Daniella waved to two teenagers dressed as fairies on the far side of the room. “My part-time staff are looking after everyone. They’ll call me if anything happens.” With a gleam in her eyes, Daniella led Harper across to two large wooden doors. “Welcome to the room where the magic begins.”
To Harper, the storage room was like an Aladdin’s cave of secret treasure. Most of the props were from movie sets and auction houses, each telling their own special story of the reason they were created.
Daniella walked around an enormous chandelier and stood in front of a set of shelves. “These are some pieces I think will work.” She held up a pair of lanterns adorned with intricate metalwork. “I have a dozen of these. When they’re turned on, their soft glow looks like fireflies dancing in the moonlight.”
Harper’s eyes widened. The lanterns were so pretty she couldn’t believe Daniella wasn’t already using them for events. “They’ll be wonderful.” She turned around and picked up a vintage plate. “What about your collection of mismatched crockery? They’d look amazing on the tables.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Daniella took another plate off the pile that was sitting on a shelf. “I bought these at an auction last year. There are more than enough for what we’ll need, and it would save having to rent any.”
“There you go,” Harper said as she ran her hand along the top of a wine barrel. “This room’s awesome. There’s so much you could use.” As they foraged through long-forgotten boxes, Harper asked, “How are the rest of the wedding plans coming along?”
Daniella lifted a silver candelabra out of a box and placed it beside the lanterns. “Mostly good, I think. I’m meeting Emily next week to choose a dress. She’s the fashion designer from Bozeman I told you about. Harrison’s picked out his suit, but I’m still fretting over the guest list and the menu. It feels like a thousand tiny details are still floating around.”
Harper reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Daniella’s arm. “You’re doing great, and it’s all going to come together beautifully.”
“Mom told me the same thing.” Daniella’s cell phone pinged, and she read the text. With a frown, she looked at Harper. “It’s from Owen. He wants to know if I’ve seen you.”
“I wonder why he didn’t call me?” Harper took her phone out of her pocket. “I forgot to turn off the ‘Do Not Disturb’ message.” As soon as she turned it off, six messages appeared. They were all from Daniella’s brother.
The last text made her breath catch. “Something’s happened,” she told Daniella as she quickly dialed Owen’s number. “I hope Granddad’s okay.” With her mom staying with them, Harper hadn’t worried too much about visiting The Fairy Forest. As long as she was home before dinner, her mom and granddad were happy for her to catch up with her friend.
Owen answered his phone almost immediately. “Harper, thank goodness. Have you talked to your mom?”
“No, I haven’t,” she replied, her voice trembling. “My phone was on ‘Do Not Disturb’. What’s happened?”
Owen took a deep breath, and Harper braced herself for the possibility of bad news. “It’s your granddad. He had a fall in his garage. An ambulance took him to the hospital in Polson. The paramedics think it could be another stroke.”
“A stroke?” The world around Harper seemed to pause, the colors and textures of the treasures they’d found fading into a blur. Daniella must have noticed Harper’s distress. She moved closer, her expression turning from curiosity to concern.
“If you want to go to the hospital, I’ll pick you up.”
“Thanks, Owen.”
Daniella touched Harper’s arm. “What’s happened?”
“Granddad might’ve had another stroke,” Harper told her friend as her mind raced through worst-case scenarios. “Owen’s taking me to the hospital.”
“Where are you now?” Owen asked.
“I’m at The Fairy Forest with Daniella.” Harper picked up her jacket and bicycle helmet. “I could meet you out the front of the building.”
“I’ll be there in about five minutes.” Owen sounded a lot calmer than Harper felt. “Leave your bicycle there,” he added. “We’ll pick it up later.”
While she waited for Owen, Daniella stood beside her. “At least your granddad wasn’t alone.”
Harper bit her bottom lip. “He shouldn’t have been in the garage. The physical therapist told him it was too dangerous.”
Daniella frowned. “Because of what’s in there?”
Harper shook her head. “Granddad and his friends make wooden toys for the children at The Welcome Center. It’s okay when someone’s with him, but he must’ve convinced Mom to let him go into the garage on his own. He could have hit his head on something when he fell.”
Her heart rate kicked up a notch when she saw Owen’s black truck approaching them. “Thanks for waiting with me, Daniella. I’ll call you when I know what’s happening.”
Daniella hugged her. “That would be great.”
As soon as Harper pulled on her seatbelt, Owen drove out of the parking lot. She’d never been so glad to see him. “Have you had an update from Mom?”
“Not yet. Can you let her know you’re with me?”
