Chapter 23
She was the owner of Ten Cents Books for approximately two weeks before she decided to sell it.
It was the right decision to make. Her parents both agreed and supported her, but it was still difficult to do.
That bookstore had the best and worst of her adolescent years.
It had been where she’d first discovered The Raven King.
Where she’d first actually gotten to know Alex and Hawk.
Where she’d found a new sense of confidence.
And now, her days were busy as she tried to move all her inventory out and find a new location for a new bookstore.
No. Not new.
Bodice and Brawn was just relocating from the faire to the real world.
But making that happen was a colossal amount of work.
Her days were filled with talking with the bank, making decisions with her contracting team, and deciding what kind of space would be the best fit. Luckily, her uncle volunteered to act as the foreman for the contractors while his realtor wife helped them look for a new location.
Lilian already had an idea, though.
Every day ended with her falling asleep from exhaustion, a smile on her lips. For weeks, she’d divided her time between Ten Cents Books and the faire, when what she really wanted was to have something of her own. And now she did.
She pulled down her family’s driveway late at night after an evening of picking Emily’s brain about standing up a store. The porch light was the only illumination in the rural darkness. Without it, she would have missed the dark-colored SUV parked in front of the house.
The car wasn’t familiar.
Curious, she got out and let herself into the house. This late at night, her parents were usually tucked in their living room chairs, winding down. But the lights were all on, and the sound of laughter caught her by surprise.
They weren’t in the living room. They were at the kitchen table… with Janelle Carlisle.
“What are you doing here?”
Lilian didn’t mean to sound rude, but the sight of Janelle in her kitchen was so unexpected. It was even stranger to see the woman wearing jeans and a bright pink sweater decorated with little green Christmas trees.
Janelle gave a timid wave, as if even she wasn’t sure what she was doing in the Brody house. “Hawk told me where I might find you. Your parents were keeping me company while I waited. I came by because I need to apologize to you for Marcus’s behavior.”
All three adults were looking at her expectantly. Lilian stared back. The need to say that everything was fine, that it was all water under the bridge, thrummed through her. The damn Midwestern politeness.
The water wasn’t under the bridge. It was still flooding the roads, drowning everything in its path. When she closed her eyes, Marcus’s accusations rattled inside her head. And Hawk…
Janelle’s voice carried on. “I wanted to personally tell you my husband—” She stopped and corrected herself. “My ex-husband was out of line when he told you that you wouldn’t be welcome back.”
“Oh.” There was so much she wanted to say, but the only thing that came out was, “Ex-husband?”
“We are… separating. Recent events have shown a side of him that I don’t recognize and don’t care to be married to.”
“Oh, Janelle…” Beatrice said.
Janelle? Her parents had been left alone for a few minutes with Hawk’s mom, and they were already on a first name basis?
“I’m sorry to hear that,” her father deadpanned.
The tightness dropped from Janelle’s face, making her look lost. “It happens. People grow apart. But more importantly, he had no right to treat one of our vendors the way he did. And for that I am truly sorry.”
Lilian couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
The Carlisles, Hawk’s parents, were separating over this.
She’d never understood the relationship between the king and queen.
Hawk didn’t seem to either. But they were the faire, the founding royalty, the glue that held everything together. Weren’t they?
A horrible thought hit her. “What does this mean for the faire?”
“Don’t worry about that. The faire will be fine.
We plan to make some adjustments, but it will be back again, same time next year.
Better than before. Hopefully, I can win back the talent that made us great to begin with.
Which brings me to the second reason for my visit.
I would be honored to host Bodice and Brawn next year and would also like to offer the cottage at a discount for all the trouble. ”
Lilian held her breath. After everything that had happened, and even with the award nomination, she’d never considered returning to the faire an option. “Did Hawk put you up to this?”
“No, my son…” Janelle stopped herself short, rethinking how much she should say. And Lilian hung on the pause. “I’ve told him that I plan on offering you a place at the faire, and that is it.”
The answer didn’t tell her very much. She knew Janelle didn’t owe her any information on Hawk either. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want any special treatment.”
“Special treatment?” A smile pulled at Janelle’s lips like the idea amused her. “You’re not getting special treatment. I am doing this because I loved what your store brought to our faire.”
“But the Winter Ball. You changed the theme because I gave you The Raven King.”
Janelle cocked her head to the side. “I did change it, yes. But that wasn’t my idea. Hawk was the one who suggested a change in theme.”
Hawk?
“No, that can’t be right. He barely knows what The Raven King series is.”
Janelle gave her an inquisitive head tilt. “Oh, he definitely knows what the series is. He’s read it all.”
“What?” She’d never seen him with a book in his hand. When did he have the time?
“Oh, yes,” Janelle continued. “I admit I was pushing him a little to do it, but he read it all after talking to you. Next thing I know, he was doing market research and telling me The Raven King theme would be more popular than the historical. That’s why we decided to change it.
And he was right. We’ve never sold so many tickets before, and at a marked-up price. ”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Hawk had been the one to change the theme. Hawk had read the books.
Why hadn’t he told her? He’d never even asked her to go to the ball. So why go through all this?
“He never told me.”
Frustration flickered across Janelle’s face.
“I figured as much. He’s so much like Marcus sometimes.
” She shook her head, then refocused on Lilian.
“I can’t speak for him, and I’m not here to encourage you into giving him another chance.
But I will say Hawk has been a different man this season.
For years, I tried to get him to loosen up and enjoy the faire, but nothing ever worked.
When he met you, though, all that changed.
“He hasn’t read a fantasy novel since he was six, but he did for you. And I don’t think he and I would’ve seen how bad things had gotten with Marcus without your help. I…” She exhaled. “I didn’t know about Reject Woods. Or that people were being pushed out. That’s on me.”
Janelle’s voice steadied. “I need to take a page from my son. From you. And focus on the health of the business. The faire… my faire.”
She repeated the phrase like a reminder she was still learning to believe. Lilian couldn’t help but smile, recognizing the tactic.
She’d had no idea there was so much happening in the background.
She’d thought Hawk had opened up to her, but he'd still been making decisions in the background without once talking to her.
Not that he needed to. He wasn’t your boyfriend.
Right.
“So, Lilian…” Janelle said. “Would you be willing to give me and my faire another chance?”
“I would love to,” Lilian started, “but I need to think about this. I’ve decided to make Bodice and Brawn a real store.”
“Oh.” Janelle’s lips split into an exuberant smile. “Well, that does change things. You’ll be very busy, I’m sure, so I understand the need to think about everything.”
The genuine excitement in Janelle’s voice warmed Lilian more than the offer to return to the faire. Oh, god, she was going to tear up again. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for stopping by,” Beatrice said, walking Janelle to the door. She had more of a spring to her step. “It was great talking to you.”
“You, too. I hope to get the opportunity again.”
“How about next week?”
Janelle laughed. “You have my number.”
She did? The two women clasped hands like they had been best friends for years instead of only just now meeting. It made Lilian’s heart ache for Hawk, remembering the last time he’d been in her kitchen and wishing he were here with his mother.
It made no sense, how she still thought about him. How she still yearned to have him by her side. He’d hurt her. Kept secrets from her. And yet…
“Janelle?” Her feet carried her to the doorway, where Janelle was still buttoning up her jacket. Frigid air slipped between the partially open door, but the older woman paused and looked at her, as if expecting something. “How is he doing?”
She didn’t have to say who. Janelle knew.
Her eyes creased, that same sad look she’d had when she mentioned her separation. “He’s making some tough decisions right now. Just like you I imagine.”
Tough decisions. She wanted to ask more, but voicing that would show too much.
Luckily Janelle didn’t need her to say anything else. She gave Lilian a reassuring smile. “I’ll tell him you’re doing all right. If you want.”
“Yes,” she squeaked, “thank you.”
“And I’ll see you at the ball?” There was a familiar glint in the queen’s eyes, the first real smile she’d shed all night.
Lilian laughed. “Yes.”
“Good. And Lilian? Even if you don’t come back next year, make sure you tell me when you reopen Bodice and Brawn. All right?”