Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4)(105)

Elle

Elle woke to the bed bouncing.

She had no time to think of the night before.

She had no time to think of one word of the life changing conversation she’d shared with Prentice.

She had no time to think even of the strange sense of disquiet she felt when Prentice led her from the balcony into his room, tenderly disrobed her, tugged one of his t-shirts over her head and put her to bed. It was a disquiet she couldn’t put her finger on but it felt like someone she cared about was in pain.

She had no time to think of any of this because Sally, who was on her knees at the foot of the bed, shouted, “Good morning!”

Prentice’s fingers unlaced from hers and they both got up on an elbow to look to the foot of the bed.

Then Prentice rolled to his back, his arm pushing under Elle as he did so, turning her so her front was to his side, his arm tight, fastening her there.

“Come here, baby,” Prentice murmured to his daughter, his voice deeper with residual sleep and Elle decided she liked his just woken up voice.

She liked it a lot.

Sally didn’t hesitate; she crawled up Prentice’s body.

Elle decided she liked that too, watching Sally crawl up her father’s long body.

She liked it a lot.

As Sally collapsed on Prentice’s chest, her eyes never left Elle and she announced, “Me and Jace have made you muffins!”

Fear shot through Elle at the very thought of Sally and Jason operating the oven.

“You what?” she whispered.

Prentice’s voice was a great deal more effective when he asked, low and vibrating, “I’m sorry?”

“We didn’t cook them.” They heard from across the room and all the inhabitants of the bed looked to the door.

Jason was standing there, his stance awkward, his expression showing, quite clearly, he didn’t know what to make of the goings-on in the bed.

Elle’s body went tight.

And when it did, so did Prentice’s arm.

“We just made them and put the batter in the tin. We thought Elle could cook them,” Jason gamely continued, still obviously uncomfortable.

It was then it hit her that Jason called her Elle. Not only then but he and Sally had been doing it for days. Even in front of Prentice, who never corrected them.

She felt something relax deep inside her, something that had been coiled tight for so long she didn’t know it could relax.

But it did.

“I’ll cook them,” Prentice offered, completely unaware of the momentous event that happened someplace deep inside Elle. “How’d you make them, Jace?”

Jason looked to the floor, shuffled his feet and mumbled, “One of Mum’s cookbooks.” He took in a deep breath and looked at the wall. “Mum never made them though.” His eyes skittered to the bed then to the opposite wall before he finished, “They’re blueberry. We used the leftovers.”

Elle’s heart went out to him and she wanted to say something, she just had no clue what to say.

Sally, on the other hand, never had any problem knowing what to say.

“Jace decided that we should make Elle breakfast to pay her back, since she’s always making us breakfast.” Sally grinned at her father. “We had fun.”

Elle wondered briefly what Sally’s version of fun did to the kitchen.

Then she looked to Jason and said softly, “Thank you, honey.”

Jason didn’t reply. He looked like he was willing himself to spontaneously combust.

Then he muttered, “I’ll just go and –”

Prentice cut him off by calling, “Hey mate, I’ve a question for you.”

Jason eyes hesitantly went to his father.

Prentice kept talking. “What do you think, is Elle ticklish or no’?”

Elle’s body went tight again as Prentice’s arm locked around her and Sally’s head snapped to the side to look at her.

Elle tried to jerk away, saying warningly, “Pren –”

“Aye!” Sally squealed. “I think she is!”

Then Sally pounced.

Prentice turned to Elle. As Sally wriggled and writhed, trying to get to Elle’s ticklish spots with her fast-moving, little girl fingers, Prentice held her against him with one arm and tickled her with his free hand.

Relentlessly.

But then Prentice knew where her ticklish spots were already.

Giggling so helplessly she could barely move, she managed to turn her back to Prentice but he kept her close and continued tickling her. Finally getting control of Sally’s squirming body and tickling hands, Elle pinned Sally’s back to her front and returned the favor, giggling as she tickled Sally while the little girl laughed herself silly.

They all stopped when the bed bounced and they looked at its foot. Jason was sprawled on his side, his eyes were dancing and a smirk was on his lips.

“I’d say she’s ticklish,” Jason muttered dryly.

Elle heard Prentice chuckle.

Elle and Sally didn’t laugh, they both just smiled at Jason.

“All right, everybody up. It’s muffin time,” Prentice ordered.

Sally scattered and Jason rolled off the bed.

Elle stayed where she was, mainly because she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

Prentice also remained in bed and it was highly likely this was because he wasn’t wearing anything.