Page 119 of Out on a Limb
“Helen is planning a—” She stopped, her head tipping to one side as her face scrunched a little. “It’s a pageant, but not in the traditional sense.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“It actually does a little.” Collette smiled and wiggled her brows at me. “The areas of competition for this one are a little different. Like, instead of a talent competition, she calls it a skill demonstration.” Collette’s excitement was obvious as she rocked up on the toes of her sneakers. “I’m really hoping for some sharpshooters and martial artists.”
She wasn’t kidding about this being outside the normal pageant expectations. “Do you think she’ll get many entrants?”
“She’s got over a hundred applications already.” Collette bent to put her purse into one of the locking cabinets under the counter. “I think it’s going to be a pretty big deal.”
And one more thing to add to Collette’s already full plate. “When is this happening?”
“That’s what Helen’s trying to figure out now.” Collette flipped on the lights one by one. “But she’s got to get her venues all lined up first.” She turned to face me. “So what do you do here this early in the morning?”
It was the question I’d been hoping she would ask.
“I walk around the park.”
Collette’s eyes held mine as a flash of sadness moved across her face.
But it didn’t linger.
“Can we come with you?”
“Absolutely you can.” I reached for her, holding my breath until she took my hand.
That might be how it was for a while.
Me always waiting for the minute she realized I wasn’t really what she thought I was.
Except Collette seemed to really know me. More than anyone else ever had.
The second her fingers locked with mine I could breathe again.
We walked through the main building, using the same doors the general public did to enter the garden her family grew and expanded, filling it with artifacts and plants most people would never get to see anywhere else.
The digital age might have tempered some of the general excitement around the garden, but it was still one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen.
“I want to start hosting events again.” Collette walked along beside me, her eyes far away as Phillip pecked along the edge of the walkway. “I want the garden to go back to the way it was.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” I caught the words as they came out, managing to quickly add the qualifier they needed. “I think it’s going to end up better than it was.”
Her gaze lifted to meet mine. “You think?”
“I know.” While her grandfather’s distraction initially seemed like a hindrance, it might actually turn out to be what saved the garden.
He wasn’t there to keep dragging it down.
Collette’s eyes went to the bricked path in front of us. “You have more faith in me than I do.”
“Then you need to get with the program.” I glanced in the windows as we passed the offices. “Because you are definitely the most capable person around here.”
“It might not matter if my granddad wants to be difficult.” Collette let out a long breath. “I can’t keep letting Alan do what he’s doing.” Her tone was sad now. “And when I tell my granddad, there’s a chance he’ll lash out at me instead of the person who deserves it.”
“You really think he’s that unreasonable?” I couldn’t imagine someone would be so willing to cut off their nose to spite their face.
Even him.
“I really think he’s that committed to living the life he wants to live.” Collette reached out to run her fingers along the wide, glossy leaves of a line of magnolias. “And finding out Alan is fucking him over will force him to have to do something about it.”
