Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (26 page)

“Kyran and I met in art school. It wasn’t love at first sight. Not at all.” Her mouth curved upward, and Ella Mae could tell that she was lost in a memory. “I thought he was arrogant and he saw me as a flaky idealist. When a professor assigned us a joint project, we learned we had similar abilities. We slowly became friends and eventually spent all of our free time together. We worked in the studio after hours, went out to eat, attended lectures, took long hikes, and had picnics that would last for hours. By the end of the year, we’d fallen in love.”

Dee turned back to Ella Mae and spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “Kyran told me from the very beginning that he had a fiancée waiting for him in India. After graduation, he’d return to his home country, marry her, and raise a family. His parents and her parents had signed a marriage contract when Kyran and his future wife were young children, so his future was planned without his consent.”

“Did he have to marry this other woman?” Ella Mae asked quietly. “Especially after falling in love with you?”

“He was an honorable man,” Dee replied. “He wasn’t in love with his fiancée, but he was fond of her. He’d known her his whole life. Their union would please both families, and he felt duty-bound to go through with it.” She shook her head. “We should have stayed away from each other, but we didn’t. We were caught in each other’s orbits. Perhaps our feelings were intensified because we knew we’d have to part. We tried to cram a lifetime into those four years.” A light danced in her eyes as she spoke. “After graduation, I drove him to the
airport. We kissed good-bye on the curb in the pouring rain, and he left. I’ve hated rainy days ever since.”

Ella Mae stared at her aunt. “That was it? You never saw Kyran again?”

“Not until he came to Havenwood. A few months ago, I read about his wife’s passing in our alumni newsletter. It was cancer. I sent Kyran a card and a little bird sculpture. A week later, he called me.” Dee put her hand on her heart. “Hearing the sound of his voice again after all these years was like listening to a beautiful song. We talked for hours, and the next thing I knew, he was en route to Havenwood.” She smiled shyly. “We were just getting to know each other again while making those birds. I thought they’d end up being the most memorable work of our lives.”

“I have an idea of how they still can be,” Ella Mae said. “I’ll explain another time. Let’s just say that the moment I get home, I’m going to call all of our people together and tell them how I think these birds can help put an end to these killer storms.”

“To do that, you’ll have to make peace with the people creating them.” Dee touched Ella Mae’s cheek. “Now, I have something to say to you. Verena told me about Hugh. I know what you’re going through—perhaps better than anyone—but you mustn’t surrender to your pain.”

“I’m not.” Ella Mae was instantly defensive. “I have too much going on to think about Hugh.”

“You
should
think about him.” Dee’s voice was unusually firm. “You’ve loved that boy since you were seven years old. Since he climbed a tree to rescue your kite.”

Ella Mae had completely forgotten about that incident. She suddenly flashed on an image of Hugh perched on a tree limb, his legs dangling in the air as he tried to extract her kite from where it had been trapped between a nest of
branches. The kite had been Ella Mae’s most prized possession. It had showed a glittery rainbow on a field of blue. The blue had been the same shade as Hugh’s eyes. “How—?”

“You came home with a look on your face that we’ve all seen a million times since then. At the very mention of Hugh’s name, you’d glow like the sun. Don’t you dare convince yourself that what you two shared wasn’t real—that it’s not worth fighting for. Because it is. It’s worth
everything
.” She squeezed Ella Mae’s hand. “He may have wandered, but you haven’t lost him. Bring him back, my sweet girl. Because no matter how many others you save, you won’t have a happy ending without him.”

Ella Mae felt heavy with sorrow. “I don’t think I believe in those anymore.”

Dee let out a little laugh that sounded like the tinkling bells over the door of The Charmed Pie Shoppe. “Of course you do.”

Chapter 14

The award ceremony that took place Friday morning to honor the prize-winning bakers was a jubilant affair.

The event was held in Lake Havenwood Resort’s auditorium, and when Ella Mae entered the room, she tried not to glance at the spot where she and Hugh had kissed for the last time. Instead, she sat on the opposite side of the room and struck up a conversation with an elderly couple from Alabama.

Ella Mae was relieved that she didn’t have to serve as master of ceremonies. That distinction fell to Havenwood’s mayor, her uncle Buddy. He opened the program by thanking everyone for participating. “The residents of Havenwood certainly hope you’ll come back and visit us again. Our town is home to so many delightful events!”

He then launched into a detailed description of the summer’s Row for Dough race, the Autumn Harvest Fest, the Christmas Carnival, and the Winter Wonderland Festival.
He painted such a charming picture of each event that Ella Mae was certain the resort would soon be taking many new reservations.

The mayor finished his opening remarks by reminding the audience that the Founder’s Day Ball would start at six that evening. He then asked Verena to join him onstage. “This is my lovely wife, the first lady of Havenwood,” he said as she appeared in a curve-hugging houndstooth dress and a pair of cherry-red heels.

Taking the microphone from her husband, Verena’s voice burst through the speakers. “I tell you folks, it takes a formidable woman to handle these formidable checks!” The audience cheered in response. “For the past week, you’ve treated us to incredible food. I hope you had a wonderful time and made lots of new friends. And none of this would have been possible without the efforts of my niece.” Her eyes flashed with pride. “Ella Mae LeFaye, wherever you are, please stand. I’m sure these folks would like to express how much they enjoyed Havenwood’s inaugural History in the Baking Festival.”

Groaning inwardly, Ella Mae rose and turned to wave at the crowd. She was both pleased and embarrassed by the raucous applause.

Verena waited for the noise to abate before shouting, “Let’s get to the prizes!”

From that point, the ceremony proceeded swiftly. Verena announced the winners of the Best Costume, Best Presentation, and Best Pie among the History of Pie contestants, and Ella Mae was thrilled to see the Shermans claim one of the oversized checks. Bill and Linda Sherman had been the first out-of-towners to offer their unwavering support, and she would never forget when they’d first shown her the clover symbol. She saw people flashing it to one another all the time now and knew it had become a gesture of unity.

After the History of Pie prizes were bestowed, her aunt and uncle introduced the winners of the pie-eating contests. The winner in the junior category was a slim teenage girl who told the audience she competed in eating contests throughout the Southeast in hopes of saving enough money to pay for college. The adult winner was a short man with fleshy cheeks and a protruding belly. After accepting his check, he congratulated the teenager and praised her for pursuing an education. The pair exchanged friendly hugs, and the audience released a collective “awww.”

Prizes were presented to the chefs who’d given the best cooking demonstrations and lectures, and then it was time for the Parade of Nations awards. Ella Mae grinned as the honorable mentions were presented to the baker from Oregon, who’d been so zealous about hazelnuts, and to the couple from Illinois, who’d shared a passion for pumpkins. Third place went to Kentucky, and Ella Mae had to laugh as the lady baker took the stage wearing her Derby hat. She bounced up and down with such glee that some of the racehorses flew right off the brim and into the second-row seats.

Verena cracked a joke about “holding one’s horses” and then beckoned to the mayor to come forward with the next oversized check. “The next winning bakers pulled out all the stops! The judges were impressed by their presentation, creative décor, and the uniqueness of the pie samples. How could one
not
be bowled over by a pie made with a funnel-cake crust? I’d like to congratulate the Bergers of New York. Joel and Nora, you’re the apple of our eye!”

Ella Mae had asked the resort manager to save seats for the Bergers near the stage. Nora shrieked in happy surprise, and her father lifted out of her seat and swung her around in a circle. “We did it, my girl!” he cried.

When he put her down, Nora grabbed her crutches and
made her way onstage. As she approached Verena, Nora said, “My purse can’t hold a check that big.”

Verena laughed and pressed an envelope into Mr. Berger’s hand. “Don’t worry, honey. Your daddy can take this one straight to the bank.”

As soon as the Bergers moved off to join the other winners, a hush fell over the auditorium. “The overall winner of the Parade of Nations showed the judges that fresh ingredients, purity of taste, and attentiveness to detail matter above all else. This baker created a backdrop that brought us closer to nature and a pie that brought us closer to heaven. It’s an honor to present the grand prize to Sugar Jackson of Florida for her Sunshine Lemon Pie.”

Sugar came jogging down the center aisle, whooping and hollering like a contestant on
The Price Is Right
. Instead of bounding up the stage steps, she turned left, barreled straight over to Ella Mae, and gathered her into a fierce hug. “Bless you, sweetheart,” she said. “I’ve been dreaming of owning a little piece of land, and now I can buy one. This is just the extra bit of change I needed to top off my piggy bank. You and the other judges have made a lifelong dream come true.”

Ella Mae smiled. “You earned it. Now, go claim that check before my uncle Buddy tries to add it to his campaign fund.”

Sugar hurried to the stage and kissed Verena and Buddy before bursting into tears of joy. The mayor asked all the winners take a final bow and then thanked the audience again. The lights came up and people began to file out of the room. Ella Mae was the last to leave. History in the Baking was over. She could hardly believe it. The entire week had been a great success, and though she wanted to relish this moment, she knew that many of the people who’d just left the room would be meeting her in the grove tomorrow. They
wouldn’t be gathering to celebrate, but to discuss whether or not they dared to use their gifts to stop a storm.

For the storm was coming. It had been steadily moving toward Havenwood all week.

And with it would come a woman named Nimue.

Lost in thought, Ella Mae walked through the lobby and stepped outside. A tenuous cloud cover had moved in that morning, and it had grown markedly thicker throughout the course of the day.

“I wonder when we’ll see the sun again,” Ella Mae murmured, and headed to The Charmed Pie Shoppe. In the kitchen, she found Reba, Jenny, and Fiona staring at the small screen of a portable television.

“We thought we’d better keep an eye on how fast the storm is moving,” Jenny said as Ella Mae hung her purse on a hook. “It’s flying. Come see.”

Peering at the tiny screen, Ella Mae saw a map of western North Carolina. A meteorologist pointed at the wide swath of green in the western part of the state. The mass was rotating south toward Georgia. Both man and map were replaced by an aerial shot of the flooded homes around Lake James. A reporter in foul-weather gear interviewed a bereft resident before the meteorologist returned on-screen. He gestured at a second map, circling a river with his pointer finger.

“This is the Broad River,” he said. “It’s completely unrecognizable to those who’ve lived along its banks for decades.”

Footage of the churning rush of a river filled the screen. The water carried trees and other large pieces of debris in its feverish current and Ella Mae gasped when the roof of a car shot by in a flash of silver.

“Right before you walked in, they showed a town that looked like Havenwood,” Reba said. “The water was up to people’s knees. The whole business district was flooded.
It’ll take years and Lord knows how much money to get the place up and runnin’ again.”

“It might never come back,” Fiona said. “Sometimes, when a thing is too far gone, folks just walk away from it.”

Jenny nodded. “That’s what happened to my town. After our grove was burned, people wanted to start over elsewhere. Most of them didn’t even try to sell their houses. They just loaded their cars and drove off.”

Ella Mae stared at the screen. “The storm has really picked up speed in the last twelve hours. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Nimue was in a hurry to get here.”

“According to the weatherman, the system will hit our area tomorrow night, which is fine with me. I’m ready to rumble.” Reba smacked her palm with her fist.

Ella Mae turned to Jenny. “I hope your cousin arrives ahead of the storm.”

“He’ll by here by noon, and he’s looking forward to meeting you.” Jenny switched off the television. “What else needs to be done to get ready for the gathering in the grove?”