The Kiss Lottery

Chapter 14 Everly

Chapter 14

Everly

I’m back at Hank’s Diner a few days later, trying to blend in with the Saturday crowd.

As I move around pouring iced teas, I think about the podcast interviews I’ve been working on.

Mrs. Spence’s memories of the Kiss Lottery were touching. A previous year, she got matched with the hardware-store owner. He was older, a widower, and awkward. He thought she was too young for him, so he refused to meet her. A year later, she bumped into him at the bakery. Six months later, they were married.

Not all stories were happily ever afters. Willa Astor, the town librarian, was matched with Elias Fordham, a man from one of the richest families in town. Their date was at a fancy restaurant, and I’m unclear about what happened because Willa wouldn’t give me details, but she excused herself to go to the restroom and left out the back door. He’s still single, and so is she.

I clear a table, piling the dishes on my tray as my head spins with some dialogue about the show. When I was growing up, I thought the lottery was dumb, and over the last ten years, I’ve barely thought about it. It’s often misunderstood by outsiders who think it’s some kind of weird dating ritual. But the beauty of it is that no one is obligated.

Like the time Tabby got paired with the town dentist. She’s terrified of dentists and dogs—his pride and joy. It was doomed. They ended up having a laugh about it over drinks and formed a friendship.

No one’s forcing anyone to fall in love or even like each other. It’s like a social experiment. And honestly, in a small town, they could use the entertainment.

Troy, Fritz, and Tabby come in for their lunch breaks and head to their usual booth and place their orders.

I return with their sodas, and they are discussing the matches.

The bell over the door rings, and I look up to see the same delivery guy from the other day walk in. He’s holding a box this time, but there’s no mistaking who it’s for.

“Special delivery for Everly Davis!” he calls out, his voice booming across the diner.

Hank points in my direction, by the booth.

I freeze, eyes wide, feeling my friends turn to stare at me. “Oh, come on,” I mumble, but my heart races.

Tabby grins, nudging me. “Looks like your secret admirer is at it again.”

“Is it really a secret at this point?” Troy says.

Fritz perks up. “What is it this time? A mariachi band? A hot-air balloon ride? Gah, that would be awesome in the lottery newsletter.”

Troy snorts. “It better be tequila again, or I’m not interested.”

I roll my eyes as the delivery guy makes his way to our booth. He sets the box down on the table with a thud and hands me a small envelope. “You again,” he says. “And don’t worry, no giant teddy bear this time.”

“Thank god,” I mutter, and he chuckles before heading back out the door.

I open the envelope first and pull out a note, my heart skipping a beat as I read the familiar rhyme:

Roses are red, violets are blue, put on this hat and let’s see this lottery through. If you’re lucky, maybe I am too.

I bite my lip, trying to keep from grinning like a fool. It’s him. Beckett.

“Well?” Tabby leans in closer, practically buzzing with curiosity. “What’s it say?”

I shrug nonchalantly. “Just a little something about the lottery. No big deal.”

Troy rolls his eyes. “Yeah, right. Open the box already!”

With a sigh, I lift the lid, revealing two baseball caps. One is pink with “Taking a Chance” embroidered across the front, and the other is black with “Won the Jackpot” in red lettering. Little hearts decorate it.

Fritz snickers. “Which one are you gonna wear?”

Tabby grabs the pink hat, placing it on my head before I can stop her. “Obviously this one. You need to ‘take a chance,’ girl.”

Troy gives me a thumbs-up. “At least your match is fun. I’m refusing to even speak to Abigail.” He elbows Tabby. “Are you and Carson going out soon?”

She shrugs.

Troy takes her chin and turns her to face him. “Well?”

She harrumphs and pulls away. “No, if you must know. I told him we were already friends and I was busy these days.”

Troy sits back with a satisfied look on his face.

I watch them, shaking my head, wishing they’d just figure out their own romance. It’s obvious there are sparks between them.

That’s forgotten as Summer Moon walks in, and everyone pauses and looks over as she talks into the ether. She scans the room, grabs a chair, and joins us.

“Lily visited me again,” she says to the table, skipping pleasantries. “She wants to know about Quincy. I need your help.”

Troy looks puzzled, so Tabby fills him in.

“Lily was a nurse who met Quincy Seaton through the lottery. They fell in love and planned to get married, but she had to leave to help with the yellow fever in Memphis. She felt terrible, but she didn’t get to see him before she left, and then she died not knowing what happened to Quincy,” she says, glancing at Summer. “Apparently, she talks to Summer from the mist.”

“That’s creepy. No offense,” Troy says.

“Would you like something?” I ask Summer.

She asks for a hot tea, and when I return, the conversation is in full swing. She’s explaining how she searched local cemeteries but found no records of Quincy Seaton. I also checked the historical records at the library for his name, but they only went back so far.

“How has she never bumped into Quincy in the veil?” I ask, mentally taking notes.

Summer shakes her head. “He’s moved on to where he’s meant to be.”

“Can’t Lily find him herself? She is a spirit,” I say.

She smiles serenely. “I don’t know their boundaries. I’m not dead yet. All I know is she lingers here in the winter. Love is complicated.”

I think of Beckett. Yes, it is.

“So, what’s the plan, Fritzy?” Tabby asks as I clear their lunch plates. I missed some of their conversation while taking other orders.

Fritz leans in. “We need to check the courthouse basement. There might be something there about Quincy Seaton. We could go tonight.”

Tabby claps. “This is so Unsolved Mysteries .”

Summer sips her tea. “Breaking and entering isn’t my thing. I’ll leave the method to you. I’m just the communicator.”

“Well, it’s not like we have anything better to do on a Saturday night. We could drink beer on my boat, but it’s cold as hell,” Troy says.

“I’ll be there in spirit,” Summer says as she sets her tea down.

An hour later, the lunch crowd is gone, but my friends are still huddled at the booth. I take off my apron and sit in Summer’s chair.

“I know a back entrance that’s hardly ever guarded,” Fritz says. “It goes to the maintenance area, and from there we can get to the basement.” He pauses. “You’ve all heard the stories, right?”

I frown. No. Never.

He clears his throat. “Apparently, the basement used to be a makeshift hospital. Some maintenance people say they hear moans from there.”

“Oh, hell no,” Tabby says.

Troy shoves her gently. “Just wear your crucifix, and you’ll be fine.”

“If we go after midnight, we can avoid being seen,” Fritz says.

“It’ll be so cold,” Tabby whines.

“I’ll keep you warm,” Troy says, trying to put an arm around her.

She pops him on the shoulder. “Hands to yourself, lover boy. You’ve got Abigail, remember.”

I glance around at my friends, feeling like I’m in a weird movie. People in small towns truly march to their own beat. “Guys, listen to yourselves. Doesn’t it make more sense to wait until Monday and ask the clerks if we can look?”

Fritz winces. “They’ll probably say no.”

“Why? You’re the president of the historical society,” I say.

“Technically, the office for the society is at the library. We keep old documents there, but the main clerk at the courthouse—we used to date ...” Fritz trails off. “We didn’t end on the best terms.”

Tabby laughs. “Gerald. You broke his heart.”

Fritz shimmies. “I can’t help it that I’m beautiful. I’ve left a trail of broken hearts across Leland County.”

I slap the table. “The courthouse is a federal building. I don’t want to go to jail. Think logically. Summer doesn’t know Lily’s last name or the relative she visited. That’s a dead end. She checked the local cemeteries and didn’t find any Seatons. Dead end. Maybe he moved away, was buried on a farm, or fell down a well. Maybe she made the entire thing up just to watch us worry about it.”

They blink at me, then burst out laughing. “You’re totally coming, right?” Fritz says.

I adjust the hat on my head. “Of course!”