Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“My hair?”
She made a face. “It’s a bit long right now, and with all the waves and curls, it’s a riot instead of a mane. Even pulled up, it’s unruly.”
I didn’t say a word.
“Would it kill you to brush it and get it out of your eyes? You have these beautiful hazel eyes no one can ever see.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“No, darling.” She sighed. “I’m here to help you make the banana bread for the festival on Saturday. Try and be a bit more on the ball.”
She wasn’t wrong. I had no idea what I was doing.
“Do you have the tea packed in the jars?”
I whimpered again. I kept doing that since she arrived. She brought it out in me.
“I’m thinking we’re going to need some help.”
All I could say was thank you.
By the time Saturday morning rolled around, I was a bit ragged around the edges, looking like something Argos dragged in. I was not up for meeting anyone new. I was hoping Amanda would be too busy to remember to bring around the man she wanted to marry me off to.
I really appreciated Delia and Cass showing up to help me, especially Delia, who by rights should have been working at her uncle’s stall instead of mine. But Troy was smart; he just closed his store in town for the day, and everyone who worked there was manning his booth. Since I didn’t have an online anything, I was dependent on friends helping or I wouldn’t even get a moment to go to the bathroom. Pete had been by earlier to pick up his ladders and, thankfully, drive the van Amanda had loaned me. I didn’t have a driver’s license, so I appreciated him pitching in.
As usual, I was far from the grandstand where the music was, where all the food vendors were, which worked out great. I preferred being toward the back with the soap makers, the jewelry folks, painters, sculptors, woodworkers, and the couple who made beautiful wind chimes from foraged materials and sea glass. Troy liked it back there as well, and as it turned out, we were right across from each other.
Both of us were slammed as soon as the event began at eight, and I was out of ladders quickly, the five hundred I’d made gone before lunch. Jesus Hernandez, one of our five city councilmen, came by to visit and was very concerned that his wife could not find the plans for the Essex House in the reference section of our library.
“She’s writing her dissertation on the architecture in this town and how it’s reflected in the town’s myths and literature.”
“Yes, I know.” I knew Taylor Hernandez well. She was valedictorian the year Amanda and I graduated from high school. I used to read her tarot cards for her every Friday night when she came to my house without her mother knowing. I still read them on occasion.
He cleared his throat. “We’re going to find some money in the town’s budget to put into the Parks Department, and for the library as well.”
“Really?” This was exciting news. I missed working.
“Oh yes. My wife isn’t the only one not getting helped at the library.”
I had no doubt.
“By any chance, did you put any ladders away for—”
“Of course I did.” I smiled at him as I passed over two packages wrapped in tissue and tied with jute.
“I need forty bucks from you, sir,” Eddie, Amanda’s husband, said from where he was sitting on a folding chair over my cash box. “And remember, it’s for the animals.”
Jesus Hernandez rolled his eyes, forked over the money, and said I should be hearing from Mr. Samuels sometime next week.
“That’s good news,” Eddie said, looking up from his tablet and smiling at me. “I know you like to work.”
“I do,” I agreed, moving over beside him. “And thank you for giving me a break so I can get something to eat.”
“No worries, take your time. I’d rather sit back here and sell your stones and bottles to people than walk around with Her Majesty.”
I grinned at him.
“Don’t tell her I said that, or I’ll sign you up to tutor people on how to read tarot cards or have fun with séances.”
“You’re a bad person,” I informed him.
Eddie laughed at me, which was just mean.
It was my time to get all kinds of horrible things I never normally ate, plus feed Eddie things Amanda had banned from her house. I got us deep-fried bean and cheese burritos on sticks, cheese fries with jalapeños, two enormous Pepsis the vendors didn’t even have lids for, and an entire trough of onion rings with ketchup and ranch and tartar sauce, which I knew was gross but loved anyway. I had a drink in each hand and bags hanging off both arms by the time I got back. Eddie’s face went from bored to ecstatic as soon as I reached him.