Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (13 page)

Picturing Chewy’s sweet face, Ella Mae smiled, and said, “Don’t worry. This kind of magic never wears off.”

•   •   •

With the accounting firm’s parade fresh in her mind, Ella Mae decided to pay Aunt Dee a visit.

Aunt Dee lived at the end of a long, narrow, tree-lined lane in a clapboard house at the edge of the woods. In addition to the dogs and cats she’d adopted from the shelter over the years, she fed and provided sanctuary to a number of strays. These animals scattered like autumn leaves when Ella Mae parked next to the enormous barn Dee used as her studio. Ella Mae let Chewy out of the Jeep, and he bounded away with a cheerful bark to play with the other dogs.

Blue-white flashes through the windows signaled that Dee was working on a sculpture. Slowly, Ella Mae slid open the massive barn door, stepped inside the vacuous space, and froze. Aunt Dee wasn’t alone. There was a second metal
artist, face completely obscured by a welder’s mask, working alongside her aunt.

Moving into Aunt Dee’s field of vision, Ella Mae kept her attention on the stranger, who was wielding a blowtorch. The visiting artist was male—he had the strong, stocky body of a bull and powerful-looking hands. Ella Mae was hypnotized by his movements. She watched, unblinking, as he deftly fused a metal wing to a bird’s body. And then, her aunt switched off her blowtorch, pushed her mask off her face, and pointed at the ceiling.

“If you think that’s impressive, look up,” she said.

Ella Mae raised her eyes and gasped. There, hanging from thin wires, were hundreds of birds.

“You usually make a life-sized version of an animal who’s crossed the Rainbow Bridge to help assuage the owner’s grief,” Ella Mae said. “Did someone lose an entire flock of birds?”

“It’s just an experiment. We thought we’d create a huge kinetic sculpture. If it works out, we plan to donate one just like it to the new bird sanctuary. It would help make their opening night memorable. It’s too hard to explain, so let me just show you what I mean.” Aunt Dee signaled for her partner to turn off his torch.

“Ella Mae, this is Kyran Marravar. His name means ‘warrior of light.’ Though he lives in India, he has a visiting-artist position at a local college and agreed to pay me a visit and help with this project.”

Kyran removed his mask, took a few steps forward, and held out a calloused hand. Ella Mae shook it while taking in the man’s striking dark eyes and blue-black hair. Like Dee, he was in his early sixties, but his physique was that of a much younger man. A fierce light danced in his eyes, and his direct gaze made Ella Mae a little nervous, but then
he looked at Dee and his face changed. All the hard lines softened and a glow came over his features.

“Kyran and I trained together many years ago. He’s the only person I know who could create such an exquisite bird or such a unique light display.” She gave Kyran a small smile. “Should we show her?”

Nodding, Kyran drew the thick privacy curtain over the room’s only window. He then passed Ella Mae a pair of goggles, and he and Aunt Dee put their welder’s masks back on. Reaching inside the metal bird in his hand, he pulled a lever and threw the sculpture into the air. It spiraled upward, its metal wings outstretched, and slowly flew toward the ceiling. “Get ready,” Kyran warned. “In three . . . two . . . one . . .”

Suddenly, a flash of blinding light exploded from the bird. It was so bright that Ella Mae felt as if she’d been staring directly at the sun. Moments later, when the light had faded, Ella Mae’s vision was still filled with sunspots. It was like trying to see past a wall of headlights.

“What was that?” she asked once her senses returned to normal.

“Directed energy,” Kyran explained. “But I think I used too much. I hope that wasn’t uncomfortable. Dee and I thought it would be wonderful to create a light show in the sky using these birds.”

“It would be incredibly beautiful at night,” Ella Mae said. “But you’ll have to dial the intensity back quite a bit.”

Kyran nodded and jotted a note in his sketchbook.

Taking a seat near her aunt’s tools, Ella Mae watched the pair of metal artists until it grew dark. But as mesmerizing as it was to witness the delicate birds being crafted, Ella Mae knew she needed to return to her own work. Suzy had dropped off more books at the pie shop, which meant another long night of reading and note taking.

Waving good-bye to Aunt Dee and Kyran, Ella Mae left the barn and called for Chewy. On the way home, she wondered if her aunt and the handsome artist from another continent were more than former classmates. Ella Mae had always known that Dee, the youngest of the four sisters, had had her heart broken so badly that she vowed never to love another man. Had Kyran been the source of her heartache? Or was he the man who could make Dee’s heart burst into life again—who could send it soaring like a bird freed from a cage?

Later that night, after she read until the letters became fuzzy, black blobs of ink, an exhausted Ella Mae climbed the stairs and dropped onto her bed. She hugged a pillow to her chest and gazed at the starry sky. She thought of Hugh, imagining him staring at the same stars, and was dismayed by the emptiness she felt inside.

Aren’t I just like Aunt Dee? I’ve baked my feelings into a pie—trapping my heart within layers of chocolate and raspberry.

Eventually, she went into the bathroom to wash her face. After scrubbing off the day’s dirt and makeup, she studied the quote she’d hung on her mirror frame, which came from a book of Native American legends. As rivulets of cool water ran down her bare skin, she spoke the line aloud, “You must become the rock the river cannot wash away.”

Turning away from her reflection, she climbed into bed and fell, heavy as a stone, into sleep.

Chapter 7

The next day, as Ella Mae drove by The Charmed Pie Shoppe, she saw a man sitting in one of the porch rockers, a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

Her heart cried out,
Hugh!
but then the sun illuminated the man’s sandy brown hair, and Ella Mae knew she’d been mistaken. Still, Ella Mae smiled as she turned the corner. Finn Mercer had that effect on people.

Entering the shop through the kitchen, Ella Mae switched on lights and ceiling fans and then unlocked the door leading to the front porch.

“Good morning,” she said to Finn.

He jumped out of his seat, and his momentum caused the rocker to smack against the wood siding next to the window. Finn instantly dropped to his knees to search for signs of damage.

“I’d love to make you a set of patio gliders,” he said, running his fingertips along the wall. “The porch is kind of
narrow for these rockers. Look at all these dents.” He pointed at the wall and then gazed around the space. “I can picture a row of gliders along the front and built-in benches at either end. I’ve seen your customers lining up at lunchtime. It would be nice to offer them more places to sit while they wait.”

Ella Mae was just about to agree when Finn suddenly glanced down at the flowers and grinned. “I’ve had too much coffee. Can you tell? These are for you. They’re, um, kind of a bribe.”

“Oh?” Ella Mae accepted the arrangement of pink peonies, bearded iris, white hydrangea, and lilac branches. “These are beautiful.”

“They’re from my mother’s garden,” Finn said, looking pleased.

Ella Mae held open the front door. “Come on in. I’ll put these in water, get the coffee going, and listen to your proposition.”

“It’s nothing indecent.” Finn followed her inside. “Unless you’d like it to be.” He quickly raised his hands and laughed. “Just kidding! I’ll shut up now and let you work. And I can help. These hands aren’t good at being idle.”

Taking advantage of the offer, Ella Mae had Finn set tables in the dining room while she preheated ovens, started the coffeemaker, and removed balls of dough from the walk-in. By the time the coffee was done, the dining room was ready for lunch service. Finn had even distributed the bud vases Ella Mae’s mother had prepared.

“Who does your flowers?” he asked, pointing at a narrow vase containing a peach-colored rose and several sprigs of ivy green Hypericum berries.

“My mom. She comes in early to tend the garden and refresh the bud vases.” Ella Mae picked up the coffeepot and held it over an empty mug. “Would you like a cup?”

Finn shook his head. “No, thanks, I’ve had too much
already.” He gestured at the wall clock. “Your mom and I must be on the same schedule. I keep waking with the sun. I feel strangely wired, and then I just can’t go back to sleep.”

“Does this have anything to do with the warehouse for sale? The one next to the lumberyard?”

For a moment, Finn was stunned, but then he laughed. “Nothing stays a secret for long in a small town, right? I’ll have to get used to how fast word travels around here. But yes, the warehouse is a part of my excitement. In fact, I bought it. I’m going to move my business to Havenwood.”

It was a nice change to hear happy news. “That’s wonderful, Finn,” Ella Mae said, and she meant it. “Your mother would have been tickled to know that you’ve fallen under the town’s spell.”

He nodded. “Now I understand why she called Havenwood magical. Tourists come here because it’s beautiful and quaint and all that, but I want to live in Havenwood because of its people. I expected a few old ladies to attend my mom’s memorial, but the church was packed. Every person made a point of sharing a kind word or story about my mom. And their thoughtfulness didn’t end after the service. Folks stop by the house all the time to check on me and to bring me food. A guy I’ve never met before mowed my lawn yesterday.”

Ella Mae could listen to such anecdotes all morning, and Finn’s timing couldn’t have been better. His praise of the place she loved redoubled her resolve to protect it.

“I’m glad I found you on my porch this morning,” she said, smiling at him warmly. “I was feeling a bit down, and you saved me from sinking deeper into the mire.” She took a sip of coffee and then pointed at the bouquet Finn had given her. She’d placed it on the counter next to the register so that everyone who came into The Charmed Pie Shoppe could enjoy the lovely blooms. “You mentioned bribery?”

“I did, and here I am talking your ear off about everything else.” He shrugged as if it he couldn’t help himself. “But I like talking to you. I’d like to get to know you better, and I could also use some business advice. I was hoping to share some of my ideas with you over dinner. You see, I’m used to selling directly to high-end furniture stores and boutiques, but I’d like to open a retail store in Havenwood. Hang up my own shingle, for once. I have tons of questions about how to do that, and since you’re a small business owner, and the best-looking one I know, I was hoping you’d advise me over a decent meal and a better-than-decent bottle of wine.”

Before Ella Mae could reply, Reba called out a cheery hello from the kitchen. After pushing through the swing doors with a flourish, she came to an abrupt halt. A licorice twist dangled from her lips while both hands were busy tying her apron strings.

Reba took the candy from her mouth. “Isn’t this a pleasant sight? Everyone’s all smiles this mornin’.” She turned to Finn. “I hear you got a deal on that warehouse, and I hope you get your workshop runnin’ real soon, because I need a new bed. A custom job. Mine is too small for certain acrobatic feats. For example, I can—”

“I’d love to have dinner with you,” Ella Mae said hastily, ushering Finn toward the front door. “I’m off Sunday, so Saturday night works for me.”

“Saturday it is, then. Oh, and dress comfortably.” His brown eyes twinkled and he flashed her another winsome smile. “We’re not eating in a traditional restaurant.”

Finn had barely closed the door when Reba pressed her hands together as if in prayer. “Lord in heaven, this is good! I like that boy, Ella Mae. Goin’ on a date with him is just what you need. You can’t bake and research and talk about weapons every second of the day. It’s not healthy.”

“We’re just having dinner. It’s not a date.” Ella Mae felt the need to correct Reba. “Finn wants business advice, that’s all.”

Reba rolled her eyes. “He brought you flowers. And I assume he set the tables too?” When Ella Mae nodded, Reba threw out her arms. “There you have it. Men don’t set tables unless they want somethin’. In this case, that somethin’ is you. Why not give him a chance?”

“We’re ten days away from History in the Baking. Cheating on
my boyfriend is
not
on my radar,” Ella Mae snapped. Her anger was misdirected, she knew. She was mad at herself for responding to Finn’s charms when her heart was supposed to belong to Hugh Dylan. Perhaps there was a drawback to putting her feelings for Hugh inside a pie. Maybe it was so easy to forget her cares in Finn’s company because she’d emptied out her heart. She had to admit that she was looking forward to spending an evening with a handsome man who smiled often, laughed with gusto, and knew nothing about magic.

“Hugh told you not to wait,” Reba said softly. “You think a distraction would be bad right now, but I think it’s just what you need. Have a little fun before History in the Baking starts.”

Ella Mae searched Reba’s face. “Is that what I’m looking for? A few, carefree moments before I try to change the world?” She glanced at Finn’s bouquet. “Maybe it is.”