I wait for my heart to break, but it can’t. It already has.
“Wait!” A woman’s shout rises above the applause.
Judith Collins charges toward the stage, her silver-streaked braid flying behind her, tablet held over her head.
Mrs. Abernathy lowers the microphone. “Judith?”
“I found it. Proof Candi Honeycutt is a liar and a cheat!”
Candi’s smile vanishes as whispers ripple through the crowd.
Judith reaches the stage and thrusts the tablet toward Mayor Wren.
“The historical society recorded opening night for the town archives,” she explains breathlessly. “We placed cameras throughout the festival grounds. The stage, the boardwalk, the rides—everywhere. I heard what happened on the Ferris wheel, so I reviewed the footage.”
Pink sparks flash between Candi’s twitching fingers.
Judith whirls on her. “Don’t even think about it. I spent three years digitizing the town’s newspaper collection onto this iPad. I will take you down with my bare hands.”
Mayor Wren takes the tablet and presses play while Mrs. Abernathy huddles beside him. A few moments later, they exchange horrified murmurs.
Hope pushes through the cracks in my heart.
Maybe they’ll finally believe me.
Maybe Candi will finally have to answer for what she’s done.
Mayor Wren stops the video and strides toward Candi. Without a word, he removes the rhinestone crown from her head.
“What are you doing?” she squawks. “That proves nothing. The footage could have been altered.”
Judith guffaws. “The historical society wouldnever.”
“Deputy, please escort Ms. Honeycutt to the station. I believe she has several questions to answer.” Mayor Wren motionstoward the sheriff’s deputy standing at the edge of the crowd who startles then jumps into action.
Candi’s face loses all color.
“And, Candi,” Mayor Wren continues, “you are disqualified from the Frosting Queen competition and hereby permanently banned from participating in any Crescent Cove festivals.”
“You can’t do that!”
“As mayor and chairman of the festival committee, I assure you I can,” he says as Mrs. Abernathy pulls the sash from Candi’s shoulder.
The sheriff’s deputy meets Candi at the edge of the stage. She leaves with her shoulders rigid and every townsperson finally knowing the truth.
Mayor Wren turns toward me. “Lila, we owe you an apology. We should have listened years ago. I’m sorry.”
Around the stage, people begin offering apologies of their own. The voices swell until I can no longer separate one from another.
Mrs. Abernathy clears her throat. “With Candi Honeycutt disqualified, the contestant who received the next highest combined score from the judges is…Lila Hart!”
The festival explodes with cheers.
Mayor Wren places the rhinestone crown on my head while Mrs. Abernathy drapes the Frosting Queen sash across my chest.
I won.
After years of trying, I finally won.
