Chapter Twenty-nine
Beckett
People milled about the nature trail at Hartley’s Nest in an array of fun costumes for the All Hallow’s Eve Walk.
Little kids were clustered around Vanessa’s Halloween craft table, having a ball making art with my sister, Isaac, Carina, Amelia, and Flora.
So far I’d seen seven superheroes, three black cats, five witches, six wizards, and a flock of winged fairies dancing around with Logan and Ashley as they played Halloween-inspired music from a sweet portable DJ system I’d set up for the event.
Joshua and Sylvie had the check-in/donation station managed, while Darius entertained a group with a reading of Edgar Allan Poe poems. Spencer, Hunter, Jimmy, and my mother took care of the trick-or-treating aspect of the event with two tables heaped high with Halloween treats.
My job at this event was to oversee a few Halloween games such as a pumpkin relay race, a candy toss game where players had to throw fun-sized candy bars into open trick-or-treating bags, a pin the tail on the black cat game, and a scarecrow assembling competition.
Logan had been surprised when I’d said I didn’t want the more techy job of playing DJ.
“You’re going to trust me to touch all the buttons?” he’d asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Yes, don’t make me regret that decision,” I’d joked. “Seriously though, it’s time for me to be a little more real and a little less virtual.”
Logan had clamped a hand on my shoulder and given me a shake.
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” he’d said, “because I need some real help on the addition we’re putting on the art and learning center for Carina’s preschool.
” He’d gestured to my hands. “Lend me these and I may consider letting you digitize my blueprints.”
I’d shaken his hand. “Deal.”
As I reset the candy toss game during a lull in visitors to the game area, my gaze landed on Sadie—who had asked to be called Sadie instead of Princess Aislinn.
“I plan to live my life in Vermont,” she’d said. “I’m Sadie Rodgers here. I want to be her. Princess Aislinn is reserved for trips back to Verdalach.”
After she’d explained why she’d left her country and had taken on a new identity, forgiving her for lying had been easy.
She hadn’t lied to be a jerk or to trick me and everyone else in Greenridge.
She’d lied to free herself. I wished she would have told me everything from the beginning—or at least after we’d realized something was blooming between us—but I understood why she hadn’t.
She was attempting to leave her old life behind.
Having a completely fresh start in Vermont had been the only way she thought she could achieve that.
I couldn’t imagine my family using me as a bargaining chip and forcing an arranged marriage on me.
Some of the other old traditions Verdalach clung to hadn’t sounded much fun either, but after what had happened at the wedding—that fortunately didn’t end up being a wedding—a great deal of talk about changing policies and practices had happened.
Sadie’s parents had opened up more about their grief in losing their daughter, Maeve, and about the pressures of running an entire country though it was a small one.
The future of Verdalach looked a little rosier.
My future looked a little rosier too because Sadie had decided to make Vermont her home.
She’d picked right back up where she’d left off with her Kalm Kingdom business, delivering her mindfulness services to her clients.
She’d had to make up for a few appointments she’d missed after being taken back to Verdalach so suddenly, but a couple free sessions settled those disgruntled clients down pretty quickly.
Now, Kalm Kingdom was flourishing as were Sadie’s natural jewelry creations. I’d actually seen a few guests here today with her pretty pendants dangling from their necks.
Looking at Sadie now, dressed as Daphne from Scooby-Doo, took my breath away.
She’d pinned her long, red hair in a way that made it look like Daphne’s length and added a purple headband.
The purple dress she wore was a perfect replica of the character’s, complete with a green scarf at her neck.
Vanessa had helped her spray paint a pair of dress shoes purple to match.
Combining all that with Sadie’s amazing legs, she looked authentically Daphne.
I wanted to whisk her away in The Mystery Machine van and solve some mysteries with her.
We’d actually already handled one mystery by clearing Jimmy’s name.
As soon as we’d arrived back in Greenridge, we’d marched to the police station where Jimmy was still being held—and my mother was twenty shades of worried.
Once Sadie confirmed she was alive and well and totally unharmed, however, and Jimmy’s logging buddy arrived with Jimmy’s lost wallet, the man’s innocence had been more than proven.
“Sorry, Mr. Slater,” the police officer who had brought him in for questioning had said. “You see how it looked though, right?”
“Of course,” Jimmy had said. “The phrase I’ll get you in the rumored town serial killer’s handwriting and on his letterhead warrants a full investigation. You were just doing your job.”
“And you were just not serial killing and it’s time we all officially retired those rumors,” I’d said.
Right now, Jimmy handed a cookie to a little girl dressed as a ballerina. He was wearing a Prince Charming costume and my mother was decked out as Cinderella and frankly, they couldn’t have been any cuter.
And we were all waiting for that proposal.
From the looks of it, Mom had no idea one was on the way.
Would it be weird for her to accept a proposal from another man after having loved my father so much?
She genuinely cared about Jimmy so I was pretty sure she’d say yes.
Normally, this would be something my siblings and I would take bets on about the outcome, but in this case, we all believed she’d accept.
I spent a few minutes explaining the scarecrow assembling competition to a group of teenagers and as they got going, Sadie came over.
“That blond wig you’re wearing as Fred keeps making me lose you in the crowd here,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m so used to seeing your brown hair.”
“And an orange neckerchief isn’t my taste.” I adjusted the fabric around my neck. “The white shirt and blue pants aren’t my fave either, but I’m rocking the Fred vibes to the best of my ability.”
Sadie laughed. “You’re doing a fine job. And if anyone can make an orange neckerchief look incredibly sexy, it’s you.” She pressed a kiss to my cheek and one of the teenagers assembling a scarecrow let out a whistle.
“Eyes on the scarecrow, kid.” I hooked my arm around Sadie’s waist, dipped her low, and kissed along her throat.
One of the teen girls with the group swatted the boy who had whistled. “You should take some lessons from him, Levi. He knows how to be romantic.”
“Hey, I know how to be romantic,” Levi said.
The girl looked at Sadie and me and shook her head. “He doesn’t have a clue.”
“Oh, yeah,” Levi said. “I’m going to make the most romantic scarecrow right here and you’ll have to eat those words, Bella.”
Bella arrowed her hands at the boy. “See? He thinks a scarecrow can be romantic.”
“Give him a chance,” Sadie said. “He might surprise you.”
Fueled by Sadie’s comment, the teens dove all in on trying to make romantic scarecrows. A trip to Vanessa’s craft table gave hope that they’d be able to accomplish their mission.
“This event is so much fun.” Sadie arched an arm out. “Look how happy everyone is. This is the energy Verdalach needs. I’m sending my mother some pictures. Maybe if the royal court loosens up with things like this, it will filter through the entire country.”
I loved that although her country and family had wronged her, Sadie wanted to help them improve. She truly wanted the citizens that lived there to lead happy, mindful lives. If anyone could bring about that change, I had full faith Sadie Princess Aislinn Rodgers could.
The All Hallow’s Eve Walk began with my mother gathering everyone at the start of the trail.
“We’re so happy to see so many people came out to raise money for both Greenridge Middle School’s nature program and for Hartley’s Nest,” she said, her Cinderella dress sparkling in the sunlight.
“If you’ve lived in town for a while, you know how important wildlife is to my family and your generosity in helping us do this work means so much to us.
” She smiled. “Mother Nature is pretty happy with all of you too.”
The attendees laughed and as I took in all the smiling faces, I was so honored to be a part of all this. Of my family. Of the work we did here. Of this town.
With Logan blasting a remixed dance version of “Monster Mash,” the costumed walkers set off on their All Hallow’s Eve Walk. My family took up positions in the woods to cheer on the walkers and spook some of them.
“Look at that bear costume!” I pointed to a black bear ambling down the trail toward where Sadie and I stood. “It’s so realistic!
“Oh, and look at the buffalo-plaid dress on the female lumberjack walking with the bear!” Sadie clapped. “They look so cute!”
“Wait,” I said. “That lumberjack is Sarah Faraday!”
Sadie laughed. “That means that black bear is Hank!”
At hearing his name, Hank aka Black Bear turned toward us and raised his paws. He let out a growl, but then he pulled us both into a hug.
“Everyone accuses him of having Papa Bear energy.” Sarah adjusted the fake axe she had resting on her shoulder. “We figured we’d go with it.”
“Your costumes are brilliant,” I said.
Hank bowed then held out an elbow. Sarah looped her arm around his and they continued on their way down the trail.
Upon Sadie’s return to Greenridge with me, Hank had apologized for going to the police about Sadie being missing.
“I didn’t mean to go behind your back, Beckett,” he’d said. “I was just worried about Sadie.”
“It’s cool,” I’d said. “You going to the police prompted me to get my head out of my ass and get my ass to Verdalach. To go after what my heart truly wanted.”
And now I had it. I had Sadie.
We chatted with the walkers who passed by us, scared a couple of little kids by screaming, “Look out! It’s a ghost!
” and having Hunter, who had done his face up with a pale, grayish makeup and had donned a colonial-inspired outfit, put a finger to his lips.
He didn’t say a word, but the haunting look in his eyes was enough to make a believable ghost.
The walk was a huge success and by early evening, the event was wrapped up. Working as a well-oiled family, we had the nature trail area cleaned of all festive paraphernalia in under an hour.
“Now it’s time for my favorite event of the season.” Mom clapped once then rubbed her palms together, her Cinderella tiara slightly askew. “The Pie Dinner.”
“The Pie Dinner?” Sadie raised her eyebrows at me. “What’s that?”
“It’s where we each bake a pie, bring it to the farmhouse, and eat only pies for dinner,” I explained. “I made a pumpkin pie.”
“You did?” Sadie flopped her hands out to her sides. “When?”
She was right to ask because we’d basically been glued to each other’s sides since coming back from Verdalach.
“I got up early this morning,” I said. “You were still snoring away.”
“So that wasn’t a pumpkin pie-scented candle I smelled when I woke up?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Nope. A real pie was on the premises. And while you were in the shower, Logan stopped by and took my pie to Mom’s house.”
“The Pie Dinner is always fun to use as a surprise for newbies to the Hartley family traditions,” Logan said.
“A delicious surprise,” Hunter added.
“How much stretch does that Daphne dress have to it?” Vanessa asked Sadie. “You’re going to want a lot of room at the belly for this one.” My sister plucked at the waistband of the leggings she’d worn under her tube of artist’s paint costume.
Sadie pulled at her dress then rubbed her belly. “I think lots of pie will fit in here.”
“Excellent,” my mother said. “Let’s go.”
She and Jimmy led us back to the farmhouse.
It was a bit of a walk, but we all had fun busting on each other’s costumes and Hunter and Amelia started a leaf-throwing attack that had piles of leaves fluttering through the air.
Dasha, Maggie, and Merlin came bounding over from wherever they’d been exploring—fortunately not covered in mud this time.
Not that I would have been opposed to cleaning up with Sadie again.
But pie first.
Inside my mother’s kitchen, we made quick work of lining up each of the seven pies that had been baked by original Hartleys.
We had my pumpkin, Darius’s apple, Logan’s blueberry, Isaac’s peanut butter pie, Joshua’s ice cream pie, Vanessa’s chocolate chip cookie pie, and Mom’s bourbon and caramel pecan pie.
I’d say the spread rivaled Sugar Rush Bakery’s offerings, but my pumpkin pie recipe with a special streusel topping had actually come from Ellen who owned the bakery.
“I have never seen so many beautiful pies in one location before.” Sadie’s eyes were wide as she licked her lips in anticipation.
“And this is a woman who has attended royal balls, people,” I said.
“Those royal balls would have been way more fun if they were all-pie dinners.” Sadie took the plate my mother handed her.
“Well, dive in, kids,” Mom said. “And a word to the wise, Sadie, start with small pieces so you can taste them all. It’s tempting to take huge chunks of pie at the start.”
We each put a slice of pie on our plates and found a spot at the dining room table—plus the extension that had to be added since all of us had found significant others to bring along and children were now involved with Hunter, Amelia, and Little Ben.
It wouldn’t be long before more children were added and that table extension might have to stretch into the farmhouse’s living room someday.
As we filled our mouths with delicious pie, I thought about my father. If he was looking down at the Hartleys all gathered together today, enjoying each other’s company and baking skills, was he happy about what we’d become in the years since he’d been gone?
The microwave suddenly beeped in the kitchen, and while my siblings and Mom debated over why it had sounded, I knew why.
Glad you’re happy, Dad.
I scanned the table, pausing on my siblings, their mates, their children, my mother and Jimmy. On Sadie. When she licked whipped cream off her bottom lip, I had to kiss her.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“Just because,” I said.
But I was pretty sure my dad was also telling me to savor all these real moments because no video game could bring the kind of joy that love could.