Devils night, p.2
Devil's Night, page 2
Chapter Three
Matthew had known for weeks that Penny would be coming. He’d been nervous about seeing her again. But she wasn’t the same girl he’d grown up with—not in essentials. She’d lived in Los Angeles for years now and had rarely deigned to come see her family. Her only reason for coming home was this ridiculous festival.
Devil’s Fest. What was she thinking?
If he’d been the boss, Matthew would never have gotten involved in this. Though the corporate sponsor was paying everyone well. So that helped.
“We should get started,” he said.
Penny chewed her lip, shaking her head. She looked so much like when they were kids—long strawberry-blonde hair that glowed in the sun, the freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose. And her mouth curved into that same defiant frown.
“I’m not going to say it’s good to see you,” she said. “Because you clearly don’t seem to feel that way. But we can at least be civil.”
Penny had never hesitated to speak her mind. At least that much hadn’t changed.
“I wasn’t being civil?” he asked.
“I’m sorry about your mom. And I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to say that in person till now.”
“Thank you.” Matthew looked away into the distance. Penny hadn’t come to the funeral. She’d sent a letter, though, and a bouquet of hydrangeas, his mom’s favorite.
“How are you doing?” Penny asked, twisting her hands together.
Matthew sighed. Did she really think this would change anything? This superficial attempt at small talk? “I’m good, Penn. How’ve you been? How’s LA?”
“It’s…sunny.”
Yeah. Exactly.
What had happened between them years ago—almost happened—had been a mistake. It had been a moment of weakness, wanting a girl who’d always been off-limits.
“You’re right,” she said. “We should start. Believe me, I know how much work has gone into getting this place ready. But we’ve made a slight change to the plan.”
Penny pointed at the hotel. Sun reflected in its windows.
“I want to host the VIP welcome party inside the hotel. It needs to be impressive. As for bathrooms, we’re renting trailers. So that’s already taken care of.”
For a moment, he couldn’t speak. “Wait, you want the hotel ready in a week? The upper floors are in bad shape. If I had a couple months, maybe, but one week? Why didn’t you decide this earlier?”
“Because I didn’t think of it earlier,” she snapped. “Not the whole hotel. Just the lobby, bar and dining room.”
He tried not to roll his eyes. Classic Penny. She could never make up her mind.
Matthew crossed his arms over his clipboard, gazing up at the brick building. For decades, Ashton’s Historical Club had been doing basic maintenance on Eden’s structures. Keeping the roofs from caving, replacing door hinges. So it wasn’t as bad as it could be. Penny wouldn’t need plumbing or heat or the typical features that made a place livable. But one week? Really?
“It would be a lot easier and less expensive to host your party in a tent like you planned,” Matthew said. “You sure the hotel is what you want?”
“Yes, we’re sure. The hotel is going to be the centerpiece of opening night. I realize you think this is silly, but I know what I’m doing.”
“I meant no offense,” Matthew said softly.
“It’s fine.”
It was not fine.
“Anyway.” Penny tucked her hair behind her ear. “We want to keep all that character. The peeling wallpaper, the off angles. The creep factor. It’s all about the details. That’s what’ll play on social media.”
“Got it.” Matthew’s pen scratched against his notepad. “Creep factor. Off angles. I’ll talk to our structural engineer and make it happen.” Somehow. He couldn’t believe he’d said yes to this. But then again, he never could say no to Penny Wright.
“Thank you.”
They walked towards the far western end of town, which faced the dead end of the canyon.
As Penny spoke, he snuck glances at her. Her hazel eyes were green sometimes; at the moment they were dark blue. As always, she’d rimmed them with dark eyeliner.
Good Lord, this girl. His chest felt tight looking at her.
“Do you still see them?” he asked suddenly. He hadn’t even thought about it beforehand. The words just came out.
Penny stopped talking and looked at him.
“See what?”
She knew exactly what he was talking about. Everybody who grew up in Ashton in the last twenty years would know what he was talking about.
The ghosts, Penny, he thought. Whatever you saw the last time that we were here in Eden. The last time we were together.
“Never mind.”
Let her go, Larsen, he told himself. Like you thought you did a long time ago.
“I’ll let you know if there are questions.”
That wasn’t the way he usually spoke to clients. But he needed to get out of there. Matthew turned and walked away from her.
Chapter Four
A loose shutter creaked on the hotel’s facade. Penny tried to ignore it. She went over to Linden, waiting at a respectful distance until her friend—and superior at Sterling PR—finished the call.
“Matthew’s cute,” Linden said, pocketing her phone.
“He’s obnoxious.”
“Okay, I need info. Now. Who is that guy?”
Penny considered how to put it. She didn’t want to spend the next several hours talking about Matthew, which would be necessary to convey just how much his presence had affected her life. How he’d been her friend and confidante and then, after she went to college, had caused her nothing but heartache.
“You remember the guy I mentioned before, the one who stomped on my heart?”
“That’s him?”
Linden put her hand on her chest, turning to stare at the construction crew. Penny let herself look. Matthew was going over the plans with his team, nodding his head while they spoke. He’d always been good at listening. Saying what he really felt? Not so much.
“You know, he’s not that cute.” Linden’s head tilted, clearly checking out the way Matthew’s butt filled out his jeans.
Penny put a hand between her friend’s shoulder blades. “Thanks for trying. But you’re not the best liar.”
“Not true—I’m an excellent liar. But not about sexy men. Can’t hide that truth. Sorry, sweetie.”
Linden turned back to face her, crossing her arms and putting on her let’s-talk-business expression. “I got our contractor Sully on the phone, and he swears that any bumps on the permitting are minimal. I’m working with the client on our updated budget. That leaves…” She put a finger to her chin. “About a thousand more tiny details, most of which are waiting in your inbox.”
“Perfect.” Penny smiled.
Thank goodness for the satellite internet hookup. Several carriers provided decent cell coverage in the area, but data was notoriously unreliable.
Dust rose on the road into Eden.
“That must be Anvi.” Penny tried to keep the attitude out of her voice. Linden didn’t like conflict between members of their team.
A white pickup roared into the canyon, hauling a massive, beige-and-black travel trailer. Their living quarters. Linden had wanted to be here, on site, at all times during the final prep phase. The drive into Ashton was five miles over unpaved road. Twenty minutes max. Penny didn’t think it was that big of a time loss, but she understood Linden’s point. Sterling PR expected twenty-four-seven commitments from its employees.
Besides, staying up here meant less time that Penny would deal with her family. Uncle Harry was one thing. But her father? Please, no.
Anvi got out of the pickup truck. She sported a pixie cut, ample curves. But no smile. Even on Instagram, she rarely cracked a grin. Her face was angular and serious, as if planning important things.
Anvi strode over to Penny.
“It’s good you’re finally here,” Anvi said. “Why did you change our content schedule? The new tweets?”
“I spoke to June about it yesterday,” Penny said, “and she liked it.”
“But you should’ve asked me. We made those decisions weeks ago.”
Technically, Penny was the senior associate. Anvi was new, just hired after graduating a year early with her public relations degree. But Anvi had a habit of asserting dominance. She and Penny had clashed in the office—Anvi was anal about doing things a certain way, while Penny preferred to go with her instincts. Linden wanted them to figure it out. I’m not a micro-manager, she’d said. You and Anvi will have to find a way to work together.
“We can talk about it,” Penny told Anvi. “Later.” Just add it to the list.
A black Jeep pulled into the wide, flat area they’d designated for parking.
“Game faces, people,” Linden murmured. “The client awaits.”
A thin, petite woman jumped out of the Jeep. June Litvak, their liaison from SunBev. She wore jeans, ankle boots, and a hesitant smile.
“It’s so good to see you again.” Penny opened her arms for a hug. June’s honey-blond hair bounced in thick curls, tickling Penny’s cheek. She smelled like fruity gum and floral perfume.
“How was the trip in?” Penny asked.
They found some shade while they chatted. June had arrived in Ashton last night from Phoenix, where SunBev had its headquarters.
“Linden,” Anvi said, “could I get your input?” Linden jogged off again.
Penny looped her arm through June’s. She’d spoken to June at the pitch meeting, of course, and countless times on the phone afterward. But they hadn’t had the chance yet to really get to know one another. Whenever Penny had tried to steer their conversations toward personal, non-work-related matters, June got tight-lipped.
So Penny had given in to the siren’s call of Google. She found out that June was a competitive figure skater in high school. Now, she worked in SunBev’s marketing department. Beyond those bits of trivia, June was an enigma.
“I’ll be honest—I’m so nervous.” June fidgeted with Penny’s sleeve. “I feel like I’m wearing all the wrong things. I should’ve brought hiking boots, shouldn’t I? You told me to, and I completely forgot.”
“I’m sure we can find you a pair. Linden and I can take care of whatever you need. Just let us know.”
“I’m not usually forgetful, I swear. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
“Oh? I’m free for rants, too,” Penny said. “I love a good rant.”
June smiled shyly. “It’s…nothing about the festival.”
Penny couldn’t tell if June wanted to say more. After several seconds, she still hadn’t elaborated. Instead, she gazed up at Eden’s buildings.
“This town really is incredible,” June said. “It’s just so perfect for Dark Energy—the vibe, the history.”
June was obviously changing the subject. But Penny couldn’t help thinking of the day she’d had the idea. The Sterling PR team had been sitting around the conference table, their orders from Linden’s coffee-shop-of-the-moment already distributed. Tripp Sterling had leaned back in his chair, eying them as he recited facts about SunBelt Beverages. SunBev had started out as a mom-and-pop artisan root beer maker and had grown into a regional force in naturally sweetened beverages. But the company wanted to go nationwide.
“They’ve already got the name: Dark Energy,” Tripp said. “But they need a signature launch. Something unique. We need this account.”
Nobody mentioned the disaster of late last year. A makeup company they represented had gotten sued for dangerous heavy metals in their formulations. Sterling had been in charge of marketing tainted foundation and lip gloss to teens. They hadn’t known, of course. But the scandal made Sterling PR look just as toxic.
Penny needed a win, too. Tripp had been eying her skeptically in the hallway, like a piece of furniture that could stand to be replaced. Student loans were eating her alive, and she’d already downsized her beautiful Wilshire apartment to a Culver City house share she’d found on Craigslist. If she failed, she’d have to move out of LA—no more walks on the beach on the weekends, no more people-watching on Melrose Avenue or staying up late brainstorming with Linden. She’d have to go back home to Ashton for good, to the town where everybody knew her history. Where she could see the dead end coming a mile away, just like that canyon beyond Eden’s Main Street.
Sitting at the conference table, the idea just came to her. Penny blurted it out without a moment’s hesitation.
“Devil’s Fest.”
When Tripp’s eyes lit up, she knew she’d done it.
She just wished she’d had a brilliant idea that involved somebody else’s home turf. But this—Eden, its history—was what she knew. She’d have to work with it, ghost sightings and all. If she didn’t…
No. There was no “if” about it. Devil’s Fest was her big gamble, and she was all in.
Penny continued June’s tour of Main Street, describing how everything would look in just a few days. When they’d finished, Penny said, “This afternoon we’ll have a little thank you dinner for our crew. Anvi ordered barbecue. In the meantime, feel free to make use of the trailer if you don’t want to go back to Ashton.”
June turned to her. “Oh, crap. One more thing, super quick. Our hotel has all this construction going on. Like, jackhammer in the lobby. It was okay last night, but super loud when I left this morning. I’m not that picky, but the execs will be annoyed. Anything we can do?”
Penny stared, mouth open. Breathe, she thought. Things like this happen all the time. “Of course—I had no idea. If it’s okay with you, we’ve got an extra bed in the trailer and we’d love for you to join us tonight. I’ll find you a new hotel.”
June headed for the trailer. Penny cursed to herself. Find June and the rest of the SunBev VIPs some fancy new digs on a day’s notice. No problem. She’d thought that Anvi had double-checked all the accommodations. But she wasn’t about to ask Anvi for help now. Penny would have to fix this one herself.
She’d have to ask her family for a favor.
Penny’s Uncle Harry arrived at the same time as their dinner. He strode over to her while the caterers unloaded.
“Penny-girl,” he announced, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t you look grown up!”
Harry wore a brown polyester suit and a tie designed to look like the Colorado flag. He had questionable taste in clothes, but her uncle was someone you could count on to make things happen in Ashton. He had his hand in any number of business ventures, some of them borderline shady. Like the campground timeshare program that hadn’t gone so well.
“I heard we hit a snag with the permits?” Penny asked.
Uncle Harry gave his dazzling smile. “A hiccup. No concern.”
“But what was it?”
“Just some local who’s upset about you holding an event up here. Superstitions about Devil’s Night. Complained to the mayor, but it’s no big deal.”
She had expected some pushback in Ashton, given Eden’s history. “But I thought you’d already ‘smoothed the way,’” she said, using her uncle’s words. “Wait, was it Dad who complained?”
Nobody was more obsessed with Devil’s Night—and its ghosts—than her father. She should have told her dad about the festival already, but she’d kept putting it off. He could be so dramatic. And now he’d heard about it on his own.
Uncle Harry laughed. “Oh no, not Lawrence. He’s not exactly happy about Devil’s Fest, mind you.” He held up his hands. “But hey, that’s just an FYI. Your business is your own.”
Great. “Thanks for the warning.”
Harry was her dad’s younger brother, and the two didn’t get along very well. So far, Harry had been essential in putting together Devil’s Fest—from signing the lease with the landowner to getting on the good side of local officials. She couldn’t have done this without him. Which would probably annoy her dad all the more.
She’d already called her mother to ask for that favor—a dozen rooms at the Ashton Valley Inn, which her family ran. Her mom had promised to figure something out, but only if Penny came to see them. Tonight.
Before, Penny had been noncommittal about when she’d have time to swing by the inn. Her mother had known a few details about the festival and this trip, though Mom had readily agreed they should wait to share the information with Dad. That was how things ran in the Wright household: Mom tried to manage everything, including Dad’s blood pressure. These efforts were not always successful.
“Don’t you worry,” Harry said. “I’ll make sure all those permits and inspections and bureaucratic nonsense don’t cause you any headaches.” He looked over at the catering table.
“But dang, that brisket smells good!” Harry announced, voice booming. “I guess we’d better eat while it’s hot?”
No one disagreed. They grabbed plates of food, plastic cups of foamy beer, and seats around the temporary picnic tables. Penny sat down between Anvi and June. Harry went over to join their general contractor, who’d finally arrived, and the construction crew. Harry clapped a hand on Matthew’s back. They both looked toward Penny—were they talking about her?—and she glanced away.
Linden clinked a fork against a wineglass she’d procured from somewhere. Because of course Linden had a real wineglass, even out here in the boonies.
“Thank you all for being part of the Devil’s Fest team. This whole shindig was Penny’s idea, as everybody knows.”
Linden reached down to pull on Penny’s arm. “Come on,” she said quietly, “this is your show as much as mine. You’re the local girl, charm them.”
Penny stood. Twenty sets of eyes looked back at her.
And Matthew Larsen was sitting just a few feet away, his gaze seeming to lock onto hers every few seconds.
Chapter Five
Linden watched her friend face the gathering. Penny waved at them, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Usually, Penny didn’t need any encouragement to get up and speak.
Matthew had known for weeks that Penny would be coming. He’d been nervous about seeing her again. But she wasn’t the same girl he’d grown up with—not in essentials. She’d lived in Los Angeles for years now and had rarely deigned to come see her family. Her only reason for coming home was this ridiculous festival.
Devil’s Fest. What was she thinking?
If he’d been the boss, Matthew would never have gotten involved in this. Though the corporate sponsor was paying everyone well. So that helped.
“We should get started,” he said.
Penny chewed her lip, shaking her head. She looked so much like when they were kids—long strawberry-blonde hair that glowed in the sun, the freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose. And her mouth curved into that same defiant frown.
“I’m not going to say it’s good to see you,” she said. “Because you clearly don’t seem to feel that way. But we can at least be civil.”
Penny had never hesitated to speak her mind. At least that much hadn’t changed.
“I wasn’t being civil?” he asked.
“I’m sorry about your mom. And I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to say that in person till now.”
“Thank you.” Matthew looked away into the distance. Penny hadn’t come to the funeral. She’d sent a letter, though, and a bouquet of hydrangeas, his mom’s favorite.
“How are you doing?” Penny asked, twisting her hands together.
Matthew sighed. Did she really think this would change anything? This superficial attempt at small talk? “I’m good, Penn. How’ve you been? How’s LA?”
“It’s…sunny.”
Yeah. Exactly.
What had happened between them years ago—almost happened—had been a mistake. It had been a moment of weakness, wanting a girl who’d always been off-limits.
“You’re right,” she said. “We should start. Believe me, I know how much work has gone into getting this place ready. But we’ve made a slight change to the plan.”
Penny pointed at the hotel. Sun reflected in its windows.
“I want to host the VIP welcome party inside the hotel. It needs to be impressive. As for bathrooms, we’re renting trailers. So that’s already taken care of.”
For a moment, he couldn’t speak. “Wait, you want the hotel ready in a week? The upper floors are in bad shape. If I had a couple months, maybe, but one week? Why didn’t you decide this earlier?”
“Because I didn’t think of it earlier,” she snapped. “Not the whole hotel. Just the lobby, bar and dining room.”
He tried not to roll his eyes. Classic Penny. She could never make up her mind.
Matthew crossed his arms over his clipboard, gazing up at the brick building. For decades, Ashton’s Historical Club had been doing basic maintenance on Eden’s structures. Keeping the roofs from caving, replacing door hinges. So it wasn’t as bad as it could be. Penny wouldn’t need plumbing or heat or the typical features that made a place livable. But one week? Really?
“It would be a lot easier and less expensive to host your party in a tent like you planned,” Matthew said. “You sure the hotel is what you want?”
“Yes, we’re sure. The hotel is going to be the centerpiece of opening night. I realize you think this is silly, but I know what I’m doing.”
“I meant no offense,” Matthew said softly.
“It’s fine.”
It was not fine.
“Anyway.” Penny tucked her hair behind her ear. “We want to keep all that character. The peeling wallpaper, the off angles. The creep factor. It’s all about the details. That’s what’ll play on social media.”
“Got it.” Matthew’s pen scratched against his notepad. “Creep factor. Off angles. I’ll talk to our structural engineer and make it happen.” Somehow. He couldn’t believe he’d said yes to this. But then again, he never could say no to Penny Wright.
“Thank you.”
They walked towards the far western end of town, which faced the dead end of the canyon.
As Penny spoke, he snuck glances at her. Her hazel eyes were green sometimes; at the moment they were dark blue. As always, she’d rimmed them with dark eyeliner.
Good Lord, this girl. His chest felt tight looking at her.
“Do you still see them?” he asked suddenly. He hadn’t even thought about it beforehand. The words just came out.
Penny stopped talking and looked at him.
“See what?”
She knew exactly what he was talking about. Everybody who grew up in Ashton in the last twenty years would know what he was talking about.
The ghosts, Penny, he thought. Whatever you saw the last time that we were here in Eden. The last time we were together.
“Never mind.”
Let her go, Larsen, he told himself. Like you thought you did a long time ago.
“I’ll let you know if there are questions.”
That wasn’t the way he usually spoke to clients. But he needed to get out of there. Matthew turned and walked away from her.
Chapter Four
A loose shutter creaked on the hotel’s facade. Penny tried to ignore it. She went over to Linden, waiting at a respectful distance until her friend—and superior at Sterling PR—finished the call.
“Matthew’s cute,” Linden said, pocketing her phone.
“He’s obnoxious.”
“Okay, I need info. Now. Who is that guy?”
Penny considered how to put it. She didn’t want to spend the next several hours talking about Matthew, which would be necessary to convey just how much his presence had affected her life. How he’d been her friend and confidante and then, after she went to college, had caused her nothing but heartache.
“You remember the guy I mentioned before, the one who stomped on my heart?”
“That’s him?”
Linden put her hand on her chest, turning to stare at the construction crew. Penny let herself look. Matthew was going over the plans with his team, nodding his head while they spoke. He’d always been good at listening. Saying what he really felt? Not so much.
“You know, he’s not that cute.” Linden’s head tilted, clearly checking out the way Matthew’s butt filled out his jeans.
Penny put a hand between her friend’s shoulder blades. “Thanks for trying. But you’re not the best liar.”
“Not true—I’m an excellent liar. But not about sexy men. Can’t hide that truth. Sorry, sweetie.”
Linden turned back to face her, crossing her arms and putting on her let’s-talk-business expression. “I got our contractor Sully on the phone, and he swears that any bumps on the permitting are minimal. I’m working with the client on our updated budget. That leaves…” She put a finger to her chin. “About a thousand more tiny details, most of which are waiting in your inbox.”
“Perfect.” Penny smiled.
Thank goodness for the satellite internet hookup. Several carriers provided decent cell coverage in the area, but data was notoriously unreliable.
Dust rose on the road into Eden.
“That must be Anvi.” Penny tried to keep the attitude out of her voice. Linden didn’t like conflict between members of their team.
A white pickup roared into the canyon, hauling a massive, beige-and-black travel trailer. Their living quarters. Linden had wanted to be here, on site, at all times during the final prep phase. The drive into Ashton was five miles over unpaved road. Twenty minutes max. Penny didn’t think it was that big of a time loss, but she understood Linden’s point. Sterling PR expected twenty-four-seven commitments from its employees.
Besides, staying up here meant less time that Penny would deal with her family. Uncle Harry was one thing. But her father? Please, no.
Anvi got out of the pickup truck. She sported a pixie cut, ample curves. But no smile. Even on Instagram, she rarely cracked a grin. Her face was angular and serious, as if planning important things.
Anvi strode over to Penny.
“It’s good you’re finally here,” Anvi said. “Why did you change our content schedule? The new tweets?”
“I spoke to June about it yesterday,” Penny said, “and she liked it.”
“But you should’ve asked me. We made those decisions weeks ago.”
Technically, Penny was the senior associate. Anvi was new, just hired after graduating a year early with her public relations degree. But Anvi had a habit of asserting dominance. She and Penny had clashed in the office—Anvi was anal about doing things a certain way, while Penny preferred to go with her instincts. Linden wanted them to figure it out. I’m not a micro-manager, she’d said. You and Anvi will have to find a way to work together.
“We can talk about it,” Penny told Anvi. “Later.” Just add it to the list.
A black Jeep pulled into the wide, flat area they’d designated for parking.
“Game faces, people,” Linden murmured. “The client awaits.”
A thin, petite woman jumped out of the Jeep. June Litvak, their liaison from SunBev. She wore jeans, ankle boots, and a hesitant smile.
“It’s so good to see you again.” Penny opened her arms for a hug. June’s honey-blond hair bounced in thick curls, tickling Penny’s cheek. She smelled like fruity gum and floral perfume.
“How was the trip in?” Penny asked.
They found some shade while they chatted. June had arrived in Ashton last night from Phoenix, where SunBev had its headquarters.
“Linden,” Anvi said, “could I get your input?” Linden jogged off again.
Penny looped her arm through June’s. She’d spoken to June at the pitch meeting, of course, and countless times on the phone afterward. But they hadn’t had the chance yet to really get to know one another. Whenever Penny had tried to steer their conversations toward personal, non-work-related matters, June got tight-lipped.
So Penny had given in to the siren’s call of Google. She found out that June was a competitive figure skater in high school. Now, she worked in SunBev’s marketing department. Beyond those bits of trivia, June was an enigma.
“I’ll be honest—I’m so nervous.” June fidgeted with Penny’s sleeve. “I feel like I’m wearing all the wrong things. I should’ve brought hiking boots, shouldn’t I? You told me to, and I completely forgot.”
“I’m sure we can find you a pair. Linden and I can take care of whatever you need. Just let us know.”
“I’m not usually forgetful, I swear. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
“Oh? I’m free for rants, too,” Penny said. “I love a good rant.”
June smiled shyly. “It’s…nothing about the festival.”
Penny couldn’t tell if June wanted to say more. After several seconds, she still hadn’t elaborated. Instead, she gazed up at Eden’s buildings.
“This town really is incredible,” June said. “It’s just so perfect for Dark Energy—the vibe, the history.”
June was obviously changing the subject. But Penny couldn’t help thinking of the day she’d had the idea. The Sterling PR team had been sitting around the conference table, their orders from Linden’s coffee-shop-of-the-moment already distributed. Tripp Sterling had leaned back in his chair, eying them as he recited facts about SunBelt Beverages. SunBev had started out as a mom-and-pop artisan root beer maker and had grown into a regional force in naturally sweetened beverages. But the company wanted to go nationwide.
“They’ve already got the name: Dark Energy,” Tripp said. “But they need a signature launch. Something unique. We need this account.”
Nobody mentioned the disaster of late last year. A makeup company they represented had gotten sued for dangerous heavy metals in their formulations. Sterling had been in charge of marketing tainted foundation and lip gloss to teens. They hadn’t known, of course. But the scandal made Sterling PR look just as toxic.
Penny needed a win, too. Tripp had been eying her skeptically in the hallway, like a piece of furniture that could stand to be replaced. Student loans were eating her alive, and she’d already downsized her beautiful Wilshire apartment to a Culver City house share she’d found on Craigslist. If she failed, she’d have to move out of LA—no more walks on the beach on the weekends, no more people-watching on Melrose Avenue or staying up late brainstorming with Linden. She’d have to go back home to Ashton for good, to the town where everybody knew her history. Where she could see the dead end coming a mile away, just like that canyon beyond Eden’s Main Street.
Sitting at the conference table, the idea just came to her. Penny blurted it out without a moment’s hesitation.
“Devil’s Fest.”
When Tripp’s eyes lit up, she knew she’d done it.
She just wished she’d had a brilliant idea that involved somebody else’s home turf. But this—Eden, its history—was what she knew. She’d have to work with it, ghost sightings and all. If she didn’t…
No. There was no “if” about it. Devil’s Fest was her big gamble, and she was all in.
Penny continued June’s tour of Main Street, describing how everything would look in just a few days. When they’d finished, Penny said, “This afternoon we’ll have a little thank you dinner for our crew. Anvi ordered barbecue. In the meantime, feel free to make use of the trailer if you don’t want to go back to Ashton.”
June turned to her. “Oh, crap. One more thing, super quick. Our hotel has all this construction going on. Like, jackhammer in the lobby. It was okay last night, but super loud when I left this morning. I’m not that picky, but the execs will be annoyed. Anything we can do?”
Penny stared, mouth open. Breathe, she thought. Things like this happen all the time. “Of course—I had no idea. If it’s okay with you, we’ve got an extra bed in the trailer and we’d love for you to join us tonight. I’ll find you a new hotel.”
June headed for the trailer. Penny cursed to herself. Find June and the rest of the SunBev VIPs some fancy new digs on a day’s notice. No problem. She’d thought that Anvi had double-checked all the accommodations. But she wasn’t about to ask Anvi for help now. Penny would have to fix this one herself.
She’d have to ask her family for a favor.
Penny’s Uncle Harry arrived at the same time as their dinner. He strode over to her while the caterers unloaded.
“Penny-girl,” he announced, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t you look grown up!”
Harry wore a brown polyester suit and a tie designed to look like the Colorado flag. He had questionable taste in clothes, but her uncle was someone you could count on to make things happen in Ashton. He had his hand in any number of business ventures, some of them borderline shady. Like the campground timeshare program that hadn’t gone so well.
“I heard we hit a snag with the permits?” Penny asked.
Uncle Harry gave his dazzling smile. “A hiccup. No concern.”
“But what was it?”
“Just some local who’s upset about you holding an event up here. Superstitions about Devil’s Night. Complained to the mayor, but it’s no big deal.”
She had expected some pushback in Ashton, given Eden’s history. “But I thought you’d already ‘smoothed the way,’” she said, using her uncle’s words. “Wait, was it Dad who complained?”
Nobody was more obsessed with Devil’s Night—and its ghosts—than her father. She should have told her dad about the festival already, but she’d kept putting it off. He could be so dramatic. And now he’d heard about it on his own.
Uncle Harry laughed. “Oh no, not Lawrence. He’s not exactly happy about Devil’s Fest, mind you.” He held up his hands. “But hey, that’s just an FYI. Your business is your own.”
Great. “Thanks for the warning.”
Harry was her dad’s younger brother, and the two didn’t get along very well. So far, Harry had been essential in putting together Devil’s Fest—from signing the lease with the landowner to getting on the good side of local officials. She couldn’t have done this without him. Which would probably annoy her dad all the more.
She’d already called her mother to ask for that favor—a dozen rooms at the Ashton Valley Inn, which her family ran. Her mom had promised to figure something out, but only if Penny came to see them. Tonight.
Before, Penny had been noncommittal about when she’d have time to swing by the inn. Her mother had known a few details about the festival and this trip, though Mom had readily agreed they should wait to share the information with Dad. That was how things ran in the Wright household: Mom tried to manage everything, including Dad’s blood pressure. These efforts were not always successful.
“Don’t you worry,” Harry said. “I’ll make sure all those permits and inspections and bureaucratic nonsense don’t cause you any headaches.” He looked over at the catering table.
“But dang, that brisket smells good!” Harry announced, voice booming. “I guess we’d better eat while it’s hot?”
No one disagreed. They grabbed plates of food, plastic cups of foamy beer, and seats around the temporary picnic tables. Penny sat down between Anvi and June. Harry went over to join their general contractor, who’d finally arrived, and the construction crew. Harry clapped a hand on Matthew’s back. They both looked toward Penny—were they talking about her?—and she glanced away.
Linden clinked a fork against a wineglass she’d procured from somewhere. Because of course Linden had a real wineglass, even out here in the boonies.
“Thank you all for being part of the Devil’s Fest team. This whole shindig was Penny’s idea, as everybody knows.”
Linden reached down to pull on Penny’s arm. “Come on,” she said quietly, “this is your show as much as mine. You’re the local girl, charm them.”
Penny stood. Twenty sets of eyes looked back at her.
And Matthew Larsen was sitting just a few feet away, his gaze seeming to lock onto hers every few seconds.
Chapter Five
Linden watched her friend face the gathering. Penny waved at them, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Usually, Penny didn’t need any encouragement to get up and speak.
