Page 36 of A Whim and a Prayer

“What?” Charity leaned in, a dog on the scent. “Why not?”

“Uh, well, I got there late, you see, and apparently Will polished it off before I arrived. So it must have been really good.”

“I got there late …”

Beck, noooo! In her mind’s eye, Winnie emitted a low groan, eyelids sinking closed, but on the outside, she smiled and took another bite of her cake.

“How late?” Her mother asked, tone nonchalant, but her intent point blank.

Her father leaned close to her mother, voice low. “Let it go, Charity, this is a birthday dinner, not an inquisition.”

Henry chuckled as he reached for an extra piece of cake that nobody was claiming. “Good to see you haven’t lost your touch, Mom.” He held the plate up as he scanned the table, “Anybody want this?”

“It’s all yours, Son,” his father said, “so finish it off fast. Before your mother stages an interrogation under a dangling light bulb.”

“The woman does have a gift, Mitch, you have to admit.” Grandpa grinned as he relit his pipe.

Winnie continued to smile, facial muscles starting to strain.

“All right, everyone, I’ll let it go …”

The breath Winnie’d been holding slowly seeped through her lips.

“ … after one final question ...”

Winnie froze.

“Beck, did you happen to see Brayden McCarthy there last night?”

Winnie’s pulse crashed to a stop.

Slipping Winnie a quick glance, Beck expelled a long silent breath while Winnie held hers. “Unfortunately, yes—”

Boom! Winnie jumped a full inch when her mother slapped a fist to the table. “For the love of all that’s holy, Winifred, he hasn’t approached you, has he?”

Squeezing Beck’s leg under the table, Winnie sidestepped her mother’s question with a one-sided smile. “Are you kidding? Beck would crush him like a bug if he came anywhere near me, wouldn’t you, Beck?”

“Guaranteed,” he answered with a lazy smile, giving her neck a friendly tweak she was pretty sure carried a veiled warning.

“Oh, thank God!” Hand to her chest, her mother appeared visibly relieved.

But not as much as Winnie.

“I’ll tell you what, Beck—you are the only boy we trust other than her cousins—”

“Ha! And we’re not so sure about Will,” Henry said with a grin.

Charity shuddered. “I don’t know, it just seems like boys are so much wilder today, especially after the war”—she looked up to award Beck with a grateful smile—“so I am so grateful Winnie has a good friend like you to watch out for her.”

“Me, too,” Amy chimed in, giving Winnie a gentle smile. She grinned as she bumped Henry’s shoulder with her own. “Wish I had had a Beck in my life way back when …”

Henry’s mouth fell open as he feigned hurt. “Hey, Princess, I’ll have you know you wouldn’t be here right now if you did.” He dove for her neck with his mouth, causing her to giggle.

Her mother rose and clapped her hands. “Okay, gentlemen, it’s time to clear the table so all of us ladies can take care of the dishes.”

“Gladly!” Bren helped to load up plates along with Beck, Henry, Mitch, and Grandpa. “We need this table for a very important game of Pinochle between Hope and me and Henry and Amy to finish off the championship.”

Her mother paused when she saw Winnie start to collect dishes. “No dishes for you tonight, Birthday Girl, because I believe there’s a more important task at hand.” She gave a nod to Grandpa. “Right, Daddy?”