“She really can’t,” Adalia said. “She has to go inside. I’ve heard the statue of Beau is in there, and I need to see it.”
The man led the animal to the side of the driveway.
“Not yet,” Lurch said, sliding over the side of the pack animal, but his foot got caught in the saddle. He hung precariously sideways while the animal handler watched in fascination.
Without giving it a second thought, Georgie rushed over to help. “Oh my goodness! Are you okay?”
Just before Georgie reached him, Lurch fell to the ground in a heap, landing in a bed of flowers. “I’m okay!”
But the flowers weren’t. Especially after the donkey dug his back hooves in as if to say, I thought that guy would never get off.
Adalia’s eyes narrowed and she pointed to Lurch. “Uh…why does he have a smiley face drawn on top of his bald head?”
“I have no idea,” Georgie said under her breath, although she wasn’t exactly surprised. There was just no end to the crazy when it came to Buchanan Brewery. Edging closer, she asked, “Lurch, are you sure you’re okay?” She resisted the urge to wave her hand in front of her. He reeked of sweat and beer.
“Yep,” he said as he struggled to get to his feet. He grabbed her arm for help and nearly tugged her over on top of him.
“Whoa,” Georgie said, bracing herself to pull him up.
Once on his feet, Lurch fell sideways and pressed her back into the side of the donkey, which, unbelievably, stood stock-still.
“You’re the best, Georgie,” Lurch said, his face in front of hers, blowing out a cloud of beer breath. “You’re gonna be great at Buchanan.”
“Um, thanks,” she said, trying to push him away, but the next thing she knew he was shoving her up onto the saddle, his hand on her butt.
“There you go,” he said. “Upsy-daisy.”
“Addy!” Georgie called out in a panicked voice. She was straddling the donkey with her dress hiked up high on her thighs, nearly showing her underwear. “A little help?”
Adalia started to say something, then stopped and grinned. “I don’t have any experience riding donkeys, but I think you kick them in the sides to make them go faster.”
“Not that kind of help!”
“She’s right,” Lurch said, staggering in place. “Like this.” Then he grabbed Georgie’s leg and pushed it hard into the donkey’s side.
The donkey released a loud bray of protest, then took off running—or at least skipping really fast—toward the gate to the backyard, leaving its handler behind.
Georgie shrieked as the donkey ran through the open gate, tearing a paper banner that read, Enter at the risk of excitement! which had been strung across the opening. Tearing through the paper sent the animal into overdrive.
Once they were in the backyard, the donkey ran around the periphery of the fenced space, knocking over a metal tub of beer cans. A few people shouted in surprise, which scared the donkey even more.
Georgie leaned forward and snagged the reins as the donkey raced toward the bounce house. Bounce house? When had Dottie added a bounce house? Heck, when had she added a donkey? She tugged the reins as hard as she could, and the animal came to an abrupt stop, sending Georgie tumbling over his head and into the inflatable structure.
She flew head over heels, sprawling out on her back on the bounce house floor, staring up at the ceiling strung with white Christmas lights and streamers. Sparkles filled her vision. Had she hit her head? Did she have a concussion?
“Oh, my God, Georgie,” Adalia called out breathlessly in the opening. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.” But she remained spread out, trying to catch her breath and thanking the stars overhead that no one else had been inside.
Adalia crawled in and knelt next to Georgie, her eyes wide. “Seriously, Georgie. Are you okay?”
“I think so. How’s the donkey?”
“The donkey seems fine. Dottie’s begonias, not so much.”
Georgie still lay on her back. “That’s good. And everything else?”
“A few cans of beer may have perished, but the video I plan to upload to TikTok should make up for it.”
Georgie’s eyes flew wide. “You wouldn’t.”
“Calm down,” Adalia said with a chuckle. “I was too busy running after you to dig out my phone.” She heaved a dramatic sigh, part Scarlett O’Hara, part Gossip Girl, and said, “And I’m sure that will be the biggest regret of my life…”
The word regret reminded Georgie of the well of it she carried inside her, and tears sprang to her eyes. “I want to go home. Can I go home now?”
Indecision wavered on Adalia’s face. Without a word, she grabbed Georgie’s hand and pulled her to a sitting position, then tugged her to the opening.
Once Georgie’s feet hit the ground, Josie burst out through the back door. She was wearing a pink tulle ballgown along with small pink gossamer fairy wings, a large tiara on her head, and a wand in her hand. “Oh, drat! I heard you went flying, Georgie, but it looks like I missed it.”
“Sorry,” Georgie said, looking down and realizing she was missing a shoe.
Josie reached for her hand and started to drag her toward the house. “You have to come in and have your fortune read.”
Shaking her head, Georgie said, “No. I already know my fortune. I’m going home.”
“Here,” Lurch said, handing her a red plastic cup. “This’ll help.”
Without thinking, she accepted the cup and took a big gulp…then spit out the liquid all down the front of her dress. “Oh my word! What is this?”
“That’s the point,” Lurch said with a hiccup. “You’re supposed to guess.”
Adalia took a sip, then made a face. “This tastes like cat pee.”
Georgie shot her a suspicious look. “And how would you know what cat pee tastes like?”
Twisting her mouth to the side, Adalia grimaced. “Some things are better left to the imagination.”
Georgie wasn’t so sure about that. Her imagination hadn’t been good to her lately. “I’m going home.”
“But Georgie…” Josie protested.
“I’m going home,” she said more firmly, starting to limp toward the gate.
“You’re going to disappoint Dottie,” Adalia said, running over to her. “And I think your shoe might be in the bounce house. And I still have to see that statue. We’re already here, so can we just go in and see it? Please?”
“You go in and I’ll wait in the car.”
“No!” Josie and Adalia both said in unison, and Georgie had to wonder why they wanted her in the house so badly. What new horror awaited her inside?
Adalia took her hand and walked backward, dragging her sister with her. “Let’s just go inside for a minute, Georgie, please. And then if you still want to go home, I’ll chauffeur you. You can sit in the back and everything. But please come with me.”
Georgie knew Adalia wanted to see the statue, but this was borderline obsessive. “You promise we can go home after you see it?”
Adalia nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yes. Cross my heart and hope to die.” She made an X over her chest with her fingers.