Chapter 21
Last Week of Faire: The Final Tournament
“Huzzah!”
The cheers shook the walls of the castle. She’d lost count of how many times the crowd had raised their mugs as they celebrated the end of the faire. But the gusto was still there.
The belly of the castle was packed with actors and vendors. There wasn’t an inch of available space at any of the long picnic tables. To her left was Alex with her entire crew of pirates. And to her right were Margo, Russ, and David. All of them had been smiling nonstop.
The night was different from other end-of-season celebrations. On all sides, she was surrounded by people like her. People who had put in endless weekend hours to put on the best damn faire they could.
They'd sweated, rejoiced, even cried together.
“Is this seat taken?”
A foaming mug of beer appeared in front of her as Hawk leaned over her shoulder. She beamed at him. “Depends, is that for me?”
He held up a second mug and brought it to his lips. “One for you and one for me.”
“Switching out the coffee for beer. Good choice.” David grinned as he moved over to make room.
Hawk took his seat. There was nothing overtly romantic about the gesture, but to her, it spoke volumes. In all the years she’d worked at the faire, she’d never once seen Hawk actually join in the celebrations. Now, he’d been to two. Drinking beers with them, celebrating the end of it all.
And hopefully, the beginning of them.
His eyes met hers in quiet contemplation. She lifted her mug and clinked it gently against his.
Cheers to our future.
“So, what’s next for you, Ms. Bodice?” Russ asked politely.
“I have another bookshop I have to keep in order,” Lilian said. “But I definitely plan on being back next year.”
Russ nodded sagely. “Well, I look forward to possibly being neighbors again.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I’m going to get another beer,” Lilian announced, maneuvering her body out of the bench. “Do you want anything?”
“I’m good,” Hawk said. “You enjoy yourself. I’ll drive you home if you need it.”
Her heart swelled at the offer. The way he said home, rolled inside her mind, making her stomach do flips. She didn’t know if he meant her house or his apartment, and it didn’t matter.
She wanted to kiss him so badly. His lips were glistening from the drink, and he looked damn good in a long-sleeved hunter-green shirt. But she wasn’t sure if it would be all right. Not yet. But as soon as they got to the car all bets were off.
She let her hand linger on his back and said, “I’ll be back.”
Maneuvering through the castle was its own kind of challenge. Music blared over the sound system, another medieval cover song. This time it was the familiar beat of Backstreet Boys and people were singing loudly alongside the lute.
An open bar sat on the opposite side of the building with a long line that hugged the wall. She settled behind a nobleman wearing a peacock-inspired outfit.
A body settled behind her. She glanced up to share a quiet smile with the stranger and froze. The man wasn’t a stranger. It was Marcus Carlisle.
Still dressed in his kingly robes, the man looked out of place waiting in line with the rest of the riffraff. Shock iced her veins before she forced herself to shake it off. Sure, they weren’t close. But this was Hawk’s dad.
She’d made assumptions about Hawk at first and those had turned out to be wrong. Maybe the same was true here as well. “So, even kings have to wait in line for beer?” she said with a timid smile.
His face did not break from its stern expression. Dark eyes that looked so much like Hawk’s dissected her. “If I wanted a beer now, I would be able to get one.”
“Oh.” That was a weird thing to say. “So, why are you waiting in line?”
He cocked his head at the question. “It seemed like a good opportunity to talk to you, Ms. Bodice.”
“Me?” she squeaked, feeling the entire weight of his scrutiny once again.
“Yes, we haven’t talked much this season. But my wife has nothing but good things to say about your shop. And I’ve heard you’ve pulled my son into your business schemes as well.”
Schemes. Her mind snagged on the word. She did her best to keep a pleasant smile on her face and pray that the line would move faster. “Well, I’m glad you could join me. I’ve been wanting to get to know you better as well. I’ve really enjoyed working with Hawk.”
“I’m sure you have.”
Her throat tightened. She wasn’t imagining it anymore. He was trying to say something. “Excuse me?”
“Ms. Bodice, can I be frank?”
“I—”
“It has not escaped my notice that you’ve become close with my son. Which I find very convenient for you, considering he’s spent this whole season keeping your business afloat.”
Convenient?
“Wait a second.” She looked around, aware that they were surrounded by people. But everyone was too caught up in their own merry making to take notice. And her table was all the way across the hall. She was alone against this bulldozer of a man.
The king barreled on. “In a few short weeks, you became the lead in one of our shows. You were given free promotion through your flyers and that flower chair. And your shop somehow managed to survive, even though half the season you made little to no profit. I can’t help but think that your success is due to the close relationship you have with my son. ”
The accusation felt like a slap.
He thought she was using Hawk. That her success was only because of him. That she’d only succeeded because of him.
And then, something else he said cut through the haze. Her stomach turned. “What did you say?”
He looked at her like she was stupid. “Do you really not get it? I said—”
“Not that,” she cut in. “About my shop not making money. How do you know that?”
“This is my faire, girl.” There was an ugly hiss in his words, a vicious jealousy of a man making his claim. He didn’t mention his wife or everyone who made the faire possible.
More importantly, though, it wasn’t an answer. Not completely. And that only confirmed her suspicion. “Hawk told you I wasn’t doing well?”
Marcus snorted. “Of course he did. He’s the manager. I have a right to know how the businesses that I host are doing.”
She was going to throw up. Right here, in the middle of the castle, probably on Marcus Carlisle’s fancy faire shoes. It took every ounce of strength in her to swallow the feeling.
It shouldn’t feel like a betrayal, but it did.
She knew it was Hawk’s job to keep his parents in the loop about the business.
But she never thought he would tell his father something so personal about her business.
Even worse, she’d thought he believed in her.
She’d thought they were making things better.
“Which is why we will not be inviting you back again next year.”
“What?” Her attention snapped back to him, but a sharp stinging sensation was already piercing her eyes. “I’m not… invited back?”
“Not your business, no.” He had the gall to look down his nose at her. As if this news were some kind of mercy. “It’s not a good fit.”
She stared at him, words trapped somewhere behind her teeth.
Marcus kept talking. “This faire has the right to pick businesses that we think our guests will enjoy. And I think the numbers reflect that a bookstore at the faire is too strange for some people.” A heavy hand fell on her shoulder.
“It’s for the best. You can focus on your actual bookstore.
Instead of wasting money reserving a cottage next year. ”
“I thought I was doing good…” The words slipped out, thin and small.
“The numbers don’t lie.”
There was a smugness in the way he delivered the line. And a finality. As if that one sentence explained everything and excused it all.
The noise of the party blurred around her. The laughter, the music, the jokes. None of it felt real. How could everyone be smiling and having so much fun while she was having one of the worst conversations of her life?
She shrugged off his hand and pushed away from the line.
Marcus’s voice chased after her, low and muttered. “Ungrateful… Hawk is too good for…”
She threw herself out the doors and into the brisk evening air. The faire center was an empty, desolate thing. Thank god, because Lilian couldn’t keep the tears at bay for a moment longer. They fell in fat droplets. Her lip quivered as she fell apart.
Behind her, the music drowned out her cries. Only a few feet away, everyone was basking in their joy while she broke down.
“Lilian?”
She froze at the sound of Hawk’s voice. She didn’t want him to see her like this; she didn’t want to see him period. Not now. But it was too late. He’d already heard her sniffling, and in a few short strides, he was in front of her, looking so worried it broke her heart all over again.
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” she said automatically.
“I know you better than that. What happened? You didn’t come back to the table, and now you’re crying.”
She took a gulp of air, trying to control her sobs. “Your dad talked to me.”
His demeanor changed immediately. Even in the darkness, she could see the deep narrowing of his brows. “What did he say?”
“He said I’m not welcome back next year.”
“What?” The news looked like it actually surprised him. And that brought her some form of comfort. He didn’t know. He hadn’t been keeping it from her. But it didn’t completely absolve him either.
“That bastard.” It was a low dangerous growl, a noise she’d never heard from him before. Not even on Viking Weekend. “I’m going to go talk to him right now. He doesn’t have the right to make that decision.”
“Yes, he does, Hawk,” she bit out. “He owns the faire. And he said you told him that my business wasn’t profitable.”
The man in front of her tensed. There was no immediate denial, and that was all she needed to confirm her worst fear. It was true.
“I spoke to him about it at the very beginning of the season.”
Her insides twisted at the admission. “So, you did say it.”
“It was true at the time.” His response was calm. Cold even in the matter-of-fact way that he spoke. It was like a slap in the face.
“And now?” She could feel the wet tears in the words. It took every ounce of strength not to fall apart again. But the conversation was physically hurting her. She’d thought she was making progress. Thought Hawk believed in her.
His face shuttered at the sight of her tears.
The concern sealed away. All of a sudden, he wasn’t her Hawk anymore.
He was the cold businessman she’d met on that first day.
“I’ve been honest with you every step of the way.
You managed to break even this year, but it was by the edge of your teeth. But next year…”
Seeing that side of him again. It reminded her of his father.
Anger, hot and bright, surged in her chest. Overriding the sadness, the heartbreak. It gave her something to grab onto. A feeling of control even as the world around her spun out of control. “There’s not going to be a next year.”
“Lilian, don’t give up on this yet. My dad is an asshole. Let me talk to my mom. You are welcome back here. You know that.” He was talking to her like she was being unreasonable. Like she was being dramatic.
When he reached out to lead her back to the party, she pulled away.
“Do I?” she bit out. “Your dad thinks the only reason my shop broke even is because I’m sleeping with you. Did you tell him that as well?”
“What? No, of course not! You know me. I wanted to keep it quiet from everyone, especially my dad. Because of issues like this. But you kept flirting with me here and—”
She blanched at him, and he realized instantly that it was the wrong thing to say. The control he wore so easily disappeared. “Fuck. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant—”
“No.” Her voice was surprisingly hard. There was no hint of her earlier tears.
She was past that. Her grief was there inside her, but it wasn’t for Hawk to see.
She stepped away, putting more distance between them.
It was only a few inches, but it might as well have been miles.
“You were right. Okay? I shouldn’t have dated the boss.
I deserve your dad’s comments. I deserve to not come back next year. ”
“Lilian—”
“Don’t. Hawk. I’m done talking to you.”
For good. She left him standing outside the faux castle. A dark shadow, silhouetted against the glittering lights and music. And he let her leave. It was a relief that he didn’t try to keep her there. She might have screamed. Might still scream.
The anger dug itself into her muscles and carried her all the way back to her car. But when she slammed the door closed and sat in the quiet darkness, all the emotions hit her in a tidal wave. She broke down, curling against her steering wheel like it would give her comfort.
How could she be such an idiot?
How could she think, for even a second, that things would work out for her?
Her business wasn’t a success.
Cancer was killing her mother.
And Hawk Carlisle was, in fact, the meanest man she’d ever met.