Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

From the Kitchen of Verbena Fullbright

Has your buttercream gone all kinds of wrong after storing it in the fridge? First things first, let it come to room temperature before trying to use it. If it's still not coming together quite right, add in a little bit of melted butter and give it a good mixin'. In my opinion, when it comes to butter, more of it is always a good thing.

Addie

As Freddie Mercury crooned about finding somebody to love, light drizzle drifted lazily from the skies outside the big red barn. It was a cool and cloudy morning and the sky seemed to be growing grayer by the minute. Sitting among the branches of the pecan tree, eighteen silver starlings fluffed and preened.

At seeing them, my thoughts went straight to Dare Fife. He'd sent a text message to Aunt Bean late yesterday afternoon saying the doctors had confirmed it was his appendix and he was being prepped for laparoscopic surgery. There'd been no updates since. Bean had plans to pay him a visit after work, and once Luna heard, she'd begged to go with her. Sawyer had volunteered to drive them and would be here in a half hour to collect them both and carry them off.

It was almost two in the afternoon, and Willa Jo was still out making deliveries. Delilah had headed out the door a few minutes ago with the SOLD OUT sign and hadn't yet made her way back up the long driveway.

Aunt Bean walked to the window and looked out. I noticed she was rubbing her watch face, which made me immediately grab hold of my pendant, my thumb bumping over the five blue stones that made up the star.

"Anyone hear an update about this weather clearing up before the gala tonight?" she asked.

"My dad said it's going to rain all day," Luna said.

She'd taken to coming by the kitchen even when she wasn't there to tidy up. It reminded me of when I was little, always wanting to be here with Bean and the Sugarbirds. Among their warmth. Their love.

"I might have to swap out the heels I'd planned to wear tonight for rain boots," Bean said, turning away from the window, the birds, the weather.

"It's a fashion statement to be sure," Henrietta said.

She'd returned to attend the gala this weekend—using Bean's extra ticket—and we'd immediately roped her into helping out today since Pinky was still nursing her broken wrist.

"I'll do it if you do, Aunt Bean," Tessa Jane said from her spot at the decorating station, where she'd spent most of the day piping intricate designs onto heart-shaped cookies. Every so often, she'd straighten up, tip her head side to side to stretch her neck, and shake out her hands. Once she finished, and the icing fully dried, she needed to package and deliver the cookies to the hotel so they could be added to tonight's goody bags.

"Me, too," I added.

"Not me," Luna said, grinning. "I'm wearing tennis shoes."

Henrietta's eyebrows rose, and I smiled. Ree used to wear tennis shoes—Converse, specifically—with dresses all the time and it made me wonder if Luna had seen a picture.

I fought a yawn as I wiped down a worktop. I wasn't a napper usually, but I could use one today. I'd been up since five this morning had been on my feet most of that time. After finishing up here, I had to edit an audition tape and send it to my agent. The job was for a lead role in a major, big-budget animated film, and if I landed it, it would give me the freedom to cut back on voice work. Way back.

Which would then give me the freedom to also work at the bakery.

At least part-time. Which should be enough to fill the empty spot in my heart where the longing to be a Sugarbird has lived for so long.

I tried not to get my hopes too high as I continued down my mental to-do list. After editing the tape, I had minor alterations to do on the dresses Tessa Jane and I found at Gossamer last night. Hers needed taking in at the waist, and I needed to shorten the straps on mine. On top of all that, the ducks needed tending, the indoor pets needed to be fed, and Hambone also needed to be walked. And of course, I had to get ready for the dance and the possible reveal of Bean's admirer.

"Done!" Tessa Jane exclaimed, tossing a piping bag aside. Her bangs flopped around as she did a little dance, half jig, half cha-cha, as we all clapped for her.

"They're gorgeous," Henrietta said, taking a moment to inspect Tessa Jane's work. "I'd never have the patience for such intricacy."

"Thanks, Mama. I'm not sure how I have the patience, either. But when I'm working on them, time seems to fly by."

"That's what happens when you love what you're doing," Aunt Bean said. "Might be time to think about starting an official company."

"The Starling Cookie Company," Tessa Jane said dreamily, clearly joking.

Aunt Bean smiled. "A more perfect name I've never heard. Has quite the ring to it. I'm just sayin'."

"I say, too," I piped up.

"Me three!" Luna added.

Henrietta nodded but didn't say anything, which told me she might have some reservations about the idea.

Tessa Jane laughed and shook her head as though she thought we were in on her joke—instead of being perfectly serious—then set about packaging the cookies that had already dried. I hoped once she had a free minute that she'd give the idea more thought.

The record skipped, and Aunt Bean said, "I can't even tell you how many times Gavin listened to this record in high school. Had to be in the hundreds. I'm surprised the grooves aren't worn clean through."

"Really?" Tessa Jane asked.

"Lord have mercy, peanut. After a while, it was like those guitar solos were jackhammering my brain. I contemplated cuttin' the power a time or two."

Luna laughed as she carried cupcake tins and cake pans to the sink—as if she couldn't help herself from lending a hand. "Couldn't you just ask him to turn it down, Miss Verbena?"

"I'd ask, darlin', and he'd start acting like he couldn't hear a word I said. Cupping his ear and whatnot. It should go without saying that one of his favorite things to do was work my last nerve." She tried to sound peeved, but fondness filled her voice instead. Then she gave a gentle shake to her head and said, "Oh, how I miss him."

I swallowed over the lump in my throat and saw Henrietta thumb a tear from the corner of her eye.

She said, "I can't say I shared his taste in music but I always loved how it made him light right up, his smile the glow of a thousand stars. Once, we went to a concert in Atlanta and I spent the whole show watching him instead of the stage." She sighed heavily and went back to wiping counters.

I'd spent so much of my life trying to forget how close she'd been to my father, but now I realized that she probably had dozens of stories about him I'd never heard before. And I wanted to know each and every one.

Suddenly I was angry at myself for what had been lost by nurturing my mama's hatred all this time when deep down, I knew better. I knew better and still I hoped that if I took my mama's side, she'd come back. She'd stay. Especially after my daddy died. But she never did.

I took deep breaths. I couldn't change the past. Or my mama's choices. But I could focus on the people who were here with me now. Who'd always been here for me, really.

Crackles came from the record player as one song ended and another began.

Luna slipped on a pair of dish gloves that practically went up to her shoulders. "My dad said my mom loved Queen, too. It's why I picked this record."

When Luna had discovered my dad's box of records while visiting the kittens, she'd begged to bring a few of the albums to the kitchen in the big red barn. We relented with the stipulation that the Bee Gees also be played to appease the Sugarbirds, who'd been obsessed with the group since the late eighties when they'd road-tripped to New York City to see the band in person.

Earlier, when Luna had first put the Queen record on the turntable, I'd held my breath. At hearing the first scratch and those punchy opening guitar notes, my heart had skipped a beat, my eyes filled with tears, and I thought for sure the grief floodgates were about to open.

It was then that Aunt Bean took my hand and twirled me around as a cymbal crashed, exactly like my dad used to do. Tessa Jane jumped up to join us and before we knew it there was a dance party going on, right up until one of the oven buzzers dinged, bringing us back to reality.

"I wouldn't say your mama loved Queen so much as she loved Bohemian Rhapsody ," I said to Luna. "She loved anything dramatic and theatrical and that song, and the way Freddie Mercury sang it, ticked all her boxes. She had a CD of her favorite songs and when that one came on, she'd immediately hop up on her bed with hairbrush in hand and start singing along. I'd sit on the floor and pretend I was in an audience, waving my hands and acting a fool. About halfway through, right as she was belting the song out at the top of her lungs, was almost always when her granny would start banging on the wall, hollering for Ree to pipe down so as not to wake the dead with all the caterwauling. Ree and I would laugh and laugh, and because we knew her granny loved her more than life itself, we'd restart the song at the beginning and do it all over again."

The skies opened and rain poured down as I finished talking, snapping me out of the past, and I glanced around. Everyone was staring at me—even Tessa Jane had turned around. She was smiling.

"What?" I asked. "Why're y'all looking at me like that?"

"Lordy, punkin," Aunt Bean said with a sigh. "There's just something so captivating about you when you start telling a story about someone you love."

"Can I record you talking about my mom, Miss Addie? Please?" Luna asked, bouncing lightly. "I want to keep these stories forever."

Before I could answer, Delilah threw open the door. She was soaked to the bone and water droplets covered her glasses. "Are y'all keeping Pepper again while Dare's in the hospital?"

Tessa Jane was already halfway across the room with a towel for her. "No, why?"

Delilah said, "I thought I just saw her near the woods."

We all hurried to the door. Sure enough, on the far side of the lawn, Pepper was running along the fence line. She wasn't barking, and after a moment of watching her, it was clear she was limping.

Tessa Jane was the first out the door, quickly followed by Luna and Henrietta. They all called Pepper's name loudly as they ran toward her, but I wasn't sure the dog could even hear them with the way the rain coming down. It sounded like the sky was falling.

Aunt Bean muttered cuss words under her breath and pulled out her phone. "I'll give Petal a call."

With my chin down, I rushed out the door, heading for the farmhouse, deciding to take a different tactic. If anything could lure Pepper to safety, it was Hambone.

I startled him awake when I threw open the front door. Miney and Moe, too. They bolted for the stairs as Hambone scrambled to his feet, his tail wagging, always up for adventure.

I closed the door so he wouldn't slip out and hurried to grab his leash from the hooks by the back door. But no sooner had I taken a few steps did he hop up on the sofa to look out the window, as if suddenly aware that something of interest was happening outside. He went stiff, his ears twitching. I snapped the leash on his collar, and led him outside.

He barked loudly and pulled me along. I had to use both hands just to keep any semblance of control over him. "Steady now, Ham!"

Across the yard, Luna, Tessa Jane, and Henrietta were closing in on Pepper, but as soon as she heard Hambone, she darted our way. It was heartbreaking to see the way she ran awkwardly, favoring a front leg.

Hambone rushed toward her, and when they met up, they bumped against each other, barking and wiggling, full of joy.

I noticed straight off that Pepper wasn't wearing her collar.

Anger brewed, and I wished I'd offered to dog sit while Dare was in the hospital, especially knowing how desperate Petal was to get rid of her. Then I took a deep breath and told myself not to jump to conclusions. Maybe Pepper had simply slipped out of her collar. Maybe. But doubtful.

As rain poured down, I started walking Hambone slowly back toward the house, and Pepper followed willingly. Luna reached us just as we'd made it to the porch steps, breathing hard from the exertion of running back and forth across the wide lawn. Tessa Jane and Henrietta weren't far behind. They had their heads bent together, and Henrietta was saying something I wished I could hear, because if her heated expression was any indication, she was all fired up about it.

Inside the house, Aunt Bean and Delilah were waiting on us. A stack of fluffy towels sat on the coffee table. I took one, wiped my eyes, then sat down on the floor for a closer look at Pepper, who had rolled onto her back at the sight of the towel, her tail wagging. I wasn't sure how she'd found her way to us, but it was clear she was happy to be here.

Luna was doing her best to keep Hambone away from Pepper while I checked her out, but he was too excited. Delilah finally grabbed hold of his collar and told him, "Sit!" in such a forceful tone that I'd have sat immediately if I wasn't already on the floor.

Hambone reluctantly lowered himself down and Luna pounced, wrapping him in a towel and holding him tight.

When Tessa Jane and Henrietta came inside, Henrietta grabbed a towel for herself and handed another to her daughter. She wiped her face dry and said, "I'll put the kettle on. Hot tea will warm us right up."

Tessa Jane dripped water on the floor as she knelt next to me. Her hair was plastered to her head, her shirt to her body. "Do you see any injuries?"

"Nothing yet," I said, "but I haven't been able to get a real good look at her paw."

"I'll hold her." She gently gathered Pepper, pulling her partly onto her lap.

I used my phone's flashlight to get a better look at the hurt paw. When I touched a spot near one of her toe beans, Pepper let out a yelp and pulled her paw out of my hand. "It's okay," I soothed, giving her belly a rub to show I meant no hard feelings.

To everyone else, I said, "There's something stuck in her paw. Maybe a splinter? I can't really tell."

Tessa Jane scratched at a welt on her neck as she looked at Delilah. "Is the vet clinic open on weekends?"

She'd asked Delilah because her oldest son, Ross, was the local vet. Delilah said, "They closed at one today, but let me call Ross and tell him what all's going on." She pulled a phone from her pocket and stepped into the kitchen to make the call.

I glanced at Aunt Bean. "What did Petal have to say?"

Aunt Bean's eyes were hard as rock and her voice was strung tight as she said, "My call went straight to Petal's voicemail. She either has her phone off or she's done blocked my number."

I suspected the latter, considering their confrontation at Friddle's.

"Why would she block your number, Miss Verbena?" Luna finger-combed her hair off her face but one strand stubbornly stuck to her cheek.

She looked like a drowned rat. We all did, except Aunt Bean, whose hair still looked perfectly perky and whose clothes were mostly dry except for the hem of her dress. I wasn't quite sure how she'd pulled that off.

"Probably because she didn't want to hear what I had to say to her, darlin'. I did leave her a message that we had Pepper and left it at that. For now."

Oh Lord .

Luna's brow wrinkled as she took in this information, recognizing that Bean was furious. She glanced at me, and I tried to tell her with my gaze to let it go for the time being.

Henrietta came back into the living room, using the towel to dry the ends of her hair. "Verbena, do you mind if I go with you to visit Dare?"

I spared a look at Tessa Jane, who didn't seem surprised by the offer. If Henrietta was wanting to talk with him, then she'd obviously recognized his relationship with Petal was far from healthy.

"Don't mind at all," Aunt Bean said. "It'll be good to have you there."

"I'll just run and change real quick." She headed for the stairs.

"Should we call Dare?" Luna asked. "He'd want to know if Pepper's hurt."

Aunt Bean gently put her hand on Luna's head. "Let's hold off on that for now, sweetheart. We'll tell him when we see him. Your daddy will be here soon. You ought to try to catch him before he leaves to ask him to bring you some dry clothes."

"Yes, ma'am." She took one of the clean towels, wiped her face, and bent over. She wrapped the towel around her head, twisting it to hold all her hair, then straightened again, tucking in the tail of the towel so it would stay put on her head. Then she pulled her phone from her back pocket and typed a message, her fingers flying across the screen.

Hambone inched over to Pepper and I unclipped his leash. The two dogs danced around each other, sniffing to their hearts' content.

I half listened to Delilah talking to her son in low tones, then glanced at a seething Aunt Bean, who was setting out teacups. I turned to look out the window. Through a sheet of pouring rain, I saw the starlings perched in the pecan tree. Their lingering presence was a warning that we weren't through the worst of the storm quite yet.

Moments later, Henrietta gracefully came down the steps in dark jeans and a royal blue cashmere sweater. Her damp hair had been slicked back and knotted at her neck in an elegant style. Her face had been powdered, her lips glossed. The kettle whistled and she headed straight into the kitchen. "The tea will be ready in a minute."

Delilah finished her call and tucked the phone in her pocket. "I'm going to run Pepper over to the clinic right quick. Ross is going to meet me there." She faced Tessa Jane and me as the kettle quieted. "Do y'all want to come along? Pepper will be more at ease with you there."

Tessa Jane stood up and wrapped her hair in a towel exactly like Luna had. "Definitely." Then she threw a look at the clock and winced. "Actually—"

"You go," I told her. "I'll finish up your cookies. It's just the packaging, so there's not much I can mess up. They'll be boxed and ready to deliver by the time you get back."

She threw her arms around me. "Thanks, Addie."

It was, I realized, our first full hug.

I squeezed her tightly and then held up Hambone's leash. "Do you want to use this to create a makeshift collar for Pepper or simply carry her to the car?"

Hambone heard the word car and started racing this way and that, barking excitedly. I tried to grab him, but he expertly evaded my reach, jumping away, and I about fell over. Henrietta grabbed my arm to steady me. Hambone knocked into Luna, who stumbled into Tessa Jane. They latched onto each other for balance and laughed, their voices blending harmoniously.

Their laughter was infectious and I was smiling until the sight of them all tangled up made me freeze. My breath caught. My knees went weak. Henrietta tightened her hold on my arm and gave me an odd look.

"Have mercy!" Aunt Bean shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "This place is a madhouse. I'm going to freshen up."

Delilah howled with laughter. The chaos would be hilarious if I didn't feel like I was free-falling.

I blinked away tears, realization hitting me like an arrow aimed straight at my heart.

Henrietta held on tight as if sensing that my world had slipped a little. I looked at her, silently asking a question that I already knew the answer to. Moisture filled her eyes, and her pleading gaze begged me not to say anything.

I glanced back at Tessa Jane and Luna just to double-check that I hadn't been seeing things. Hoping I was wrong. But I wasn't.

"Help me with the tea, will you, Addie?" Henrietta gently tugged my arm.

I had a hard time following her, because I couldn't take my eyes off Luna and Tessa Jane.

And their matching blue eyes, big smiles, and widow's peaks.

I leaned against the counter, my palms face down on the cool countertop. I started counting veins in the marble.

How had I never noticed Tessa Jane's widow's peak? I thought back, way back, trying to conjure her face with her hair pulled completely back but right now my thoughts were too jumbled.

Henrietta's hands were shaking as she poured hot water from the kettle, splashing it on the counter. "She doesn't know. Please don't tell her," she whispered. " Please ."

I took deep breaths. Tears filled my eyes, rolled down my cheeks.

Tessa Jane didn't know that her father was Bryce Buckley.

She wasn't my sister.

She was Luna's cousin. And Dare's niece. But she wasn't my sister.

My voice cracked. "Did my father know?"

She held my gaze, and I saw her bright inner light clear as day as she nodded. "It was his idea. To protect her. He was—" she shook her head as tears spilled from her eyes, "an incredible friend and an even better man."

I used the heels of my hands to wipe my tears. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the voices in the living room. Blocking out the dogs. I couldn't even hear the rain as it slapped the windows. It was as though Henrietta and I were the only two in the house, trapped in a bubble of deception, hiding this devastating news.

Oh, lord, the thought of Tessa Jane learning this secret broke my heart because I knew it would break hers.

Henrietta touched my arm. " Please , Addie."

My stomach twisted at the thought of keeping another secret. Of how I'd need to leave town again. Of how I'd have to abandon myself, and everything I wanted and needed and dreamed of, so Tessa Jane would never know the truth.

So she wouldn't be hurt.

Because I loved her enough to want to protect her from that pain.

But no. No .

I knew, I'd learned, that the longer this was kept from her, the more it would hurt.

I loved her so much that I knew she needed to know the truth. She had the right to know.

I loved her, because she was my sister, plain and simple.

Before I could say anything to Henrietta, she said, "I'll tell her, I promise. It's long past time she knows the truth, and she needs to hear it from me. Just give me a little time."

I swallowed hard. "How long?"

"I'll tell her tonight, after the gala. Let her enjoy the evening."

I truly wanted her to pull Tessa Jane aside right that minute, because the secret was already pulsing within me, begging to be spoken. And I hated, absolutely despised the thought of keeping something from Tessa Jane after we'd only just patched up our relationship. But as I watched my sister hurrying up the stairs to change, I realized that now probably wasn't the best time.

"All right," I reluctantly agreed.

Later tonight, Aunt Bean and I would be here, to help pick up the pieces. To hug and hold Tessa Jane and help her through it. And, most importantly, to remind her that what Sawyer had told me earlier this week was one hundred percent true.

It was love that made a family.