Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (33 page)

“What’s the present for?” she asked Suzy.

“Oh, I just thought you deserved a little something for saving our lives.” She winked at Jenny. “Is there any more wine?”

Jenny jumped up. “There will be in a minute. Be right back.”

Ella Mae tore the floral wrapping paper and examined the handwritten title on the cover of what looked to be a very old book. “
The Illustrated Cookery of Pastry Receipts
,” she read. Very gingerly, Ella Mae opened the book and gasped in delight. Each page contained a watercolor painting of a pie, torte, or other type of pastry. Below every exquisite painting was a recipe for the item pictured, handwritten in delicate calligraphy. “Suzy, this must have cost a fortune! How old is it?”

Suzy shrugged. “Early nineteenth century. And yes, it’s a rare, one-of-a-kind cookbook for a rare, one-of-a-kind cook.” She grabbed Ella Mae’s hand. “Lots of people pitched in. In fact, too many folks wanted to contribute. In the end, I created a fund to help those displaced by Nimue’s actions. News of the Clover Fund spread like wildfire and people from across the globe have been donating like crazy. So much money’s coming in that I truly believe we’ll be able to restore all the material possessions lost in the storms.” Suzy gazed at Ella Mae with moist eyes. “You made all of this possible. I am so incredibly proud to be your friend.”

Ella Mae threw her arms around Suzy, and the two of them held each other and cried, laughed, and then cried some more. When Jenny reappeared with a bottle of prosecco, she shouted, “Enough of that nonsense, ladies! Dry your eyes and hold out your glasses. We have more toasts to make tonight.”

•   •   •

The next morning, Ella Mae returned to The Charmed Pie Shoppe. The sun had barely risen when she tied on her apron, turned up the radio, and prepared the filling for the dessert special, a sumptuous chocolate cherry pie. Next, she made a dozen leek, pesto, and ricotta tarts and placed them in the oven. After setting the timer, she went out to the patio
garden to enjoy a moment’s peace before Reba, Jenny, and Fiona arrived for the day.

There were no tasks awaiting her in the tranquil space, as her mother had already tended the plants. The soil was moist, all the spent flower heads had been snipped, and every bloom was rich with color and scent. Ella Mae loved how her mother had blended flowers and herbs in this garden. One bed was crammed with basil, coneflowers, parsley, and petunias, while another was bursting with rosemary, thyme, salvia, and blue speedwell. The garden was both beautiful and utilitarian, and the customers could see exactly where the fresh herbs flavoring their food came from.

Ella Mae checked her watch. She still had ten minutes to relax before the savory tarts would be ready. Settling deeper into the chair, she smiled in contentment. She was looking forward to a day of baking. She thought of the sounds she’d soon hear. The subtle clink of flatware, the murmur of conversation, and the occasional outburst of laughter would float into the kitchen from the dining room whenever Reba or Jenny opened the swing doors. These noises were music to Ella Mae. A song of happiness.

Spotting a blue swallowtail perched on a yarrow blossom, Ella Mae put out her hand. The butterfly tiptoed up her pointer finger. From inside the pie shop, she heard Reba call out a boisterous good-morning. Aunt Verena and Uncle Buddy were coming by later for lunch, as were Aunt Sissy and Alfonso. As soon as Dee returned to Havenwood, Ella Mae’s circle of family and friends would be complete.

“I’d better get back to work,” Ella Mae said to the butterfly, and returned the insect to its flower. She didn’t feel the slightest twinge of regret that the butterfly was just a butterfly and that she couldn’t see through its eyes. She had pies to bake.

Later that afternoon, after serving a seemingly endless parade of customers, Reba and Jenny entered the kitchen with the last of the dirty dishes and sank wearily onto the stools next to the worktable. “Workin’ for a celebrity is no picnic,” Reba moaned. “I don’t even have the strength to pull a Twizzler out of my pocket. That’s how tired I am.”

“You’re such a drama queen,” Jenny said, retrieving a licorice twist and sticking it in Reba’s mouth.

Reba chewed her candy and looked at Ella Mae. “How are you holdin’ up?”

“I’m fine.” Ella Mae untied her apron and folded it over her arms. She glanced down at the embroidered rolling pin and smiled. “I’m happy to be back where I belong. In the kitchen, making magic.”

•   •   •

Ella Mae had one last thing to do before she could put her role as the Clover Queen behind her. After closing the pie shop for the day, she went home, showered, and took Chewy and her cell phone down to the dock. Chewy barked an invitation to Miss Lulu and, within seconds, the feisty Schipperke was racing over the lawn, her brown eyes dancing with joy. The two dogs splashed about in the shallows while Ella Mae gazed at the blue hills above the lake and then dialed Dee’s number.

She and her aunt exchanged pleasantries, and then Ella Mae explained the real purpose of her call. “I could bring the sword to you. This very moment. I believe it will heal your burns.”

Dee was silent for a long moment. Finally, she said, “My sisters have made the same suggestion. I’ll tell you what I told them. The doctor who saved my life the night of the fire must have given me a significant dose of magic, because my
wounds seem superficial compared to what they should be. I don’t need any more help.”

“He took care of your internal injuries, but what about the burns on your arms and hands?” Ella Mae asked. “The graft surgeries must be difficult. And painful.”

“They were,” Dee said. “But they’re done now. I’ve surprised everyone here with how well I’m progressing. As long as I can still work, I’ll be content.” She paused. “Besides, I don’t want to erase the scars. They’re a permanent reminder of the time I spent with Kyran. When I look at them, I’ll feel sorrow, but I’ll also feel gratitude and love. I don’t want to forget any of those feelings. I don’t want the proof of what happened to him to vanish because a magic sword healed my damaged skin. Can you understand that?”

Ella Mae thought of the sheet-wrapped bundle sitting on her kitchen table. “Yes, I can. Have you told Officer Hardy about Kyran?”

“Reluctantly. I didn’t want Kyran’s life to be overshadowed by his death, but I had to help Officer Hardy close this case so that Kyran’s remains could be returned to his own country. He always said he wanted his ashes to be scattered in the river near his home because his favorite childhood memories were of playing in its water.”

Dee’s voice was surprisingly free of grief. “You sound really good, Aunt Dee.” Ella Mae said. “I’m so glad. We’ve all been worried about you.”

“And I’ve barely slept thinking about you, my sisters, and my sweet animals. Luckily, I’ve had August to distract me. Today, for example, we’ve been working on designs for my new barn. It turns out that August is as shrewd as he is kind. You should hear him talking to the architects and contractors. There are so many sides to him that I never knew existed.” She fell quiet for several seconds and then
continued. “I don’t think I could have seen him this way if Kyran were still alive. As long as I knew Kyran was somewhere in this world, I couldn’t love anyone else. And though I’ll never stop loving him, I’m certain that he wouldn’t want me to continue living like a hermit. He’d want me to be happy.”

“So you’re finally giving August a chance to court you?”

Dee laughed her soft, musical laugh. “He’s been trying to do that for the past twenty years. The man has proved himself a hundred times over, so I’ve made it very clear that the next time he asks me out to dinner, I’ll say yes.”

Hurray for August
, Ella Mae thought, pumping her fist in the air. “You’re right, Aunt Dee. You have no use for this sword. You’re going to be just fine.”

“So are you, sweetheart,” Dee replied. “You don’t need special powers to lead a magical life. You never have. You’ve only ever needed to be yourself.”

•   •   •

That evening Ella Mae drove her Jeep up the winding mountain road leading to the state park. Hundreds of people were waiting for her on the trail leading to the grove. As she ascended the hill, they all fell silent and stepped back to let her pass. Ella Mae fixed her eyes straight ahead and kept a firm hold on the sheet-wrapped sword in her arms. At the path’s end, she reached out and touched the boulder wall with her hand. She felt nothing but warm stone. Nodding in acceptance, she gazed over the trees to where the sky was filling with striations of pink and orange. The sunset hues reflected in the glassy surface of Lake Havenwood and the air smelled of pine and honeysuckle.

Ella Mae took a deep breath and turned to Alfonso.

“Could I impose on you once more?”

“It would be my honor,” Alfonso said, and then touched her throat.

Ella Mae looked down at the people crowded together on the narrow trail and felt an intense rush of affection for all of them. In every face, she saw courage and beauty, and for a moment, she was too overwhelmed to say a word. Finally, she composed herself and began to speak.

“My friends, I know that many of you are eager to return to your homes, but I’m glad that I had the chance to thank you for everything you’ve done before you go. I also want to share some incredible news with you. One of Nimue’s priestesses had an ancient scroll in her possession. The scroll describes how the curse placed on our kind can be broken. If this sword is driven into a sacred ash tree, then we’ll be free. Nimue’s lust for power led her to both the sword and this scroll. Now, we have them both, and will use them for the good of all.”

There was a collective gasp from the crowd and then a tumult of excited muttering.

“Fiona and Carol Drever will fulfill this task on their way home to the Orkneys. The Elders have decided that the sword should be taken to a grove on the Isle of Arran. Their ash tree was damaged by Nimue’s storms, but it still stands. The moment the sword restores the tree and the grove, the curse will be broken. You can marry and bear children with another of our kind without fear of repercussion.” She presented the sword to Fiona, who accepted it with a solemn nod. “The Elders have also pardoned Marin Wallace of any and all wrongdoing, seeing as she was forced to commit crimes against her will. Marin, I believe this belongs to you.”

Ella Mae held out a duffel bag and Marin came forward
with hesitant steps. “Go on,” Ella Mae whispered. “We all know you committed crimes against your will. You were one of Nimue’s many victims, but you’re free now.”

When Marin opened the bag and saw her sealskin folded inside, she cried out in relief. “How can I ever thank you?”

“By accompanying the Drevers on a ship bound for Edinburgh,” Ella Mae said. “The choice is yours, of course, but I’d feel better knowing you were with them. Do you want to return to Scotland?”

“With all my heart,” Marin replied, her voice hoarse with emotion.

“Officer Hardy will be sad to see you go, but you’ve been away from home for far too long,” Fiona said, and took Marin’s arm in her own.

Ella Mae watched Fiona lead Marin back to where Carol, Lundy, and the rest of the Scots stood. With a pang, Ella Mae realized that she might never see any of them again.

Her gaze roved over the people gathered before her. Many would leave this night and never return. Those who lived in Havenwood would bump into Ella Mae on a regular basis—in the pie shop, the bank, the grocery store. But things would never be the same. This was the last time she could speak as one of them. From this moment onward, she would not be privy to their secret lives. She’d be restricted to small talk or a friendly wave as they passed on the street.

I can live with that
, she thought.

What mattered most was their victory. A victory that could not have been achieved without the unity of these remarkable people.

“I wish those of you who are leaving a safe journey.” She put her hand over her heart, which seemed to have swelled to twice its size. “You should be extremely proud of what you accomplished here in Havenwood. If you ever have a
hankering for a homemade pie, come back and see me. I’ll be delighted to serve you.”

And with that, Ella Mae began to descend the hill.

She’d barely taken two steps when a woman standing to her left dropped into a low curtsy. “You will always be one of us,” the woman whispered. Her eyes were filled with tears.

Ella Mae thanked her and walked on. As she progressed, every man and woman bowed or curtsied and repeated the same phrase. “You will always be one of us.”

The echoed words were a gift. Through her tears, Ella Mae smiled. She continued her descent, certain that her heart would burst before she reached the trail’s end.

“You will always be one of us.”

“You will always be one of us.”

By the time she reached the bottom, Ella Mae was too choked up to speak. She turned, looked back at the amazing people standing above her, and waved.

And then she got in her Jeep and drove away.

She didn’t make it very far before she had to pull over. Putting her face in her hands, she let the bittersweet beauty of the farewell sweep over her. She cried hard for several minutes as joy, sorrow, gratitude, and grief poured out of her all at once.

Overhead, the first stars began to spark in the purpling sky, and Ella Mae rolled down her window to look at them. Calmer now, she wiped her face and eased the Jeep back onto the road. Thrusting her hand out the window, she let the spring air soar through her fingers and whip through her hair. As she neared the lights of town, she decided to spend the rest of the night snuggled on the couch with Chewie. She’d pour a glass of wine, flip through vintage cookbooks, and dream up amazing new pie recipes.

Ella Mae smiled. She felt lighter, like a great weight had fallen off her shoulders during the short journey from the mountain park to her home. She felt young and free for the first time in a very long time.

At a stoplight, she caught a glance of her reflection in the rearview mirror and was pleased with what she saw.