She shook his hand. “You have no idea how weird it is to meet you,” Emma said, looking for a resemblance to her friend.
Layla obviously looked a lot like her mother, but there was something in the way she moved and held her head that linked to Colin Landry, the father she’d only recently discovered.
Colin laughed. “I think we’re all still getting used to being a family.”
“All?”
Colin pointed past the curtains of the booth, and Emma turned to see a small crowd gathered. There were four children, a boy about six, two older boys of roughly the same size, and a girl about Imogene’s age. An older couple stood with them.
The littlest boy darted into the booth and wrapped his arms around Layla’s legs. “Laylee, you said there would be pie!”
Layla playfully rubbed his head. “There will be as soon as we can get them out of the boxes.”
Emma knew immediately the boy had to be Beth McCarthy’s son and Layla’s new brother. He was cute, with brown curls and the same green eyes Beth and Layla shared. He obviously adored Layla, and Emma experienced a pang at his unabashed joy in greeting his sister. Her sisters tolerated her presence at best, although Paige had softened somewhat, especially since she’d been cast in the show.
“Josh, say hello to my friend Emma,” Layla said.
He turned, a ready smile on his lips. “Hi.”
Emma couldn’t help but grin in return. He was adorable and so sweet. “Hi, are you excited for the Harvest Festival?”
“Yes…but mostly I want pie…and cotton candy…and an elephant ear!”
“Be careful eating all of that sweet stuff,” Emma said. “You might get an upset tummy by the end of the night.”
“I never get sick.”
“He has the constitution of an ox,” Beth McCarthy confirmed, with a laugh.
Layla pointed at the small group that was still waiting outside the booth. “Those are my dad’s parents, my other brothers, and my sister. Dad brought his kids for the weekend. He thought they might enjoy the Harvest Festival.”
“You weren’t kidding about having family up to your neck,” Emma said.
“That’s not even the lot of them who are coming tonight,” Colin said. “Two of my sisters will be here with their kids. I should actually go and see if we can find them in the crowd before everyone descends. Good luck tonight.”
Colin kissed Beth McCarthy and then took Josh by the hand, leading the boy out of the booth.
Emma watched Layla’s new and expanded family wander off toward the gate. “Your life really has changed.”
“Don’t I know it?” she said, with a sigh of such contentment that Emma couldn’t help but smile. “What?”
Emma shrugged. “I just like seeing you so happy.”
Layla threw an arm around Emma’s neck. “I only wish you could be as happy.”
Emma held on tight, grateful for an anchor when she felt so at sea about everything. “I just want to stop feeling like I’m drowning.”
“You will.” Layla pulled back slightly. “Are things any better with your sisters?”
“Paige and I get along okay, but Imogene…” Emma sighed and shook her head. “It’s like living with a lightning storm.”
“She’ll come around,” Layla said. “What about the other complication? Your hot lawyer friend?”
Emma was in no mood to discuss the state of her love life…or think about Reece Casings in connection to it. “I don’t have time to get into that complication,” she said, pulling away. “We have to finish setting up.”
Emma and Layla jumped into action, helping the other women set the pies out, while Grayson, Noah, and Chester put the finishing touches on the booth. Emma had just put out the last pie when a shout went up outside.
“Gates are open! The gates…are…open!”
Emma shared a look with her friend. “Here we go.”
Within moments, a horde of people had invaded the festival grounds. There were adults, children, teens, and more folks with silver heads than Emma had ever seen in her life. They walked up and down the fairway, stopping to play games or peruse the many booths selling everything from handmade jewelry and woodworks, to quilts, paintings, and even orchids.
Beyond their booth, music could be heard from the main stage, where various acts would take place. The high school jazz band had the first set, but there would also be performances by the high school chorus, a local ballet school, the Tai Kwon Do academy, and a barbershop quartet. The night would end with a special performance by Annaliese and Brent.
The Paradise booth quickly became a beehive of activity. The pies were snapped up like they were plates of gold, which kept Emma and her helpers moving on all cylinders. Others lingered to talk to Grayson Kendall and Layla about the production. Everyone seemed mesmerized by whatever the talented director was saying.
“Emma!”
She looked up and spotted Reece and her sisters coming toward the booth. Since Emma and her mother would be tied up with the booth, Reece had volunteered to bring the girls. At least she didn’t have to worry about them. She’d been doing a good job of avoiding Imogene, and Reece as well, if she were honest. He’d begun to worry her, almost as much as her sisters.
She’d finally told someone about the disastrous end to her relationship with Joseph. Emma had never even told her mother all of the details. She’d been too embarrassed and disgusted with herself. Being cast in the role of “the other woman” still made Emma feel sick to her stomach. It had been surprisingly easy to tell Reece Casings. He’d looked at her with compassion, not condemnation. Oh, he’d been furious…but not at her. Emma wasn’t used to anyone championing her, and she didn't quite know what to do with the feelings his possessiveness brought out.
Now that he was here, the rush of hormones she always experienced in his presence rushed back to flood her senses. He was dressed casually in jeans and a blue, collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The man filled out a pair of jeans like nobody’s business. Her mouth watered, and not from the delicious scents of the pies.
“Hi guys,” Emma said as they approached. “Are you having a good time?”
“Oh, you were our first stop,” Reece said. “We wanted to make sure we got a slice of pie before you ran out.”
Emma’s mother produced paper plates in record time. “It was a good idea to get here early,” Mary said. “The pies are flying off the shelves, as they say. I think we’re a hit.”
“You should be wary of eating anything that came from the kitchen at that dreadful theatre,” a haughty voice intoned from just behind Reece’s back.
Reece’s eyes widened, and he turned enough for Emma to see a familiar face. It was Tammy-Lynn Jennings, from Parent-Teacher Night. Her presence at The Paradise booth immediately made the hair on Emma’s arms stand on end, like a malevolent current had invaded the space.
“I’m sorry?” Reece said, one brow arching in a way that normally would have tempted Emma to punch him in the face. Tonight, she appreciated the austere expression.
“Tammy-Lynn, did you want to buy a pie?” Emma jumped in, determined to remain nice and professional, despite the cutting remark about The Paradise’s kitchen.
“I wouldn’t deign to touch one morsel to my mouth,” Tammy-Lynn said, raising her voice loud enough to attract the attention of the other customers in the booth. “It might be contaminated with who knows what kind of parasites and germs. I’m very sure I spotted a rat when I took my daughter Angelica there for the auditions.”
A low murmuring buzz of alarm went up, and several people began to edge away from the booth. Others froze, clearly not knowing what to do.
Layla didn’t seem to have any trouble whatsoever. “You need to leave now, Tammy-Lynn.”
Emma became aware that a line of people had appeared at their back, including her mother, Beth McCarthy, Dr. McCarthy, Aunt Grace, Mrs. Pringle, Noah Johnson, Grayson Kendall, and even old man Chester.
Tammy-Lynn’s sour gaze
swept the line. “Oh, isn’t that cute?” she drawled. “You have a battalion of soldiers to protect you from little ole me. Well, your minions won’t stop everyone from realizing what a scam you’re pulling with that decrepit theatre. I doubt there will ever be a show. You certainly didn’t cast true talent.” Her evil glare slid toward Paige whose eyes widened in shock.
Emma’s hackles rose, and she started around the table to get closer to her sister, but Reece had already placed his body between Paige and the venomous Tammy-Lynn. “You really don't want to go there, Mrs. Jennings,” he said, with a hint of menace in his voice.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but I suggest you do as Layla suggested and leave,” Emma ordered.
“I’m talking about the fact that the casting was rigged,” Tammy-Lynn said, as though completely unaware she was about to come under immense fire. Or perhaps she didn’t care because she thought her name would protect her from pulverization. “Is it a coincidence that the head chef’s sister was chosen to star in the show, when there were other supremely talented girls who were overlooked?”
“My sister was cast because she has an amazing voice,” Emma said, barely controlling the need to knock Tammy-Lynn down and shove her face in the dirt.
“I would hate to think you would accuse me of favoritism,” Grayson Kendall said, suddenly appearing at Emma’s elbow.
Tammy-Lynn glared at him. “I think you were acting with your other head,” she snapped. “You are sleeping with Layla the whore, after all.”
“Get out!” Emma shouted.
“What?”
“You heard me,” Emma said. “Go before I knock your teeth out.”
Tammy-Lynn gasped in outrage. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’m telling you to take your filth and leave,” Emma said. “And if you ever dare speak to my sister again…if you even look at her cross-eyed…I will tear you apart. Do you understand me?”
“How dare you speak to me that way!” Tammy-Lynn’s face turned purple with a rage so intense, Emma wondered if her head might explode. Then Tammy-Lynn whirled around to face Reece. “You’re an attorney. You heard her threaten me.”
Reece folded his arms. “I didn't hear a thing.”
“Neither did I,” Grayson said.
The others nodded in agreement.
Tammy-Lynn turned back to Emma. “You’re going to regret this.”
“I doubt it, but you will if you continue to bad-mouth my sister,” Emma said, raising her chin.
“And I sincerely hope you don’t continue to make inflammatory and derogatory claims about The Paradise or its owners and employees,” Reece said, his dark eyes colder than Siberia. “Dealing with a defamation lawsuit would be so time consuming for you.”
Tammy-Lynn’s gaze swept around the booth, and then she let out another screech of outrage and stalked away, her spiked heels kicking up dust in her wake.
“Is that woman insane?” Emma murmured, watching the retreating figure. She felt like she’d gone a couple of rounds with a prizefighter. “What is her problem?”
“Her problem is with me,” Layla said. “She’s hated me since we were kids, and now she’s convinced I want to steal her husband.”
“TJ Jennings?” Emma said. “Who would want that arrogant jerk?”
“I don’t, but Tammy-Lynn doesn’t believe me. Neither does her cretin of a husband.” Layla looked at Emma with regret. “I’m sorry I dragged you into our fight. I’m afraid I’ve made you and Paige a new target for her wrath.”
“Oh, I can handle her,” Emma said. “Some of the chefs I’ve worked with would eat her for breakfast and then go after TJ because she wasn’t filling enough.”
“You might be able to handle it, but what about Paige?” Layla gestured to where Emma’s sister was huddling with her mother, Imogene, Reece, and Grayson Kendall. “She looks devastated.”
Emma cursed and hurried over. “Are you okay, sweetie?”
Paige nodded, but her eyes filled. Emma longed to race after Tammy-Lynn to settle the score now, but Paige needed comforting more.
Emma gathered her sister in her arms. “It’s not true.”
“What?” Paige said, through shaky sobs.
“You were cast because you are unbelievably talented,” Emma said, framing her sister’s face so she could look her in the eye. “No other reason. Not because of me or anyone else.”
“She’s right,” Grayson Kendall said. “I don’t do pity castings or family favors, and I never put bad talent on stage in one of my shows. I have a reputation to consider, you know.”
Paige swallowed. “But Mrs. Jennings said—”
“Mrs. Jennings is a bitch,” Emma said.
Paige drew in a breath. “You can’t say that!”
“I can if it’s true,” Emma said. “Tammy-Lynn is so unhappy with her life that all she can do is lash out at people and try to make them just as miserable. Now, she’s disappointed that her daughter didn’t get a lead part, so she’s pissed.”
“For what it’s worth, I did cast Angelica Jennings in the chorus, but her mother pulled her out of the show,” Grayson said. “I wasn't aware that her resentment went so deep, and I’m sorry you took the brunt of her anger, but her claim is not true. You are a rare talent, Paige Bertram, and I don’t ever want you to doubt that.”
“He’s right honey,” Mary said, rubbing a hand across her back. “You are going to be amazing in the show, and I predict it won’t be your last.”
A tentative smile hovered on Paige’s lips, and she turned to Emma. “You really think so?”
“Absolutely. You’re like me in the kitchen, only on a stage.”
Paige giggled. “How good are you?”
“I’m the best kiddo,” Emma said, stroking her sister’s hair and wishing she could take away the last few minutes. She never wanted Paige to suffer again, but she supposed no parent could completely stop a child from getting hurt.
“That was pretty cool, watching you go after Mrs. Jennings,” Imogene said, with an almost gleeful smile.
“I wanted to snatch her hair off her head,” Emma said, remembering the rage that had filled her minutes earlier. She could have cheerfully committed murder.
“Me too,” Imogene said.
Emma and Imogene grinned at each other, for once in accord with their feelings. Protecting their youngest sister obviously trumped the war of wills between them, so at least the fight with Tammy-Lynn had produced one positive result.
“You guys should go enjoy the festival now,” Emma said. “Paige could use the distraction. She needs to have a good time…and so do you.”
“Even though I broke curfew?” Imogene asked, for once displaying none of her usual attitude.
“You’re on parole, for tonight at least.”
Imogene gathered her sister, and they huddled by the curtain, finishing off their pies.
Reece appeared by Emma’s side. “That was quite a show.”
“Do you think I made things worse for Layla and the theatre?” Emma asked, suddenly worried that her outburst might cause Tammy-Lynn to retaliate.
“I think I’m glad you said something before I could,” Reece said. “I wouldn’t have been as polite.”
Emma turned to him. “You don't think I went too far?”
Reece stepped closer, causing every atom in her body to go on full alert. The air seemed to still as he gazed down at her, with a banked fire in his eyes. “I think you were glorious in defending your sister. You were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
His head lowered and Emma knew if they’d been alone, she would have been in his arms right now. “You need to take my sisters and show them a good time,” she said, putting both hands to his chest and pushing him away.
His lips curved. “Coward.”
“You know it, and with good reason.”
Reece shook his head, but obediently went to collect the girls. They soon disappeared into the crowd.
La
yla came to stand by her side and touched Emma’s shoulder. “How are you doing? Calmed down enough to get these pies sold?” Layla asked. “The Paradise could really use the money.”
Emma turned and forced a smile. “I’m fine. Let’s get back to work.”
They went back to selling pies, but she couldn’t forget the confrontation or her response to Tammy-Lynn’s assault. Emma had never been so angry in her life or so willing to commit violence. She really would have gone after the other woman for daring to attack her sister, and the knowledge left her a little shaky. Somehow, Paige, and even Imogene with all her prickliness, had slipped into Emma’s heart, and she would protect them with her life.
“Are you sure you’re all right, honey?” Her mother asked, stopping long enough to give her a hug.
“I’m still shaking,” Emma said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life.”
“Me too,” her mother said. “You were spectacular, though. I was so proud of you.”
Emma blinked in surprise. “For losing my temper and yelling at that heinous woman in the middle of the festival?”
“I'm proud of you for standing up for Paige.” She rubbed Emma’s back like she’d done with Paige a few minutes ago. “You showed both of your sisters how much you care. That’s a big step, and I think you’ll find your relationship with them will start to change now.”
“I hope you’re right.”
She wished her mother’s words would come true. Moments earlier, Imogene had actually spoken to Emma with affection. They’d connected in a way they never had before, but she wasn’t confident enough to believe the truce would last.
Somehow, things returned to normal in the booth. The pies began selling again, despite the bad-mouthing by Tammy-Lynn. Maybe it was genuine support for The Paradise or a quiet protest against the town bully, but frankly Emma didn't care. They only stopped when Annaliese and Brent gave a performance that brought the house down. Emma had never heard either of them sing, and she was blown away. Not only were they crazy good individually, their voices blended perfectly.
After the performance, they sold out of the pies in record time. With less work to do, Emma released her extra helpers to go explore the festival. She, Layla, and Grayson stayed behind to talk to anyone who stopped by. By then, full darkness had fallen, and a group made up of folks from the retirement village was playing big band music. The air cooled, but the atmosphere grew warmer and more romantic. Emma could see the stage and noticed that many couples were dancing.
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