0.5 Chess Pie & Choices

by Bella Falls

  Tucker shrugged. “It’s what she wants.”

  Worry creased my brow, and I dug deep to find the courage to ask the question that had kept me up for most of the night. “And what if I don't find it?”

  Tucker kissed the back of my left hand. “Then I guess I’ll owe you a ring.”

  I smirked. “You think your mother will still allow you to marry me?”

  He paused a bit too long for comfort. “We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

  I searched his face for humor, and despair rose again at the absence of any. Not wanting to dwell on the seed of doubt planted in my stomach, I shook it off. “The sooner I start, the sooner I can find the ring and bring an end to all of this.”

  Pulling me close, he wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug. “You'll do great. You have to.”

  If only I believed that myself. Patting his back, I pulled away. When he leaned in to kiss me, I turned my cheek, so he missed my lips. If I wanted any shot at finding the ring, I needed to keep my head clear for the task at hand.

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything,” I promised. With a light wave of my hand, I set out on my task.

  Closing my eyes and breathing in the morning air still cool from the night, I centered myself. Maybe a little rhyme for extra luck would help.

  “So my future in-laws will smile and not frown, I cannot afford to let them down. From deep inside, may magic spring and help me find this precious ring.”

  With great concentration, I reached into the deepest place inside me and found that connection still bound to me. Strumming it like a guitar string, I tested its strength and found it still holding and viable.

  “Let's do this.” Not much of a pep talk, but it would have to do.

  Taking my first step, I gave in to the bond, allowing myself to be reeled in by the glimmering thread.

  Standing at the beginning of Main Street, I sighed. For the past half hour, the path had led me on a wild goose chase in weird circles and winding curves, almost as if the ring had sprouted wings and couldn't fly in a straight line.

  As I stepped onto the sidewalk, the path turned into a more regulated direction. I stopped outside a storefront window bursting with colorful blooms and displays. Unless it was a strange magical artifact, the ring couldn’t have sprouted legs to up and walk into Mimsies’ Whimsies on its own. Somebody had to have taken it in there.

  When I opened the door, the jingling of bells marked my entrance. Two of my closest friends cheered in unison.

  “Yay,” cried Lavender, clapping her hands. “I was hoping you'd come in soon. We’re putting in the order for the flowers for your engagement party.”

  Yet another way Tucker’s mother was taking over my life. “I guess that’s okay, as long as we’re still on track with my wedding flowers.” I wanted to carry a small bouquet of sweet peas just like my mother had when she married my dad.

  Lavender’s cousin, Lily, handed me a catalog and pointed to a picture of bright and gaudy peonies. The price on the page made me cough. “Um, your future mother-in-law has already picked these out. That woman can be…a handful.”

  I checked the place for any potential gossips. Finding us alone, I let down my guard. “You're telling me,” I breathed out, relieved to be able to speak the truth.

  Before I could ogle any flowers, Lavender fussed over me, pinching at the air around me. “What is wrong with your aura? It's all squiggly and not normal for you. What happened?” She looked at me with genuine concern.

  Lavender frowned. “Exactly how did that meeting last night at Tucker's parents’ house go? By the look on your face, I'm guessing not well.”

  I banged my head on their counter with a drawn-out groan. “It's a long story, and one I can't get into right now. What I need to do is find my engagement ring.” Gasping, I stood up, covering my mouth. “I was not supposed to tell you that.”

  “You've already lost the ring?” Lavender asked.

  I grabbed their hands. “Please, please, please do not repeat anything I’m about to say. If this gets around, there’s no telling what Mrs. Hawthorne might do.”

  Without much effort, I’d already broken her edict. But these girls were part of my inner circle. In the whole world, I knew I could trust them with my life along with the other few in our little gang.

  I placed their hands over their hearts. “Promise me that you will not say anything.”

  The cousins stared at me like I had an extra head. “We promise,” they uttered in unison.

  With nervous speed, I spilled my guts. “I didn't lose the ring. It lost itself, I guess. Supposedly, it’s a family heirloom, and when Mrs. Hawthorne went to retrieve it, she couldn't find it.”

  Both of their eyes widened. “That's definitely not good,” exclaimed Lavender. “No wonder you're out of sorts.” Her fingers pinched around me with more ferocity.

  I batted her hands away. “It was Tipper’s idea for me to leverage the use my talents in order to have more of a say over my engagement party.”

  “Huh, that’s actually one of his better ideas,” approved Lily.

  “But it's also not a great way to start your relationship with your new family, is it?” sympathized her cousin.

  Nothing else needed to be said for them to feel my pain. Putting aside the catalog of flowers, I leaned on the glass counter. “Maybe you guys can help me.”

  “Whatever you need, it's yours.” Lily held my hand and waited with anticipation.

  “Whoever possesses the ring came in here at some point today. Can you tell me the names of all of the day’s customers?” I allowed hope to blossom in my chest.

  Lily bit her thumbnail. “Well, it’s been pretty busy today. Granny was here for most of the morning with a group from the retirement center, teaching them how to make bouquets. There were a fair amount of people coming in and out during her class.”

  “Is there a class list?” I pressed.

  Lavender shook her head. “No, Beauregard Pepperpot brought them all in. He tends to pick up a following like strays amongst that crowd. The shop was full.”

  “Do you guys keep a record of anyone who came in and purchased flowers?”

  Both cousins shook their heads in unison.

  “But how do you keep track of what people order or like?”

  Lily shrugged. “We just do. Granny says it runs in our blood, to know exactly what flowers people need, even if they don’t know it themselves.”

  “Speaking of,” chimed in Lavender. “Wait right there.”

  After some digging through the buckets of flowers in the refrigerated displays, she found what she searched for. Returning, she pinned something to my lapel. “There.”

  “What is it?”

  Lily smiled. “Good pick. That’s a snowdrop. It stands for hope. It’s supposed to help you through difficult times.”

  A shadow crossed the face of the two cousins, and I recognized the sorrowed looks. Lots of people in town had been wearing the same expression since Dad’s death.

  Pushing away the sadness I had no time to wallow in, I cleared my throat. “Wherever the ring is now, it’s not in here anymore. I suppose I should keep searching before I lose my connection.”

  “Let us know the outcome,” Lavender said, waving her hands in front of her face to fan away her tears.

  “I will. Promise.” I waved goodbye.

  As I left the flower shop, suspicion grew with every step. Something didn’t sit right with me. But I had no time to stop and investigate more thoroughly. The line tugged on me, and I had to keep going or risk losing it all together.

  Chapter Four

  Even the delectable smells from Sweet Tooths Bakery couldn't cheer me up. Whoever had the ring had indulged their own desire for sweetness and stopped in at the home of some of the most delicious desserts in this part of the South.

  Come to think of it, it surprised me that the Hawthornes weren't using Twinkle and Sprinkle’s store to provide the desserts for the engagement
party. Even for such a small town as ours, the former tooth fairies’ shop was well known for its high-quality baked goods.

  Another one of my closest friends, Alison Kate, brightened up when she spotted me. “Charli,” she called out. “You’re just in time to try my newest concoction. Honeysuckle buns. Get it? Honeysuckle because, of course, there's honeysuckle syrup instead of sugar. But also because I used one of Meemaw’s honey bun recipes. Clever, right?”

  Sprinkle fluttered in with a tray of fresh cupcakes balanced in her hand. “I told you, not everything you make has to have honeysuckle in it,” he reprimanded in his high-pitched squeaky voice.

  “But Sprinks,” countered Twinkle, his business partner. “I think she might be onto something this time. Come and have a taste,” she beckoned to both of us.

  I joined the two former tooth fairies in trying one of the sweetened buns. Unlike some of my friend’s former experiments, her current results hit the mark.

  “Not too bad,” I agreed, licking off my fingers and appreciating the boost to my magical reserves.

  Sprinkle rubbed his chin in thought. “The floral taste of honeysuckle is a bit too strong. But maybe if you dialed it back a little, you’d have a winner. I approve. Tweak the recipe just right, and it can go on tomorrow's specials.” With a nod of his tiny head, he flitted into the back room.

  Twinkle high-fived Alison Kate. “Told you,” she giggled. She left to join Sprinkle in the kitchen.

  My sensitive friend almost burst into tears with happiness, practically vibrating where she stood and beaming with pride.

  “Nice going, Ali Kat.” I gave her a well-deserved fist bump.

  “I’m getting better, aren’t I? Meemaw would be so proud of me.” She wiped a tear away with her knuckle.

  Taking a napkin out of a nearby holder, I handed it to her. “Your grandma will be bragging about this to anyone who will listen.”

  With a gasp, Alison Kate squealed and clapped her hands, her emotions changing in an instant. “Ooh, I have to show you something. Wait here.” She dashed into the kitchen, the swinging door wobbling in her wake.

  When she reappeared, the tray she carried rattled from her excited shaking. “I came up with something so cool that I want to debut at your wedding.” She leaned over the contents on the tray and spoke in a whisper, flourishing her hand.

  Delicate creamy white butterflies took wing and fluttered into the air, their dainty bodies shimmering in the light. One of them hovered in front of my face until it landed on the end of my nose, flitting its wings at me.

  “Ali Kat, what did you do?” I marveled.

  She tittered as she held out her finger for another one to land on. “Aren’t they sweet? I came up with the idea for your wedding cake to have all kinds of frosted surprises.” She scrunched her nose at the tiny butterfly on her finger and sucked it into her mouth, licking her lips. “S-o-o good.”

  “You just ate it!” I declared, staring cross-eyed at the pretty frosting insect on the end of my nose.

  “That’s the point, silly. Try it.”

  With steady fingers, I plucked the butterfly from my nose and brought it to my mouth. Closing my eyes, I did my best to ignore its struggle to break free. Once it touched my tongue, it stopped moving and turned into the creamiest, sweetest buttercream. I wavered between admiration and guilt.

  My friend beamed at me. “I can do butterflies or bees that, of course, won’t sting. And I think I’ve figured out a way to make some sugar-colored flowers bloom. Your cake will be the talk of the town, and then we can add something like this as decorations to our regular baked goods.”

  The nagging ache in my stomach returned. “You haven’t heard yet?”

  “Heard what?” she asked, the smile fading from her lips.

  Why did I have to be the bad guy with the news? Steadying myself, I told her the truth. “The Hawthornes aren’t ordering the dessert for the engagement party from Sweet Tooths. And I’m pretty sure they won’t for the wedding, either. I guarantee you, I had nothing to do with that decision.”

  “But it’s your wedding, isn’t it?” Alison Kate’s lower lip trembled, but she busied herself finding and cleaning up the rogue butterflies that had dropped out of the air as soon as she heard the news.

  “I think so. Although, at this point, I think the only expectation Clarice has of me is to show up. Even then, I’m sure I’ll do something to disappoint.”

  My friend leaned on the counter. “What does Tucker say?”

  “He wants me to go along with all her decisions. Tuck thinks that everything will be better once we’re married.” The words sounded hollow and empty of real promise.

  “And you’re okay with that?” she asked, her eyes brimming with concern.

  I shrugged, unable to verbalize a response. “Clarice has ordered a layered coconut cake from Charleston for the engagement party.”

  “But you hate coconut,” exclaimed Alison Kate. “Didn’t Tucker explain that to her?”

  I shook my head and sighed. “So much for Southern chivalry. But I worked out a deal so that I can also have chess pie as well.”

  “Ooh, that was your dad's favorite.” As soon as she said the words, an all too familiar sympathy rose in her eyes. She reached out and grabbed me into an awkward hug over the counter.

  I’d been getting a lot of hugs and sympathetic looks lately with my father's passing. It had taken me a while to get used to it happening, but I knew everybody had to express their grief in their own ways. And after all the good comfort food that everyone brought to Nana’s house, my waistline could use a hug instead of another casserole.

  One of these days, maybe I would get used to Dad being gone. The thought of that day when my heart didn’t ache at his absence squeezed my chest, and my lip quivered. I cleared my throat to shake off my mood.

  Alison Kate let me go but took both my hands in hers. “Listen, my parents got married in a simple ceremony on my dad’s family land. Then they ate hamburgers at a roadside spot on their way to Hyde Island near Savannah for their honeymoon.”

  “Good for them. But what’s your point?” I asked.

  She gave my hands a soft squeeze. “That it doesn’t matter about the pretty outside on the surface as long as you’re getting what you want in the long run. If you wanna marry Tucker and build a foundation from there, who cares what kind of food they serve at the reception? As long as he’s what you want, then you’ve got everything you need.”

  My friend’s romantic notion made sense, and it matched Tucker’s advice. Underneath my frustration with his mother and her meddling ways lay what mattered—Tucker becoming my husband. Forever. It was what I wanted, right?

  I ignored the negative response ringing in my head and pasted a grin on my lips. “You’re right.”

  Unsure of what else to say, I checked on the connection to the ring in case it lay hidden away inside one of the cupcakes in the display case. The path led back out onto Main Street, and I didn’t want to spend more time delaying the search in case it started fading.

  Alison Kate bent down and pulled out a homemade moon pie, wrapping it up to go. “I hope I didn’t say anything wrong.”

  “You didn’t, Ali Kat. Really.” I hated making her feel bad. “It’s just typical jitters getting to me since. That’s all. Everything is becoming so real now.”

  “I know. I’m so excited for you. I just hope I can land myself a date to the engagement party.” She frowned as her eyes glassed over in wishful thinking.

  “Like a certain someone who wears glasses, works at his dad’s shop, and is a genius at weaving spellwork on objects?” I teased, glad to bring the romantic focus back on someone else.

  My friend blushed a dark red. “Maybe.”

  Alison Kate had liked Lee Chalmers since we were kids. Those of us with eyes knew the feelings were mutual, but neither of them possessed the courage to do anything about it. Maybe my wedding would provide them opportunities to try.

  “I think you should ju
st go for it, Ali Kat. Ask Lee and see what he says,” I encouraged.

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, I couldn’t do that. Meemaw says that a lady waits for the man to declare his admiration. Of course, I think if she had her way, he would do it the old-fashioned way, asking my parents for permission and making us sit on the front porch sipping iced tea so we could be chaperoned.”

  “I love your grandma, but she needs to realize that the world is changing. We girls get to ask for what we want.” Hey, if I couldn’t follow my own advice, I could push my friend into it.

  “We’ll see.” Doubt dripped off her words. She handed me the bag with the moon pie.

  I tried to pay for it, but she refused to take my money. “On the house.”

  “So it’s a pity moon pie?”

  “N-o-o,” she drew out. “Consider it payment for your encouragement. I think I’ll go back to the kitchen and make some red velvet cupcakes.”

  I lifted my left eyebrow. “Isn’t red velvet Lee’s favorite cake?”

  Alison Kate smiled. “With cream cheese frosting. I think I’ll take the long way home tonight by his dad’s shop.” She winked at me.

  Leaving the bakery, the happiness over my friend’s unrelenting belief in true love faded with each step to follow the ring. She hadn’t even claimed the person she loved, yet she possessed more excitement for him than I’d felt in years for Tucker. That nagging voice returned, tapping on my heart to get my attention.

  Slamming a solid wall around me to shut it out, I ignored everyone else and followed the connection to the next destination.

  Chapter Five

  The trail led me the short distance across the street to the Harvest Moon Cafe. I had my suspicions about the ring, but I didn't want to dwell on it. Based on the winding path and the stops I’d made, I wasn’t chasing a real thief, so I deserved at least a slice of pecan pie and a glass of sweet tea to ease my growing frustration.

  The bells on the door jingled when I entered, and my friend Blythe looked up from cleaning up some plates. “Charli, good to see you. Your usual?”