Page 98 of Just Act Natural

“I’m just feeling a little off. I’m okay.”

“She’s going home,” Grant says.

I glare at him. My admiration for hisin chargeside comes and goes. Right now, it’s gone. “Not until I check on the rest of the festival events. I have a job to do.”

“I can help.” Hope steps up looking just as worried as the rest of them. “What do you need me to do?”

“I don’t need anything. I can do it.” It will take approximatelythree hours to walk the single city block to the festival, but I can do it.

“Lila, please.”

My sister doesn’t fight fair. If she turned around and argued with me on this, I would just dig in and refuse to back down. But using her soft and gentle voice? I want to sag in defeat.

“You helped me with my festival. Let me help you with yours.”

Okay. I kind of do sag in defeat. At this point, everything should be fine. Nobody’s texted me with an emergency. So far, mine is the only setback for the day. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

“If you would just check in with Sonja. She’s handling the musical acts. I texted her this morning, but I wanted to see it for myself.”

“We’ll go right now.” She nods at Griffin, who didn’t need the encouragement to join her. “I’ll take some video for you. How about that?”

“Thank you.” It’s a whisper. I’m stupidly emotional.

Because I care so much about live music. Obviously.

“Now you need to get home and get to bed, young lady.” Mom manages to soothe and scold like I’m a little kid. It’s honestly kind of nice.

“I just want to see the market.” I’ve seen it before, but today, it’smine.

“Then I’ll help her get home,” Grant adds.

“Thank you so much.” Mom sounds like he just offered to give me a kidney.

“Take care of her.” Dad nods at him as though this is a solemn duty. But Grant nods back like he’s making a promise.

Okay, then. I’ll let him be in charge for a little while.

Grant scoops an arm around my waist, and we slowly start walking toward town square. Every step is a tiny torture. Truly,this was a terrible idea. I can just recuperate right here in the gutter, can’t I? That’s about as far as I want to walk surrounded by excitable crowds. I can’t bear having this many people see me so out of it, but the need to make sure I’ve done a good job overrules my tattered pride.

“When did this start?” he asks softly.

“This morning.” Probably don’t need to add that it’s getting worse.

I make it as far as the street bordering town square. Inside, colorful awnings cover market booths, and crowds swarm the stall aisles. Kids run around waving flags and dragging balloons behind them. It’s noisy, happy, festive fun. Exactly the way I’d hoped it would be.

I just wanted to have some of the festive fun, too.

I spot the refrigerated red Blackbird’s cart where Tess and Wren are selling hand pies. Next to them, August does a complicated dance featuring glow sticks that aren’t providing much glow in the bright sun.

I point him out. “August’s having a good time.”

A man with red hair pulled into a knot at the back of his head and a trim beard walks up to the cart. He wears a T-shirt and athletic shorts that reveal a prosthetic leg. He’s grinning at August, but it takes a second for Tess to finish up with a customer and turn to him. She’s obviously surprised, but even from here, I can tell she’s happy to see him.

True, she’s usually happy to see everyone, but this feels like a different sort of happy.

“Oh,” Grant says. “I didn’t know Ian Vaughn lived in Sunshine now.”

“Who’s Ian Vaughn?” I watch like a creep as Tess, August, and the man who must be their neighbor, Ian, walk together through the crowd, leaving Wren at the bakery cart grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

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