By dusk, Main Street had transformed.
Light strings flickered to life overhead, weaving golden nets between the buildings. The air shimmered with the smell of grilled corn, cinnamon sugar, and woodsmoke drifting from the fire pits Rhett and Frank had set up on the beach. Kids shrieked with laughter as they careened down Harbor Street between the balloon darts and beanbag games, their pockets stuffed with saltwater taffy.
Emma, dressed in a pink, floral sundress, was more than happy with her assignment at the ring toss stall. She even brought Shelby to keep her company.
And the signs… it was safe to say the signs worked.
I saw Dot and Florence’s shop door propped open, people streaming in and out with little paper bags clutched in theirhands. Joe’s bookstore had a line down the block, the promise of a handpicked literature sale too tempting to pass by. When I peeked through his window, he turned to me, pressed his palm to his heart and mouthed, “Thank you.”
“This is chaos,” Janice muttered as she appeared at my elbow, dressed in a pale yellow sundress.
“The best kind,” I replied, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
Just then, a ripple went through the crowd. Onlookers turned, whispers moving faster than light.
“The Governor,” someone murmured behind us.
And there he was, striding down the middle of Main Street, flanked by two aides who looked far too serious to be carrying corndogs. He stopped every few feet, shaking hands, taking pictures, laughing in that practiced-but-effective politician way. At his side, wrapped around his arm like she belonged there, was none other than Claire. When they turned to us, I could’ve sworn I was momentarily blinded by the collective whiteness of their teeth.
I didn’t know which was more shocking: theGovernorat a Bluebell Cove festival, or Claire somehow managing to rise from the ashes in the span of a day. Janice and I watched in disbelief as they moved from booth to booth, purchasing something here and there, the jacket of his tux slung over his shoulder.
I glanced at her, and as if reading my mind, she said, “The first timethat’sever happened.”
That was it. Bluebell Cove would officially be on the map, and not just as a seasonal tourist destination. Maybe next year, we wouldn’t even need the Summer’s End Festival to survive until the next one. Something told me, though, we’d still be putting it on no matter what.
As the Governor drew the crowd, my eyes drifted toward the far end of the street. Behind the row of booths, sandwiched between the glow of The Button Jar and Gulliver’s Books.
Marigold’s.
Light spilled through the windows—how had I missed it?
My feet moved before my mind caught up. I hadn’t touched the breaker box since the day I closed everything down. And yet… was I seeing things? A line of people streamed frommystoop and down the sidewalk. Curious eyes from the queue stuck to me as I passed them. I wanted to ask what was going on—
No sign hung above the door. Not Marigold’s. Not anything. Just the glow spilling through the papered front windows.
My breath caught.
Janice called after me, but I barely heard her. I slipped through the rest of the line, murmuring apologies, and pushed the door open.
The bell chimed.
And the world stopped.
I stepped into a dream.
Gone were the piles of trash, empty buckets, and floral coolers that had no place to go. In their place stood wooden shelves and tables, sturdy and simple, every surface filled with pottery.Mypottery. Bowls in ocean blues, mugs glazed in honey gold, vases speckled like sand. Each piece set carefully, somehow more perfect than I could’ve imagined.
I lifted a hand to my mouth, knees growing weak.
“Thought you’d find your way in here eventually.”
The voice came from the back.
Rhett stepped out from behind a display, wiping his hands on a rag. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, a splotch of yellow paint smudged near his wrist. He wore that grin—crooked, steady, warm—aimed right at me.
“Rhett,” I whispered.
He didn’t rush. He just walked toward me, like he had all the time in the world, like he knew I’d wait. “It was a bit of a late night, I’ll admit. But I think it was worth it.”
