Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
They didn’t call her the pie whisperer for no reason.
With a warm smile, Tisha handed the young brunette woman, a sweet mom of four who volunteered in Sadie’s class at church, a white box wrapped in a pink grosgrain ribbon.
“There you go, Ayla.” The enticing aroma of fresh berries and buttery crust lingered in the air. “Enjoy the festival and your new jumbleberry pie.”
“Thank you so much, Tisha. Can’t wait!” Ayla took the box, then guided her stroller with a sleeping baby around the line of people waiting to order kettle corn at the next booth. The hum of laughter and conversation echoed off the walls.
Tisha blew out a long breath as she reached for her water bottle. Oh no. Empty. She scanned the room for someone to sit at her station for a few minutes while she took a quick break. She spotted Chloe working her way across the crowded community center. Tisha gestured for her to come closer.
“Hey, girl.” Chloe grinned, the tips of her pixie-style haircut dyed pink in honor of the festival. “How are things?”
“Never better,” Tisha said. “I’m exhausted but nearly sold out. The pie walk has been a huge hit. You were right, twelve pies wouldn’t have been enough.”
“Glad to hear it.” Chloe glanced at her phone. “If you need a quick break, I can sit here for a few minutes.”
“Yes, please.” Tisha grabbed her purse and her water bottle. “I need to check on Sadie. She’s with my mother-in-law over at the quilters’ booth. Then I’ll grab a refill, use the restroom, and be right back.”
“Perfect.” Chloe sat down on the folding chair behind the table. “See you in a few.”
Instead of cutting through the crowd, Tisha climbed the stairs beside the stage and walked across to the other side.
If she went down the opposite stairs and out the exit, she’d be close to the restrooms and the water-bottle refill station.
Then she’d have a few minutes to check in with Melinda and Sadie.
The backstage curtains swayed as she hurried past them.
“Hey, beautiful.”
A strong hand curled around her waist.
She yelped as Ethan gently pulled her behind the thick black curtain, then tugged her against his firm muscular chest.
“What are you doing?”
The rich sound of his laughter and the mischievous spark in his eyes made her feel like she was floating. Oh, how she loved to see that gorgeous smile. A smile she hadn’t been able to put out of her head for the last twenty-four hours. Especially after he told her he wanted to be her future.
Because she sort of wanted him to be her future too.
He cupped her cheeks with his hands as he surveyed her face.
His gaze eventually landed on her lips. “I couldn’t stay away another second.
I saw you smiling and laughing and handing out pie, and I just got a little jealous.
So when I saw you go up the stairs, I decided to surprise you and say hello. ”
“Say hello, huh? Is that all you want?” she teased, clutching both lapels of his navy-blue jacket. “By the way, there’s plenty of pie for you, so no need to be jealous.”
“That’s good to know,” he said, his voice gruff as he tilted his head to one side. “To be honest, I really just want to kiss you again. And here we are, alone, backstage, with these curtains offering the perfect cover and—”
She didn’t even let him finish his sentence before pulling him closer and pressing her lips against his.
She needed this. She needed him. He eased his hands to rest under her jaw.
She let her palms glide up over his collarbones, threading her fingers behind his neck, and anchored herself in the warmth of his touch.
When Ethan deepened the kiss, her legs turned to liquid beneath her.
The rough stubble on his jawline grazed along her chin, igniting a delicious sensation that rippled through her abdomen and down to her toes.
How long had it been since someone kissed her like this? Since she let herself want something just for her?
In the dim backstage lighting, tucked away from the chaos of the festival, she was swept up in the moment. All of her worries and heartache melted away, and frankly, she wouldn’t mind staying back here for—
“Mama, no!”
Sadie’s shriek cut through the air, vanquishing their thrilling little bubble.
Tisha’s eyes flew open.
“Uh-oh,” Ethan whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.
Oh no. No, no, no.
“I’ve got this,” Tisha said quietly, although a sinking feeling in her stomach pushed aside all the effervescence she’d savored less than thirty seconds ago.
Sadie stood at the edge of the curtain, fists balled at her sides and her tiny body humming with fury. Her face was scrunched in horror, and her chest rose and fell.
“What are you doing? You can’t kiss him!” Sadie howled and stomped her sneaker so hard that her pigtails bounced.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Tisha relinquished her hold on Ethan and slowly moved toward her daughter.
“You cannot kiss him anymore.” Sadie leaned out of Tisha’s reach. “What would my daddy say?”
Oh, baby. Tisha’s stomach twisted. She sank to her knees. “Your daddy is in heaven now, and he’s not coming back. I wish that weren’t true, but there’s nothing we can do to change that. We have to move on.”
“No, I don’t want to move on!” Sadie clamped her hands over her ears. “You said he was always with us.”
“Sadie, you need to listen to me.” Tisha fought to keep her voice even. “Your daddy loved you more than anything in the world. He wouldn’t want us to be sad and lonely forever.”
“I’m not alone,” she wailed, her voice echoing off the walls. “I have you and Grandma and Grandpa and Ollie. We don’t need him.”
Tisha winced and squeezed her eyes shut. Lord, please help. I don’t know what to do.
Ethan pressed his strong hand against the small of her back. “Tisha, maybe we could talk about this another time?”
She opened her eyes and pinned him with a long look. “I said I’ve got this. Just give us a few minutes. Please.”
Hurt flashed in his eyes. Then he nodded. “Okay.”
She watched him walk offstage, then turned her attention back to Sadie. Poor thing. Her whole body trembled, and tears slid down her flushed cheeks. “Sadie, let’s find your coat and get some fresh air outside.”
“Not until you say you’ll stop. Stop hugging and kissing him!”
Then Sadie turned and ran.
“Wait. Sadie, no. Come back!”
Tisha pushed through the double doors and rushed out into the hallway. How fast could one unhappy seven-year-old run? She glimpsed Sadie’s hair bouncing against her back as she squeezed between the adults milling around the front door, then ran out into the parking lot.
“Sadie, stop!” She yelled, then collided with two older women walking side by side into the community center.
“Slow down there, sweetheart.” The silver-haired woman on the right grabbed Tisha’s forearm. “What’s the rush?”
“M-my daughter. She just ran out into the parking lot.” Tisha wrenched free from the woman’s grasp. “Sadie!”
Oh, her sweet baby girl. She’d never forgive herself if something terrible happened.
Tisha fought her way through the glut of people blocking her exit, her heart thumping as she ran outside.
A colossal wall of water surged across the bay, bearing down on them. Its deafening roar reverberated through the ground under her feet.
Gut-wrenching screams pierced the air.
“Lord, have mercy,” she whispered, pressing her hands to her cheeks. Leaves, sticks, and fish churned in the humongous, angry brown wave, tossed about like toys. A terrible stench made her gag. She pulled the collar of her sweater up over her mouth and nose to filter out the rancid smell.
People hollered and ran, eyes wild as they sprinted past her.
“Sadie!” She screamed again.
A lanky man in worn jeans, a plaid flannel shirt, and battered sneakers slowed down, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. “What do you need?” he gasped, his face pale and drawn.
“Sadie, my daughter—she’s out here somewhere,” Tisha yelled, her eyes stinging as she squinted against the sleet pelting them. “Please! You have to help me!”
“We’ll find her. Right now you’ve got to run for higher ground.” He tugged on her sleeve and pointed toward the hill. “C’mon. This way.”
They cut around the corner by the bank. Blinded by sleet and terror, Tisha scrambled over the concrete, sucked into the throng that had bolted from the community center.
People pressed in on all sides, filling the street like teeming salmon, desperate to escape.
The cacophony of hurried footsteps and anxious cries filled the air, mingling with the thunderous sound of the impending wave.
Hot tears stung her eyes at the thought of fleeing the spot where she’d last seen Sadie.
The man in the plaid shirt turned to help a teenage boy who’d slipped and fallen on an icy patch.
“Go!” he shouted, waving her on as he slowed to lift the kid to his feet. “Go! Now!”
Tisha glanced over her shoulder. A horrendous scream crawled up her throat, raw and guttural. The water arced over the railing at the edge of the harbor, a curling wall of wrath and mud. It swallowed the docks, the boats bobbing there, greedily devouring everything it could.
Tisha’s mind whirled as she turned and ran. Would she ever find her little girl? A sickening horror washed over her. She could barely make out the hill in the distance, her only hope. She’d never make it. The wave would catch her first. She’d lose Sadie and then herself.
“Sadie!” She screamed, then stumbled on the slippery sidewalk, her shoes sliding out from under her. The water slammed into the buildings lining the street behind her with a deafening groan.