Chapter 62
Nell found Tricia at the funnel cake booth.
She wanted to leave and fast. But Tricia was flirting with a man who looked like a lumberjack, his blue-and-green flannel shirt exposing a well-defined chest. Nell didn’t have the heart to interrupt.
This was Tricia’s first night out since Nell came to town.
As much as Tricia said this was a treat for Nell, it was also a change of pace for her.
Nell would avoid Thomas for the rest of the night and let Tricia have her fun.
She shook her head like that would rid her mind of Thomas and his strange abilities, then wandered the festival booths.
Nell admired the homemade jams and jellies, candles, pottery, and crystals until a booth offering spice bundles caught her eye.
People crowded around, peppering questions at the man with the largest arms she’d ever seen.
He answered, gave out samples, and rang up purchases.
Nell waited until the booth cleared before she stepped up to it and checked out his products.
“Welcome. If you have questions, please let me know.”
“Thank you.” She leaned in closer to examine a spice wreath.
The black cat with the white front paw jumped onto the table. Nell stepped back. It was the same cat Thomas had healed. It moved closer to her and settled itself under her hand, purring loudly.
“Jeff, leave her alone. Sorry,” the man said as he added product to the table. “He thinks everyone adores him.”
She scratched Jeff’s neck. “That’s okay. I’m glad to see he’s doing well after his accident.”
“You’re Nell?” The man stopped what he was doing and extended his hand. “I’m Zach, his owner. Thank you so much for taking him to Thomas!”
Nell shook Zach’s hand and looked at him closely. He was tall with thick, dark hair and a classic, symmetrical face. Everything about him should have made her swoon, but he didn’t intrigue her. Not like Thomas, despite the fact he’d lied.
“It was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing.” Zach picked up the wreath she’d been looking at and put it into a paper bag. “Please take this. It’s the least I can do.”
“That’s kind of you.” Nell accepted the bag and stroked the cat behind its ears.
She asked where he got his herbs, but Zach wasn’t paying attention. She followed his gaze to a woman at the animal shelter booth. She waved her arms and pointed at the twinkle lights. They were no longer lit.
Thomas ambled over to her, and with a flick of his hand, the lights twinkled as brightly as diamonds.
Nell dropped the bag with the wreath on the ground.
She shifted her gaze back to Zach, who was suddenly busy rearranging the herb grinders in his display.
“Did you see that?” she asked.
Zach cleared his throat. “What?”
“The lights. They came back on when Thomas… waved or flicked.”
“That was more of a waggle if you ask me.”
Heat shot through Nell, reminding her of the times Darren had gaslit her.
It started small, switching out words for less damning ones.
When it progressed to Darren lying about how a pair of women’s panties had ended up in the glove box of his Porsche, Nell promised herself to never again accept a lie.
Nell spun around and stormed back to the funnel cake booth, where Tricia was letting the attendant feed her.
“Let’s go.”
Her words startled the man. Cherry topping and powdered sugar plopped on the asphalt next to Tricia’s feet, splattering her white tennis shoes with red speckles.
Nell caught Tricia’s eyes and silently begged her friend not to ask questions. “Sorry. But I need to go. Now.”
Tricia gave the man a pat on the arm and said, “Catch you later.” She grabbed Nell’s hand as the two of them hightailed it to the car. “What’s wrong?”
Nell looked over her shoulder. She wanted to get as far away from Thomas as possible. “Let’s talk at home.”