Chapter Fourteen #2
When we finally calmed down, the judge started asking about parking and security, and ten hands went up with questions. Elena groaned and plopped her head on my shoulder, her eyes shuttering closed. ‘Wake me when they make some, well, any decisions.’
Lia snapped her wrist to look at her watch. ‘That’ll be in like three hours.’
My attention floated back to Bryce, who was now staring in my direction. He gave a quick wave and Lia let out another disapproving huff.
‘Lee, trust me,’ I pleaded quietly.
Her irritated stare stayed firmly in place as she bent to give Flora a scrub behind her ears.
Bryce went back to focusing on the meeting, and I thought about the journal I’d slid into my bag. The rumors about Ambrosia and the fire. Clo leaned over to whisper to Ms Ruthie, her hands settled in her lap. They were small. Browned from working in her garden. Normal. Not tinged with magic.
I pictured that scene around the stone circle again.
The jarring snap of her fingers echoing through the cool night air.
The smoke and flicker of orange flame coming to life in the pit.
I was a child then. I was imaginative. Made up stories for my sisters at bedtime.
Maybe I’d conjured up that memory of Clo too.
‘And Dr McGuire will handle the children’s area…’
That pulled me right out of my thoughts. Made my hand shoot straight up. ‘I’m sorry, Judge. What was that?’
‘The children’s area. The face painting. Balloon-animal station. Strawberry-dipping booth. Lia said you’d take it over.’
Dread curled in my stomach. The children’s area was an exercise in chaos every year. Kids sobbing when their balloon animals popped because they hugged them too tightly. Hands, faces, even hair, sometimes drenched in the melted white and milk chocolate used for strawberry dipping.
Last year, the pharmacist and his wife, Nora, took on the job, and by the end of the festival they resembled battle-scarred warriors, if warriors were covered in multiple layers of chocolate.
‘Did she now?’
Lia gave me a smartass smirk. Oh, she wasn’t getting away with this.
‘Of course I’ll do it, and Lia will help me.’
The taunting grin on Lia’s face slid away, and before she could object, Clo pressed a hand to her knee, stopping whatever sharp reply was coming.
‘No problem, Judge. All three of the McGuire girls are up to the task,’ Clo stated.
He gave a nod and moved on to tent construction and garbage duty.
A smirk pulled at the corner of Bryce’s mouth and his pen flew over the pages.
Good. This was what he needed to write about. The zaniness of this town. How people were always reluctant to volunteer until they were reminded of how some of the money raised allowed us to support important local causes like meals for seniors on a fixed budget and after school programs for kids.
Once the meeting adjourned an hour later, Elena fled back to the coffee shop and Lia headed to the fire station to talk to the chief about when the trails would be opened again.
I raced to my truck with Flora at my side.
I had less than half an hour before a scheduled puppy vaccination at the clinic.
Before I could get away, Clo called my name, strode toward me with a determined look pinching the corner of her eyes.
When she reached me she said in that disappointed voice I hated, ‘How long were you going to keep your plans with the journalist a secret?’
‘It’s not a secret. I hadn’t gotten around to telling you yet is all.’
She gave me one of her patented that is bullshit looks. ‘Honey, what are you doing? I know how you feel about this magic nonsense. And the last time an article was written…’ She shook her head. ‘I’ve heard this fella knows his stuff. You may not be able to distract him as easily as you think.’
Is it nonsense to her?
‘Yes, I’ve got it handled. The only archives he saw were about the town’s incorporation. The years of the silver rush frenzy. How the population slowly grew as more people visited and found that Harvest Moon was a good and quiet place to raise children.’
A part of me wanted to bring up her ancestor Ambrosia. See her reaction. But I held back. The center of town wasn’t exactly the place to have that kind of conversation.
‘All Bryce will have to write about is our basic history,’ I said. ‘The antics of this town, like that ridiculous meeting, and how Eric is very proud that he can grow a green pepper the size of a large man’s head.’
The tight lines around her mouth didn’t move. I gave another glance at her hands. In the light of day, those fuzzy memories of that night felt even more ridiculous. I’d been around Clo all my life. If she’d had any kind of magical power, I’d know about it.
‘There’s one other issue we need to discuss.’ The way she spit out the word issue, it wasn’t hard to guess what was coming next. ‘Your mother called me. Apparently she sent you an email and you have not replied.’
‘I have a lot happening right now. The last thing I need is more of Belladonna’s crap.’
‘Dandelion,’ she said with a sad sigh. ‘I know better than anyone how she’s hurt you and your sisters, but in the end she is your mother. Take five minutes and answer her. Please.’
My first reaction was to say no, but Clo didn’t ask for much.
I was about to relent when Bryce appeared at the corner and jogged in our direction.
Well, shit. Now I’d have to formally introduce him to Clo because they hadn’t really spoken the night of Indy’s sickness.
I braced myself, because in a situation like this my grandmother could be a wild card.
‘Hello, Dani,’ Bryce said with a way-too-relaxed smile. He bent down and scrubbed under Flora’s neck, murmuring something about Indy missing her. When he was finished turning my dog into a wet noodle, he stood at his full height and held out his hand to Clo.
‘We didn’t get a chance to properly meet when I was at your place with my sick dog. I’m Bryce O’Dell.’
‘I know who you are, young man. Nothing happens…’ She tossed me an irritated look. ‘Well, almost nothing happens in this town without me knowing about it.’
‘Yes, ma’am, I’ve heard that. In fact, I was hoping you’d be open to talking to me about the piece I’m writing about Harvest Moon.
Everyone I’ve spoken to so far has said you’re the lady in the know around here.
That your input on the article would be critical to me portraying the town in the most accurate light.
’ There was that charming smile again. Little did he know my grandmother was anything but a pushover.
‘Fine. Come to dinner tomorrow night. Be at the house at seven o’clock sharp and bring your appetite.’
I double-blinked. She was inviting him to dinner?
Bryce hesitated for a few seconds before replying, ‘Thank you. I’ll be there.’
This was a bad idea. The last thing I wanted was Bryce in my childhood home. Getting too close to the things I held most dear.
Before I could say a word, Bryce pointed a hopeful gaze in my direction. ‘You’ll be joining us, right?’
‘I’ll be there. You never say no to my grandmother.’
Clo gave me a knowing smirk and I said, ‘Bryce, will you excuse us for a minute?’
He graciously stepped aside to check his phone.
‘What are you up to?’ I growled.
Her bony shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. ‘I can do my part too. We need to understand what that man knows. Loosening him up with some wine and a good meal can’t hurt.’
I couldn’t help but laugh. The absolute wrong person to underestimate in this town was my grandmother, and Bryce was about to learn that fact very quickly.
My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my back pocket. My shoulders tightened as I read the message.
‘What’s wrong?’ Clo said.
‘George Spellner’s been worried about his pregnant cow, and now it looks like she’s having issues. I’d better call Jessa and let her know I have to cancel the rest of today’s appointments.’
‘Why don’t you let me take Flora to the clinic? I can tell Jessa when I get there,’ Clo offered like she was trying to get back into my good graces.
‘Thank you. That’d be helpful. I don’t know how long I’ll be there.’
Clo whistled, called Flora’s name, and the two of them walked back toward the amphitheater.
‘Did I hear something about a pregnant cow?’ Bryce said.
‘Do you ever stop eavesdropping?’ I huffed.
He gave a shy shrug like that’d make me forgive his irritating ways.
‘Yes. I have to head to the Spellners’ farm.’
‘Do you need help?’
‘I’ve got this.’
‘How about another pair of hands? Maybe someone to carry your equipment? Put me to work. I think I did pretty good with Julius.’
‘Something tells me that even if I say no, you’ll still figure out a way to get there.’
‘True. So why not give in now and let me come along?’
There was that charming smirk again. How did he keep figuring out ways to break down my defenses?
‘I guess you did prove with Julius that you could go a while without being squeamish.’
‘You don’t need to worry about me.’
‘Oh, just you wait. Plucking a few quills is much different than a difficult live birth.’
He straightened his shoulders. ‘I’m up for the task.’
I held back a laugh, because he had no idea what he was volunteering for. If he wanted me to put him to work, he was about to get a brutal lesson in rural veterinary medicine.