The Last of the Moon Girls(85)

Lizzy eyed her warily. “Should I be worried?”

Rhanna feigned a pout. “I’m going to ignore that. There’s a New Age festival coming up in New Bay, Connecticut. I called last week, and they had a few tables left. We thought we’d take some of Evvie’s honey and some of this stuff, and make some quick cash.”

Lizzy peered over Rhanna’s shoulder, scanning the neatly labeled containers on the shelf. Gardener’s salve made with dandelion flowers, lemon-mint salt scrub, almond-coconut body butter. There were even tiny pots of honey-vanilla lip balm. Not bad, considering the limited materials she’d had to work with.

“That’s what you’ve been doing out here? Making stuff for a festival?”

Rhanna beamed. “We didn’t want to say anything until we knew we’d have enough inventory, and we will by the time the festival rolls around. Evvie has her bracelets and her honey. I’ll be doing readings too. It won’t pay the property taxes, but it’ll keep the lights on, and I did promise I’d earn my keep. I know it’s not really your thing, but you don’t need to go. Evvie and I can handle it while you do what you need to do here.”

Lizzy shook her head, smiling. “Althea always said you had Roma blood in your veins. When is this festival?”

“This weekend. Ben from the hardware store is lending us a big umbrella and some stuff to hang up signs.”

Lizzy’s brows lifted at the mention of Ben’s name. “How did he get involved?”

“I’m not sure. Apparently, Evvie mentioned the fair and he jumped at the chance to help. Sounds like maybe he’s crushing on our Evvie.”

“I think that street runs both ways,” Lizzy said, grinning. “A couple weeks back, she was loading a box of honey to take to the hardware store, and she was wearing lipstick.”

“Lipstick? Evvie?”

“Earrings too.”

“Peter, Paul, and Mary,” Rhanna breathed, a slow grin lifting the corners of her mouth. “A romance right here on Moon Girl Farm. I’m definitely going to have fun with this.”

“Yeah, well, she buttoned up tighter than a deacon’s wife when I brought it up, so don’t expect her to admit it.”

Rhanna tapped her lower lip thoughtfully. “On second thought, maybe I should leave it alone. I’ve just gotten in her good graces, and I’d like to stay there.” A bead of perspiration trickled from her temple. She blotted it on the sleeve of her T-shirt. “Good grief, it’s hot. Want to break for some ice cream?”

“Can’t. I’m headed to the bank to pick up some paperwork and make an appointment with a loan officer.”

Rhanna nodded grimly. “Right. Maybe later. We could go to the Dairy Bar and share a banana split. It’s still there, right?”

“Yup. Still there. I was surprised how little downtown had changed, though we actually have a vape shop now, and a tattoo parlor.”

“Wow. In a town like Salem Creek, that’s progress. As I recall, there was never much of anything to do in this town. Unless you knew the right people.”

“The right people?”

“Ahem . . .” Rhanna cocked a brow. “The Hanley boys?”

Lizzy frowned, bewildered. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the Hanley farm—the one right behind ours, with all the bright yellow NO TRESPASSING signs posted all over the place. The old man liked to pretend no one knew what he was growing back there, but we all did. It was the worst kept secret in Salem Creek.”

“What he was . . .” Lizzy’s mouth dropped open. “You mean pot?”

Rhanna rolled her eyes. “Yes, honey. I mean pot.”

“I thought they grew corn.”

“Oh, they did. It’s just not all they grew. Good thing too, or those boys wouldn’t have had any friends. They were such an odd pair. Whatever happened to them anyway?”

“Hollis died in a car crash not long after he got back from Afghanistan. Dennis works part-time for Andrew, and helps take care of Hollis’s daughter. I wouldn’t have thought him the family-man type, but I guess we don’t always know what someone’s going through. Maybe it changed him.”

Rhanna nodded, her eyes suddenly shiny. “Time has a way of doing that,” she said softly. “And if you’re really lucky, it gives you a second chance.”





THIRTY-TWO

Lizzy was in and out of the bank in under an hour, leaving her plenty of time to run her final errand. Evvie had asked her to drop off another dozen jars of honey at the hardware store while out, and pick up a trellis for the honeysuckle vine she was planning to train for her bees. Lizzy hadn’t been able to resist teasing her, expressing surprise that Evvie would pass up a chance to see Ben again. Evvie’s response had been a grunt and a less than convincing scowl.

The hardware store parking lot was nearly empty when Lizzy pulled in. She chose a spot near the door and grabbed the carton of honey. A string of brass bells jangled as she pushed inside. She headed for the sales counter at the back of the store, where she was greeted by a stocky man with skin like leather and hair the color of freshly fallen snow.

“Afternoon.”

“Are you Ben?”

“Guilty as charged. How can I help?”