by Rayne, Piper
You’d think it was a float full of A-list celebrities the way everyone leans over the barricades to get a glimpse. The Bailey siblings are all on the float—minus Phoenix—each holding a microphone. Austin stands in the middle, next to a blonde. An older lady sits in a chair one level up.
I don’t have a lot of time to take in the scene before Francie prattles on beside me. “Okay, I’m going to go fast, starting from the left.” She points at the float. “Brooklyn, Denver, Savannah, Austin—who you know—Juno, Rome, Sedona, Denver, Kingston, and we already saw Phoenix on the other float. I’m surprised to see Kingston here. He’s not around much. They probably had to wrangle him to come and my bet is he’ll blow back out of town as soon as the parade is done. Anyway”—her finger moves from person to person—“Denver and Rome are twins, and you already saw Phoenix who’s Sedona’s twin. That’s Grandma Dori. She’s the late Mr. Bailey’s mom. Got it?”
“No.” I laugh and shake my head.
“You will. They couldn’t be more different. Well, other than Denver and Rome. Those two are way too much alike.”
“In a bad way,” Jack adds.
“If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys plays over the speakers, and all the Baileys sing along, smiling as they wave to the people on each side of the street.
“Every year one of them gets to pick a song, but it has to be a song that says thank you to the town and all the workers.”
“Man, you’re an encyclopedia of knowledge,” I say to her.
“I’m a Lake Starlight lifer, what do you expect?” She smiles and waves, leaning over the barricade.
Children walk along the edge of the crowd with their parents, handing out seed packets printed with a label that has the Bailey logo and the words, “Thanks for letting us grow with you.” I thank the child and the mother smiles, moving down the line.
The siblings look at one another every once in a while, but the majority of their attention is on the crowd. Everyone screams a different family member’s name, as if they’re One Direction and everyone has their favorite. It’s insanity.
“Austin!” Francie yells.
Sedona knocks one of her brothers with her elbow, who knocks a sister, who knocks Austin. They all point in our direction.
“Great,” I mumble.
Austin’s eyes swallow me, and his smile grows brighter. At least I think it does. Am I hoping it does? How can one parade soften my feelings toward this man?
He nods to Francie, waving.
The sister on his other side follows his line of vision, knocking her shoulder with his.
“That’s Savannah. They’re close,” Francie continues giving me the Bailey intel like she’s written an US Weekly magazine article about the family.
As the float passes by us, Austin’s gaze follows me. My eyes don’t waver from his until the float turns the corner. I feel oddly bereft once he’s no longer in my sight.
“Come on. We’ll meet them at the end.” Francie pulls on my arm.
“No, I’m good. I’ll just head home.”
She tilts her head and studies me while the crowd disperses. “Why would you do that?”
“It’s a family thing, and I have some work at home I need to finish.”
She looks at Jack then back to me before wrapping her arm around my shoulders and turning us the way the float went. “Sorry, Bailey Founder’s Day is a no-work day.”
I allow her to lead me down the sidewalk, and Jack laughs as we round the corner.
Francie whispers in my ear, “Please don’t fire me.”
The parade, Francie, Jack, the Baileys, the town of Lake Starlight, and all its residents have a way of wrapping the softest, warmest blanket around my heart. I hope I’ll be able to shed it and say goodbye in a few months.
Thirteen
Austin
Savannah leans away from the microphone and says into my ear, “The principal is here.”
“I totally would have matched you two together,” Juno adds from next to me.
“You don’t even know her,” I say.
“She looks like your type.” Juno shrugs.
I roll my eyes at my sister. The funny thing is, people believe in her matchmaking abilities and pay her good money to find them their soul mate. “You only think that because of Buzz Wheel.” I go back to mouthing the words of the song that’s playing.
“Look at her look at you. She likes you. Not to mention she gets along with Francie and Jack. Bonus!” Juno says.
“Francie probably manipulated her into standing there. Francie’s like you. She thinks fixing people up is fun. Do I have to keep reminding everyone I’m leaving in three months?”
Rome peers past Juno at me. “Did you get an offer?”
“Not yet.” I shrug.
Savannah slides her arm through mine. “You will.”
I have my doubts, but I smile, acting as if I couldn’t care less.
We all continue with the song as the float reaches Holly. My parents taught us to be appreciative of this town and its families. To make eye contact as the float passes by, smile and wave. Juno blows kisses. Denver and Rome give a lot of open palm raises and thumbs-up. Savannah smiles, waving both hands. We each have our thing.
I know the drill, but as my eyes meet Holly’s, I can’t look away from her. Her smile is infectious, and my pants tighten when her tongue slides out and licks her lips.
All too soon, the float passes by. I close my eyes briefly, drawing in a breath. I smack on the perfect son persona, smiling and waving to the crowd, thinking how different it feels having Holly out there.
When the float comes to a stop, Kingston and Denver help Grandma Dori off. Once we’re all off, it heads away to be stored until next year.
“Let’s go to the carnival,” Juno says.
“Not in the mood,” I say.
“I’m going to meet Jamison,” Sedona says, already walking away.
“Curfew is still in effect,” I remind her.
She rolls her eyes and disappears through the crowd, graciously saying hello to everyone.
“Loved the ‘Born in the USA.’” Denver smacks hands with Liam as he approaches.
“Thanks.” Liam eyes Savannah. “What’d you think?”
She narrows her eyes at him. “I actually thought it fit perfectly. Dad would’ve loved it.”
Liam rocks back as if she blew him away with her response.
“What?” she asks, staring between Denver and Liam.
“Austin!” Francie’s voice draws my attention to the crowd behind them.
I let Liam handle Savannah because let’s face it, I want to see Holly again and I’m really hoping she’s with Francie. All I’m able to see is Jack’s head above everyone else, weaving through the crowd until Francie emerges with him.
Holly didn’t come? Of course, she didn’t. She thinks I’m pissed at her. I’m still not thrilled over what she thought, but Grandma Dori had a point. Holly knows nothing about me or my family situation.
My friends stop in front of me, and I catch sight of a body sliding out from behind Jack.
Holly nibbles on her lip, and an incredible urge to feel the softness of her lips again races through me.
“Great job.” Jack high-fives me. “Were you really singing?”
I shake my head. “Of course.”
“Yeah right.” He grins.
Jack knows me too well. The woman in our family can carry a tune, the men can’t. It’s almost like Mom lives inside them and Dad is inside us. Before Mom, there was no singing Baileys in the Founder’s Day parades.
“Jack!” Rome jumps on his back, putting him in a headlock.
“You want your ass kicked?” Jack walks them away from us.
“No below the belt, Rome!” Francie screams, following. “We want kids!”
Holly smiles at me, and there’re a million words on the tip of my tongue, but they won’t come out. This woman makes me tongue-tied like an adolescent boy.
“Aus—”
“Is that Principal Radcliffe?” Grandma Dori says.
Oh shit. Not now.
Holly’s vision shifts from me to the blue bandit approaching.
“Grandma, this is Holly.”
Grandma shoots me an “I’m not an idiot, you know” look and pulls Holly into an embrace. “It’s so good to meet you. I’ve heard so much from Austin about you.”
Holly takes a quick glance at me over Grandma’s shoulder. I close my eyes and shake my head.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Bailey.”
Grandma lightly taps her shoulder. “Mrs. Bailey was my deceased husband’s mother. I’m Dori.”
“Like the fish from Nemo,” I add because it pisses her off and she’s doing her best to step into my business here.
“No.” She puts her hands on her hips, her eyes throwing daggers my way. “I hate that.” She looks at Holly. “I have no damn memory problems, and I was Dori a helluva lot longer than that blue fish.”
Holly’s gaze falls to Dori’s bluish hair, and I snicker. Grandma’s eyes bore into mine. I love her. I do. But I can’t deny the blue tint.
“Well, Dori,” Holly speaks elegantly to her, “I will make sure never to associate you with a fish.” She smiles at me and my heart flips.
“Thank you. I knew I liked you.” She slides her hand through Holly’s. “Walk me to the library?”
Holly glances at me, eyes wide. “Sure.”
“I do story time for the children. Once you get old, society tries to shove you in a chair, sit you in front of the TV, and doesn’t want to hear from you, so this is about as exciting as it gets for me these days. No more roller coasters because of my heart.” She pats her chest and leads Holly away.
Holly looks back at me over my grandma’s shoulder.
Grandma pats her hand. “No worries, Austin won’t leave you alone with me. He’ll follow.”
What can I say? My grandma knows me well. I fall into step behind them, overhearing Grandma telling Holly how Bailey Timber started. At every light, Holly looks back to make sure I’m following, which if I cared to notice would feel nice, but I don’t. Notice that is. I can’t afford to care.
We reach the library, and Holly helps Grandma inside and into her rocking chair. We say our goodbyes and let the librarian hand her books as the children hurry to get as close as they can to her.
Grandma Dori waves us off. “Now, you two, go have fun. You’re young.”
All the kids look at us, and the librarian laughs. She’s probably a nightly reader of Buzz Wheel.
I look down at Holly. “Want to ride the Ferris wheel?”
She laughs but nods. “Only if I can buy the tickets.”
“Sorry, Dori would kill me if I allowed you to pay.”
“She doesn’t have to know.”
“Trust me, Dori knows everything that happens in this town.”
I hold out my arm, and she slides her arm through. “Well, I can at least buy you cotton candy.”
“We’ll see.”
I guide us out of the library and down Main Street. I say hello and thank you to the compliments sent my way about the float as we pass the families returning from the carnival with balloons and stuffed animals, their kids’ faces painted as butterflies or superheroes.
“Austin,” she says when we hit a stretch without anyone around us, “I want to apologize.”
“Don’t.” I slide my arm out of hers and take her hand instead. “Come on. Let’s clear some things up before we head to the carnival.”
I lead her to the path along river that travels through Lake Starlight. I’m hoping its empty today since everyone is probably enjoying the festivities. I sit her on a park bench, happy that the only other people around us are a few old guys fishing at the edge of the river.
“I should’ve told you about my family.”
She shakes her head. “No. It’s really none of my business.”
“Listen, that night at your house, I wanted to tell you, but you’re the first person in a long time who sees me, not some saint who stepped up to take care of his family. The fact you didn’t like me, it made me feel like… well.” I run a hand through my hair. “It made me feel like myself.”
She places her hand on my thigh, and my muscle there twitches. “I know, but still, I thought you were having an affair—”
I laugh. “Well, I’d say you should stop watching investigative shows, but I get it. Why would you think she was my sister?”
Holly crosses her legs.
I slide back on the bench. “When I was twenty-one, my parents died in a snowmobile accident. My mom was a travel writer, and a few times a year, my dad went with her. They were farther north, and it was late, there was snow and ice.” I stop. “No one really knows if my dad lost control or whether they swerved not to hit an animal, but they crashed into a tree.”
She touches my thigh again. “I’m so sorry.”
I nod. “I was finished up USC and I came home to raise my siblings. Savannah and I made a deal. She’d take over the business, and I’d take responsibility for the kids. I got a teaching job at the high school with my degree, and the rest is history.”
“Wow. That was very selfless of you. I can understand why people give you that saint status.”
My lips tip down at the corners. “That’s why I didn’t want you to know. I sacrificed my own dream, sure, but I’d do it again. They’re my family and they needed me. I just did what anyone should do.”
She slides closer, her hand still on my thigh. “But not everybody would. That’s what makes it remarkable. For you and Savannah to do that… I can’t imagine it’s been easy for you.”
I wish I could tell her about all the nights that I lay in bed, doubting that I was cut out for the job, feeling as though I was screwing up each one of my brothers and sisters. Questioning whether I had what it takes to get through. But I don’t because here I am, close to the finish line. And though I don’t regret my decision to step up when it was needed, it’s hard not to sound like an asshole now that I want a life away from Lake Starlight.
I shrug.
“Well, thank you for trusting me. A lot of dots are connecting now.”
I look up, and she’s smiling at me. “Bet I can’t get you to hate me again now that you know all that.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far.”
We laugh, and both of us look at the river. The older men are still fishing, paying us no attention.
“Since you opened up to me, it’s only fair that you know why I came to Lake Starlight.”
I wasn’t expecting this, but I can’t deny that I’m curious. “You don’t have to explain.”
“I want to.”
I shift to face her. She swallows and sets her eyes on me, looking nervous.
“I came here to find my dad.”
Fourteen
Holly
“Your dad?”
“Yeah. I was conceived during a one-night stand, and I’ve never met him. Or at least that I remember. I found a picture of him holding me at the hospital, but he’s staring down at me, so it’s not a very good picture.”
Austin wraps his arm around the back of the bench and slides over, so we’re hip to hip.
“It could be worse. He paid child support and I had health insurance, but he never called, never visited. And here I am, a grown woman tracking him down.”
“He lives in Lake Starlight?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, he’s in Sunrise Bay.”
“That’s two towns over.”
I nod, picking at my nails. “This job was the closest thing I could find, but there’s more…”
His body tenses. “What?”
“He doesn’t know I’m here. I haven’t confronted him.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “Why?”
I huff and concentrate on my hands, afraid to look at him, afraid of what I’ll see. “What if I’m not welcome in his life?”
“Well, I have no idea how yo
u feel, but I do know that if someone doesn’t want you in their life, you’re usually better off. That would be his loss. But you won’t know that unless you tell him you’re here.”
I blow out a breath. “This is way too heavy for a carnival date.”
He laughs. “So, this is a date, is it?”
Heat blooms in my cheeks, but he guides my head to his shoulder, his lips pressing on the top. I freeze and he does too.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He removes his hands. “That was reflex. I think because I have sisters, you know. I’ve had to deal with a lot of broken hearts.”
“It’s okay. It’s fine.” I don’t want to admit how nice it felt. How in this moment, it feels like maybe he could actually mend my distrusting heart.
Austin hops to his feet. “That’s enough heart-to-heart shit. Let’s go have some fun.”
I glance past the river at the carnival rides and games, the laughs and screams echoing down to us. “Sounds perfect.”
We walk over to the carnival without touching one another. When we reach the parking lot of the library, Austin leads me to the food booths, taking us to Wok For U.
“Li!” he yells to a guy in the back.
The man nods, says something to the girl next to him, and wipes his hands on his apron before making his way over. “Austin. Want another fortune cookie?” He laughs.
“Not one of yours. This is Holly.” He points at me with his thumb.
The guy puts out his hand, and I shake it.
“Nice to meet you…” He eyes Austin. “Finally.”
I shake my head. “Tell me someone else’s story will overtake the Jeep one soon.”
Li laughs and shares a look with Austin. “No worries there. Something always does.”
“Austin!” a woman’s voice echoes over the crowd.
“Someone’s always looking for Austin,” Li shakes his head, grabbing a container and putting in some wontons. “Here. On the house.”
“Thank you, but I’ll gladly pay,” I say.
He holds up his hand. “Think of it as a Lake Starlight apology for Buzz Wheel.”
I think it’s Savannah who’s approaching us. She’s blonde, but so is another one of his sisters, so I’m not really sure. “I need your help.”
