As we took our time walking back towards the festivities, Bale curiously looked at me. “What’s the deal with your dad’s whole S.P.A.R.K.L.E. bullshit anyway?”
I rolled my eyes, recalling the night Dad came home after his team lost their bowling tournament. “I don’t know. It was something he embraced during a midlife crisis, after an incident involving an Elvis impersonator, one of those claw machines, and a bucket full of nacho cheese.”
Shrugging, I effortlessly recited the seven steps. “He went on about soul searching, pride, awakenings, radiance, kale, luminosity, andextrasparkle. Decided it was his calling to help others embrace all those principles to avoid others from ‘living withoutliving.’”
“Shit. Who knew Corbin and I had been living the past century all wrong?” He snorted in amusement before furrowing his brows in deeper thought.
“Aren’t radiance and luminosity basically the sa?—”
I lifted a hand to stop him right there. “Lost cause on that one. He says radiance is what you show to others, and luminosity is how brightly you show it.Trust me, it’s been a point of contention resulting in hour-long lectures during family game nights.”
So many fucking game nights ruined.
Bale raised his hands in surrender with an amused chuckle, not questioning my dad’s S.P.A.R.K.L.E. logic any further. It was for the best.
Arriving back at the courtyard, we joined both my parents and Beth at the far corner of the platform’s base.Dr. Eloise Gibbons stood at the podium and made the official introduction to the crowd.
“It is my honor to introduce our newly elected Mayor Lenoir! Wade, why don’t you come up here and say a few words?”
Dad made his way through the crowd, jogging up the stairs to the podium, all while waving a hand at all those giving him well-deserved applause.
Even Bale was clapping for him—barely—but I had to smile at the effort he made.
I glanced around as my dad fidgeted with the microphone, resulting in a few moments of screeching feedback. Leaning over, I whispered to Bale, “Where’s Corbin? I thought he said he would be here?”
Seemingly unbothered, he shrugged. “He said he had a few things to work on and he’d meet us later.”
Before I could ask any more questions, my dad’s voice boomed from the brand-new speakers set up on the edge of the stage.
“Thank you, thank you. It is such an honor to be opening this year’s fall festival. Wow! One hundred years of tradition right here and now in the pleasant little town of Falston.” He paused as his finger suspiciously wiped beneath his eye.
Sentimental bastard.
He launched into his speech that he had made Beth and me listen to at least fifteen times this week. Each variation of it had become more emotionally charged than the one before it.
Before we had left the house tonight, he had sworn he had finally figured out his clinching one-liner to end his first official speaking engagement as Falston’s mayor.
Dad made no mention of the corn maze chase. Instead, he only focused on activities that had a little less black magic cast over them.
At the end of his opening remarks, his tone grew even more expressive, if that were even possible. Raising a single finger, he imparted some all-important advice to his constituents.
“And remember, you can’t spell S.P.A.R.K.L.E. without kale! Now, let’s go have some fall festival fun!”
Epilogue
PART II
Bale’s cap was a few sizes too big for my head, making it the perfect blindfold as he led me down into the library’s archives section.
“I don’t get why you’re being so secretive about this,” I whined while nervously tugging at the sleeves of my black, long-sleeved crop shirt.
His fingers tightened on my shoulders as he guided me off the final step into the basement.
“Stay right here,” he ordered, making sure I was steady before he released me. His footsteps were silent on the worn carpet, making it difficult to determine how far he had gone.
Patience was rarely my strong suit, but I stood there barely resisting the temptation to lift the brim of the cap away from my eyes.
The scent of apples and shadows indicated someoneelse was down here with us—Corbin. A smile spread across my face at the indication of his familiar presence.
