Page 34 of Ella and the Enchanted Bookshop

“Jaelyne, you can’t just take people’s numbers without their permission!” I began to reach for her phone, but my own phone buzzed with a notification. I glanced down to see a text from Asher.

“Jaelyne, we are going to have a serious conversation about privacy. And about phone safety!” I said, willing my voice to sound stern as I opened my phone to read his text. I half-expected him to be asking who the heck was texting him pictures of me. But instead, it simply said,

Try another one on.

I stared at the text incredulously. Were he and Jaelyne seriously teaming up on me?

“You heard him,” Jaelyne said smugly, picking up the more expensive costume and waving it in front of me.

I frowned at her, hoping that my disapproval showed through. But when I put the other dress on, I couldn’t help taking a big breath and sighing as I looked at it in the dressing room mirror. The fit was much better, clinging at more flattering places, unlike the other one, which had been ridiculously loose. There were several layers of sparkly tulle over the skirt, and the skirt flowed down from where it hugged my waist to the tops of my boots.

“Come on!” Jaelyne whined from the other side. “I want to see it!”

Knowing she was going to take a picture the moment I stepped out, I opened the door and posed the way I knew she wanted me to. And in a way that wouldn’t be super embarrassing when she sent it to Asher.

She did, and just a moment later, another text came through.

That one. Get that one.

I checked the tag again and nearly choked. “Jaelyne, I can’t get this one. It’s–”

“Ella!” Jaelyne groaned. “Would you do something spontaneous for once in your life?”

I was about to retort that she wasn’t the one paying for the dress, but then I remembered the tiara waiting for me at home, and my breath caught in my chest when I imagined what they would look like together. And against my better judgement, I made a decision I knew I would probably regret in a few days.

But for once, I was going to do something spontaneous.

I would buy the pretty dress.

Jaelyne wanted to stop for hot chocolate on the way back to the house, but I could feel a chill in the air. And as we hadn’t brought our heavy coats, I decided that we were going straight home.

Which was a good thing. Because not long after we got home, I realized that the chill was not in the air, but rather in me. And not just a chill, but a razor-sharp sore throat as well.

With my fuzzy autumn blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I made my way on wobbly legs to Casey’s room, where she was putting the finishing touches on her suitcase.

“Oh good, you’re here.” She checked her smartwatch. “The Uber should be here soon. I’ve sent you an email with all the contact information in case of an emergency. I’ll be back in four days, but if you don’t–”

“Casey,” I croaked as I leaned against the doorframe. “I’m getting sick.”

Casey stopped talking and finally looked directly at me. “Well, don’t come in here then!”

“Please don’t go,” I pleaded. “I can’t take care of the horses like this.” My temp was already a hundred and two and climbing. And though it killed me to beg for anything from Casey, I knew without a doubt that I wouldn’t be able to take care of the ranch. Not like this.

Casey huffed. “Ask your sisters to help. They know how to do everything.”

I tried again. “Casey–”

“My Uber’s here, Ella. I’ve got to go.” She grabbed her suitcase, pausing only to wait for me to vacate the door and make my way down the hall so she could give me a wide berth. “I’ll text Harper to help you out. You’ll feel better after a good night’s rest.”

And with that, she was gone.

My temperature continued to climb. It was a hundred and three by the time the horses needed to be fed. Blanket still wrapped around my shoulders, I wandered the house for a good ten minutes, calling out for Harper to help me. But she either wasn’t there or decided not to answer me because I couldn’t find her anywhere.

I sat down on the couch, doing my best to puzzle out how to get the horses fed, but my brain felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. Harper wasn’t here. Jaelyne probably would have helped me if she hadn’t been at a sleepover across the street. And Derrick…

I knew Derrick would help me if I asked. But in my befuddled state, I couldn’t remember how to get ahold of him. And yet…

The horses had to be fed.