Chapter 3
Pagan festival – an excuse for the town of Winter Falls to throw a party
Leia
“What’s Litha?” Isla asks as we walk toward the town center for the festival. Or, rather, I walk. Isla is skip-running. I keep a death grip on her hand before she gets ahead of me and ends up lost in the crowd.
“It’s the summer solstice.” I think. I didn’t exactly read up on pagan festivals before I came to Winter Falls. I didn’t realize I needed to.
“I know what it is!” Indigo says as she jogs across the street toward us with Virginia.
Indigo and Virginia are recent arrivals in Winter Falls as well. Indigo decided her and Virginia are my new best friends. Since I don’t exactly have time to make new friends, I didn’t complain about her declaration.
“Is this Isla?” Virginia asks.
“Isla, meet my friend Virginia.”
Isla waves to her while Virginia bounces on her toes.
“She’s adorable! She’s your mini-me.”
No matter how many times someone says Isla is my carbon copy, I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Of hearing how my daughter doesn’t resemble him.
“Do you know what Litha is?” Isla asks Indigo since she doesn’t enjoy being reminded of how much she resembles her mom.
“It marks an important transitional moment in the Earth’s seasonal cycle. Fertile energy is at its peak and new life is rapidly growing,” Indigo says. I assume she knows since she’s a fourth-grade teacher at the local school.
“How do you celebrate Litha?” I ask.
Indigo shrugs and Virginia raises her hands. “Don’t ask me. My boss, Gratitude, pretty much refuses to explain any local traditions to me. I’m apparently just supposed to know them.”
Virginia is the local librarian. She’s taking over from Gratitude assuming the elderly lady ever agrees to retire. Thus far, she’s refusing to so much as slow down.
“I guess we’ll see,” Indigo sings. She grabs Isla’s hand, and they skip ahead of us toward Main Street.
“How are …” My question trails off when we reach the town square.
Two poles are set up in the middle of the square with a pile of hay in between them. There’s a long line of people standing on one side of the square. What’s going on here?
“What are they waiting for?” Virginia asks.
“Let’s go find out.”
“Um…” She glances around the square and the crowd of people.
I grasp her hand and drag her along. “There’s no reason to be scared.”
She scowls at me. “Being shy doesn’t mean I’m scared.”
“Good because I think this is a competition of some sort.”
I spot Indigo and Isla and head toward them.
“It’s a contest.” Indigo indicates the poles. “Whoever jumps the highest wins.”
“I’m going to win,” Isla declares.
Pride fills me. My girl has no fear.
“Where do we sign up?” I scan the area and notice a woman with a clipboard standing at the front of the line of people. I take Isla’s hand and march there while Virginia and Indigo stay at the back of the line.
“Is this where we sign up for the hay jumping contest?”
The woman’s lips purse. “It’s not a hay jumping contest. It’s a bonfire jumping contest.”
Crap. I’m all about being the mom who allows her daughter to explore her boundaries but there’s no way I’m allowing her to jump over fire. Temper tantrum here we come.
“There’s no fire,” Isla points out.
“Correct. Bonfires are banned in Winter Falls as they’re bad for the environment.” Before I can ask how a bonfire is bad for the environment, she continues, “The hay simulates fire.”
Phew. “Can I sign my daughter up here?”
“You can, but you’re not going to win,” a woman behind us says.
My brow wrinkles. “Do I know you?”
She sticks out her hand. “I’m Ashlyn. I own Bertie’s Recording Studio.” I shake her hand but I must appear confused – probably because I am – because she continues, “Where Cash the Sinners are recording their latest album.”
A vision of Fender pops into my mind. Too bad the bass player is a grumpy asshole who thinks he can tell me how to raise my child. If he weren’t, I’d want to explore every inch of those strong muscles of his.
You do want to explore every inch of him.
I ignore my inner voice. She enjoys getting me in trouble. Pregnant at seventeen, remember?
Which is why you googled the band after meeting Fender.
My inner voice isn’t merely a troublemaker. She’s also a shit stirrer. It’s best I ignore her.
“I’m Leia,” I finally manage to tell Ashlyn.
“I know. You’re Brody’s new personal assistant.” She gestures toward the woman with the clipboard. “This is my sister, Lilac. She resembles a robot but she’s actually made of flesh and blood. I checked.”
Lilac rolls her eyes at her sister and Isla giggles. Ashlyn winks at her. “And you must be Isla.”
“I’m going to win the contest.”
Ashlyn narrows her eyes at my daughter. “I’m the reigning champion. Think you can beat me?”
Isla studies Ashlyn. Unlike me, Ashlyn’s tall. My daughter isn’t intimidated, though. She merely straightens her back and tilts her chin up.
“Sign me up, too,” Indigo says as she joins us.
I glance her way and notice she’s not alone. In addition to Virginia, the entire band is with her – including the king of grumps. I don’t pay any attention to him, though. Nope. I have no interest in him whatsoever.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I dig it out and scowl. Brody calling.
“I need to answer this. Can you keep an eye on Isla?” I ask Indigo.
Indigo salutes. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
I shake my head at her antics as I walk away to find a quiet place to answer my phone. I end up in an alley between the library and Eden’s Garden, the local flower shop.
“Make it quick,” I order as I answer the phone.
I probably shouldn’t give my boss orders but Brody drives me bonkers. How he ever managed to capture Soleil’s heart is beyond me.
Brody rattles off a bunch of stuff he needs me to do this very minute. I roll my eyes. He’s crazy if he thinks I’m working on a Saturday afternoon when there’s a town festival. I don’t kowtow to any man.
“Yeah, yeah,” I murmur. “Send me an email with a list and I’ll work on it.”
Notice how I didn’t promise to finish anything today. I wasn’t born yesterday.
I hang up the phone and make my way to the end of the alley. When I reach it, Fender steps out of the shadows to block me.
“Excuse me.” I try to scoot around him but he crosses his arms over his chest and refuses to budge. “What’s your problem?”
“It’s a holiday.”
I’m fairly certain Litha isn’t an actual holiday but whatever.
“You shouldn’t be working.”
“I’m not, grumpapottamus.”
“Grumpapottamus?” a man asks from behind him. “Love it. I hereby christen Fender Grumpapottamus.”
Another man shoves Fender out of the way. “I’m Jett.” He waggles his eyebrows. “I’m the best band member.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Band member?”
I know exactly who he is. He’s the drummer for Cash the Sinners. And the other man is Gibson, the rhythm guitarist for the band. But I’m not giving them the satisfaction of going all crazed fan on them. Their egos are probably bigger than the state of Colorado as it is.
Gibson chuckles. “She’s perfect.”
Fender growls at him.
“What’s wrong, grumpapottamus?” Jett teases.
I giggle. I think I might like Jett.
“Don’t you have a drum circle dance to get to?” Fender asks.
Jett’s eyes pop open. “Shit. I’m late.” He runs away but doesn’t get far before whipping around and coming back. “Nice to meet you, Leia, mother of Isla.” He bows before rushing away again.
“By the way, I’m Gibson.” Gibson holds out his hand but instead of shaking mine, he kisses my fingers. Fender growls and Gibson winks at me before following Jett.
“This was fun but I need to get back to the jumping competition.” I don’t wait for a response from Fender before marching away. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get the hint and follows me. I ignore him.
I also force myself to ignore the heat coming off his body reaching out to me and the scent of his musky cologne tickling my nose. I refuse to swoon over some grumpy jerk who thinks he can tell me what to do. I’ll work whenever I want to, thank you very much.
“Mom!” Isla waves me over.
I dismiss Fender as we get closer to my daughter. “You may leave now.”
He grunts.
“I don’t speak grunt, grumpy dude.”
“You shouldn’t abandon your daughter with strangers.”
Abandon? What does he know about abandoning someone? I have had it with this guy. What is his problem? He needs to mind his own business.
“I did not abandon my child. I would never abandon her. I left her with Indigo who is my friend. She’s not a stranger. Guess what else it is?” I pause but he doesn’t fill in the blanks. “It’s none of your business.” I make a shooing motion. “Now go away and join your friends or, I don’t know, jump off the cliffs at Winter Falls. I don’t care as long as you leave.”
His nostrils flare and his mouth opens. I wait for whatever garbage he’s going to spew next. But he doesn’t speak. He huffs before turning on his heel and stomping away. Good. Let him go have his man temper tantrum elsewhere. I’m busy here.
Isla yanks on my hand. “Mom. I’m next. Watch me.”
“You got this, baby girl.”
She sprints toward the hay and I clap to encourage her. What I don’t do is scan the area for Fender. Nope. I’m pushing the man and his obnoxiously strong body out of my mind.
I don’t need a man. I don’t want a man. I am not risking history repeating itself.