Page 57 of Reckless Harmony

Instead of telling her father he’d tattooed her, Nix eyed the three of them a final time before giving her father a stiff smile. “Always a pleasure talking with you, Reverend.”

He walked away as every muscle in Nola’s body went limp with relief.

CHAPTER 21

“Bachelorettes and bachelors! Can I have your attention, please?” Zuri whistled piercingly, and the chatter of voices quieted.

Rayna squeezed past Jesse, a local fireman and one of their bachelors, and joined Zuri as she smiled at the crowd.

They were standing backstage in what the community center called its studio - a large room with a small stage that local theatre groups often rented out. A heavy burgundy curtain was pulled across the stage, but Rayna could still hear the faint murmur of voices from the guests at the fundraiser.

Zuri, holding a clipboard and wearing a stunning turquoise dress that gleamed against her dark skin, took a deep breath. “I just got the news that tickets for the fundraiser are completely sold out.”

There was a smattering of applause and cheers, and Zuri grinned at everyone. “I appreciate each and every one of you and can’t thank you enough for helping to make this night a success. And it will be a success, I know it. Now, I have a few last-minute instructions for our bachelors and bachelorettes, so if you can join me, that would be great.”

As the eight men and eight women crowded around Zuri, Arianna joined Rayna. “Ray-Ray! Did you see how, like, sexy and beautiful the bachelorettes are?”

“I did,” Rayna said. “You did an amazing job on their makeup, Arianna.”

“I totally did,” Arianna said proudly. “Edna Bakersfield looks seventy instead of ninety.”

“Edna is eighty-one, not ninety,” Rayna said as she glanced at the elderly woman sitting on a chair with her cane planted firmly between her legs, staring at Zuri as she talked animatedly to her and the others.

“What happens when no one bids on her?” Arianna asked.

“Shh,” Rayna said with another glance at Edna.

“She can’t hear me,” Arianna said. “She turned her hearing aids off earlier. She said all the noise was giving her a headache. But seriously, what will you do when it’s crickets in the audience?”

“Someone will bid on her,” Rayna said.

“Sure, Ray-Ray. Cheri Ladd was the only bachelorette who wouldn’t let me do her makeup.” Arianna gave the white woman who managed The Gemstone Gallery an annoyed look. “She was, like, super rude about it too.”

“Sorry, sweetie,” Rayna said. “I appreciate you volunteering your time tonight.”

“Oh, it’s, like, no problem. You know I’d do anything for you.” Arianna grabbed her phone. “I’m going to go take some video of the crowd for my Instagram post. I’ll be right back.”

She headed toward the side stairs as Emma walked up and slung her arm around Rayna’s shoulders. “I have some good news for you.”

“Oh yeah?” Rayna said.

“The protesters are gone,” Emma said.

“What?” Rayna said. “How?”

“Grace Larken,” Emma said. “Or rather, her fiancé, Sheriff Walker. Lennox and Ian spoke with the protesters and asked them to stop, but they were ignored. So Grace called the sheriff, and he agreed to come by.”

“Oh my God, I could kiss her right now,” Rayna said. “How did the sheriff convince them to leave?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know the details, but the sheriff has a way with people, right? Even supreme assholes like the Reverend Norwood. It’s what makes him so good at his job.”

“I am definitely buying Grace dinner for this,” Rayna said.

“In not-so-good news,” Emma said, “Phoebe Edwards is here.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Rayna snapped. She walked toward the curtain and pulled aside one end, peeking out at the crowd of people who were starting to settle at their tables in the large space.

“On the left, near the front of the stage,” Emma pointed over Rayna’s shoulder.

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