Page 59 of Pumpkin Spice Promises

She had said she used to love September 1st.

Used to.

Dad continued, “She was gone a lot once racing got serious, but she always came back for the festival. Even if she had an event the weekend before.”

“Then the accident,” I said pointing out the obvious.

“Then James died,” Jax added and leaned against the adjacent bay.

“So the festival disappeared because Carson didn’t host it anymore?”

“Basically.”

That sat wrong with me. The town had done nothing wrong, but I hadn’t understood how much of Willow Creek had been lost alongside James.

For Carson, the loss had obviously been bigger.

Her career.

Grandfather.

The future she had expected.

Maybe the festival had simply been one more thing she didn’t have the strength to carry.

I thought of the way her face changed earlier when Clover mentioned bringing it back to Marigold Ranch. It hadn’t been an annoyance. It had been absolute panic.

“She’s not going to agree.”

Dad glanced at me. “To what?”

“Hosting it at the ranch again.”

He shrugged. “Probably not,” he agreed.

“Clover thinks she will.”

“Clover thinks persistence is a personality trait.” Jax pointed out our sister’s most annoying trait.

“It is when she does it.” I agreed with him, thinking about how obnoxious our little sister could be once she put her head to something.

Jax checked his phone. “What time is the meeting?”

Dad looked toward him. “You’re going?”

“No.”

“You asked the time.”

“So I know when not to be near town hall.”

“Seven,” Dad said. Jax groaned. I looked at him.

“What?”

He held up his phone. A message from Clover filled the screen.

Clover