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“According to Indy, they want a man to strip for them at book club.” Cash’s grin is downright evil. “Fender must be the chosen one.”
“Not stripping,” I say and continue toward the diner.
“I bet you’d strip for Leia,” Cash hollers after me and I give him the finger.
I’m not stripping for Leia. No matter how sexy the little firecracker is. She’s off limits to a man like me.
Chapter 3
Pagan festival – an excuse for the town of Winter Falls to throw a party
Leia
“What’s Litha?” Isla asks as we walk toward the town center for the festival. Or, rather, I walk. Isla is skip-running. I keep a death grip on her hand before she gets ahead of me and ends up lost in the crowd.
“It’s the summer solstice.” I think. I didn’t exactly read up on pagan festivals before I came to Winter Falls. I didn’t realize I needed to.
“I know what it is!” Indigo says as she jogs across the street toward us with Virginia.
Indigo and Virginia are recent arrivals in Winter Falls as well. Indigo decided her and Virginia are my new best friends. Since I don’t exactly have time to make new friends, I didn’t complain about her declaration.
“Is this Isla?” Virginia asks.
“Isla, meet my friend Virginia.”
Isla waves to her while Virginia bounces on her toes.
“She’s adorable! She’s your mini-me.”
No matter how many times someone says Isla is my carbon copy, I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Of hearing how my daughter doesn’t resemble him.
“Do you know what Litha is?” Isla asks Indigo since she doesn’t enjoy being reminded of how much she resembles her mom.
“It marks an important transitional moment in the Earth’s seasonal cycle. Fertile energy is at its peak and new life is rapidly growing,” Indigo says. I assume she knows since she’s a fourth-grade teacher at the local school.
“How do you celebrate Litha?” I ask.
Indigo shrugs and Virginia raises her hands. “Don’t ask me. My boss, Gratitude, pretty much refuses to explain any local traditions to me. I’m apparently just supposed to know them.”
Virginia is the local librarian. She’s taking over from Gratitude assuming the elderly lady ever agrees to retire. Thus far, she’s refusing to so much as slow down.
“I guess we’ll see,” Indigo sings. She grabs Isla’s hand, and they skip ahead of us toward Main Street.
“How are …” My question trails off when we reach the town square.
Two poles are set up in the middle of the square with a pile of hay in between them. There’s a long line of people standing on one side of the square. What’s going on here?
“What are they waiting for?” Virginia asks.
“Let’s go find out.”
“Um…” She glances around the square and the crowd of people.
I grasp her hand and drag her along. “There’s no reason to be scared.”
She scowls at me. “Being shy doesn’t mean I’m scared.”
“Good because I think this is a competition of some sort.”
