Ariel put her hand over her heart. “Poor Percy. He can’t handle you growing up and making your own decisions. Have you seen him today?”
She hadn’t been intentionally looking for her brother, but she’d spotted a face in the crowd a few times and thought it was him. “If he’s here, he’s probably avoiding me or concocting a plan to redirect my life.”
They both scanned the throng of people around them. Ariel grabbed Stella’s arm and stiffened beside her.
“What?” Stella asked. “Do you see him?”
“Yes,” Ariel said.
“Where?”
Ariel motioned with her head. “Over by the lemonade stand.”
Stella followed Ariel’s line of vision but didn’t see Percy. At the stand she saw a woman dressed in a flowery sundress and a man with a German shepherd on a short leash. “I don’t see Percy.”
“Not Percy,” Ariel whispered. “Liam.”
“Who’s Liam?” Stella asked. Rose petal–pink words rose fromthe rainbow painted on Ariel’s cheek.Ask me. Romantic. Sunset walk.“Wait, is this your client with the dog named Scout?”
Ariel nodded.
Stella nudged her with her elbow. “Go talk to him.”
“I can’t,” Ariel said. “What would I say?”
“Hello?”
Ariel laughed and then stopped and stared at Liam as he ordered a drink from the vendor. “What am I scared of?” Ariel asked, sounding like she was talking to herself. “You’re taking a chance on love with someone youknowcan’t stay forever, and I’m too afraid to take a chance on a guy I don’t even know. And therecouldbe a chance for something special. You’re right. I’m going to walk over there and say hello.” Then she winced. “Do I look ridiculous with my face painted?”
“You look adorable, and if Liam doesn’t think so, he can beat it. You don’t need to be with anyone who doesn’t embrace all of you.”
Joy stretched Ariel’s smile. “Wow, Stella, youhavechanged. Thank you for the encouragement. Wish me luck!”
“Good luck! But you don’t need it.”
Ariel bounced over toward Liam. As soon as Scout saw Ariel, her tail wagged, and Ariel bent down to pet her, causing Liam to engage with her immediately. Within less than a minute, they were both smiling and chatting like two people who’d planned to meet at the lemonade stand. As they walked off together, Stella squeezed the clipboard against her chest and felt buoyant with hope for everyone, including herself.
The day went much smoother than Stella had imagined. By afternoon, there had only been a few minor issues that were easy to fix. Although she remained on alert for problems, the festivalgoers and vendors sailed through the afternoon on a sea of enjoyment. She’d even seen Darcy and Crusoe a few times. To her surprise,Darcy had been playing a game of croquet with a trio of ladies who looked enraptured by his attention. Crusoe had been engaged in a lawn game of giant Jenga and appeared to be winning.
Later in the day Stella stopped by the donation tent for the charity her dad had started. The sight of all the contributions amazed her. “There’s so much,” she said.
Esther, one of the volunteers, agreed. “Twice as much as last year. You should have enough to create at least fifty care packages.”
Stella walked through the boxes of goods given by festivalgoers. “More than that,” she said. Her dad would have been thrilled by all the kindness shown to a cause he loved. “Thank you for all your help today.”
“My pleasure,” Esther said. “And we’ll make sure this is all sorted for you. Stack it in the same library room as last year?”
“Yes, thank you.”
After leaving the donation booth, Stella saw Darcy coming out of a photo booth with a woman dressed in Regency attire. They were both laughing while looking at the black-and-white photos. Crusoe had won an oversize teddy bear at a game of ring the bottle, and in the late afternoon when she saw them returning into the library with their hands full of food, she was thankful she’d broken the rules for them.
She’d caught sight of Jack a few times, but each time he’d been deeply engaged in conversation, and similarly to how she felt about giving Darcy and Crusoe their freedom, she experienced a squeeze of gratefulness for not monopolizing Jack’s last days in Blue Sky Valley.
The Ink Blots took the stage at 7:30 p.m., and Jack found Stella helping a young girl tie off a yellow water balloon. As he approached, Stella shielded her eyes from the setting sun. The girl ran off with her balloon, calling out to someone who should “run for their life.”
“They’re playing our song,” Jack said, holding out his hand for Stella.
She wiped her wet hands on her shorts. “We have a song?”
