Page 29 (2/2)
“Yes, just like Mommy’s book This book was very special Princess Sorrel had to do everything she could to keep the book safe She could never show it to anyone except to whomever the book told her to And she had to obey the book If the book told her to hide, she had to hide When the book told her who to marry, that’s who she had to marry”
“Why couldn’t she pick her husband?” She sounded alnant
David smoothed his tenacious five-year-old’s brow “Because, sweetheartSorrel was cursed”
“Did her wicked stepmother curse her, like in Snow White?” Sorrel asked
He hesitated before whispering, “Her mother cursed her”
Sorrel looked up into her father’s eyes, begging him to tell her it wasn’t true “Why would she do that? Mommies are supposed to love their children”
“Her mother loved her very much” He tenderly kissed her head “She didn’t want to curse her, but she had no choice”
Sorrel blinked several ti
David thought for a h she had no choice, like with all curses, this curse could be broken”
“How?”
David’s thoughtful brown eyes bore into his daughter’s “By obeying the book even if it scared her; and most importantly, she had to follow her heart” He pointed to his daughter’s heart “Because she had the best heart, just like you”
Sorrel smiled “Did she break the curse?”
David pressed his lips together “She did her part And,” he sed hard, “you will too”
Sorrel’s blue eyes swirled, understanding slowly dawning “Am I cursed, Daddy?”
He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead He hated telling her but knew the best way to keep her safe was to tell her the truth “Yes, et, you have the power to break this curse” He leaned back and held her beautiful face in his hands “Promise me, Sorrel, promise me you’ll always do what the book says Promise me you’ll break the curse”
With the resolve of a woe, she placed her hands on top of her daddy’s and firmly declared, “I will be brave I promise”
Chapter One
Twenty-Five Years Later
“Sorrel, Sorrel, I have the best news,” Annalise drahile she practically dove over the counter to reach forseveral other customers out of her way
I caught her before she took a nosedive intojust waiting to be put in the display case “Whoa there This ht her and push her back over to the side where custoh I considered Annalise ot in the way You never knehen one of those sneaky inspectors would pop in, and heaven forbid I had anyone besides a paid e to lick the cupcakes Well, on second thought, maybe it was better she stayed on the customer side