Cooper walked hand-in-hand with Morna to the pond’s edge, his heart a little heavy at the thought of saying goodbye.
“Are you sure you have to leave? There’s a bunch of rooms in this castle, and most of them are empty. Believe me, I know. I’m always sneaking inside them.”
Morna squeezed his hand before bending to hug him. “Aye, Jerry needs me much more than all of ye. He canna cook to save his life. I worry he’ll starve to death without me.”
Cooper laughed, pulling one of the black stones out of his pocket and extending it in Morna’s direction. “I guess you’re right. Are you sure you want to go back this way? You get kinda wet.”
“I think it only fair that I subject meself to the same treatment I did each of ye, aye?”
Cooper hugged Morna’s neck before pulling away. “Yeah, I guess so, but I hope you’re a good swimmer. Hey, can I ask you one more question before you leave?”
“Aye, what do ye wish to ask?”
“It’s about my dad. He’s so alone here. Everybody has someone else but him.”
Cooper watched as Morna stood and smiled down at him, twirling the black stone through her fingers. “Ye are here for him.”
He shook his head, exasperated. “I don’t count. He needs somebody to kiss and stuff…like Mom and E-o.”
Morna winked at him before she drew her arm back to let loose the stone, her words barely escaping her lips before the rock touched the water, and she vanished.
“All in due time, wee Cooper. All in due time.”
Acknowledgments
With every book, there are so many people that help along the way, and each of you have my eternal gratitude for your help in the process. I couldn’t do it without any of you.
As always, thank you to Dee, for your suggestions and friendship.
To my proofreading team: Karen Corboy, Elizabeth Halliday, Marsha Orien, and Jan Powell, thank you for being another set of eyes and for your wonderful suggestions. I hope that you enjoyed the process as much as I did and that you’ll be ready for the next book whenever I complete it.
To Damonza, for creating another fabulous cover. I think this is my favorite so far.
To both Rik Hall and Author E.M.S. for formatting—thank you for agreeing to work with me despite the super tight deadline.
Lastly, thank you to my Mom. You are really the backbone of my entire business and I couldn’t do without your faith, patience, and encouragement. I am so excited for you to come to work for me. I promise not to work you too, too hard.