Chapter 10
ten
LAILA
“I have a bone to pick with you,” Ella says.
I freeze, unsure of how to proceed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Bridget flew in this morning, and we’re taking advantage of some much-needed sister time. Especially after Ella’s close call with chilly weather and the fountain yesterday.
She’s perched cross-legged on the bed, still wearing the enormous homecoming mum Luke gave her last week. It jingles every time she moves, like Christmas came early.
“He said it’s bad luck to take it off before Thanksgiving,” she tells us with a straight face.
Bridget snorts. “You didn’t wear it to the princess breakfast, too, did you?”
“Of course not,” Ella says, utterly unbothered. Then she flashes a wide grin. “But I did wear the tiara.”
“As you should’ve,” I tell her.
Bridget groans. “You’re hopeless.”
Ella smiles even bigger, her ribbons swaying as the bells jingle. “Hopelessly happy, maybe. Luke started a tradition, and I’m not about to break it.”
For all her teasing, I love seeing her this way. She’s lighter, happier, and if that means she’s walking around in a Homecoming mum in her room, so be it.
I promised I’d leave the fountain incident alone, even though I’m going a little crazy trying to figure out why it happened. But I suppose I’ll trust that she’ll eventually tell me the truth. The Jacksons will take care of her until then.
Right now, though, I’d be alright with something strange and magical happening to me, too.
Maybe a trail of breadcrumbs leading somewhere that makes sense for once.
I keep following crumbs that just circle back to the same questions.
I don’t love the idea of threatened hypothermia, though, so my “magic” can be something less… life threatening.
The mattress shifts under Ella’s weight as she turns her whole body to face me, her eyes boring holes into my profile.
Oh no.
I know where this is headed.
“Back to my bone to pick. Well, several bones, actually,” Ella says.
This would be a great time for the wardrobe in my room to pull a stunt like it did in Emma’s room before the Princess Pancake Breakfast at the farm last Saturday.
While I’d happily accept a spontaneous ball gown, I’d also accept confetti.
Or it could fling its doors wide and belt out some opera like in Beauty and the Beast.
I’d take anything to get attention of me.
Bridget’s reflection eyes us from the floor mirror she’s sitting in front of.
“I get the feeling this is less about sisterly bonds and more about emotionally refereeing you two.”
I scoot away a bit from Ella, perched on the edge of the bed. “We’re fine.”
“You are not fine. Have you seen the bags under those eyes?” Bridget resumes applying her false lashes.
Ella thunks me in the shoulder, and I blink. “Did you just… thunk me?”
“That’s for not telling me about Sweet Treats.”
I blanch. “How do you know about that? It’s a secret,” I whisper.
“Annie told me. She was smitten with the photos you took for The Storybook Café and Second Star to the Right. I just asked the right questions—lots of them.”
Hearing it out loud feels strange, like someone’s just read my diary. Sweet Treats isn’t just an experiment; it’s my first genuine attempt at finding home in my own story.
“Wait.” Bridget sets down her eyelash glue and spins to face us. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t I know what you’re talking about?”
“It’s really nothing—” I start.
Ella hits me with a pillow. “You are such a liar! Since when do you keep so many secrets from us?”
“The social media thing is an experiment,” I say. “I honestly haven’t figured out what to do with it.”
“But when you told me at the bridal shop that you were thinking about leaving Gilded Vows, and that you needed to figure out the future of your social media, you didn’t mention you took a complete detour!
” She huffs. “You’ve pumped me for every piece of information you can think of about Luke, and you’ve been holding out on me. ”
Bridget’s mouth falls open. “That is all brand new information to me. I don’t know where to begin with that.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing.” I duck as Ella throws another pillow at me. “This is also the wrong way to go about a pillow fight.”
This earns me a frustrated shriek.
“Should I go call Luke and Holden? They might want popcorn and a front-row seat if that’s what you’re doing.” Bridget unfolds herself and winces when she stands. “I forgot how far away this place is.”
We both stop what we’re doing and turn to face her. My twin has a perfectly innocent look painted on her face, but Ella is suddenly catching on to what she said.
“Holden? What is she talking about?”
I calculate how fast I’ll need to run to make it to the door before my sisters. Considering how tired I am, I don’t think I can do it.
Bridget sighs. “Look, we need to finish getting ready, and Ella is going to beat around the bush. I don’t have the patience for it.
Laila, tell the room how you feel about walking onto the porch at The Grotto tomorrow night for the rehearsal dinner.
You’re going to be surrounded by floating candles, fairy lights, and unresolved tension with a very hunky baker tomorrow night. And…go.”
“You could really use more tact,” I tell her.
“Well, you need to finish getting ready, and we’re running low on time.” She shrugs. “Can I at least work on your hair while we discuss?”
“I don’t need to discuss anything,” I say. “It’s just dinner—not prom.”
Ella grabs another pillow, and I instinctively brace for impact.
“Don’t you dare tell me it’s complicated.
I think I’ve got that covered in spades with enchanted letters and having a crush on the boy next door.
And our famous bride, thinking I’m engaged to said boy—um, man—and then having to try on a wedding dress in front of him. ”
“That was actually really sweet,” I mumble.
She drops the pillow, then flops onto the bed again. “I told you everything, La. Why can’t you do the same?”
“To be fair, Ella. It’s pretty complicated. We dated in high school—”
She gasps and sits back up. “Oh, my gosh! You did have boys climb through your window!”
Bridget’s eyes volley between us. “I hate when y’all do this.”
“It was not boys. It was one… boy.” I knew when I teased her about that last week she’d latch onto it like a sweet little spider monkey.
She crosses her legs, her cozy slippers with pumpkins on them bobbing as she chews on what she wants to say.
“I’m sorry I threw pillows. But I knew something was up when Holden came by the farm earlier to drop off his adorable gingerbread people.
He flushed when he mentioned you. The unresolved tension thing is more than I expected, though.
Thanks for that Bridget. Now I’m going to dissect everything they do around each other. ”
I ignore her last comment and latch onto the part she said about Holden flushing when he mentioned me. That’s so sweet.
And it makes my insides all fluttery.
“His gingerbread people are really adorable,” I grumble. “And delicious.”
“I like how you sidestepped the whole ‘unresolved tension’ part.” Bridget drops onto the bed, opposite Ella.
It feels good for all of us to be in one place like this again, especially when I don’t know what’s coming next. I haven’t missed this part though.
Ella is quiet. When I face her, she’s studying me like I’m a test she needs to pass.
“You’re different. I feel bad I didn’t say something before now, but you’re actually glowing. You look happy, Laila.”
Bridget reaches across and grabs my face, squishing my cheeks like we used to do when we were kids. “I don’t know if I’d say you’re glowing…”
I slap her arm away.
“Maybe I am happier here. Enchanted Hollow always does this to me. It’s like I can breathe again.”
A beat too late, I realize what I’ve said. I’m not sure who looks more shocked.
“Again?” They both shout.
Ella has a pillow again, and I scoot away from the bed. “You know? I liked it better when you were too busy to meddle.”
“Better to meddle than keep secrets!” Ella exclaims. “How many times have you been back here?”
I wince. “You won’t like that answer.”
Bridget sighs.
“It’s just one weekend a year. It’s not like I come for long trips. I just… It’s nice to feel like I belong somewhere.”
I’m pretty sure you could hear a pin drop in the room right now.
“Colorado never felt like it did here,” Bridget agrees. “I can’t blame you. I’m surprised, but I understand.”
“Is that the only reason you come here?” Ella asks.
Of course not. But when I walk through town, it reminds me of cozy movies we watch back in our apartment. Vivid colors and clear air, a sense of peace you can’t find anywhere else. Cobblestone roads and old buildings, and a way of life that settles you in a time where the world wasn’t so urgent.
Everything moves more slowly here. It feels safe.
I’ve somehow circled right back to nostalgia. And it always circles right back to me.
“No,” I admit. “I come here for Holden mainly. Last year, we actually went to Colorado.” Before they can freak out again, I hold up a hand. “I promise to disclose all of this later, but we’re running out of time if we want to make our dinner reservation.”
“What worries you the most?” Bridget asks.
Because, of course, she’s the one facing this with a business attitude.
“The most?” I think about my answer. “It’s a toss-up between worrying I’ll get bored and restless, and never wanting to leave. I don’t understand how that even works.”
“I think both can be true. But let’s face it, La. This place has a festival when someone sneezes and your boyfriend bakes.” Bridget laughs. “I don’t think boredom could exist here if it tried.”
I turn to Ella, eager to shift the attention away from myself. “Your turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did Mom insist that you oversee Holly’s wedding? Why are you here? Why are we here?”
Bridget raises her hand in agreement. “Seconded. All that.”