Page 130 of You Found Me

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Della protested.

Aunt Martha snapped open a bag. “Don’t be silly, dear girl. It’s your first festival. You have to sample all of it until you’re almost sick. That’s a rule.”

“That sounds like a great rule to me.” Della’s eyes twinkled as she watched Aunt Martha fill the bag with apple jalapeño jelly, apple biscuits, apple tarts, apple bread, and two kinds of apple butter.

“I never knew apples could be turned into so many things,” Della said. “I’m in love.”

“I admit I do have quite the selection.” Aunt Martha gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then waved an admonishing finger at Ward. “I better see you both at the talent show. Mason’s been practicing his heart out.”

For some strange reason, she winked at Della.

Della’s eyes went wide before she buried her face in the cotton candy. “We’ll be there,” she said around a mouthful. “Can’t wait.”

“When’s the show?” Della said as they left Aunt Martha’s booth and continued down the street.

Ward checked the time. “We have about an hour.”

“Should we go save some seats?” She took in a deep breath. “What’s that smell? Barbecue?”

“Apple sausage.” He pointed to a nearby booth with a thankfully short line. This crowd made him itch. It was hard to keep everyone he thought could be a threat in view. Too many moving parts. He surreptitiously checked his phone and saw the text he’d been waiting for.

All set —Brick

“You seem tense. Is something wrong?” Della asked in his ear. “Should we go?”

He forced his shoulders to relax and tucked the phone away. “No. We’re good.”

A look of understanding crossed her face. “You don’t like crowds.”

“No.” He glanced around. Within about ten feet there were at least five men giving Della a side-eye of interest and two women who were not happy about it, along with a half dozen people oblivious to everything but their own circle of kids or pets. “Let’s take this buffet back to the square.”

“Okay.” She fell into step beside him. “I love crowds. Can’t you feel the energy? The excitement? Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”

Her face glowed as she said it, like she was a battery gathering charge.

“Not tonight.” He waved at Dad and Elyse as they passed by on their way to the stage area. “This is like keeping track of every piece of hay in a haystack and everybody has their own match.”

“Wow.” Her face dimmed. “Being with me is a lot of fun for you, isn’t it.”

Ward grimaced. He hadn’t meant to make her feel bad. “It’s not you. It’s the job.”

“The job,” she repeated, sounding hollow. “Right.”

As they drew closer to the stage, Della’s face fell a little further. “All the seats are full. Maybe we can stand by that building? Oh, or we could try along the other side by that stone wall?”

Ward nudged her shoulder and pointed to the left. “We can do better than that.”

A look of curiosity erased some of the disappointment in her eyes. “How?”

With the thrill of a surprise well planned, Ward led her to one of the large oak trees that grew along the building’s west side. Behind the tree was a little used emergency exit.

He knocked three times, then waited.

“Are we supposed to go in there?” Della asked, eyeing him with suspicion. “The building looks closed.”

“It is.” He flicked a smile at her as the door opened and Brick peered out.

“Password?” Brick said.