Chapter Nine

“Do you know if any kids from your class are going to be here tonight?”

Justin watched Marley’s shoulders shrug under the fox-eared hoodie she wore over a matching skirt that no twelve-year-old had any business wearing. His insistence that she wear dark leggings underneath it had not gone over well, but she acquiesced more easily than he thought she would. He supposed that could mean she was becoming more comfortable with him telling her what to do or that she had not been overly excited about the lack of length either.

“I heard some people talking about it.”

He waited for a moment to see if she would elaborate. She did not. “Well, I heard people talking about it, too. Looks like we missed most of the trick or treating, so you should be able to find plenty of activities meant for kids your age.”

Main Street was closed to traffic, so they walked in the street, looking around to see that most of the shops had put up Halloween displays and were serving treats for the kids as well. They walked the length of the street to the courthouse, where inflatables had been set up around hay bales displayed in a semicircle.

As they turned around and headed back up the street, still in silence, Justin’s eyes wandered to the elaborate display in front of It’s by Nature and to the trio of witches who seemed to be in charge of it all. The three of them stood beneath a large painted sign that said “Toil and Trouble” with a bubbling cauldron on the end that matched the one the middle witch was currently stirring. She certainly did not resemble the character he had seen in any rendition of Macbeth. Tara’s normally wild waves were tamed into a slick sheath with an electric blue streak on each side of her face. She was dressed in all black, and the long gown hugged her in all the right places. If that dress had a slit along her leg, he just might have to hide in the car the rest of the night.

Tara caught his eye as it trailed over her, and though he expected a glare, her face showed a friendly smile instead. He made one step toward her as her smiled widened just a little.

“Marley! Come over and try our punch. We just made a fresh batch and forgot to put the toads in this one.”

Marley rolled her eyes but walked over, and Justin followed closely behind. Tara handed Marley a cup and barely looked at him before handing him one, too.

“Are you having a good time?”

“We just got here. This is the first booth we’ve stopped at.”

“Well, that’s too bad. All the others are bound to pale in comparison.” Another witch had stepped forward and offered the full-wattage smile that Tara was determined to keep hidden. “I’m Shelby, Tara’s sister.”

Tara nodded their way as she filled cups for another family. “Shelby, this is Marley and Justin.”

He noticed a slight waver, but the smile never disappeared nor seemed forced. Justin was relieved that at least one sister didn’t hate him.

“Come down here, Marley, and let me show you the games. If you play each one, you get a prize.”

The sweet-faced brunette led his sister away, and Marley did not look back. He turned to Tara and smiled in spite of the chill coming off her.

“This is quite a display. You must have worked hard on it.”

“It’s mostly Shelby’s doing. She’s going to be the ultimate Pinterest mom one day.” She finally looked at him, taking in his costume. “I never would have figured you for a cowboy.”

“I thought it would be fun to dress up with Marley, but she was pretty unimpressed by it.”

“That’s because you’re her brother. Believe me, every other woman out tonight is more that impressed.”

Justin turned to witch number three, whom he recognized from the sandwich shop. “You must be Charlotte.”

“Aw, you’ve been hearing about me, huh?”

“I’d worry about that if I were you. He’s working with Brandon.”

Charlotte looked at him with apprehension shining in her eyes. He just grinned and mimicked Tara’s teasing tone. “We’ve had many interesting conversations.”

Charlotte’s shoulders relaxed. “Now I know you’re just messing with me. Brandon’s never interesting, just honest.”

Justin chuckled as she turned away to serve punch to a group of moony-eyed boys, giving him the opportunity to move closer to Tara.

“How do you know my sister?”

“Hers is the class I volunteer in.”

“She didn’t mention it, but that’s not surprising, considering she never mentions anything that goes on in school.”

“She’s twelve. She’s supposed to sulk and be embarrassed to be seen in public with cowboys.”

He looked down to the end of the tables where Marley was standing silently in a small crowd of girls.

“I can handle the embarrassment. It’s the silence that scares me.”

* * *

Tara watched as Justin took a slow drink from his cup. She had noticed him the second he and Marley walked by. It would have been hard not to. Charlotte was right; he did cut an impressive figure in his western-cut shirt, jeans, and cowboy hat. Who knew a city lawyer could look so good playing dress up. It suited him. She allowed the idea to penetrate her resentment. Though she had never seen him in his other role, she could not deny that the simple country boy quality seemed genuine. Too much about him seemed genuine.

Any hope she had that Justin would lose interest in the farm and eventually be willing to sell it disappeared the day she met Marley. Tara couldn’t fault him for wanting to give his sister a home. She only wished he had chosen a different one. The bitterness everyone else was so tired of was slowly giving way to grief—a bone-deep sadness that that part of her life was over and could never be duplicated in the ways she had hoped. Seeing him adjust so well to the role she had wanted should have made her feel better, but it didn’t. Still, she would try. She didn’t want anyone else accusing her of being like her mother.

“Brandon hasn’t said anything about what your renovation plans are.”

He studied her for a moment, as if he were trying to avoid any landmines. “Right now, we are concentrating on getting Marley’s room ready. It’s taken more work than we expected.”

“Oh? Which room did she choose?”

“The attic, actually.”

Tara smiled through the ache in her gut. “It’s a good room. I used to go up there with an old lamp and sketch.”

“Would you draw the view from windows?”

She nodded.

“I thought I recognized it. I’ve seen it in some of your paintings in the gallery.”

“A lot of my work is inspired by the farm. Was, anyway. Charlotte says it’s time for me to find something new.”

“You are always welcome there, Tara. To sketch or paint. For any reason.”

She looked at him for a moment and then moved to the tables. The crowd was currently centered around Charlotte, so she kept her hands busy tidying the games. Justin followed but remained on the other side. He obviously wasn’t going to give up the conversation.

“It’s not the same now.”

“Why not? It hasn’t belonged to your family in several years. I’m sure you were out there plenty of times when someone else owned it. Why should it be different now?”

“No one was living there before. I could still pretend it was mine.”

“Tara. I really am sorry you lost something so important to you.”

She looked up then, but the remorse in his eyes didn’t relieve the grief that was surely shining in hers. “Why did you choose it anyway? You must have looked at other properties.”

“I did. All over the country, in fact. But I thought Marley would be happiest here, in this community, with the slower pace and art and recreational opportunities. I might have found that somewhere else, but it felt right here.”

Tara pressed her lips together and returned to the games. She could feel the moment Justin looked away. She lifted her eyes slightly to see that Marley had returned, handing Justin several small items she had chosen from the prize bin.

“Will you hold these for me?”

Justin nodded and crammed everything into his pockets. Tara noticed Marley tense somewhat as she looked at her brother. “I’m going to go do the scavenger hunt.”

Marley’s tight shoulders stiffened further as Justin’s eyes narrowed. Tara was surprised when he spoke. The tightness in his jaw should have prevented it.

“Alone?”

“No.”

Justin’s eyebrows rose, and Marley sighed and pointed to a group of girls behind her. “I’m going with some girls from my class. It’s just around Main Street. It shouldn’t take long.”

He was quiet for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head and relaxed his shoulders. “Of course. Have fun. Just keep your phone on.”

Marley nodded and walked away. Justin kept an eye on her until she was lost in the crowd. He then turned back to Tara. “I have to remind myself sometimes that situations like this are one of the reasons I moved us here. She’s used to being more independent, but I was not comfortable allowing her to roam the city the way her mother did.”

“She can have more room to move here.”

“That’s the idea.”

From what Tara just witnessed, Justin was having a hard time with that idea. “How long has Marley been with you?”

“Almost nine months. Her mother died in January, but I didn’t know about it for a couple of months. Marley was in foster care when I found her.”

“Oh my god. Was it hard for you to get custody?”

“I only have guardianship, and no, it wasn’t that hard. But you probably don’t want to hear about the good that can come from throwing money around.”

She decided to take that jab gracefully. “Why didn’t you know her mother had died?”

More genuineness, this time in the form of guilt, crossed his features. “I didn’t keep up with Marley and her mother like I should have. I’m afraid I let my youthful resentment keep me from getting to know my sister. I had no excuse once the youth was gone. I only heard Sharon had died because I ran into one of my father’s former partners, who had heard from someone else.”

His regret was palpable, and Tara could not help the impulse to provide comfort. God, she was a sucker for a man who loved his kid. She reached across the table and placed a hand on his arm.

“You have her now, when she needs you most. That counts for a lot, Justin. Believe me.”

He took her hand from his arm and, holding it gently, briefly brought it to his lips. They’d reached the end of the table, and he kept her hand in his as they stood there.

“I thought about you last week. I went with Marley’s class to Green Energy Park. It was interesting and not just because I saw Marley actually speaking to her classmates. Their wood-fueled kiln was quite a sight. Do you ever use it?”

“I do. I fire most of my pieces at my studio, but some look better with the effect that comes from the ash of the wood.”

“Where’s your studio?”

“Behind my house. It’s small, but I manage. You said Marley was interacting with her class? That’s good. When I was there, she was quiet. She was still new then, maybe she just needed to get comfortable.”

“I hope that’s all it takes. I worry when she won’t talk to me, which is pretty much all the time.”

“You’re both new at this. Just give yourselves some space.”

“That’s what I keep hearing. It’s harder than you might think.”

“Why?”

“Justin! You made it, and in costume even.”

Tara and Justin turned to see Jennifer Adams, Molly’s mom, dressed as a popular cartoon princess, a few steps away. She owned the local dance and exercise studio and was as lithe and graceful as any professional dancer. Tara had always liked Jenn and felt bad for all she had been through, first with her divorce from Molly’s dad when they were only in their early twenties and then with the death of her second husband. But just then, as she graced Justin with a beautiful, warm smile, a bolt of malice went straight through her. Or maybe it was just gas. She had indulged in a candy apple earlier.

“Hey, Tara. Great Display.”

“Thanks. You look great.”

“Thank you. Alice insisted I wear it to match her, though it certainly fits a three-year-old’s tastes better than mine. She’s been on Jesse’s shoulders all night, and I haven’t even gotten a picture.” She turned to Justin. “Our girls ran off together. Jesse wasn’t too far behind them, so they shouldn’t get into too much trouble, not that they would.”

“I’m glad. I’m not entirely comfortable with Marley going off on her own.”

Jenn gave him a familiar, knowing smile that had Tara trying to pull her hand away, but Justin held firm. “I thought as much. That’s why I thought I’d let you know. I think I’m going to go find them and drag my little one off Jesse’s shoulders and make her take a picture with me. You guys enjoy your night.”

Jenn not so subtly looked at their entwined hands and headed up the street, leaving Tara feeling ridiculous. Jenn was a sweet, friendly woman who lost her husband in January. She certainly wasn’t on the prowl. That she would care one way or the other left Tara quite irritated with herself.

“You know Jenn from the school, I guess?”

He nodded. “We were in charge of a group on the field trip last week. Jesse is her ex-husband?”

“Yes. Theirs is pretty much the poster family for co-parenting. Marley is in good hands, and she knows where to find you. Relax. Enjoy the festival. It only comes once a year.”

She felt his thumb glide over hers. “Will you walk with me?”

Tara was surprised to find that she wanted to. “I shouldn’t leave Shelby and Charlotte. It’s not the same effect with just two.”

“Of course you can.”

“Don’t be silly.”

Tara’s head whipped around at the sound of her sisters’ voices. They were about two feet away, wearing no signs of guilt for listening to their conversation. She turned back to a grinning Justin.

“Come on. You’re being nice to me. I don’t want it to end just yet.” He tugged her out into the street and turned up toward the courthouse. They walked through the crowd leisurely, not stopping at any of the booths, only enjoying the crisp fall evening.

“I’ve always been nice to you.” Tara lied. “Too nice, probably.”

“The day we met, perhaps. That day at Marley’s school, maybe not so much.”

His voice was light, but Tara could hear the trace of apprehension he was trying to hide. “Brandon must have given you the whole story. Can you blame me?”

“No, I can’t. In your position, I would feel the same way. You must miss your grandmother very much.”

“I do. As Gran was dying, my mother got rid of everything in the house. Even the sentimental items that were of no value to anybody but Shelby or me were gone by the time we got home. But I had taken my old sketchbook to school with me, so with that and my memories, I was able to recreate some of our life there through my art.”

“And so it lives on. There are pieces of you and your memories in houses all over the country, I would imagine.”

Tara shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but I do like knowing that Fran didn’t take everything.”

They came to the courthouse lawn and sat on one of the hay bales. Without the heat of the crowd, she should have been cold, but Justin sat so close that she barely felt the chill. A quarter moon hung high in the cloudless sky, and Tara briefly wondered if they’d see a witch on a broomstick flying by. Perhaps Shelby or Charlotte would be up to it. She was too content where she was. She felt Justin brush her shoulder.

“I don’t like being the villain, Tara. That was always my father’s role. It was never supposed to be mine. I understand that you can’t just shut off your feelings. If you’re not ready for more right now, maybe we can at least be friends?”

Tara sighed audibly. His understanding released much of the pressure she had been feeling since they met. Though he still held her hand and his demeanor said he would prefer much more, friendship was something she could manage.

“Yeah, I think we can be friends.”

His smile right then almost had her changing her mind about the “just friends” thing, but a sparkling twelve-year-old appeared, saving her from the moment.

“Hey, kiddo. You got your face painted.” Justin finally released her hand as Marley handed him more treasures from her hunt.

She pushed her hair back from her face. “Yeah. All my friends got butterflies.”

Tara laughed. “So you decided to get a dragon?”

Marley shrugged. “It has glitter in it. It’s almost the same.”

“Well.” Justin rose and Tara followed. “We better get going. You’ve got school tomorrow.”

Marley groaned but fell in line as they started walking. “Are we still going to look for light fixtures? I really hated all the ones at the box store.”

“For the attic?”

Marley turned to Tara and nodded. “Everything we saw looked so plain.”

“Says the girl who painted the walls and ceiling white.”

It was dark, but Tara could easily see the eye roll Marley gave her brother. “That’s why the accessories should be bold and colorful.”

It was Justin’s turn to roll his eyes, and Tara laughed. “Did you see the glass blowing demonstration when you were at Green Energy Park?”

“Yes!” Marley’s dark eyes managed to look bright against the sparkly red of her face paint. “I was scared it would pop like bubble gum in his face.”

“I’m sure he’s glad it didn’t. Anyway, the artist, Noah, has a small gallery in his studio in Dillsboro. I know he’s done globes and lamps before. You might find something you like there.”

“Can we go?”

Justin nodded. “Why don’t we wait until Saturday? We haven’t spent any time in Dillsboro. We can make a day of it.” Tara felt him nudge her shoulder again. “You can join us. I’m sure you know the best shops for authentic local art.”

“The best shop for local art is my aunt’s, but sure, I can meet you. I’ll call Noah to make sure he’ll be there.”

“Great. Let’s go early and then have lunch. One less meal eaten at home is a good thing.”

Marley’s enthusiastic nod made Tara laugh again. Justin deposited her back at her cauldron with a kiss on the cheek and a promise to see her Saturday. She wasn’t sure what this new friendship would bring, but she did know that as she watched him walk away, no friend had ever left her feeling so much anticipation or with a desire for a kiss on the cheek to have landed an inch to the right.