Chapter 6

Henry was right. Apples appeared in the myths of multiple cultures, so the Book Nerds divided the task of researching the assorted versions. Lydia, who was the resident expert on Chinese folklore, volunteered to study the apple myths originating from China. Henry opted to tackle the Norse legends, while Madge and Suzy divvied up the Greek stories.

“Leave it to the Greeks to have three times the number as the rest of the civilizations,” Madge said with admiration. “What overachievers.”

“What about the apple from the Garden of Eden?” Reba asked. She’d dropped by to deliver the shirts she and Jenny would be wearing for Saturday’s Row for Dough rowboat race. Reba and Jenny were representing The Charmed Pie Shoppe and wanted their outfits to be a surprise, but Ella Mae had overheard Jenny exclaim, “I am not wearing that!” several times over the past two weeks. Considering Reba liked to show off her assets while Jenny preferred loose-fitting clothing, Ella Mae couldn’t imagine how the two women would ever agree on a design.

Suzy glanced up from a thick tome. “The fruit Eve gave to Adam wasn’t identified by name in the Bible. It might have been an apple, but it also could have been a pomegranate, date, pear, or quince.”

Reba pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t have been tempted by a pomegranate. Too many seeds.” She sidled up to Henry and ran a finger along his jawline. “What about you, love? What’s a girl gotta do to make your heart beat faster?”

Henry’s cheeks turned red. “Well . . . I . . .”

“Don’t distract him,” Ella Mae chided. “He isn’t flipping through magazines at the barber shop. He’s trying to figure out if Loralyn is tracking an object of power.”

“A golden apple, right?” Reba smiled wickedly. “I can show the professor a lovely pair of golden apples.”

And though Ella Mae ushered Reba from the room and closed the door, everyone’s concentration had been broken. Try as she might, Ella Mae could no longer focus on the Hercules myth she’d begun to read in an effort to help Madge and Suzy.

“Let’s take a break,” she suggested. “My mother is making chicken and basil stir-fry for supper and I bet it’s almost ready. Why don’t you all relax on the patio while I make a salad with herbs and feta? I’ll bring out some warm flatbread too. Henry? Can I put you in charge of the wine?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Henry said.

It was plain that Henry enjoyed being the man of the house. Though Calvin still lived at Partridge Hill, he was rarely home. He was too busy working. This gave Henry leave to play the host opposite Adelaide. He selected and decanted the wine, carved the meat, and pulled out chairs for the ladies. He opened stubborn jars and reached for objects on high shelves. When he needed to step away from the library and its piles of books and stacks of documents, he looked around for things in need of repair. Ella Mae often entered Partridge Hill to find him mending a rent in the window screen, fixing a dripping faucet, or hammering loose floorboards.

Ella Mae was delighted to see how he and Adelaide had fallen into an easy rhythm together. After supper, the pair would wander through the garden or on the paths meandering by the lake’s edge. They spent a long time walking and talking every evening, and as the days passed, Adelaide began to glow with secret happiness. Ella Mae hoped that Henry would be the man to finally put an end to her mother’s self-imposed solitude.

“Stranger things have happened,” Ella Mae murmured later that night as she crossed the lawn leading to her house.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of white. It was her mother. Clad in a gauzy sundress, Adelaide had her arm hooked through Henry’s. Their backs were to Ella Mae, so they didn’t know she was watching when Henry paused beneath an arbor covered with climbing roses and lifted Adelaide’s hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss against her skin and smiled tenderly at her.

The roses in the arbor, which had been the palest of pinks, suddenly changed color. Within seconds, Ella Mae saw a dozen shades of pink flow over each petal. The hues moved like wind over water—cotton candy, ballet slipper, blush, shell, bubblegum, flamingo, fuchsia, magenta—until they all shone with such an electrified hot pink hue that they were almost neon.

Is that what love looks like? Ella Mae wondered before hurrying inside to call Hugh. They hadn’t made plans to get together that night, but she decided there was nothing she’d rather do than climb into a hammock with Hugh and lie there, whispering—or saying nothing at all—as they returned the resplendent gaze of a million stars.

*   *   *

The town of Havenwood had postponed its official Independence Day celebrations until the fifth of July, ensuring that the majority of its citizens would be able to enjoy the Row for Dough race and the food truck carnival following the main event.

With two members of The Charmed Pie Shoppe staff competing in the race, Ella Mae did something she rarely did on a Saturday: She hung a closed sign on the pie shop’s front door. She wasn’t the only merchant who decided to take the day off either. From one end of town to the other, storefronts were dark. It seemed as though the entire population of Havenwood, along with hundreds of tourists, had risen early to toss blankets and binoculars into their cars or bike baskets.

The Row for Dough event, which was established to raise money for a different charity each year, also created a flurry of side bets. Though not officially sanctioned, a chalkboard listing the top ten favored teams was erected at The Wicket, Havenwood’s pub, and bets were placed up until an hour before the race. As of Saturday afternoon, the two teams favored to win were the Havenwood Police Department and the Havenwood Volunteer Fire Department.

“Damn chauvinists,” Reba hissed as she studied the board. “We’ll show them, won’t we, Jenny?”

“Aw, it’s not like that,” said Lou, the bartender. “The whole town loves and respects you, Reba, but those donut eaters and hose jockeys have been training for this race for months.”

Ella Mae was shocked by the derogatory terms, but she quickly realized that Lou was trying to get a rise out of the police and firemen gathered near the pool table.

“What was that, Lou?” one of the cops asked.

Lou grinned. “I finally got your attention! Good! You’re all going to be late for the beginning of the race if you don’t hightail it out of here. You too, ladies,” he added, making a shooing motion with his dishrag. “Just don’t start without me! With so much money riding on this race, I need to make sure it’s a clean one.”

“If anyone cheats, I’ll knock their teeth out with an oar,” Reba said and headed for the door.

Lou saluted her with an empty pint glass. “You’re my kind of lady,” he said. “Feisty as a chili pepper and sparkly as a firecracker. Why don’t you come back after the race? I bet you’ll be thirsty.”

“Oh, I’ll be here.” Reba gave him a saucy wink. “But not to drink. I’ll need to collect my winnin’s.”

Ella Mae accompanied Reba and Jenny to the contestant area, where her uncle, Mayor Buddy, was waiting to give a rallying speech. The funds raised that day would help offset the cost of the library expansion.

The Book Nerds had been so impressed by the architectural renderings they’d seen in the community center during their first week in Havenwood that they’d immediately signed up to participate in the race. Though only Henry and Lydia were rowing, leaving Madge to serve as their lakeside cheerleader, all three of them had had custom T-shirts made at the print shop in town. The front simply said, “Book Nerds,” while the bold letters on the back read, “Lit Happens.”

Over breakfast that morning, Henry let slip that he’d once helped coach the Oxford Men’s Crew Team to multiple victories and still competed in races against his peers. Having only seen him in his bookish attire, Ella Mae was stunned when he donned his T-shirt, revealing a pair of wide shoulders and muscular arms. Henry wasn’t built like Hugh, who had the physique of a Grecian statue, or Calvin, who was as brawny as a bull, but he was very fit.

“Which team will you root for?” Reba asked Adelaide as she and Jenny headed to their rowboat. “You have to choose between our team and Henry’s team.”

Adelaide pointed at her daughter. “Ella Mae has no qualms about dividing her loyalties, so I’ll root for multiple teams as well.”

Ella Mae smoothed her peach-colored T-shirt. The front was embroidered with The Charmed Pie Shoppe’s name and logo in green while the back was decorated with an oversized rolling pin and the text “This Is How We Roll.”

Chewy, on the other hand, wore a doggie firefighter costume in support of Hugh and his best canine buddy, Dante. Unfortunately, he’d already wriggled out of the mock helmet and was on the verge of tearing it to shreds when Ella Mae snatched it away.

“That might be a sign,” Jenny said, indicating the hat. “Maybe you should have worn a chef’s costume, Chewy.”

Chewy wagged his tail and trotted closer to Jenny, hoping for a treat.

At that moment, a voice burst through the outdoor speaker system, calling for the racers to head to their boats. Ella Mae was just wondering what was keeping Hugh when she saw him running toward her. His oar was balanced across his broad shoulders, and though he vaulted over an unoccupied folding chair, his eyes never left Ella Mae’s face.

“I need a kiss for luck before the race,” he panted when he reached her side. He dropped the oar and pulled her in close.

“Traitor,” Reba grumbled.

Hugh kissed Ella Mae and then turned to Reba with a serious expression. “Look, I’ll take all the help I can get. Forget about what Lou’s board says. You two ladies are the real threat.”

Preening, Reba and Jenny hurried off to their boat.

Hugh stole one more kiss from Ella Mae before following them.

The largest boat launch area belonged to Lake Havenwood Resort, and dozens of rowboats were lined up along the fan-shaped stretch of beach. Behind them, spectators crowded the lawn and docks, shouting encouragement to their favorite teams until the mayor quieted them with three blasts from his bullhorn.

“Welcome!” he bellowed. Buddy could match Verena’s volume decibel for decibel. “Welcome to Havenwood’s annual Row for Dough! Are you ready to have fun?” People responded with enthusiastic applause, whistles, and shouts. “We have a record number of rowers today, folks,” Buddy continued. “So things could get hairy—and a little bit scary—out on beautiful Lake Havenwood today!”

This drew more applause. The onlookers relished the thought of splintered oars or capsized boats. For some reason, their lust for disaster made Ella Mae think of Bea and of the night she’d found the dead woman floating in that water. It seemed so long ago now, especially in the middle of a hot July day, but Ella Mae felt a momentary shadow fall over the festivities, as though Bea’s ghost were haunting the shore in search of justice.

Buddy chuckled into the bullhorn, interrupting Ella Mae’s maudlin thoughts. “Even though there can only be one grand prize winner, we have some wonderful prizes for the top five teams this year. Thanks to the generosity of our Havenwood business partners, we’ll be giving away fabulous gift certificates and merchandise. And, of course, the first-place team gets cold, hard cash. A bundle of Benjamins! A group of greenbacks! A mountain of moolah! How does that sound?”

Having successfully whipped the crowd into a frenzy, Buddy paused dramatically. “But the true winner today is the town of Havenwood. Our library has needed updating for a long time—kind of like my hairstyle—and it’s getting a serious makeover that will include a new children’s wing, a technology center, a career services desk, and yes, tons of new books!”

There was an especially boisterous cheer from the librarians, who’d congregated to one side of the mayor’s podium.

“All right, folks. Before my gorgeous wife, Verena, gets her hands on the starter pistol, I’d like to remind you that there is a cornucopia of food waiting for you in the library parking lot. Due to the number of food trucks, the lot has been closed to car traffic, so park in town and walk on over. If you require handicapped access, please continue to the library lot and one of Havenwood’s finest will direct you to a special parking area. Okay, I’m going to let my wife’s gun do the talking now!”

An anticipatory hush fell over the spectators. Even Chewy could sense the change in atmosphere. He raised his nose and sniffed, his nostrils quivering.

“It won’t be hard to track The Charmed Pie Shoppe Team seeing as Reba covered most of her peach baseball cap with rhinestones,” Ella Mae told Chewy. “I don’t know how she talked Jenny into wearing one of those. And Hugh’s team won’t be hard to spot either. Not with those Day-Glo yellow shirts.”

Pulling her binoculars out of her backpack, Ella Mae scanned the row of nervous contestants. She recognized most of the townsfolk and all of the teams representing local businesses. Nearly every merchant had entered a team in the race. Even Suzy had been talked into competing by one of the high school students she’d hired for the summer. Two boats down from Suzy, the WoodWorks team looked tense and ready to spring into action. Finn Mercer and Calvin Upton certainly had the most unique boat in the race. Hoping to showcase their craftsmen skills, Finn had purchased a rowboat meeting all race specifications and had carved dragonflies and leaping fish along both sides. Calvin, the master electrician, had then wired the boat so that tiny white and blue blinking lights glimmered just above the boat’s water line, creating the illusion that Finn’s fish were moving.

Another blast from the bullhorn startled Ella Mae and she jumped in surprise. Pivoting, she trained her binoculars on the figure standing at the end of the dock. Draped in a voluminous white dress with a red, white, and blue sash, Aunt Verena looked like a full-figured Greek goddess. And when she pointed her starter pistol in the air, Ella Mae could almost feel a thousand people hold their collective breath.

The report echoed across the lake and the racers leapt forward, shoving their boats into the water and hopping aboard. Some were less graceful than others and capsized within the first minute of the race. The moment it became clear there’d be no more gaffs to witness, the crowd quickly began to disperse.

“Come on, Chewy!” Ella Mae scooped her terrier off the ground, placed him in her bike basket, and pedaled as fast as she could, aiming for the trail that wound around the lake and led into town.

She wasn’t the only one hurrying to beat the rowers to a choice viewing spot. The trail in front of Ella Mae was packed with cyclists and more were coming up behind her.

“Hold on to your helmet, boy!” Ella Mae cried, even though she’d already shoved the helmet into her backpack. Chewy’s tongue unfurled from the side of his mouth and his brown eyes glittered with joy. Ella Mae’s feelings matched those of her dog. Speeding along with the other cyclists, she felt as giddy as a child. Many people had decorated their bikes with patriotic streamers and American flags while others added to the parade-like atmosphere by ringing bells or tooting horns. Ella Mae rang her own bell or waved hello each time someone passed her, and Chewy barked out a friendly greeting, his tail thumping against the handlebars.

Ella Mae was sweaty and thirsty by the time she reached the community park entrance. All the bike stands were full, so she deployed her kickstand and lifted Chewy out of the basket. After attaching a tire lock, she headed down to the lake’s edge. Ella Mae wasn’t concerned about her bike being deliberately stolen, but people often rode the wrong bikes home by mistake. This was often due to the amount of beer or hard lemonade the attendees consumed during the carnival portion of the event.

Pulling a beach towel from her backpack, Ella Mae searched for familiar faces and spied Madge sitting with Aunt Sissy; Aunt Sissy’s boyfriend, Alfonso; and Aunt Dee and her beau, August Templeton. Aunt Dee had obviously offered to watch Suzy’s standard poodle, Jasmine, as well as Miss Lulu, Jenny’s Schipperke, until after the race. And while Jasmine was the picture of obedience, Miss Lulu was dancing around in circles. Ella Mae stifled a grin as she watched August try to subdue the high-spirited canine.

“Look here, you little black devil,” August scolded Miss Lulu. “Can’t you sit for five minutes? How about three? No, no. There’s nothing in that basket for you.” He pushed Miss Lulu’s nose out of his picnic basket, but not before she managed to gulp down a slice of ham.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Ella Mae warned Chewy before putting him down. He gave Jasmine and Miss Lulu a cursory greeting before snuggling up to Dee. All animals loved Dee.

“We thought you might miss what promises to be a thrilling finale!” Sissy patted a rectangle of grass between herself and Madge. “We could have rented this patch ten times by now.”

Alfonso chuckled as he stroked his dark beard. “But we never would. We even turned away the mayor.”

“He needs to be waiting by the finish line anyway,” Ella Mae said, spreading her towel on the grass. “Where’s Mom?”

Sissy shrugged. “I don’t know. We looked everywhere for her. She probably wants to watch her handsome professor in private. She thinks we don’t know that she’s falling for him, but it’s perfectly obvious.” Lowering her voice so that no one else could overhear, she went on. “Have you seen what the flowers do when the two of them are together?”

Ella Mae nodded. “The entire garden turns into a kaleidoscope of color. It’s beautiful.”

“For now, yes,” Sissy agreed. “But what happens at summer’s end? Oxford isn’t exactly close, and Adelaide isn’t fond of air travel.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Ella Mae admitted, feeling some of her merriment dim. “It’s been such a delight to see her happy—to see her open herself up to love after living without it for so long. My father’s been dead for over thirty years. I don’t want her to be alone anymore.”

Sissy squeezed Ella Mae’s hand. “Neither do I. And who knows? What’s growing between Adelaide and Henry might just be magical enough to overcome an ocean’s worth of distance.”

“Speaking of water, dear ladies, we should focus on what’s happening out on the lake.” Alfonso pointed at the rowboats.

Ella Mae raised her binoculars and played around with the focus dial until she was able to find the lead boats.

She instantly recognized the yellow shirts belonging to Hugh and his fellow firefighter, and her heart leapt in excitement. “Hugh’s winning!”

Sissy nudged her in the side. “But the team from Village Tire and Service is coming up fast.”

“As are Reba and Jenny,” Dee said. “Reba looks like she just got a second wind. Look at her go!”

Alfonso leaned over to Sissy and murmured, “A second wind or a special energy zap from Jenny?”

Sissy gasped. “She wouldn’t dare! That would be cheating!” She darted a glance at Ella Mae. “You don’t think she’d stoop that low, do you?”

“I hope not,” Ella Mae replied in an anxious whisper. “It wouldn’t be fair, but Reba’s competitive drive can triumph over her common sense.”

Peering through her binoculars, Ella Mae began to genuinely worry that Jenny had given Reba a dose of what Ella Mae referred to as “liquid sunshine.” With one touch, Jenny could revive a person’s flagging energy so that they were suddenly capable of running a marathon. “Or winning a boat race,” Ella Mae muttered to herself.

“Don’t count Henry out,” Madge said. “He might be longer in the tooth than the rest of the leaders, but he’s trying to impress a woman. Such motivation could carry him to victory.”

“Hugh is trying to impress a woman too,” Sissy pointed out.

Chewy barked and Dee placed a steadying hand on his neck. “That’s right, Charleston Chew. You’re the one wearing the firefighter costume, not your mother.”

At this, everyone laughed and the buoyant mood was restored.

“Oh my, it’s going to be a close finish!” August cried and got to his feet. Holding out his hand, he helped Dee to stand. Within seconds, all the spectators were up and cheering for their favorite team.

Don’t do it, Reba, Ella Mae thought as she watched The Charmed Pie Shoppe team edge closer to the firefighters and the Village Tire team.

“What happened to the policemen?” Alfonso asked. “So many people expected them to win this race.”

“Oh, it was too funny!” Sissy exclaimed. “Moments before you got here, the cops collided with another boat and lost an oar. The other team isn’t from Havenwood, and you’ll never guess what product they sell.”

Alfonso gave his beard a tug. “Donuts?”

“Yes!” Sissy squealed. “Isn’t that too much? Havenwood PD played bumper boats with Sprinkles Donuts.” Her smile disappeared as she squinted at the lake again. “Look! Finn and Calvin are making a final push. They’re going to try to squeeze in between The Charmed Pie Shoppe and the firefighters.”

Ella Mae saw Reba glance over her shoulder to find more competition coming up from behind and wondered what her longtime friend would do when faced with such difficult odds.

“Come on, Reba! Go, Jenny! Go, Hugh!” she shouted, but her voice was lost amid a cacophony of yelling, screaming, ringing cowbells, barking dogs, and blasting air horns.

Ten boat lengths from the finish line tape, which had been strung between two buoys, another team pressed in from the starboard side of Reba and Jenny’s boat, giving them no choice but to angle their bow to port. This forced Finn and Calvin to adjust their direction, causing their bow to scrape along the side of Hugh’s boat. It was only the briefest of contacts, but it was enough to reduce the firemen’s momentum and the Village Tire and Service team surged ahead.

The noise from the onlookers rose to a fever pitch, and Ella Mae could see Reba shaking her fist in frustration.

But it was too late. The Village Tire team member sitting in the bow broke the finish tape with an oar and the crowd went wild.

As the celebrations continued, Hugh and the other fireman came in second, The Charmed Pie Shoppe took third, and the WoodWorks team captured fourth.

“What a dramatic conclusion!” Madge declared. “I should take more vacations. I had no idea events such as these existed.”

“Only in Havenwood,” Ella Mae said with a smile. “And wait until you see the assortment of food vendors. They come from all over for this race.”

Alfonso cupped a hand around his ear. “I ate a very light lunch in anticipation of this evening’s festival, so please enlighten me as to the delights awaiting me.”

“If it can be dipped in batter and fried, it’ll be for sale,” Dee said. “There will also be gyros, Italian sausages, Cuban sandwiches, fish tacos, Korean short ribs, roasted corn, vegetable shish kebabs—”

“My appetite is suitably whetted.” Alfonso reached out to take Sissy’s blanket and camp chair. “Shall we, my songbird?”

August looked at Dee. “If you’d prefer a less crowded environment, I already prepared a humble dinner at my house. I just need to heat it up.”

Dee rewarded him with a grateful smile. “You’re so thoughtful. I couldn’t imagine anything I’d like more than spending a quiet evening with you.” She glanced down at the dogs. “Is it all right if these two stay in your garden until Suzy and Jenny can pick them up?”

August readily agreed then turned to Madge. “Miss Stutsman, I hope you enjoy your first food truck carnival. Ella Mae, please congratulate Hugh, Reba, and Jenny for me. They provided us with a most thrilling race.”

“They certainly did,” Ella Mae agreed. She sensed Dee was avoiding the carnival because of her burn scars and wished that her aunt didn’t feel the need to shy away from public view.

Their small group parted ways. Sissy, Alfonso, and Madge headed to Sissy’s car to drop off their belongings before proceeding to the food truck area. Dee and August packed their things into a large tote bag, took hold of the dogs’ leashes, and strode off toward downtown’s residential area and August’s charming brick townhouse. As for Ella Mae, she unlocked her bike, loaded Chewy into the basket, and pedaled for the library.

However, the paths were so crowded with pedestrians that Ella Mae decided to bike through town. Because most of the spectators opted to park at or around the community center, the business district was nearly deserted. Ella Mae flew down the empty streets, dreaming of all the sumptuous food she and Hugh would soon be sharing.

Suddenly, the ringing of an alarm disrupted her peaceful ride.

The sound was muted at first, but as she drew closer to Perfectly Polished, Loralyn Gaynor’s largest nail salon, the clamor grew louder.

Despite Chewy’s agitated barking, Ella Mae slowed her pace.

The salon’s front door was ajar, and the rhythmic clanging emanated from somewhere deeper inside. Ella Mae peered into the dimness while retrieving her cell phone from her pocket, but she saw no one moving around by the pedicure chairs in the back of the salon. What she did notice, however, was that the door leading to the staff offices and the massage and waxing rooms stood ajar.

Just as Ella Mae was calling the police, a white sedan pulled away from the curb at the end of the block and made an immediate right at the next intersection. Tires squealed and a powerful engine roared as the sedan accelerated so rapidly that Ella Mae was unable to take note of the car’s make and model.

However, in the seconds before the sedan rounded the corner, she did catch a glimpse of the decal affixed to the rear window. It was a glittery white flower.

A camellia.