Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“Perfect!”
I shuffle through the boxes at our feet, pulling out samples of every scent Grandma Rose got on scam from Amazon. We work our way through them all, Summer giving me the verbal thumbs-up or down each time. Bennett dives right into helping Josie as we’re once again overwhelmed with customers, and Breezy, when she arrives, starts shopping.
I hold up another scent of candle for Summer to smell, and she makes an immediate face of disgust.
Betty Bagley, the little old lady on our side of the crowd, snaps her fingers. “I’ll take that one.”
I’m confused as to why Betty Bagley would want one of the grossest candles, but I pack it up for her anyway, letting Bennett’s sister Breezy, who’s now rounded the table to our side, ring it up on our iPad.
As soon as Betty walks away, Josie starts dancing, and the rest of us look at her like she’s grown two heads.
“What are you doing?”
“Celebrating for Grandma Rose. The fact that Betty herself came over here and bought a candle means she’s officially stuck it to her. We’re the most popular booth at the market today, and Betty is shitting herself.”
“Grandma had beef with Betty Bagley?”
Betty Bagley is about five foot tall and weighs all of ninety pounds. She’s a tiny little thing, and I find it hard to believe anyone could have a problem with her.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Josie retorts on a hoot. “Betty Bagley might look all sweet and innocent, but she can be mean as a snake. Her competitiveness rivals Olympic athletes, and she spent a healthy amount of time tossing shade at Grandma Rose when she was still alive.”
“Dayum. I would’ve never suspected that.”
“She’s a wolf in little old lady’s clothing.”
“Pie lady Betty?” Bennett asks incredulously, making Josie and Summer both laugh.
Josie nods. “Oh, you have no idea.”
“Maybe she was just upset that Grandma Rose was involved in a candle Ponzi scheme,” I mutter under my breath. Josie shoots me a glare.
I hold up both of my hands, an innocent lady after all.
“What do you want to do tonight, Sum?” I ask as Josie gets back to helping the next customer in a long line. Bennett squeezes around Breezy at the iPad to join us.
“Do you want some lemonade?” he asks, looking at Summer first, but then glancing to me too. Summer squeals her excited yes, and I settle for a nod and a smile.
“Lemonade sounds great.”
Summer’s face falls as he leaves, and it makes me think about the heaven conversation I had with her in the hospital and how she told me not to tell Bennett about it.
She’s trying to be strong for her dad. She’s trying to hide her pain.
My nose stings with unshed tears as I realize…she knows. She knows what’s coming, but she’s putting on a brave face for Bennett every second she can.
“You okay, Summer?” I ask softly, squatting down so she can look me directly in the eye without having to work for it.
She hums. “Just thinking of what I’d really like to see.”
“Did you come up with anything?”
Her smile is slow and soft like a gentle rain on a steamy summer day. “A shooting star. I’ve never been outside at night, at least, not that I can remember, and I’d really like to see a shooting star.”
My head is jerky as I move it up and down.
“And a wedding. I’ve always wanted to go to a wedding.”
That request pulls me up a little short. I mean, the shooting star is possible, but a wedding? I don’t know if I can manage a freaking wedding. It goes without saying that weddings and I haven’t mixed very well thus far.
Plus, I’d need to find a bride and a groom and—
“I want to wear a really fancy dress, and get my nails painted and my hair fixed, and watch a pretty bride walk down the aisle to her groom.” She lets out a dreamy sigh. “I’ve only seen weddings in movies or on TV, and I just know they have to be so much fun.”
My chest nearly convulses.
Forget the complications. Come hell or high water, I’m going to figure out a way to get this sweet girl to a wedding.
33
Bennett
Sunday, August 29th
Summer blinks awake in her bed as I run my fingers ever so gently through her hair, but her eyes struggle to stay open.
“Summer baby,” I whisper. “Come on. We have somewhere to go.”
“Now?” she questions, once again fighting hard to focus enough to stay awake. “But it’s dark outside.”
“I know. But a little bird told me you wanted to see a shooting star.”
“A shooting star?” Her eyes fly open. “Really?”
“Yeah, baby.”
I smile down at her, my mind taking a mental picture of this moment. The way her heart is in her eyes, the way her lips are fixed in my favorite smile—I never want to forget it. The emotion in my throat is hard to clear, but I manage. Tonight isn’t about me. It’s about her.