled and detached a small pouch from his belt. He held it up swinging from his fingers. "It's bigger on the inside."
Meryn dropped her fork and stared. "Can I see?"
Kendrick nodded, and Meryn ran around the table. He set the pouch in her hands and watched as she opened it.
A look a disappointment bloomed on her face. "It's empty."
Kendrick winked and cupped his hands around hers and whispered a word.
Meryn's eyes widened. "Holy shit balls! It's like a whole castle in here. Wait! Go back! Was that a library?"
Kendrick nodded. "It's called the Bag of Wishes. I can place anything I want inside, regardless of shape, size, or weight."
Meryn looked at his clothes. "So you have a closet in here too?"
He shook his head. "No, these" he plucked at his blazer, "are the Gentlemen's Garments. I received them as a present from the queen of the fae."
She smiled. "Like my dress."
Kendrick tilted his head. "You're the new owner of the Gown of Éire Danu?"
She bopped her head yes and kept tilting the pouch side to side.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Elizabeth snorted. "You have no idea."
Meryn placed the bag in his hands and turned to Aiden. "I want one."
Aiden's mouth dropped. "Baby, I can't just go out and buy you one. Enchanted fae items are extremely rare."
Meryn walked back to her chair and sat down. "I need it in my life."
Aiden turned to Darian who was chuckling. Darian nodded at Aiden. "I'll see what I can do."
Meryn smiled brightly at Darian. "Thank you big brother-cousin."
Darian looked around the table. "We never really stood a chance, did we?"
The men all shook their heads. Kendrick laughed. "Never has a truer statement been spoken. Women always have the upper hand, always."
Meryn pumped her fist in the air. "Because we kick ass!"
Kendrick smiled slyly. "It's because you have the magic bean."
Meryn frowned as Aiden choked on his coffee. "What magic bean?"
Elizabeth blushed. "Oh, dear."
Anne had to suppress a giggle.
"I only know of two magic beans: the cocoa bean and the coffee bean," Meryn insisted.
Kendrick clucked his tongue. "Commander, you have been remiss in your duties."
Around the table, the other men were trying not to laugh and failing horribly.
Finally, Gavriel took pity on the confused Meryn and leaned in to whisper what the third magic bean was. Meryn's reaction caught Anne by surprise
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