Shot Through the Hearth

by Kate Carlisle

  “Also, this week we’ll be interviewing grant applicants who have submitted the best ideas and projects and products. And at the end of the week we will award a number of cash grants to the best of the best. There may be some job opportunities offered as well.

  “For everyone who’s applied to receive a grant, please check your conference envelope for your appointment time.

  “Now,” Rafe continued, “I want to quickly introduce the Marigold Foundation board members. When you hear your name, please come up to the stage, give us a one-sentence introduction to your field of study, and take a bow.”

  He introduced Julian Reedy, the plant guy—that is, the ethnobotanist—who was in charge of the Ecosphere. Julian took the microphone from the intern and said, “Love plants, don’t hurt them. They will keep you alive.”

  Pithy, I thought with a smile.

  Next, Rafe introduced Arnold Larsson, a renowned pioneer in the field of smart mice studies. “Come visit the mice,” Arnold said. “They’re happy, social creatures who want to coexist with you.”

  It felt like a sliver of ice was dripping down my spine at his mention of mice. It was embarrassing to admit it, but I really hated those creepy crawly critters.

  “Now, please welcome Midge Andersen, our eco-fisheries expert, whose passion is tide pools.”

  Midge ran and jumped onto the stage. She was petite, barely five feet tall, and quite pretty, about forty years old and very lean. She had what I could only call a pixie face and prematurely white hair worn very short. I had met her briefly last night when Rafe had his private meeting with the board members and conference speakers. I was amazed by her energy and enthusiasm for her subject matter.

  Now she waved to the crowd and grabbed the microphone. “Yo! Tide pools, people! They hold the key to survival of the planet. And if you see me during the conference, ask me about sandcastle worms!” She waved again, handed the mic back to the intern, and jumped off the stage.

  Oo-kay, I thought. Everyone was truly in their own little bubble world here. And now, darn it, I really wanted to know about sandcastle worms.

  With a fond smile for Midge, Rafe took the microphone. “And of course you all know Mac Sullivan.” Mac didn’t bother walking up to the stage, but simply turned to the crowd and waved to warm cheers.

  “Mac will be moderating the ‘Worst-Case Scenarios’ workshop later this week,” Rafe said, “and it promises to be a fabulous event.”

  Hearing Rafe’s words reminded me that I had been too busy to ask Mac if he had been able to get rid of Sketch Horn yet.

  The other board members included Marigold, of course, not only because she was Rafe’s fiancée and the namesake of his foundation, but also because she had grown up in the Amish world and was familiar with that strain of off-the-grid living, a favorite topic of the conference goers.

  There was also an astronaut and a renowned chef who traveled the world with his entourage, providing thousands of meals for people affected by natural disasters. I was on the board, too, but since Rafe had asked me to speak about green construction, he was saving my introduction for later.

  Rafe held up his hand. “Just a couple more announcements and I’ll let you all go enjoy the cocktail party.”

  There were more cheers, obviously in favor of the cocktail party. Rafe added, “Speaking of cocktails, you won’t want to miss the wine tasting tomorrow night. Lighthouse Cove’s own Pete Hammer will bring his world-class organic wines for all of us to taste and he’ll talk about the French water-saving techniques he’s now using in his vineyards. Don’t miss that.”

  I smiled at the thought of seeing my uncle Pete tomorrow night.

  “Okay, last announcement. Promise.” And with that, Rafe gave a speedy overview of what else to expect during the week, including expert speakers in space communication; solar and wind power; sustainable foods; alternative food sources; algae snacks; smart plants; biofuel ponds; alternatives to cotton and wool clothing; and hemp products.

  “In the old barn,” he added, “you can learn all you ever wanted to know about bamboo, jet packs, and shoes made from recycled plastic bottles.”

  I had helped spruce up the old barn with a coat of paint and some replacement boards. Inside, the lighting had been reworked so that vendors could show their products and Rafe could give tours of his latest inventions.

  So far, Rafe’s ten dairy cows didn’t seem to mind the crowds, just continued to chew grass and amble back to the barn for milking. Rafe’s farm manager had been advised to keep an unobtrusive but careful eye out for anyone who might be inclined to disrupt the cows from their twice daily milking regimen.

  After another round of excited applause—for plastic shoes?—Rafe finally introduced me.

  I climbed up to the stage and stared down at the faces of hundreds of people. I took a quick scan, trying to find my friends. Instead, I found Whitney Reid Gallagher staring up at me with complete contempt. I gulped, quickly glanced away, and found Niall beaming up at me. Calmer now, I spied Jane standing near Niall and I gazed at both of them for moral support as I began my short speech on green construction. Four minutes later—or was it four hours? It felt like it—I walked away from the podium, surprised to hear loud, enthusiastic cheers.

  “You were brilliant,” Mac said as I stepped down from the stage.

  “Right,” I said, laughing. “This is definitely a green crowd. But talking about it was kind of fun.”

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I am, sort of. It’s a real treat when most of the crowd actually gets what I’m talking about.”

  Sadly, most of the crowd did not include Whitney Reid Gallagher. She had managed to look bored and angry at the same time, but maybe it was just me.

  And now I recalled that Marigold had mentioned months ago that Whitney had approached her, hoping to get the job as decorator for the new house. Naturally, Marigold had turned her down because she knew how awful Whitney could be. I had forgotten all about that. No wonder Whitney had been giving me the stink eye more than usual lately. I’d just thought it was her natural look.

  “This is an enthusiastic group.” He glanced around. “Guess everyone here is pretty much into saving the planet.”

  “I guess. They definitely got emotional over the idea of composite shingles.”

  He grinned. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”

  I laughed again, feeling better that Mac was close by.

  “Hey, Shannon,” Rafe said, and Mac and I both turned to see Rafe walk up to us. He had two other people with him, a short, pale man in his mid-thirties and a blond-haired woman who looked a few years younger. “Wonderful speech.”

  “Thanks, Rafe.”

  “Hey, Mac.” Rafe gave him a manly smack on his back. “I wanted to introduce you both to my business partner, Dillon Charles. And this is Hallie Wilkes, our associate.”

  He turned to face them. “Guys, this is Shannon Hammer and Mac Sullivan. Shannon did a fantastic job of completely rebuilding my house, and tomorrow she’ll be in charge of the big barn raising.”

  “Oh, great,” Dillon said. “We’re raising a barn.”

  Well, that was snide, I thought, but just smiled and extended my arm to shake his hand.

  “Yeah, hi,” he said. “Good to meet you. You’re the decorator?”

  “No, I’m the building contractor. My team did the rehab on Rafe’s house. And tomorrow I’m raising a barn.”

  I’d imitated his snarky tone, but he didn’t seem to catch the sarcasm.

  “Right.” He nodded rapidly. “The old farmhouse looks a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw it.”

  I smiled tightly. “It was an extensive renovation.”

  Meanwhile, Hallie only had eyes for Mac. I couldn’t blame her for that. Clearly awestruck, she murmured, “I’ve read all your books, Mr. MacKintyre. I can’t wait to at
tend your workshop.”

  “Thanks, Hallie,” Mac said with an easy smile. “I hope you’ll find it interesting. And please call me Mac.”

  “Oh,” she said breathlessly. “Thank you.”

  “Stop fawning, Hallie,” Dillon snapped. “You look ridiculous.”

  “But I—”

  “You’re embarrassing yourself and the rest of us.” Dillon turned to me and Mac. “Excuse us. We have some business to attend to.” Then he grabbed Rafe’s arm and pulled him a few yards away to speak privately.

  Rafe shot us both an apologetic look, then walked off to carry on a quietly heated discussion with his old partner.

  Mac and I exchanged a quick glance as Hallie’s cheeks reddened. As far as I was concerned, the only thing she had to be embarrassed about was the fact that her boss was an obnoxious bore.

  “Don’t worry, Hallie,” Mac said gently. “As an insecure writer, I have a deep appreciation for anyone who’s willing to fawn in my presence.”

  She gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks. Please don’t mind Dillon. He’s under a lot of pressure.”

  Or he was just a jerk, I thought, but didn’t say so. Hallie was young and pretty and maybe a bit naïve. Her long blond hair was twisted into an elaborate braid and she wore a bright purple sweater over a short pleated purple skirt with black boots. The bright candy colors made her look even younger than she probably was.

  I moved on to a new subject. “It’s nice that you could be here for Rafe’s conference. Are you staying all week?”

  “Yes,” she said, then lifted her shoulders self-consciously. “Well, to be honest, I’ll be working most of the time, but I plan to check out a few of the events and workshops.”

  “So what do you do as an associate for the company?” I asked.

  She leaned in closer. “Rafe was being nice by calling me his associate. I’m actually just a secretary. I’m Dillon’s and Rafe’s secretary.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being a secretary,” I whispered. “I’m pretty sure secretaries run everything.”

  She chuckled. “That’s kind of accurate.”

  I took a moment to study her two bosses. Dillon Charles was doing most of the talking in hushed, urgent tones. Seeing them next to each other made me wonder how the two men had ever gone into business together. Rafe was so friendly, clever, and dynamic, while Dillon seemed guarded, snarky, and downright rude. But maybe he was just having a bad day.

  They were complete opposites in looks, too. Where Rafe was tall and darkly handsome, Dillon was short and thin, except for a small paunch around his middle. While Rafe wore a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his tanned, muscular arms, Dillon wore a black turtleneck sweater that did nothing to disguise the paunch and made his skin look even paler. And I doubted if his wispy, dark blond hair would hold up in a strong wind.

  After another minute, Hallie gave up waiting for her bosses to finish their private conversation. Giving Mac and me a weak smile, she said, “It was nice meeting you both. I think I’ll go get something to drink.”

  “Nice meeting you, too,” I said, and watched her walk away.

  “Let’s take a walk,” Mac murmured.

  “Sounds good. I can show you the tower where we planted the vertical garden. Otherwise known as the Ecosphere.”

  “Cool.” He snagged two champagne flutes from a passing waiter and handed one to me.

  “Oh, perfect. Thanks,” I said, and we turned away from the cocktail party area and headed for the tower.

  Glancing back, Mac said, “I didn’t realize there would be so many people here.”

  “Rafe said there’s at least eight hundred people here for the cocktail party, can you believe it? Five hundred are attending the conference, but Rafe also invited a bunch of local people for the opening party. The mayor is here, and Chief Jensen and Tommy.”

  “Yeah, I saw them earlier.”

  Tommy Gallagher was the assistant police chief and my ex-boyfriend from high school. He was here with his horrible wife Whitney, my aforementioned worst enemy from high school. It wasn’t like I didn’t hope they were happy, because Tommy was as sweet as he’d ever been. But Whitney could be such a twerp sometimes. She was the original “mean girl” and she hadn’t improved with age.

  “And Marigold said that Rafe invited his entire company,” I added. “So that’s another forty people or so.”

  He glanced up. “Good thing the weather cooperated.”

  “It’s such a nice evening.” I gazed up at the sky. “And there’s a full moon.”

  I’d heard the old wives’ tales about bad things happening under a full moon, but I didn’t believe it. Mostly. In any case, I wasn’t going to let silly superstition ruin this beautiful night.

  Mac slipped his arm through mine and we continued walking toward the tower, just beyond the old barn.

  “So what’s with Rafe’s partner?” I said.

  “He’s clearly a jerk and a bully,” Mac said easily.

  “I feel bad that Hallie has to work with him every day.”

  “Yeah. Poor kid.”

  We walked a ways in silence, and as we passed the old barn, I couldn’t help but take a quick look inside. Rafe had mentioned that a number of vendors would be using the space to exhibit their products, so I thought I’d try to get a sneak peek. It took me two seconds before I was able to focus on what I was seeing. Then I gasped and moved away from the door.

  “Well, that’s cozy,” I muttered.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “You need to see for yourself,” I said quickly. “I couldn’t possibly describe it.” Actually, I could’ve described it, but a picture was worth a thousand words, as they said.

  Inside the barn, a man and a woman were kissing passionately. Not that I cared, but seriously, couldn’t they get a room? Anyone could’ve walked by and seen them. Like us, for instance.

  I suddenly realized who the woman was. That white hair was instantly recognizable. What was she doing in there?

  Meanwhile, Mac was staring at me intently. “Your cheeks are so pink. I can’t wait to see what you were looking at.” He was laughing as he pulled the barn door open an inch and stared inside. “Oh, crap.”

  He slammed the door shut, pulled me by the arm, and kept walking.

  “Why are you angry?”

  He grumbled under his breath, then admitted, “I’m just annoyed.”

  “Why?” I asked, thinking I would have to look up the difference between angry and annoyed.

  “That couple in there,” he said, scowling. “It just figures.”

  “You recognized Midge Andersen?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he said, disgusted. “But the guy with her is Sketch Horn. And by the way, Midge is not his wife.”

  “Oh no.” I winced. “That’s sleazy.”

  “Especially in a funky old barn that anyone could walk into at any moment.” He rubbed his forehead wearily. “I just saw his wife earlier.”

  “She’s here?” I asked.

  “Oh, yeah. She comes to all the conferences with him. This could get ugly very quickly.”

  “In that case, he can’t be too bright.”

  “He’s an idiot.”

  “They were moaning,” I said. “In the barn. I thought it was the cows.”

  He began to laugh and within seconds we were both giggling like children over horny Sketch Horn and bad girl Midge.

  “He’s just such a hound dog,” Mac muttered. “It’s embarrassing.”

  I was still shaking my head. “Let’s stop and take a few deep cleansing breaths. And try to forget what we just saw.”

  “Not much chance of that.” He managed another chuckle. “The image has been burned onto my brain.”

  A minute later we started walking again and several minutes after th
at we found ourselves standing in front of the concrete tower. “Welcome to the Ecosphere.”

  He stared up at the three-story structure. “Glamorous name for something that looks like a concrete block bunker.”

  I had to agree. The outside of the building was still as gray and boxy as it had been from the beginning, but now there were dozens of drought-resistant plants tucked into small pockets randomly carved out of the concrete blocks. These outdoor plants had grown more slowly than the ones we had planted indoors, but they still managed to bring some color and dimension to the austere outer shell.

  “Wait ’til you see it from the inside.”

  We stepped through the doorway and entered the tropical wonderland.

  “Wow.” Mac gazed around. “This is fantastic.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  I hadn’t been inside since Julian and his team had installed small spotlights in various parts of the garden. It gave the space a wonderfully ethereal quality that I really loved.

  “The air is cool,” he marveled. “I thought it would be warm.”

  “No, the plants help clean the air and cool it down. And the louvers help.” I pointed to the nearest window and the wide horizontal blinds covering them. “They move with the sun in order to keep the interior from getting too hot at any time during the day.”

  “That’s just amazing.”

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” He continued to look around, taking in the verdant carpet of ferns that edged the pathway and the thick vines that draped the walls. Aloe vera plants thrived in every corner. Dozens of pothos plants, with the most abnormally large leaves I’d ever seen, cascaded down from the second-floor balcony. Succulent snake plants cast eerie, tongue-like shadows on the walls.

  “I could set up a table and write in here.” Mac moved in a circle, studying the greenery all around us. “In fact . . .” He took out his phone and began taking photos. “I can see Jake Slater getting trapped in here.”

  I had to smile. “That’s a great idea. And wait until you meet Stephanie.”