Peach Pies and Alibis (13 page)

Maurelle smiled. “I haven’t talked to Candis for days. With the wedding only weeks
away, she’s been super busy. She’s no bridezilla or anything, but she and her stepmom
still have to organize the seating, the flowers, the dress, the food, and the booze.”
She wiped her forehead with the edge of
her apron. “A glass of chilled champagne sounds really good right about now. I am
so ready for summer to be over.”

Ella Mae thought of the harvest and of the stooped ash tree in the secret grove in
the mountains. Would she have more of an understanding of her own abilities by the
first official day of autumn? Would the mystery behind Melissa Carlisle’s death be
solved? Would Verena and the other elders find a replacement in time? Suddenly, she
realized that Maurelle was still talking.

“Sorry. I drifted off there for a second. What did you say?”

“Oh, just that Candis asked me to be her maid of honor and I have no idea what to
wear.” She touched the sleeve of her shirt. “And I don’t want to ask her to go shopping
with me when she has so much to do.” She hesitated. “Can you recommend a store that
isn’t too expensive?”

Ella Mae felt a rush of sympathy for Maurelle. Didn’t this quiet, hard-working young
woman have any other friends who could take her dress shopping?

With a prick of guilt, Ella Mae realized that she hadn’t made much of an effort to
get to know her new employee. Sure, she was aware of her medical history and had read
the facts written on her application, but she hadn’t asked Maurelle any personal questions.
She knew nothing of her family, where she came from, or even where she lived. “Listen,
I’d love to show you some of my favorite shops after work this week. After closing,
we could each go home, get cleaned up, and then spend a few hours finding you something
pretty and hip to wear.” She babbled on. “We could grab a bite to eat afterward. What
do you say?”

“That would be great.” Maurelle’s smile illuminated her whole face. The bells on the
front door tinkled, and she smoothed her apron and said, “They’re playing my song.”

That’s exactly how I feel every time I hear those sweet silver bells,
Ella Mae thought.

An hour later, Candis and Rudy arrived accompanied by a tall, Rubenesque woman with
strawberry blond hair. “I’m Freda Shaw,” she said, shaking Ella Mae’s hand with gusto.

“Freda’s my stepmom, but she’s more like my fairy godmother,” Candis explained, giving
Freda’s waist an affectionate squeeze. “If I didn’t love her as much as I do, I wouldn’t
have invited her to taste the goodies before the wedding. But here we are, and all
three of us skipped lunch so we’d be good and hungry.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve made more than enough,” Ella Mae said. “I wasn’t sure if your folks
were coming too, Rudy.”

He shook his head. “No, they had some mysterious wedding surprise to plan.” Glancing
at Candis, he shrugged. “They can’t get into too much trouble, right?”

She laughed and nudged Freda playfully. “We’re trying to keep everything low-key,
despite our parents. We’re both only children, and I think they want to pull out all
the stops, but as long as we’re together and have tasty things to eat, it’ll be perfect.”

“Tasty things to eat? That’s my cue.” Ella Mae led them over to a café table. “I’ve
put out water, but would anyone like coffee as well?”

“Oh, I would,” Freda said. “I’ve been in court all day and I’m worn out.”

Ella Mae thought she looked as fresh as one of her mother’s roses. Freda was probably
only a couple of years older than Ella Mae, but her smooth skin and intelligent gaze
gave her an air of ageless authority. She reminded Ella Mae of a younger version of
Verena.

Just then, Maurelle came out of the kitchen and, after receiving a big hug from Candis,
poured Freda’s coffee. Reba appeared a moment later bearing a tray laden with miniature
tarts.

“Because the wedding’s in September, I wanted to
include apples, so your first sample is a caramel apple cream cheese tart,” Ella Mae
explained.

Reba served Freda, greeting her with a reverent, “Nice to see you, Your Honor.”

As the trio took bites of the apple tart, Ella Mae introduced the second offering.
“This is a white chocolate tart with a garnish of raspberries, blueberries, and kiwi.
It’s very colorful, creamy, and refreshing.”

“Yum,” Rudy said. “This is how I’d like to get my daily serving of fruit.”

Ella Mae looked at Candis. “Do any of your guests have nut allergies?”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “We’ve shared meals with almost everyone who’s coming,
and I’ve never heard anyone mention an allergy.”

“Except for your daddy,” Freda interjected. “He’s got issues with penicillin.”

Candis nodded solemnly and turned to Ella Mae. “I’m afraid we’ll have to skip the
penicillin tart.”

Playing along, Ella Mae feigned disappointment. “In that case, your guests will have
to settle for this almond toffee tart. I like to pair creamy tarts with something
crunchy so that your guests can enjoy a variety of textures.”

After suggesting that they all cleanse their palettes with water, she signaled for
Maurelle to bring out the next round of samples.

“This one’s the richest of our selections.” Ella Mae indicated a trio of dark chocolate
tarts garnished with a white chocolate dove. “I can use white chocolate shavings if
you’d rather not have the dove.”

“No, I love it!” Candis exclaimed, plucking the bird garnish from the tart. She held
it up to the light. “It’s so thin. How did you make this?”

“I pipe the chocolate onto wax paper and then chill it.
No two doves will look exactly the same, but I like the contrast of dark brown and
white.”

“Me too,” Freda agreed. “One doesn’t quite stand out without the other.” She stared
at her with such intensity that Ella Mae wondered if she’d done something to reveal
her magical abilities.

Breaking eye contact with the judge, Ella Mae pointed at the next tart. “This is lemon
mascarpone with a garnish of honey-glazed strawberries. The mascarpone was made by
Lynn and Vaughn Sherman.” She gestured at the samples. “In fact, all of the herbs,
fruits, and cheesees are locally grown. The honey too.”

A shadow crossed Freda’s face, and in that moment, Ella Mae knew that Freda was one
of her kind. She couldn’t say exactly how she knew with such certainty, but she did.
It was a powerful feeling arising from the depths of her being, like the instant bond
between a mother and her newborn child. She recognized a fellow creature who shared
her origins, and it felt good because she sensed Freda was good.

“Next up is a bourbon molasses pecan tart,” Ella Mae continued, trying to redirect
her focus. “You can’t have a Southern wedding without bourbon.”

“Unless we’re talking about Uncle Hoyt,” Rudy mumbled around a bite of tart. “He gets
his hands on bourbon and he’ll start serenading the lawn gnomes again.”

They all laughed. Maurelle refilled the water glasses and then Ella Mae told her to
join her friend at the table. “I’ve saved the best for last. Because you’re as sweet
and pretty as a Georgia peach, Candis, the centerpiece will be filled with mini peach
meringue tarts with a garnish of candied ginger curls. Except for the one on top.
That one will have a pair of caramelized sugar hearts so that you two have something
to feed each other. Your families would never forgive me if you didn’t give them that
Kodak moment.”

“Wow!” Candis breathed after swallowing a piece of peach tart. “This is delicious!
They all are! Everything tastes so amazing! How do you do it?”

Ella Mae’s heart swelled with pride. “Using fresh, seasonal ingredients is key.” She
held out her hands, indicating the remaining tarts. “So which ones would you like
to include on your dessert buffet?”

Candis and Rudy exchanged smiles. “All of them!” they said in unison.

Freda chuckled. “I couldn’t agree more. And the desserts for the wedding are my treat,”
she told the couple, and then held up a finger to stop them from arguing. “I won’t
take no for an answer. Candis, your daddy gets to pay for the flowers and the dress,
so let me take care of the food. It would mean the world to me if I could contribute.”

Candis leaned over and hugged her stepmother. Freda held her tightly, her eyes growing
moist with unshed tears.

“Oh, don’t cry!” Candis scolded with a tremble in her voice. “I’m not going anywhere.
Rudy and I will always be close by.”

“I know,” Freda whispered, sniffing. “I can’t help it. I’m just so proud of what a
lovely young woman you’ve become.” She smiled warmly at Rudy. “And what a fine choice
of husband you’ve made.”

Reba cleared her throat. “I’m gonna blubber all over this tablecloth in a minute.
How about I fix you all a glass of cold lemonade? You can sit out on the front porch
and rock away some of those tarts.”

“You’re spoiling us,” Candis said, but she and Rudy pushed back their chairs and stood
up. Since there were no more customers in the pie shop, Ella Mae told Maurelle to
join her friends on the porch.

“I’ll be along shortly,” Freda told Candis. “Ella Mae and I need to hash out the numbers
first.”

“Are you okay?” Ella Mae asked Freda when they were alone. “You looked really sad
a minute ago.”

Freda watched Reba carry a pitcher of lemonade and three clean glasses outside. Her
face became etched with sorrow. “That’s because I’m going to miss her so much.”

Ella Mae put her hand on Freda’s. “You heard Candis. She’ll always be nearby.”

“I know,” Freda said. “It’s me who won’t be there. I won’t see her first house or
hold her children. I won’t be able to meet her for lunch or give her advice. I love
that girl as if she were my own flesh and blood, and it’s breaking my heart to think
that I can’t even say good-bye to her.”

“I don’t understand.” Ella Mae felt the stirrings of alarm. “Why can’t you tell Candis
where you’re going?”

“Because I’ve volunteered.” Freda spoke very softly. “I’m to become the next Lady
of the Ash.”

Ella Mae sank onto a kitchen stool and cradled a mug of coffee in her hands. She and
Reba were the only ones left in the pie shop.

“Poor Candis,” she murmured, feeling no comfort from the warm ceramic against her
palms.

“It’s a huge sacrifice, to be sure,” Reba said, untying her apron and unstrapping
the holster from beneath her T-shirt. “Lord, that feels good! I was sweatin’ like
a fat man in the sauna!”

Ella Mae wasn’t listening. “Freda seems like a great choice.”

Reba nodded. “Sure is. She’s smart and tough and fair. That’s what makes her such
a good judge. Her courtroom experience will make her a great Lady of the Ash. And,
yes, her husband and Candis are gonna be hurt, but Freda’s doin’ something bigger
than herself. Without her, it’d be the end of our sacred grove.”

“I can’t believe there isn’t another way to preserve our magic.”

Reba set her gun down on the worktable. “We pay a price for being what we are. I don’t
know why, but it’s been this way for a thousand years. Freda was always meant to serve
her people. Her name comes from Elfreda or Aelfthrynth.” She pronounced the latter
as “elf-thrith.” “Means counselor to the elves.”

Ella Mae took a sip of coffee. “Over the summer, I remember you saying that there’s
power in a person’s name and I looked up everyone in one of those baby name books.
Verena means truth, my mother’s first and middle names combine to mean ruler of the
moon, Delia is named after the birthplace of Artemis, the goddess of wild animals,
Sissy comes from Cecilia, or patron of music, and your name, Rebekah, means to tie,
bind, or protect.”

“That’s right. I’m bound to protect the LeFaye family. Specifically you and your mama.
I was born to do it.” She studied Ella Mae. “Is somethin’ else troublin’ you besides
Freda’s announcement?”

“Yes, there is. All of you were given names that helped define your role in life,”
Ella Mae said, feeling tired and confused. “But Ella just means ‘enchanted’ or ‘beautiful
fairy.’ That, paired with the month of May, has no significance. How does being named
Ella Mae explain my purpose?”

Sliding the pistol into her purse, Reba shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers, sugar.
Nothin’ about you fits the standard operatin’ procedure. You’re the child of two magical
parents. That’s not supposed to be possible. You had an Awakenin’ in your thirties.
Unheard of. My girl, there’s somethin’ mighty special about you, but you have to figure
out what that means.” She touched Ella Mae’s cheek. “Maybe it’s time for you to start
readin’ the books in your
mama’s library. And I’m not talkin’ about
Pride and Prejudice
. I’m talkin’ about the hidden ones.”

“That’s an excellent idea.” Ella Mae perked up as she recalled the secret niche behind
in the mantel. “I’ll start tonight.”

“Just don’t try to take in too much at once,” Reba said. “You could go crazy lookin’
for the whys and hows of things that can’t be explained. Don’t forget to walk through
the garden when the stars are first comin’ out or do a cannonball into the lake durin’
a pink and orange sunrise. You’ve got a life to live, Ella Mae. Even though you can’t
see where your path is leadin’, you still need to walk it.”