“Settled in here?”
Cameron nodded.“Yeah.I offered for them to stay at the inn, and your mom immediately seemed excited about the idea.”
I tried not to be hurt.My parents were coming all the way from California to stay at Cameron’s inn rather than with me.It was pretty hard not to feel a little offended.But then again, I had to remember that my mother had very mixed feelings about her childhood home, which was where I lived.
“Okay.I guess I better get back to work,” Cameron said.
I nodded.“Sure.I better get back to work too.”
I watched as he headed back toward the Inn.Then I looked over toward the Opulent Occasions booth to see if Ashley and Brad were still in a tense discussion.
Most of the mess had been cleared away, and even their decorations were back up.Although not as perfect as they were before.Knowing it was unkind of me, I couldn’t help but feel a little satisfaction that they weren’t quite as spectacular now.
Of course, their decorations still looked better than ours.
And only Brad was behind the counter.
“Are you okay?”Brandy asked, surprising me.
“Yeah, why?”
“I heard Cameron say your parents are staying at the inn.”Brandy was also an unrepentant eavesdropper like me.
I shrugged.“It’s probably easier, honestly.”
But while I knew that was true, I did feel a little hurt.I needed to shake that off though.
“I’m going to have a walk around to see how things are going.”The distraction of the festivities would help.
I even considered maybe going in to help Oliver, but that would mean potentially running into my parents.I didn’t want to talk to them just yet.
“No problem,” Brandy said.“I think between me, Janelle, Jimmy, and George, we have the place under control.”
I had no doubt.Brandy was my manager at the pub.I knew she could more than handle a booth at a grand opening festival.
I headed down the thoroughfare, almost laughing to myself when I saw that Dave had made it no further than the glassblower again.Then I noticed it was just Dave standing there.
I immediately rushed toward him.
“Dave?Where’s Jack?”
Dave blinked, completely entranced by the molten glass.
“Jack?”
“Yes.You know—my llama?”
“Oh.”He looked around.“Well, he was right here a minute ago.”
Just then, from beyond the last few other booths and across the people-crowded lawn, I heard a scream.
Not the angry screams of another fight, but a high-pitched scream of absolute terror.
FOUR
Another horrified screamfilled the air, followed by the loud buzz of the other festival-goers.Then the echoes of other shouts.
Jack.
