Page 124 of One Small Spark
“Same to you, Em—I mean, Mrs. Callahan.” Smooth.
She smiles over my little flub, even though I usually just call her by her first name. “What can I do for you?”
“Is Charlie available?” My first instinct was to head straight for the barn, but I don’t want to get in trouble for nosing around the lodge without a guide. And my favorite guide happens to have no idea I’m out here.
“She’s in the barn getting everything finalized for our big event on Friday. Do you want me to call her down?”
“I can meet her there, if that’s okay.” I’d rather do this in the relative privacy of the barn. It might get messy if I have too much of an audience.
She gestures at the hallway that leads outside. “You know the way.”
“I do. Don’t worry, I’ll be back on Friday with your pies.”
Emily just laughs. “I’ve never had a doubt about Blackbird’s delivering when they say they will.”
Aww. She is the nicest. I hope she stays that nice after she finds out I’m dating her son.
I walk the short path from the main lodge out to the barn. Déjà vu hits me when I move to open the door. Leo’s probably with Charlie. That’s what I hoped when I came out here, but if I catch those two kissing again, I’m going to seriously question their work ethic.
Thankfully, when I pull the door open, they’re on opposite sides of the room. Charlie catches sight of me, and her face does this weird grimace. Like she wanted to smile but then panicked.
“Hi, Wren.” She moves closer, weaving between the fancy white tables set up throughout the space like a pro. “Is everything okay with our order for Friday?”
“All good. I’m not here about that.”
A more natural expression overtakes her face. “Thank goodness. What’s up?”
“I know you’re busy, but I need to talk to you. It’s about Shepherd.”
Her smile crumples again. “Oh, gosh. He said it was no big deal, and now he’s not even talking to me about it? I’m going to call him right now and get this out in the open.”
She pulls her phone from her pocket, but I rush to stop her.
“It’s not about that, either. And obviously, I don’t even know whatthatis. I’m just saying…it’s not about whatever you’re thinking.”
Charlie freezes, phone in hand. “He told you.”
“No, he didn’t say anything.” I glance away, hoping to get this over with ASAP. “I might have been here, too.”
Charlie’s shoulders slump, but Leo grins like a cat who just cornered a mouse. He has zero concerns that I saw him kissing his best friend’s sister. “What were you doing out here with Shepherd on Thanksgiving?”
Just racing him on the bike he fixed up and falling asleep cuddled against him on his couch. Don’t make a big thing out of it.
I won’t give satisfaction to his gloating question. “Unless you want to explain what you two were doingin hereon Thanksgiving, I don’t have to answer that.”
“Oh, I’ll tell you.”
Charlie smacks his chest. “You won’t.”
He takes her hand and holds it to him. “I’ll tell everybody.”
“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is.” And yet, the woman’s smiling.
This is getting way out of hand. “Please, let’s focus on Shepherd.”
“Yes, Wren. Let’s focus on Shepherd.” Leo couldn’t sound any more like a hypnotist implanting a trigger word if he tried.I’m pretty sure the next time I say that name, I’ll wind up clucking like a chicken.
“Take it down a notch,” Charlie tells him. “I want to know what’s going on.”
