Chapter 52

fifty-two

ELLA

Luke drives us back to the ceremony site on the Gator as quickly as he can without drawing attention. The last thing I want to do is alert Holly or Cade to trouble, because they’ve worked so hard to stay out of the limelight for their special day.

Laila is waiting for us when I pull up, grim determination on her face.

“Reporters are setting up camp on the road outside the farm. I called the Sheriff and they’re blocking the drive so customers can get in and out, but Ella, this isn’t good.”

“Who called them? How did they know?” I ask.

Panic bubbles up in my throat. It wasn’t me, and I don’t think it’s anyone on this farm. But somehow, the media found out that Holly Everheart is getting married here today, and that’s probably the worst thing that could happen.

“Do you think this is what we talked about? Is she going rogue?” Luke asks, smoothing a hand up and down my arm.

For the moment, I’m focused on a spot on the pond, detaching myself from this situation for just a second so I can figure out what to do. I’m good at this. Or at least I used to be.

“I don’t know,” I say. “If she is, we might as well throw away the old script.”

“You’re talking about Mom, aren’t you?” Laila chews on her bottom lip. “This seems wild, even for her. But if it is… We should probably come up with an ‘anything goes’ game plan.”

“Is now a good time to remind you that on the first day you brought this up, I said it would be a logistical nightmare?” Luke asks.

“I know you’re joking, but still no.”

He chuckles and drags his hand down my arm to my hand. “Then how about I remind you about tapping me in? Tell me what to do, and I’ll tell everyone else what to do.”

“Luke, this is your farm.”

“And it’s your wedding.” He lifts my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “We’re partners in this, but this first call is yours to make.”

If I’ve learned nothing else in the two weeks I’ve been here, it’s erring on the side of unpredictable. Sometimes, it’s better to cover every single base and be over-prepared.

“Divide and conquer then. I’ll go talk to Holly. Tell everyone else to keep them off the premises. Do whatever you think.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

I hate that this is happening on the cusp of such a big moment for us. But we’ll have plenty of time after the wedding to soak all this in. First, it’s about Holly and Cade.

“Go to your family. Make sure someone is with Lucy. Be overcautious.”

“You’re family, too.” He pulls me into a hug and presses a kiss on the top of my head. “You matter.”

I can’t let myself get hung up on that word, family . Even though I feel the same way, there’s no room for emotions during a wedding crisis .

That’s when things fall apart.

“We’ll all touch base in a few minutes. Does everyone have a walkie?”

“Right here,” Laila says, lifting hers.

“Got mine,” Luke seconds.

“Mine is in the barn. Ya’ll go do what you need to do. I’ll swing by and grab mine, then I’m heading straight to Holly.”

Laila hesitates before launching herself at me. “Do not hesitate to let me know if you need backup, Ella. Do you understand?”

“I’ll let you know.”

There’s another cusp of change on the horizon. I’ve known Laila wasn’t happy, but if we’re all right about Charlotte, today may be a tipping point for her, too.

As everyone heads in different directions, I cast one more glance at Holly’s wedding setup. Hope unfurls, slow and warm, in my belly.

Good wins.

It may get dark before the dawn, but good wins.

It has to.

Holly deserves her undisturbed happily ever after, and not just because my future hangs in the balance if she doesn’t get it. Holly is proof that endings can change. I can break free from this miserable form of servitude I’ve been living, disguised as a job.

I can get my happily ever after. It’s right here, waiting for me to finish this wedding.

With new determination, I hurry toward the barn to get my walkie talkie and get to Holly. I can fix this. While I might not want to stay committed to wedding planning, I’ve learned a lot in my years doing this.

If we all play it right, there’s a possibility she won’t even notice a hiccup .

My mind is buried deep in my to-do list when I spot the walkie on a temporary table we set up to make some decorations. So when Charlotte steps out of the shadows under the hayloft only a few feet away, I’m caught completely off guard.

She moves fast, lunging for my wrist.

“Charlotte, let go of me.”

I’m able to yank it free, but she’s quick and grabs my left one in its place.

“What do I see-” She gasps as the stone on my ring catches the barn lights.

Charlotte grasps my fingers, maneuvering them painfully to examine the ring on my fourth finger.

“This worked out even better than I planned.” There’s a sinister gleam in her eye, a familiar curl to her lip.

I try to pull away again, and her grip tightens.

“Is there a story behind this?” She moves my finger so the jewel glints in the light again. “I only know what Laila told me. A quick slip of the tongue about an engagement. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

My throat constricts.

“No wonder you wanted to return so badly.” Her mouth turns up into a smile I can only describe as evil, and I finally wrench my hand away. “I can’t suppose I blame you. Believe it or not, I once believed in love, too.”

“I don’t believe you.” Absently, I rub the fingers where she gripped them.

“You grew up on stories, Ella. Don’t you want to hear mine? Once upon a time, this beautiful girl fell in love. She didn’t know it was a mistake, because she was too busy chasing the butterflies in her belly whenever he was near. Unfortunately, for her, the boy treated girls like sport and broke my heart.

She got a little older, and a little wiser. She dared to fall in love again and was given two daughters. As fate would have it, that man left and her heart broke once again. Years later, this woman fell in love for the third and final time. It wasn’t the same type of love, but he was a good man who cared for her and her daughters. Then he was gone. It differed from before, because this time, he didn’t choose to leave. But. In my grief, there you were, the child he never stopped talking about. Shining bright when my heart was broken. The girl he loved most.”

“I was heartbroken too,” I whisper.

“You can’t possibly understand what it’s like to lose them all. Over and over. One after the other. I wanted a new life. I deserved a new life. So I went and found one. I drove to the Gold’s castle and told them how their son toyed with my heart. Like a child with a magnifying glass tortures an ant.”

Questions bubble up inside me as she rants. There’s only one person she could be referring to, but nothing she’s saying makes sense.

The math, in particular.

“I never lied to you when I said I don’t believe in magic.” Charlotte isn’t pacing anymore. She straightens her back and folds her hands, calmly facing me. “I believe in power, and the Gold’s have plenty. Children go through phases where they don’t believe the threats their parents make until they have to follow through. If you don’t clean up your toys, I’ll throw them away. If you can’t stop telling girls you love them when you don’t, you’ll be cursed until you learn how.” She rolls her eyes.

“Cursed?”

I’ve heard entirely too much about this word and realm in the last few days and I’m not a fan of how things keep piecing together .

“That was simply a byproduct. A nice little slice of justice, if you ask me. I was really only interested in my chance at a new life.”

“And what did you bargain for?”

I’m pretty sure I know the answer. There’s only one thing she ever really wanted.

“Wealth. Success. I decided I didn’t want a man to ensure that we’d live comfortably. It’s no different from a wish at your wishing well.”

“But it is different,” I insist. “Wishes don’t hurt anyone.”

“Who did I hurt?”

“Me! The boy that hurt you. Plenty of other people, I’m sure.”

“That boy? Sebastian Gold deserved everything he got.”

My jaw hangs open.

“Don’t look at me like that. His curse makes sure that Sebastian ages slower than the rest of us. He moves through time differently until he learns what love truly means. It’s more complicated than that, but I never really cared to learn all the intricacies.”

“What happens when he finally does?”

She shrugs.

“But you’re not from Enchanted Hollow.” My brain is scrambling to process all of this new information, especially when I’m still processing what we learned at the farm.

“No dear. I’m from the next town over. Midnight Grove. Sebastian enjoyed his visits.”

My knowledge about Midnight Grove is somewhat limited, other than my parents’ warning that it was a little more wild than home. It somehow makes sense that Charlotte is from a place like this, where shadows and darkness ebb through the land. I honestly always thought it was a place my parents made up to scare me, but then again, I was always the rule follower.

I never investigated.

“What is your payment, then? What did they ask for when they offered you this deal?”

“A favor at a moment’s notice,” she says, raising her chin and glancing away from me. “Anything they ask for. No questions asked.”

“Have they called in that favor?”

Her chilling eyes settle back on mine. “Yes, dear. They have.”

I know what she’s going to say; it’s a feeling deep in my gut. But I don’t know the why, at least not concretely.

“And?”

“They wanted you. And I suppose I can see why, with the magic of the land hanging in the balance and all. It seems important.” She walks, slow and steady, toward me. Each click of her heel on the barn floor carries a feeling of doom.

“I suppose.”

“In Texas, verbal contracts can be legally binding. So here are your options. One: you admit that it’s your fault the press is here. You wanted your turn in the spotlight for once, since you’ve always lived in the shadows. Do that, and I’ll void my contract. At least the part where it says you lose both farms if the wedding is disturbed. This way you’ll only lose one: your parents’ farm.”

“But Luke’s farm would be safe?”

“Yes.” Her lips form a white slash.

“Why?”

“Because it’s Gold business. Does it matter?”

It does, but all that matters to me is that Ever After Farms is no longer a playing card. If I have to choose between the two, that’s my choice .

“What’s my other option?”

“The contract stands. You can pass blame to anyone but me, but you’ll still lose both farms. A natural consequence of your actions.”

“You know I didn’t say anything to the press,” I grit out.

“And I don’t care. Do you honestly think the people here respect you? That Holly respects you? I made you, Ella. And you’re here because the Gold’s requested it. You’re a pawn. Don’t you see? I can smooth out any hiccups that come from your leak, and all will be well. Except your professional reputation, of course. In the end, it’s the best thing to keep everyone happy.”

Charlotte sticks out like a sore thumb here against the rustic backdrop of the barn. Even with all the ways we dressed it up for Holly’s reception. Nothing will ever measure up to whatever she’s chasing.

Not me, not her daughters, not anyone else.

Charlotte won’t ever be happy because she’s decided she doesn’t need to be.

Be brave, Ella.

“No.”

My response catches us both by surprise. I’ve never once told Charlotte no before.

“No?” Her eyebrow arches.

“I’m not lying. I’m done making all my decisions out of fear. Fear of what you might say or do… it’s no way to live.”

A deep breath shudders out of me, like someone lifted a heavy weight from my back. She won’t let me off the hook easily, if at all, but what will my life be if I continue this game with her?

Nothing.

There’s no chance for happiness down this path. Not now that I’ve seen what it looks like, or what it could be .

“I lost my father. I lost over ten years of my life. I can lose more if I need to. But you won’t take anything from them.”

“That’s not part of the deal. It’s one or both.” She pauses, squinting as she studies me. “Tick-tock, Ella. Business is business.”

The cruelty of her smile isn’t something I’ll ever forget.