She blinked, looking back at Finn. “Yeah.”
His eyes were locked on her. “What are you thinking about?”
She tossed a glance at Kelsey, saw her friend engaged in a discussion with Chet, but Finn didn’t even seem to notice.
Harper reached for his hand and threaded her fingers through his. “I’m thinking that I’m glad to be here with you.”
Finn tightened his grip as if he could keep her grounded while her imagination slipped away.
Smiling, she settled back into her plush seat. In the end, Finn Sterling was also one of the good guys.
A shuffle onstage as Sissie removed the microphone from its stand and welcomed the guests. “I know none of you came tonight to hear me talk, but what you are about to experience is something extraordinary. Not only do we have Kelsey Cantor and Clella Vinton portraying two resilient women from two different generations, both deceived by the same man, but this film exposes the dark underworld of the Cleveland mafia.
“More importantly, this is a story inspired by two women determined to overcome, and we’re proud to have one of them here with us.”
The audience applauded as she introduced Isadore, Harper, and then the rest of the team. Thankfully, Sissie spared them the pigs-in-a-blanket story that had entertained the crew on set.
“I hope the critics likeMoonflower Lake,” she said. “But no matter what they say, I am immensely proud of our work.”
As the lights dimmed, velvet ruffled with the curtain’s dramatic rise and the magic of Hollywood began. The many words she’d written morphed into images. Beginning with the sunset at Ashe Lake, Olivia stared at apatch of moonflowers on the lakeshore before turning slowly to see a tween boy step out from the shadowed woods.
Harper had already seen clips of the movie, knew the dialogue by heart, but watching it unfold on the big screen, her off-the-rail wanderings molded into a story, was beyond her many dreams.
The research assistant had confirmed that Simon was not only wrapped up in the mob but his mother, Ruth Farrow, had been born into a Cleveland crime family. She promptly left that life behind for college in Winfield and then marriage to Dr. Farrow, but after her death, all sorts of mess followed Simon’s return to her family in the underworld—illegal horse racing, money laundering, running as a middleman between Cleveland’s criminal establishment and mostly legitimate businesses in Philadelphia.
Harper had tidied up some of the messier threads since they only had ninety minutes for Izzy and Olivia to outsmart the man trying to kill them both. In the end, Sissie showed much better than Harper could ever tell what Izzy and Olivia were up against. While Harper cringed at the more violent scenes, they were necessary, she decided, to demonstrate how the women needed each other to survive.
Through this film, Harper prayed, their stories would live on.
Finn leaned over as her name rolled up the screen, the film credits overlaying a moonflower garden. “It was wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
“Eli was a hero,” he said, surprised at that twist.
“In real life and on the screen.”
She glanced toward Isadore, and the woman was glowing. Kelsey had captured the dreams and doubts of a starry-eyed girl from Elms, Ohio, and transformed her into an indomitable force determined to stop Simon Farrow and save her children.
Kelsey hopped over the front row in her gown and hugged Harper. “It’s going to be a blockbuster.”
“You think?”
“Absolutely. A story told straight from your wandering heart.” She glanced up at the gilded ceiling before looking back at Harper. “Your mom would be proud.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Thank you.”
She’d stay in Los Angeles for the next month with Kelsey, partnering with her to promote the film. Then... she wasn’t certain where she would go next. Kelsey would always be like a sister to her, but California no longer felt like home.
Sissie kissed Harper’s cheek before whisking Kelsey and Chet away to the after-party.
As the crowd buzzed across the theater, Finn wrapped his arm around Harper and pulled her close. “I hope you’re planning to wander your way back to Haven House soon.”
The lights. The voices. The lingering scent of popcorn and perfume. All of it faded.
A safe place in Catawba. Near Finn.
She couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.
