Late that same afternoon, feeling dejected and defeated, Abby trudged back across the meadow toward the farmhouse, inadvertently crushing the fragrant wildflowers beneath her feet. Hunter’s truck was where he’d left it earlier, but he didn’t answer when she’d knocked and called through the barn door. She didn’t dare open it. She was nervous just being there.
Nothing about today had gone the way she’d hoped. After sharing earlier with Hunter how he was making her feel and him seeming willing to change his solicitous ways, she’d had pie-in-the-sky hopes for the day.
Riding high on Hunter’s You look good compliment and the fact that her berry doughnuts were so delish, she’d eaten two instead of the one she’d allotted herself. She’d even gone so far as to believe her luck had finally changed.
Just minutes before the tour bus had arrived, she’d done a visualization exercise. She’d imagined herself waving goodbye to the enthusiastic and happy tour guests with fistfuls of money in her hands. The reality didn’t even come close. She hadn’t been able to wave goodbye to Sadie and the terrified tour guests because her hands were handcuffed behind her back, and there wasn’t a single dollar bill in either one of them. Not even the two sisters’ ten-dollar bill.
At the last minute (like no exaggeration—they were standing on the tour bus steps), the two sisters decided they didn’t want either the white ruffle apron or the tiny oil painting and demanded their money back.
Abby sighed as a cool wind swooped down from the mountains to swallow the warm, fragrant breeze and whip her hair around her face as she continued her trek back to the farmhouse. Unable to use her hands—she had Bella in one arm and a container of berry doughnuts in the other—she tried shaking her hair off her face but it was stuck to her tears. Like literally stuck because the glue she’d used to apply the fake eyelashes had somehow run down her cheeks along with her tears. So much for her hope that the eyelashes would mask her swollen eyes.
She tripped over something in the meadow and whimpered “Please be a stick. Please be a stick” but it was soft and a little squishy and felt nothing like a stick. Still, she didn’t hear it hiss so there was that. She did a nervous dance anyway and then picked up her pace.
Lifting her right arm, she used Bella to push the hair from her eyes. “Thanks, Boo.” She sniffed, and Bella went to lick her. Abby held her away from her. “Sorry, baby. I appreciate the love, I really do. But those were cheap fake eyelashes, and I don’t want you to get sick on the glue.” She blinked her left eye, trying to get the narrow black strip of eyelashes that was obscuring her vision to fall off as she walked on.
A gust of wind swirled by and nearly blew her off her feet. Once she’d regained her balance, she glanced at the ominous dark clouds chasing each other across the sky. “We might end up in Oz before the night is over, Boo. I’m sure Hunter would be thrilled.” She had a flashback of him yelling at her and sniffed back more tears as everything he’d said and everything she’d felt in that moment came rushing back.
But no matter how much he’d hurt her feelings, he had every right to be furious at her. She never should’ve allowed his space to be invaded. In her defense, it hadn’t been entirely her fault. Except she’d been almost glad when Hawaiian Guy had opened the barn door and introduced the tour group to the wonders of Hunter’s magical world. She’d wanted the tour to be a success for Sadie’s sake…and, yes, indirectly for hers. She didn’t like to fail at anything, and her portion of the farm tour had definitely been a bust until then. But in the end, all her good intentions were for nothing, thanks to Hunter.
She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised at the outcome. With her, good intentions were often tied to her gut instincts, which inevitably led to trouble and, the last two times, the threat of jail time. She needed a T-shirt with the saying THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS stamped on her chest as a reminder. Maybe then she’d think twice before embarking on another crusade.
The only reason she wasn’t in jail was because Hunter’s mother and sisters and brother had intervened. They were really nice, and Abby appreciated them sticking up for her. Except she had a feeling they might’ve indirectly made matters worse. But really, how much worse could they get? Hunter hated her, and he wasn’t going to help her with the house anymore.
At the reminder, her gaze flitted from the crooked porch to the tin roof rattling in the wind. Hunter had done a temporary fix to the roof on account of her lack of funds. He’d suggested she talk to the Realtor at Home Sweet Home to see if putting on a new one was worth the time and the money she didn’t have. She’d called and left a message but still hadn’t heard anything back. She was pretty sure she knew the reason why—Hunter’s aunt Elsa.
Abby imagined the older woman was thrilled that her nephew would no longer have anything to do with her. Then again, maybe Abby didn’t have to worry about Hunter’s aunt putting up roadblocks anymore. Now Elsa Mackenzie probably considered Abby selling out worth it to protect Hunter. It was funny, but right then, Abby wasn’t as worried about the work that needed to be done or selling the farmhouse as she was about Hunter never forgiving her.
Drops of rain splattered on her nose and cheeks, and she took off at a run, certain with the way her luck had been of late that those swollen black clouds were about to unleash a rainstorm of biblical proportions.
No sooner had the thought popped into her head than the heavens opened in a torrent of wind and rain. Tucking Bella close, she used the container of berry doughnuts to protect her dog, wondering why she couldn’t be right about something other than the weather.
In the few minutes that it took for her to reach the porch, Abby was soaked. Her hair was plastered to her head, her sundress to her body. And Bella, well, she kinda looked like a drowned rat. “At least Hunter won’t be around to tease you, baby,” she said as she juggled Bella and the container to open the door.
As soon as she got inside and closed the door, Abby put Bella down. Big mistake, she thought when her dog shook her way through the living room to the kitchen, spraying water as she went. Abby hurried over to the floral couch to grab a couple of towels out of the laundry basket.
She’d assumed her great-aunt didn’t have a washer and dryer and hadn’t thought to ask Hunter, who hadn’t thought to share when he saw her doing laundry in the kitchen sink yesterday. She’d found the almost-new stacked washer and dryer in a closet earlier today when she’d been on the hunt for another platter. Except she’d forgotten her clothes were still on the clothesline. It wasn’t until the little boy and his sister pointed out her underwear and bra flapping in the breeze during the tour that she remembered.
How did the pioneers do it? she wondered as she towel-dried her face and hair with the scratchy, hard towel. It smelled nice though. She turned on the kitchen light and mopped up the floor, then used the other towel to dry off Bella.
Once she was finished, Abby took them to the laundry closet. “Okay, Boo, I need a hot shower,” she said when she returned.
The ping of an incoming message stopped her midstride. Praying it was Hunter, she hurried back to the kitchen counter. She looked at the screen. Elinor had texted her. She’d received the pictures of Abby’s baking that she’d sent hours before.
I must say, I’m terribly impressed, Abby. You did a marvelous job. I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner. We’ve just unloaded the last of my boxes at Kate’s.
Instead of responding by text, Abby called. A text seemed so impersonal. She felt horrible that she hadn’t checked to see how Elinor was doing today of all days. “I’m so sorry!” she said as soon as Elinor picked up. “I totally forgot today was your last day.” And she’d honestly expected Chandler to come to his senses and keep Elinor on. She’d worked for his family since he was a little boy, and she’d lived in the guesthouse on the property for just as long. But it seemed like whatever Juliette wanted, Juliette got. “Are you okay?”
“I am. Thank you for asking, dear. But truthfully, it would have been harder if not for Juliette being an absolute horror the entire week.”
“I’m sorry she was so awful to you.” And sorrier that Chandler had let her get away with it. Honestly, Abby didn’t know what was wrong with him. “After your decades of loyalty and service to the family, you deserve better.” It probably didn’t speak well of Abby, but she was secretly pleased Elinor didn’t like Juliette. “I hope Chandler gave you a huge retirement bonus.”
“I would have settled for a small one, but, as I understand it, the company is having financial difficulties. I gather there’s a problem with the new shampoo and conditioner upon which they’ve built their ad campaign. Chandler promised that, as soon as things turned around, he’d fulfill the agreement his parents made with me. But Juliette told him he wasn’t legally obligated so I’m not counting on it.”
Abby imagined that the company’s financial difficulties were responsible for Juliette being an absolute horror. “I can’t help but feel I’m to blame for you not getting your bonus. If not for me, the company wouldn’t have had to create a new shampoo and conditioner and ad campaign in the first place. I’m so sorry, Elinor. These days I can’t seem to do anything right.”
“What happened? Did the furniture and bake sale not go well?”
“It was a bust, actually, and worse, I messed up badly with Hunter.”
“Is that the handsome man with the beard?”
“Yes, he’s the one who’s been helping me get the house ready for sale, remember?” She’d snuck a picture of him the other day when he’d been painting the living room ceiling and sent it to Elinor. Now that she thought about it, that may have been the reason she’d tripped over the tarp and ended up covered in ceiling paint.
“Of course. How could I have forgotten? Kate was quite entranced with the man. But speaking of forgetting, I’ve been meaning to tell you that, when Juliette had Tiffany over for drinks yesterday afternoon, I left out the photo of you with the men in kilts. Tiffany spotted it straightaway and was pea-green with envy. So bravo, your plan worked exactly as you’d hoped. She couldn’t stop talking about the photo. She wanted to know where exactly it had been taken and how you’d met the men.”
No, that wasn’t exactly what she’d hoped would happen. She didn’t want Tiffany asking questions. “You didn’t tell her the truth, did you?” Abby tried to push down the panic that she heard in her voice and felt in the pit of her stomach.
“I may have embellished a tad. I told her that while you were no longer living the life in LA, you were certainly living it in Highland Falls. I’m surprised you haven’t heard from her, actually. Although Juliette made it clear she wasn’t happy about Tiffany’s interest in you or how well I said you were doing. No doubt Tiffany doesn’t wish to find herself on Juliette’s bad side. Which I’m afraid I can relate to, as no doubt you can too, Abby.”
She nodded, then remembered she was on the phone. “Sadly, I can.”
As someone who’d been on Juliette’s bad side for almost a year, Abby totally understood how Tiffany felt. And if the new lines weren’t doing well, Abby was most likely still on Juliette’s bad side. So the last thing she wanted was to draw the attorney’s attention. Abby didn’t trust Juliette not to mess with her life. It was already messy enough, thank you very much.
Honestly, she didn’t know what had possessed her to ask Elinor to print off the photo and wave it under Tiffany’s nose. Oh, please, of course you know. She rolled her eyes at herself. She’d done it to make Tiffany jealous. What she didn’t understand is why her once-best friend’s opinion mattered to her.
Okay, so she knew that too. She just wished those feelings from back in her high school days weren’t so deeply embedded in her psyche that she couldn’t get rid of them. It was almost a decade since she’d graduated. You’d think she’d be able to let it go. She was no longer the girl who didn’t fit in or have any friends…Oh my gosh, she was so that girl! She no longer fit in in LA, and she didn’t fit in here, as today had so clearly shown.
And friends? Other than her sisters, who she wasn’t sure counted because they were family, and maybe Elinor, the one person she’d begun to think might be a friend had tried to have her arrested. And, as Puppy-Gate had proven, Tiffany and the Bel Air Bs weren’t her true friends either. Right then, she realized just how incredibly hurt she’d been when they’d chosen Chandler and Juliette over her. Sometimes it really did feel like the people who she cared about abandoned her when she messed up.
She returned her attention to Elinor and the reason Abby had called her in the first place. They talked about the older woman’s plans for the future. Elinor sounded upbeat, which alleviated some of Abby’s guilt. She was carrying around so much of it right now that her shoulders sagged under the weight.
“Kate’s yelling at me so I’d best go and get some of these boxes unpacked. Just remember, Abby, it’s only when it’s dark that you can see the stars. I’m sure your young man will forgive you.”
“He’s not really my young man, but from your lips to God’s ears that he forgives me, Elinor. Don’t you and Kate overdo it.”
Abby had barely gotten out her goodbye when Haven FaceTimed her. Her sisters had decided to buy one phone and share it. Gorgeous, brilliant, kind, and fiscally responsible? No one should be that perfect. She accepted the call without thinking, and she knew she should’ve thought when Haven and Haley appeared looking absolutely stunning in the matching Tory Burch ivory silk maxidresses Abby had bought them last summer.
They stared at her, crying out at almost the same time, “Abby, what happened? You look like—” They glanced at each other as though searching for a word that wouldn’t make her feel worse than she obviously looked.
There was no way she’d tell her sisters what a mess she’d made of things. “Nothing serious. I just touched something in the garden that I’m allergic to, and my eyes swelled.”
Her sisters leaned forward as Abby inched back and nearly tore the muscles in her arm holding the screen as far away from her face as possible. Sometimes she hated FaceTime. Why couldn’t her family have a normal phone call anymore?
“Oh, wow, Abs. That’s really bad. Your eyes are almost swollen shut. They look—”
“Not good, I know. It didn’t help that I got caught in a torrential downpour.” She was losing the battle to keep her cheerful smile in place so she turned the phone in the direction of the dining room window. At least the weather outside was backing her up, she thought. Although she could’ve just as easily held up the phone for them to listen to the wind and rain battering the tin roof.
“Um, Abs, that storm looks pretty bad. Did you listen to the weather report?” Haley asked.
Haven nudged her sister. “I’m sure it’s fine. She doesn’t need a weather report. She’s got Hunter.” She smiled at Abby. “Now tell us, how was the farm tour?”
“It—it was…” Her bottom lip began to tremble, and she clutched it between her teeth to make it stop.
“Aww, Abs, don’t cry. It can’t be that bad,” Haven said, sounding like she might cry too.
Her sister’s sympathy broke the last of Abby’s control over her emotions, and she sobbed out her story. Ten minutes later, curled up on the couch with Bella in her lap, she dabbed at her eyes with a pillowcase from the laundry basket.
“So I’ve ruined everything. I have no—” She stopped herself from saying she had no money because they’d feel guilty and offer her some. “No one to help with the house now.” She rubbed her cheek against Bella’s head and waited for the pep talk she was sure would follow. No doubt her sisters would tell her how awesome she was and that Hunter had overreacted and would come around. And she’d soak up every ounce of their sympathy because she could really use some right now. It had been hard retelling the story to her sisters. She’d relived every horrible, embarrassing moment of it.
“Abs, how could you? After everything he’s done for you.”
Stunned, Abby stared at Haley.
“You know, just because you think his woodwork is incredible and deserves to be seen doesn’t give you the right to invade his space.”
“Hals—” Haven tried to interrupt her twin.
“No, I won’t stop. Can you imagine how Hunter felt seeing all those people going into his home without his permission? Just think about it from his perspective, Abs. Not yours. You’re crazy-outgoing, a total extrovert. You love people and parties, the bigger the better and the more the merrier. In Hunter’s shoes, you would’ve been over the moon that someone thought your work was so fabulous it deserved to be seen by the whole world, but he’s the exact opposite of you.”
Abby continued to stare at her sister but not in shock. “You’re absolutely right,” she whispered. “I did feel horrible for what I’d done, but honestly, I didn’t truly understand his reaction until just now. Thank you, Hales. It’s not easy to hear that I’m a horrible, unfeeling biatch from my sister, but I’m glad you told me. I really did need to hear it.”
“You’re not a horrible, unfeeling biatch, because we wouldn’t love a horrible, unfeeling biatch as much as we love you, but you have to make him understand how sorry you are.”
“I will. I’ll figure out a way. Somehow.” Because as much as she wanted to, he didn’t want anything to do with her. And she had a feeling that, if Hunter Mackenzie didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be. “And now that the farm tour was a bust, I have to figure out how to make money.” She held up her hand when her sisters opened their mouths. “No. We’ve already had this conversation. I just have to find someone in Highland Falls who’ll hire me.”
“What about the tour bus lady?” Haven suggested. “You said she was really nice.”
“Sadie’s great, but she’s hardly making enough money to pay herself. And after today’s fiasco, she’s not going to get any referrals from the tour.” She was just one more person Abby owed. “And honestly, given the influence that Hunter’s aunt Elsa seems to hold over this town, I doubt very much that anyone will hire me.”
“So do what you did when you moved to LA. You were only nineteen. You didn’t know anyone, and you had nowhere to live and barely any money. With everything you’ve learned in the past nine years, you should be able to make money on a new YouTube channel almost right away,” Haley said.
“It’s a great idea, but first, as part of the settlement with Chandler, I’m legally not allowed, and second, I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere. It’s not like people are going to tune in to watch me bake scones and fix up this place.”
“Haley’s right. This is exactly what you need to do. And you can. No, just hear me out,” Haven said when Abby went to object. “First, Abby Everhart is not allowed to use social media to profit in any way.”
“Um, Haven, the NDA, remember?”
“I’m pretty sure no one is taping this conversation, but anyway, it’s kinda easy to figure out why you disappeared from social media. All anyone had to do was put two and two together. But you don’t want to be Abby Everhart, anyway.”
“I don’t?”
“No, you told us you have to reinvent yourself and here’s your opportunity.”
“I meant I had to reinvent myself for LA, not here.”
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Haven smiled. “You said that when we spilled yellow paint on your green dress.”
Abby laughed. “I remember; you were ten. But it was easier to turn the yellow blobs of paint into lemons than it will be to turn Honeysuckle Farm into something YouTube worthy.”
“No, it won’t. You always thought that the reason you became a YouTube sensation was that you can intuit what the next big thing will be, and you absolutely can, but that’s not why over forty million people subscribed to your channel and watched your videos. It was because of you, Abs.”
“Haley’s right. Abby Everhart Does Hollywood didn’t go viral because people wanted to see the highlights of LA. They wanted to see them through your eyes. You’re funny and fun, and it helps that you’re cute and klutzy too. People can relate to you. They were cheering you on when you dragged your butt up the hillside to the Hollywood sign wearing the Marc Jacobs wedge sneakers you declared would be big the following year. But they didn’t tune in because you were absolutely right. They tuned in because when you posed by the sign you tripped on your shoelace and rolled down the hill.”
Haley laughed. “That was the best, and your day making sushi at the food truck you were promoting was a close second.”
“But your fall in the pond and being bitten by a copperhead snake could totally outdo either one of those,” Haven said.
“They were not funny!” Abby protested, then thought back to the day she met Hunter, and her lips twitched. “Okay, so mine and Hunter’s first meet was kinda funny. But there’s no way I’m reenacting it for a video.”
“But that’s the thing, the farm and Highland Falls are rife with opportunity for you,” Haley said.
“If you mean rife with the opportunity to be stung by a venomous spider or snake or eaten by a bear, then you’d be right.”
“Any good story has to have an element of death, so people will be dying to follow your adventures.” Haley laughed. “You can call it City Girl Goes Country or Abby Does Highland Falls instead of Abby Does Hollywood.”
Haley might not be laughing if she heard Granny MacLeod’s prophecy, Abby thought. Although it could make for an interesting opening. She could do a teaser trailer to get people interested. The thought surprised her. She was actually considering doing this. “There’s one problem. I’m only here until I sell the house.”
“Well that could take some time, which is a good thing because you can make a ton of videos and then you’ll have all the content you need to keep your channel going when you’re back in LA,” Haley said.
“Or you might want to stay. What?” Haven said at the face Abby made. “You might. You haven’t given it a chance. Anyway, Haley’s right, death sells, but so does sex and sexy highlanders. We showed our friends the picture of you and the guys in their kilts, and they were ready to pack their bags and come for a visit. Which we totally are, by the way. We’re coming for the Highland Games, and don’t say you won’t be there. It’s like a month away.”
“That’s it.” Abby straightened on the couch, feeling a tiny sliver of optimism and excitement. “I couldn’t see the hook, but now I can.”
“You’re going to do it! She’s going to do it!” The twins squealed at almost the same time, then high-fived each other.
“I’m going to do it.” She smiled. “And it’s thanks to the two of you. I mean, I have to figure out my new persona, find some equipment, and I probably should have someone else register it. No, not you guys,” she said when her sisters raised their hands. “You’d be too easy to trace back to me.”
“What about Sadie?” Haley asked. “You said she’s a graphic designer, and you like her.”
“I do, and I owe her, so this would be the perfect opportunity to repay her for ruining today’s tour. I can promote Highland Tours and she can help me with the channel. I’m going to call her right now.”
As soon as she got off the phone with her sisters, she called Sadie. It took her no time at all to get the other woman onboard. She even gave Abby the perfect event to video and to make some money at.
Every year the town celebrated Summer Solstice on the Village Green. According to Sadie, Liz always had a booth where she sold her products from Honeysuckle Farm. Sadie checked the vendor listings for this year, and Abby’s aunt was still listed. So she could use her booth and sell her baked goods to earn some money. Better yet, Sadie even had some of the equipment Abby would need and knew of a place where she could rent the rest.
After she disconnected, Abby held up Bella and kissed her nose. “I don’t want to jinx it, Boo, but maybe Elinor’s right. Maybe I had to go through all the crappy stuff this past year to get me here.”
Abby had barely gotten the words out of her mouth when a jagged flash of lightning out the living room window was followed less than a second later by a violent boom of thunder that rocked the house. The kitchen lights blinked out, and she was left sitting in the near dark with her dog. She hoped it wasn’t a sign of things to come, or the Universe’s commentary on her new idea.