Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
The Sunday between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day is Wren’s strawberry festival.
After talking to the town board, they agreed that a community event coordinator would benefit the town, especially since many of their events attract tourists.
Even though they told Wren that they could move things around and find money in the budget for the position, Wren went ahead with planning the spring festival anyway, and she’s done a fantastic job at actually delegating tasks for it.
That said, I’m pretty sure the community coordinator’s salary will be paid for years to come.
Jesse and Madden just ran off to grab us food, and Emma and I are standing in the VIP section with the band, Wren, Adam, Nat, and Leo, Adam’s publicist and the band’s manager.
“It’s wild, right? I was just going to do it small, but then Adam mentioned a micro-festival vibe could be cool.
I didn’t want him to feel like I was using him for his connections, but he made the call without my even knowing, and the band was on board before he even suggested it.
” Wren grins wider. “He even got their event management company and security contacts to donate free services as well, so I didn’t even have to do much. Isn’t that wild?”
I don’t tell her that the reason Adam did all of that was so he could ensure she wouldn’t overwork herself with this event. Knowing Adam, he foresaw her burning herself out in her effort and did anything he could to stop it.
“Do you think he could get Willa Stone next year?” Emma asks, nearly skipping as she goes.
From her neck dangles a VIP badge that gives her backstage access.
Last night, we had dinner at the King house with the band, and after spending most of the night with Stella Greene and Harper Holden, she’s told me that next year’s vision board will include learning to play the guitar, writing a song, and learning to sew.
I mentally added a guitar and sewing machine to my potential Christmas gift list.
“I could probably make that happen,” Reed, the bassist for Atlas Oaks, says, putting an arm around Emma’s shoulders. A blush burns on her cheeks, and I bite back a laugh.
“No, you could not,” Beckett, the drummer of the band, says deadpan. “No one tells Willa what to do.” I’ve learned in our small time with the band that Reed is the goofy, happy-go-lucky one and Beckett is the serious one.
“I wouldn’t be telling her what to do. We just have to tell her how great this event was, and she’ll totally do this for Adam,” Reed says.
“Or I could ask her. We’re kind of friends,” Emma says with a proud smile, and my heart swells at the look. In the past six months, Emma’s confidence has absolutely skyrocketed, and it’s so fun to see.
“I heard about that,” Leo says, tapping his phone screen and sliding it back into his pocket.
The man seems to be on that thing constantly.
“Heard you were a cool kid and that the town seemed full of good people. It’s why when Adam asked about this festival, I knew the band would be interested.
” I don’t know if he means it, if he and the pop star actually talked about Emma, but I could hug the stoic man for putting the excited look on my girl’s face
“I hear you’re thinking of leaving the city and might be looking at a house here?” Stella Greene, the wife of the lead singer, Riggins, says as she shifts a baby on her hip. A sparkle comes to her eye when Leo nods in his agreement. “You know, there are plenty of houses in Ashford for sale.”
Leo shakes his head at her suggestion. “I’m kind of liking this place. Far enough away from the chaos without being too far from airports and transportation. Ashford is in the middle of fucking nowhere. I could never live there.”
Riggins hooks an arm around his wife’s waist and tugs her into his side.
“Plus, I don’t need Leo near us. Ashford is where we go to escape him. If Leo were nearby, he’d be knocking on our door every day with some new idea.”
Leo glares at the rockstar, who seems so much more like a regular guy than I expected.
“I’m so sorry, I want to get you guys' work. Maybe if you stopped dropping off the face of the earth, I wouldn’t feel the need to show up at your front door.”
“We’ll go on tour sometime. I just need this guy to be a bit bigger, you know?” Riggins says, leaning to poke his son in the belly, a loud baby laugh filling the air.
“Yeah, yeah,” Leo starts, then goes to say something else before they’re interrupted by a man in a tight-fitting black T-shirt with Wilde Security stretched across the front, and Leo’s stern manager face returns. “All good, Jaime?”
The man nods, then looks around the group.
“There’s a woman at the entrance trying to get access, and she’s starting to cause a scene. She doesn’t have a pass and isn’t on the list, but is insisting she belongs back here.”
“Did she give a name?” Wren asks, confused.
Jaime nods. “Name was Kim Dunne. She said she knows you, specifically, Wren.”
My entire body goes still, and I turn with wide eyes to my best friend, who is looking at me the same way.
“Kim? Like, my mom?” Emma asks, and panic moves through me, utterly unsure of how to handle this. Jesse and Madden just left to get us some food before the show starts, but I need him here now.
“Text Jesse,” I say to Wren, but don’t stop to see if she followed my command, since Emma has started to move toward the gates of the VIP section. Jaime jogs after her, and I follow closely behind.
“That’s her! That’s my baby!” a woman’s voice calls out, and my attention moves in her direction, seeing a familiar blond arguing with a couple of security guards.
Jaime calls something, and the guards step aside, letting Kim inside the VIP area.
She moves quickly to where Emma stops, and I stop right beside her. “Emma! Give your mom a hug!”
Emma stands, confused and awkward, as her mom pulls her into her arms.
That’s when I realize everyone we were talking to came with us, not because I saw them, but because when Kim hugs Emma, her eyes never meet her daughter; instead, they widen with excitement at the group behind us.
The hug breaks, and Emma takes a step back, closer to me, something Kim notices but doesn’t get a chance to question.
“Kim?” a familiar voice asks, and with it, relief washes through me. A moment later, Jesse, his anger barely masked on his face as Madden moves behind him, comes into sight.
“Hey, Jesse. How’s it going? Sorry, I didn’t call,” Kim says as he joins our growing group.
“What are you doing here?” Jesse says, cutting straight to the chase.
“I thought I’d surprise my baby girl! Surprise!” she says as she puts her hands out to her sides.
I take in the gorgeous blond woman, seeing Emma’s features in her face, in the blue of her eyes, and in the way her smile tilts more on one side than the other.
Emma has the King family nose and smooth dark hair, making her often look like she could be Wren’s kid, but there’s no way you couldn’t see the resemblance between Kim and Emma.
“How did you know we were here?” Jesse asks, and Kim bites her lips.
“I saw Wren posting about the festival a bunch on social media, and then this morning she posted to her stories a picture of Emma with everyone. I was in New York, and I figured it would be a good day to head over here for a fun surprise.”
Wren pales, more likely than not taking the blame for this mess now, but I try to remember the pictures Wren posted this morning. The only one I can think of with Emma in it was Emma with the band, and my stomach sours.
An uncomfortable silence hangs between us, and I don’t have to look at Jesse to feel the fury rolling off him in waves, but I do catch eyes with Wren, whose jaw is tight and her eyes are narrowed. There aren’t many people whom Wren hates, but Kim is on that very short list.
“Emma, introduce me to everyone,” Kim says, but Emma stands there, her own quiet skepticism brewing. It’s a perfect storm, and it crashes down all around me with no real way to stop it from happening.
When no one speaks, Kim turns to Adam. “You’re Adam Porter, right?
I’m Kim. I’m a big fan,” she says, batting her eyes at my best friend’s boyfriend.
Wren gets a confused look on her face, mainly because, while in the industry, Adam might be a notable name, outside it, he’s not an extremely noticeable face, which is how he likes it.
“Uh, yeah,” Adam says, clearly just as confused.
“God, it’s so crazy you’re here in Holly Ridge. Nothing ever happens here. It’s why I had to get out, you know?” There’s more uncomfortable silence before Kim’s now stiff smile turns to Leo. “And you’re Leo, right? Adam’s agent? I thought I recognized you on Wren’s socials. I’m a singer myself.”
A cold rush moves through me.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
Beside me, Jesse goes still as well.
But it’s Emma’s cold words that cut through the group like a knife.
“Did you come here to talk to Adam?” Emma asks before I can think of anything to say to avoid this inevitable mess, and with her questions, my heart breaks.
“What?”
“Did you come here to talk to Adam? Because, you know, he’s in the music industry and you want to be a singer or whatever, right?” God, the girl is smart. Too freaking smart. “And Willa Stone is his friend.”
“I did see that you had a little chat with Willa on your birthday. What a sweet surprise! You know, I have a demo. Maybe next time you talk to her—”
I watch as recognition and understanding filter over Emma’s face, the small spark of hope that she held for her mom when she saw her here flickering out as she realizes the truth.
I hate this for her. I hate it so much, and even more, I hate that there was nothing I could do to protect her from it.
I remember when she backed out of the party, Jesse said something similar, and now it’s my turn.
Unfortunately, there are no planters nearby to throw at trees, so instead, I use my words.