As Scarlett finish Becca’s sandwich, Gus came in the back door of the bakery. There was a moment of posturing between Lex and Gus that Scarlett refused to notice even though Becca did. Scarlett idly asked Gus to flip the closed sign. She wanted to shake her fist. It was as if the universe knew that she was missing her girls and had decided she couldn’t visit with them alone. The last thing Scarlett wanted was others to be around to distract her from her time with the girls.
“Oh good,” Becca said as Scarlett mentioned that Harper was bringing the girls over. “I was hoping to meet them.”
But there was something in her gaze as she glanced between Lex and Scarlett that said Becca was unencumbered. She wasn’t wrong, Scarlett thought, to a lot of people having kids made you seem less attractive. The words that Scarlett would use to describe her feelings about that couldn’t be said aloud since Scarlett had to stop letting herself thinking the naughty words once she’d had girls. People who didn’t have kids didn’t realize how great having them was. It was one of those trite things that everyone told you, but you could never understand until you had one of your own. And then everything changed, and some things didn’t matter anymore.
Scarlett looked at Gus and Lex and then shook her head. She cleared out the last of the trays behind the window, handing Gus the double slice of remaining cheesecake and Lex the cream cheese frosting cinnamon roll. Both of them sighed as they started eating and Scarlett gave Becca the huge piece of chocolate cake. And because Scarlett wasn’t a saint she scooped ice-cream on it first and hoped every ounce of it ended up on Becca’s unfairly perky behind.
The door of the store jangled and her girls were screaming, “Mommy!”
With that, Scarlett didn’t have a moment to care about Lex, Gus or Becca. Scarlett was around the counter with Ella in one arm and Luna in the other in a moment. Squeezing them close, smelling their lavender shampoo hair and noting the pretty braids they’d let someone else put in their hair. Scarlett felt a moment of intense jealousy that she’d missed out on the chance to do their hair, to run fingers through it, to listen to Luna’s stories as the tangles were removed, to listen to Ella hum her favorite songs.
Harper was only a step behind the girls, she paused, looked around and said, “What the fu—”
“Freckles,” Scarlett said loudly, cutting her sister off. “What the freckles!”
In an aside, Scarlett said to Harper, “Are you insane? They’ll say that every single time we’re in the grocery store or in front of a preacher or every time…”
“Ok! Ok!” Harper hissed, “I’m sorry!”
And then Scarlett set her girls down inside the kitchen on the counter, nuzzling them as she said, “Tell me everything. Please say you were naughty for Gram.”
“I want a cimmamon roll,” Luna said with her slur. “I lost Gram’s knitting needles and unraveled her f’ghan.”
Scarlett snorted, caressing Luna’s hair and whispering, “Good job.”
“Gram would hex you for that,” Harper told Scarlett.
“You’re not going to tell on me,” Scarlett countered. “Cinnamon roll?”
The look on Harper’s face told Scarlett not to be stupid and then she said, “Why are you all here?”
“Mommy,” Ella interrupted, “Why do you want us to be naughty for Gram?”
“Keeping Gram lively keeps her healthy,” Scarlett said without looking at her daughter. If she didn’t meet Ella’s eyes, Ella might not realize that Scarlett was lying.
“Oh,” Ella said, but the tone in her voice said she wasn’t sure that her mom was being honest. Scarlett pulled a plate from the back counter she’d set aside for her family and started warming it up. She turned to face her daughter, avoiding Ella’s gaze when Lex cleared his throat.
“Did you see the kittens?” Lex cut a piece of cinnamon roll as he asked Ella. “I thought that little black one with the white sock looked like a likely familiar.”
Ella started describing the kittens a moment later, but only Gus and Scarlett seemed to have noticed that seeing the kittens meant being at the Oaken property. Scarlett’s eyes narrowed on the warlock, and she wanted to twist his ear back to demand how he got on the property. Her gaze turned to Harper who shrugged and then back to Lex.
He realized, of course, that he’d upset Scarlett, but he seemed almost happy about that. It took her a moment to realize it was because she’d actually talk to him later. The silent dispute flying between the two of them was entirely missed by her daughters.
Scarlett took a deep breath, told herself to focus on the moment, and reminded herself that Ella and Luna were here now and they were ok. That either meant that Lex was safe or that he was biding his time. He’d tipped his hand though if he was the killer, there was no way that Harper wouldn’t be upping her protectiveness.
Lex’s gaze was fixed on the brown sugar cinnamon rolls that Scarlett had saved for her daughters and Harper and there seemed to be a sense of betrayal in his gaze.
“Come tomorrow,” she said, before she thought better of it, “Early, and I’ll make some more.”
“We only have a few minutes,” Harper said, “Before Auntie Harper has to get back to the house, so snuggle your mumma. I’m going to run over to my shop.”
Scarlett’s gaze fixed on Harper. That was a lie. There was the way that Harper’s voice changed to perfectly even when she lied. She was so busy trying to sound natural that she missed entirely if you knew her well.
Scarlett took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on her sister’s black and red head as she slipped outside the door.
“Can I squish you?” Scarlett asked Luna, thinking of all the things Harper might be up to. Her daughter had inhaled the first half of the cinnamon roll and shoved the second half aside.
Luna examined her mother and then said, holding up her finger and thumb squished close together. “Only a little bit.”
Scarlett lifted Luna up so her legs wrapped around her waist and squeezed, nuzzling her daughter’s hair, and feeling her breath come in and out. The feel of Luna’s arms squeezing back soothed the worries Scarlett had been shoving aside.
She set Luna back down and poured her a cup of milk. She looked at Ella and her oldest daughter stared back. Scarlett opened her arms and Ella paused before she jumped into them. That pause was an utter dagger to Scarlett’s heart. She knew it was because Ella was getting older and wanted to be seen as a big girl. But Scarlett was suddenly desperately missing the baby version of Ella. She’d been so lovely and so sweet and she had never, ever hesitated in reaching for Scarlett.
“Ella, Luna, this is Mommy’s old friend, Becca. This man,” she said pointing to Lex, “Is named Lex.”
She bypassed any further comment on him to turn to Gus, “And this is Mommy’s oldest friend, Gus.”
The girls looked at each other and then asked, “Did you really get lost in the woods with Mommy for two days?”
Gus nodded solemnly.
“Did you really get stuck on a big rock in the ocean while the tide was coming in?”
Gus laughed and then nodded as solemnly.
“Did you really paint Mommy’s room bright pink when Nana was gone?”
“It wasn’t our best idea,” Gus told them. He squatted down to look into their eyes as he said, “Your Mommy is a trouble-making kind of Mommy and she got me in lots and lots of trouble.”
Scarlett gasped and punched him in the bicep before she said, “It was always Gus’s idea. And his dad used to yell at me, and he was scary scary.”
“Scary like Mrs. Johnson?” Ella’s voice was doubtful.
Scarlett nodded as she said, “Scarier.”
“No way,” Ella countered.
“Yeah way,” Gus said. “I haven’t met Mrs. Johnson, but my dad scared even me.”
It was Scarlett who nodded solemnly this time.
“But who did you call for when you had bad dreams?” Luna’s voice was worried for Gus and Scarlett paused, searching her daughter’s face. She’d
had bad dreams, Scarlett thought. Recently. They were shadowed in the corner of Luna’s eyes. Scarlett suddenly needed Becca and Lex to go. That was the hex fading, it had to be. Luna wasn’t prone to bad dreams. Her most frequent dream was riding Max like a giant pony.
“Are you taking good care of Max?” Scarlett asked deliberately changing the subject.
Ella’s voice was back to disdainful when she answered, “Of course, Mom.”
The way she strung out the word ‘mom’ made Scarlett want to give her daughter a tap on the back of her head.
“He’s probably a little worried since it’s a new place,” Scarlett started.
But, Luna shook her head. “Max likes Nana’s house. He chases the chickens and has lots of new smells and we’re there all the time. But he misses you, Mommy.”
Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment and then leaned down to lift Luna as she turned to the others. Becca had finished her sandwich, and Scarlett wanted Becca to leave before checking out the feel of the hex on Luna.
Lex rose and said to Becca, “I heard that happy hour starts at 4:00 on Fridays at José’s. Could you go for a margarita?”
Becca’s gaze lit up and Lex bussed their plates. The look on his face said that he’d be back. Scarlett wasn’t sure if Becca caught that part, but Scarlett had. Lex was getting rid of Becca for Scarlett. He was expecting some sort of compensation. She wasn’t inclined to reward him for something she hadn’t asked him to do, but even her sour heart had to admit that she was softening, just a bit.
“Mommy?” Ella glanced around the bakery and then said, “When are we coming home?”
Scarlett took a deep breath, but it was Gus who slid in and helped to answer the question. “Your mom is going to have you stay with your Nana until we have your apartment already to go. Did you know that your Nana already brought the new floor over to my house? I’m going to put it in for your mom while she’s working here. That way, when you move in all the way, things will be shiny and new.”
Scarlett looked at Gus who didn’t seem to realize that he’d irritated her. But her senses were ringing and whispering that something was going on here. Scarlett took a deep breath, considered, and then said nothing. She couldn’t have Ella worrying. The rest was a problem for later. She locked the front door and asked the girls if they wanted to go to the park.
Gus came along but he also pushed all of them on the tire swing and when Harper showed up, gave Scarlett the chance to talk to her sister alone.
Chapter 10
“What the ever-living-- ” Scarlett cut herself off before she finished. If she started cursing at her sister—like she deserved—she’d keep cursing and Ella would have a sailor’s mouth.
“You’re going to have to pick,” Harper hissed. “Do you trust me or don’t you?”
“Of course, I trust you,” Scarlett said, wanting to shout and choking it back, “But…”
“There aren’t buts with that one,” Harper said, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Scarlett a look that was infused with more emotion than Scarlett could read at once.
“I’m worried about you,” Scarlett said, striving for calm.
Harper pushed her hair back and Scarlett caught sight of the bandage on her wrist. It infuriated her all over again.
“What is going on with you?” Scarlett’s voice was furious and worried and Harper caught all of it because she was Harper, she didn’t want any of it.
“Listen,” Harper said, leaning in so that Scarlett could catch all of the venom, and the girls wouldn’t get any. “You left. You took off and you didn’t come back, and you barely visited. For over 10 years. You don’t get to come back and pry and pretend like you care about all my little details.”
Scarlett grabbed her sister’s shoulders, forcing Harper to face her and said, “I have always cared.”
“Then why did you leave?”
Scarlett took a moment, pressing her lips together hard, and then said, “Because that is where my path led.”
Harper, because they’d had this fight a thousand times and because that path led to Ella and Luna said, “That doesn’t mean it didn’t suck for me.”
Harper was letting her pain through. She usually bound it up tight and didn’t let anyone see or know. She pretended and pretended and pretended as if the people who loved her wouldn’t keep loving her if she were demanding.
Scarlett’s grip was still on Harper’s shoulders, and she shook Harper. Just a little, lightly, but as she did, she said, “You get to be mad at me. You get to hate that I left. You get to think I was a jerk and wonder, as I do, if staying I would have still—somehow—gotten Ella and Luna. You get to think I was selfish and call me all the names. You get to feel all the feelings, but I can’t afford for you to cut me out, Harper.”
Scarlett’s voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek. “You’re why I came back. Not Mom. Not Gram. Certainly not Briët or the cousins. You. You were the one who made facing the rest worthwhile, and I need you. Now more than ever.”
Harper didn't cry because she rarely did. But the stone wall on her face cracked a little bit and suddenly more than anger showed through.
“Why won’t you let this go?” Harper waved her wrist and Scarlett took hold of it.
“Because you’re my sister. And I love you, you idiot.”
Harper yanked her wrist away and then said, “Hey Luna— You want to kick the soccer ball?”
Scarlett’s mouth snapped shut and she turned away from Luna, frantically wiping the tears away, before turning back to say, “Hello pumpkin! Are you ready to race?”
Scarlett raced with Luna and then lay with her on a blanket, turning to face her and saying, “Can we hold hands?”
Luna wove her dirty little fingers through Scarlett’s and Scarlett said, “Do you remember when we got ice cream cones by the waterfall?”
Luna blinked and then said, “Mine fell. And I got yours. But it wasn’t pink. So Harper bought us both another one.”
“That was fun,” Scarlett said lightly as her heart skipped. That had happened on the trip from Spokane to the East Coast. The hex was fading. She swallowed and said, “My favorite part was when we saw the baby hippo at the Memphis Zoo. I love her.”
Luna giggled and then said, “She was sleeping on her mama’s nose. And then I laid on your nose in the hotel, but Harper said I should lay on your back instead. And then we slept the whole night with me on your back, like the baby hippo.”
“That was fun too.”
They snuggled for a moment, listening to Harper, Gus, and Ella play and then Luna asked, “Mommy, why doesn’t Daddy want us anymore?”
Scarlett froze and then she lifted up to rest on her elbow, looking down at Luna. Her gaze was wide and shiny, her heart was in those pretty little green eyes, in the way her mouth turned down, and the way she was turned onto her side, knees tucked to her chest.
“Oh baby,” Scarlett said, lightly caressing Luna’s hair. “Sometimes things fall apart.”
Luna bit her lip and then said, “Like us and Daddy?”
Scarlett nodded. “It doesn’t make it ok that he went away, but someday he’ll be sad he missed out on us.”
“I don’t want Daddy to be sad,” Luna said, “I want him to be with us.”
Scarlett’s heart hurt. She didn’t say, ‘me too’ because she didn’t want to lie to Luna. The truth was, now that they were here, Scarlett didn’t want Grant here. He had stopped loving her. He hadn’t stopped loving the girls, but he had left them all the same. He’d made a new family, and he’d deliberately chosen to have that family instead of this one. He’d chosen that coming son instead of these two daughters simply because his girlfriend was concerned about having druids around.
“I know you miss him,” Scarlett said, letting her fingers trail down Luna’s face. “I know it hurts. But he loves you. I want you to remember that he loves you so much.”
Luna didn’t speak again, she curled tighter into a ball, snuggling closer to S
carlett, and making Scarlett want to fly to Spokane to beat sense into Grant. But that wasn’t something you could force another to learn. She knew in the way that druids knew that he’d regret it someday, but that too-late regret wouldn’t change Luna’s todays or the tomorrows she was going to have without her dad.
* * * * *
“Hey,” Scarlett said, opening the door to Abby’s little accounting office. Scarlett had left the bakery after loading the girls into Harper’s car. Scarlett had seen the sheriff walking towards his car, their gazes met, and she’d shuffled sideways and then turned down an alley to avoid him seeing what she was up to.
Abby glanced up and looked around, meeting Scarlett’s gaze, frowning at her, and then said, “I don’t need to rehash the old days again. I had enough of that with Lacey. Go focus on how great things were for you back then with someone other than me.”
Scarlett examined Abby’s face and was shocked at the fury, and then lied, “I came to apologize.”
Abby searched Scarlett’s face and then leaned back and waited. She raised a pointy brow staring at Scarlett.
Scarlett started with the truth this time and said, “It was like we slipped back into our old roles yesterday, and I don’t want to be that person anymore. Aren’t you glad to be an adult, glad to have moved beyond that?”
“It was you who moved beyond this hell,” Abby said pointedly. She shoved her limp hair out of her face and crossed her arms over her chest, “I was stupid enough to stay here thinking things would change. I’ll never understand why you came back.”
“Mystic Cove is lovely.”
“It’s suffocating,” Abby countered. Her scowl hadn’t shifted in the least.
“Some of the good things haven’t changed though right? I mean you always were good at math and now you’re doing well with that skill. Look at this place. It’s all yours right? I heard you even have the city accounts. And Henna said you’ve always worked hard on the bakery accounts. This is wonderful! You’ve done great. May I sit?”
Abby nodded grudgingly and Scarlett was sure that her old schoolmate would have liked to say no, but for some reason, Abby didn’t. She waved to the hard backed wood chair across from her desk. A part of Scarlett thought it was like Abby to have uncomfortable chairs for the people who come to see her. But Scarlett wanted to be something other than the dreamer who’d taken off and seen the groves and left behind the ways of her kind, and Abby certainly deserved to be something other than the picked upon, sour teen she had been.
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