The Spring of Candy Apples (A Sweet Seasons Novel) Read online

  “Well, I’ve got a catalog you can order some stuff from for next year,” he teased.

  “But I need it this year.”

  “Tell you what, I think I can spare this,” he said, handing her the metal detector.

  “Your generosity is overwhelming,” she joked.

  “I think so.”

  A minute later Lilian called them all together. “Okay, most of you know the rules. This year it was my job to hide the eggs. Eggs can be hidden anywhere on the grounds outside of the house. They may be made of plastic, paper, metal, candy, or be real eggs. Each egg has a point value assigned to it. The one with the most points is the winner. You will have one hour, which starts on my mark. Ready? Mark!”

  Candace had never seen a group of people scatter in so many directions so quickly. She stood bewildered for a moment and then took off closer toward the house. Fewer people seemed to be headed in that direction, and as long as she was outside the house, she was in egg-hunting territory.

  As she moved, she swept the ground with the metal detector and managed to discover three sprinkler heads and an earring. Up close to the house she continued to work the metal detector while scouring the bushes and plants with eyes and hands. When she had gone halfway around the house, she glanced at her watch and realized she only had fifteen minutes left. She picked up speed.

  “Five minutes!” she heard Lilian shout through a bullhorn.

  Candace started to jog, hoping at least to make it all the way around the perimeter. Suddenly, a flash of something purple caught her eye, and her metal detector went off at the same time.

  Inside a potted plant, she discovered what looked like a Fabergé egg. She picked it up and ran back to the starting point, arriving with ten seconds to spare. Josh was right behind her, and she looked with disgust at the dozens of eggs of different sizes, shapes, and styles he had in a basket.

  “Okay, time!” Lilian called. “Present eggs.”

  She went through tallying the points for the various eggs, most of which seemed to have their value printed or taped onto them. Candace inspected hers but didn’t see a number. At last Lilian stopped in front of her.

  “I just found one egg,” Candace said, holding it up.

  Lilian smiled. “You know the Bible parable about the pearl of great price?”

  “Yes. The man who found it went out and sold all he had in order to obtain it.”

  “That’s right. Open your egg.”

  Candace looked closer and saw the delicate catch. She flipped it, and the top of the egg swung open. Inside was a large, black pearl and a single sheet of paper.

  “What does the paper say?” Lilian asked.

  Candace opened it and read aloud, “Winner takes all.”

  She looked up at Lilian.

  “Congratulations, you found the pearl, and you are the winner.”

  “What do I get?” Candace asked.

  “You get to keep the pearl, say the blessing at dinner tonight, and be the one to hide eggs next year.”

  Candace started smiling and wasn’t sure she would ever stop.

  18

  Candace sat on the edge of the stage with her fellow actors, head bowed in misery as Mr. Bailey paced in front of them. “That was, without a doubt, the worst final dress rehearsal I have ever seen,” he said. Next to her, Keith groaned, and she reached out and patted him on the back. After all, it wasn’t his fault he had thrown up on her.

  “This is excellent news,” Mr. Bailey continued.

  “Excuse me?” Candace burst out before she could stop herself.

  Mr. Bailey smiled at her. “In theater, the worse the final dress is, the better opening night is. I’m guessing that if tonight is any indication, tomorrow should be phenomenal.”

  “What if it’s not?” Reed asked.

  “Then expect to be pelted with rotten fruit,” Mr. Bailey joked.

  Candace glanced over at Tamara who looked like she was going to be ill. Tamara was the only one who hadn’t messed up. She was probably worried about what the following night would bring for her.

  “Go home, rest up. I’ll see you here tomorrow at five o’clock.”

  Candace followed Tamara to her car and climbed wearily into the passenger seat.

  “That could have gone a lot better,” Candace sighed.

  “At least you have nowhere to go but up,” Tamara said, sounding worried.

  “You’ll be fine.”

  “I’m hungry. You wanna stop at Denny’s?”

  “Yes, please.”

  A few minutes later they ordered and sat back, sipping their sodas as they tried to relax. Suddenly Tamara stiffened.

  “What is it?” Candace asked.

  “I’m not sure you want to know,” Tamara said.

  “Well, now of course I do,” Candace said. “What?”

  Tamara nodded her head, and Candace turned to see Kurt and Lisa sharing a booth. The two were so deep in conversation that they didn’t seem to have even noticed the food that was set before them. They were holding hands on the table.

  Candace smiled. “Good for Lisa,” she said.

  “I’m still not down with the whole ‘we-like-Lisa-now thing,’ ” Tamara said.

  “She’s had a hard life. It looks like she’s taking more charge of it, though. I really think she and Kurt could be very happy together. I hope so at any rate.”

  “Very big of you.”

  Candace shrugged. “Kurt wasn’t right for me. Doesn’t mean I don’t wish him happiness with someone he is right for.”

  “Does this mean you can finally move on . . . as in, make a move on Josh?”

  “Not talking about it,” Candace said curtly. She and Josh still hadn’t talked about the kiss they had shared in the chapel. She got the feeling that he was waiting for her to bring it up, but she hadn’t been able to just yet. Until she talked about it with Josh, she didn’t want to talk about it with anyone else, even Tamara.

  “Fine, we can talk about something else, just not the play. I hope no one we know shows tomorrow night.”

  “I think I saw everyone we know, including every referee from The Zone out there,” Tamara reported, coming backstage after having covertly scouted the auditorium. “That girl, Regina, who was in the Christmas play, was out there. Josh and James are of course here, and a bunch of your relatives and all of mine. Mom invited everybody,” Tamara said, finishing with an eye roll.

  Candace tried to keep her hands from shaking as she applied her makeup. She must have been out of her mind to invite people that she knew. Around her, the others were buzzing with excitement and nerves. Keith was sitting in a corner looking like he was going to throw up. Candace felt for him, but was too freaked out herself to try and encourage him. She had a feeling that if she tried to talk to him before the play, they’d both end up crying in the fetal position.

  Tamara said she was nervous, but she didn’t look like it. Her eyes were bright, she was bouncing around full of energy, and she was laughing at every joke people cracked.

  Reed was sitting quietly, reading back over the script. Candace had thought about doing that, but then worried that she’d somehow mess herself up. She knew the lines; she had memorized them weeks ago. No need to panic herself about that needlessly.

  Mr. Bailey had enough energy for ten men. It seemed like he was everywhere at once. He oversaw the makeup, he helped people warm up their voices, and he went over last-minute details with the prop people. She even spotted him brandishing Don Quixote’s sword triumphantly over something.

  “What’s he doing?” Kira asked.

  “Tilting at windmills,” Candace joked.

  “So, how are things with you and that hottie?” Kira asked.

  “Good,” Candace said, hesitating. “Complicated.”

  “I think you’re making this harder than it really is,” Kira said.

  The last thing Candace wanted to do was discuss her love life with Kira. It did, however, keep her mind off the fact that she was going to be
onstage in less than half an hour.

  “I think I love him,” Candace admitted.

  “Awesome. I knew you two had chemistry.”

  “No, I mean, really love him,” Candace said. “It’s something more than a crush, stronger than liking or attraction. I love him, and I’m terrified of hurting him.”

  “Then don’t.”

  It sounded so simple when Kira said it that way. Candace wanted to argue. It wasn’t that simple; it was difficult and complicated. With the next breath, though, she wondered why that was. Josh hadn’t done anything to make it complicated, neither had she. They were both available, and the attraction was clearly mutual. What was her problem?

  “I think I’m scared that he’s the one,” Candace admitted, more to herself than Kira.

  “Then he probably is,” Kira said. “Look, I’ve got five older sisters. They dated a lot, but each one of them is married now. Every single one of them freaked out when they found the guy they were going to spend their life with. It was totally different. They were terrified because they knew it was life-changing, and people find change frightening.”

  Maybe that was it. It was weird in a way. She didn’t know what the future held, but she did know that Josh was all the things she was discovering that she needed in a guy.

  “Josh is funny and sweet and cute.”

  “Yes,” Kira affirmed. “I could have told you that two seconds after meeting him.”

  “He also pushes me to do my best, makes me want to be a better person, and has been there every time I needed someone. He’s taken care of me in ways I didn’t even realize I needed to be taken care of until he showed me. He always goes out of his way to make sure that I’m happy.”

  “Sounds like you found one in a million,” Kira said. “I’m jealous.”

  Candace smiled. “Thank you. I’m not sure I would have realized that without your help.”

  Kira shrugged. “You just needed a sounding board. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else — a friend, a classmate, a stranger in a grocery store.”

  Candace laughed and turned new eyes on Kira. “How come we’re not friends?” she asked.

  “Because, as we’ve already established, you’re an idiot,” Kira said with a grin.

  Candace reached out and hugged her. “Thank you for pointing that out.”

  “Any time.”

  “So, what’s your story?” Candace asked as they broke away.

  Kira grinned. “Still looking for Mr. Right.”

  “Keep looking,” Candace said.

  “You know it. These days a girl just can’t sit still and wait for her guy to find her.”

  “What are we talking about?” Tamara asked, pulling up a chair.

  “Boys, naturally,” Kira said.

  “I’m in love with Josh,” Candace admitted, blushing as she did so.

  “I’m glad you finally figured that out,” Tamara said.

  “You knew?”

  “Of course I knew. James knows. Your parents know. Anyone who knows you and has half a brain knows.”

  “Well, how come no one ever told me?”

  “Because it would have ruined the surprise,” Tamara said with a smile.

  Candace smiled back. “What a nice surprise it turned out to be.”

  “All right, people, gather around,” Mr. Bailey said, standing in the middle of the room.

  Everyone pulled up a chair and sat down.

  “Okay, people. Tonight is the night all your hard work pays off. I’m proud of all of you. I’ve never seen a group work harder. You’re going to be great. Just relax and have fun. We’ve got a full house out there so enjoy it and break a leg!”

  Candace joined in the round of applause. Her butterflies came back in full force. Keith looked a little better than he had a few minutes before. Maybe they would all make it through in one piece. Candace hoped so. She did know, though, that whatever happened it wouldn’t change the fact that she was in love with a wonderful guy.

  “Okay, we go on in five. Everyone take your places,” Mr. Bailey said.

  “Moment of truth,” Tamara said, jumping to her feet.

  “I wish I could be as calm about it as you are,” Candace said.

  “Calm, are you kidding? My mom threatened to call a vet and get a horse tranquilizer before I left the house.”

  Candace laughed. “So, you’re saying all the energy is because you’re totally neurotic?”

  “Exactly. I haven’t been able to remember a single one of my lines for the last two hours,” Tamara admitted.

  Candace stared at her. “What are you going to do?”

  “No clue. That’s okay, though. I’m hoping that if I choke, someone else can think of something.”

  “Don’t look at me,” Kira said. “I started grilling Candace about her love life just so I wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom and throw up . . . again.”

  Candace stared from one to the other. “You two are unbelievable. Both of you seem to have it totally together, and now I find out that I’m actually the mellow one in this group?”

  “Can you spell irony?” Kira asked.

  “I get it,” Candace said.

  “No, seriously, can you spell it? I just realized I’m so paralyzed with fear I’m losing basic cognitive abilities.”

  Candace turned to Tamara. “Call your mom and tell her we need two horse tranquilizers.”

  “She invited everyone she could to this thing, including our family doctor. It’s possible he has a valium sample on him,” Tamara joked.

  “Let’s go find him and ask,” Kira said.

  “Thanks, you two, you’ve really helped me out,” Candace said.

  “Yeah, how?” Tamara asked.

  “I realized that I’m in great shape compared to everyone else here.”

  “Lucky you,” Keith groaned as he walked by her.

  “All right, let’s get where we have to go,” Candace said.

  They scattered. When Candace made it to her spot, she found Mr. Bailey waiting for her.

  “Any final direction?” she asked.

  “Candace, the stage is yours. Remember that. It doesn’t belong to the audience, it belongs to you. Take them by the hand and tell them the story you want to tell them. Don’t let them dictate the story to you. Can you do that?”

  “I’m not sure, but I hope so,” she admitted.

  “Acting is life; life is acting. All the world’s a stage, and we just play our parts. I really believe that. It’s up to everyone to understand the part they’re playing and to communicate it effectively to friends, family, strangers, and even enemies. Do you understand?”

  “Are you telling me that I have to make my own choices, not let others choose for me?”

  “Exactly, because ultimately it is up to you how your life plays out. The audience can try to bully you into thinking they’re right, but they’re not. God is the ultimate theater critic. Just like any theater critic, he will judge you, the actor, on the choices you make. He won’t blame or praise the audience on your behalf.”

  “Wow. That’s profound.”

  “That’s life. That’s theater. Fate may be the playwright who sets events in motion and peoples your life with characters. It is entirely up to you to provide the deeper meaning, the subtext.”

  “But what if I don’t like the play?”

  “Then you have the power to change it. The words are just words. They’re empty without the emotion behind them. Most circumstances can be comedic, just as most can be tragic. A great actor can make Romeo and Juliet a farce and mold Much Ado About Nothing into a tragedy.”

  “I’m not that great an actor,” Candace said.

  “No, you’re not. However, you are that great a person. Make your life what you want of it, and don’t be afraid to find your own meaning. In your life you should be the star, not the supporting actress.”

  He walked away, and a moment later the curtain went up. Tamara messed up her first line but then recovered and we
nt on to perform brilliantly. Keith pulled it together right before he went on stage, and Candace had never heard him sing so powerfully or mournfully as then.

  Candace threw herself wholeheartedly into the story and tried to live it moment by moment, not anticipating the future, but living the present reality for the character. She felt like she brought Aldonza’s story to life, and somehow it was also her story.

  When the final curtain fell, she was trembling from exhaustion and had sweated away half her makeup, but she felt completely alive. The curtains rose again for people to take their bows. The cheers of the crowd were deafening as they echoed throughout the auditorium.

  Candace watched as Tamara and two others took their bows. James and Tamara’s father came forward out of the audience and each handed Tamara a bouquet of roses.

  When it was finally her turn, Candace ran out onto the stage and took a bow. Keith handed her a bouquet of flowers, and she bowed again. On the floor a couple of people had approached the foot of the stage. Her father, Josh, Gib, and Pete all handed her flowers as well.

  Her arms full, she stepped back and let Keith stride to center stage. He bowed and then motioned for the rest of the cast to join him. They linked hands as best they could and bowed as one. Then Keith pointed toward Mr. Bailey in the front row, and he stood up and took a bow.

  Candace looked out and saw that the crowd was on its feet. She felt the excitement of the moment washing over her. She was living her life in the limelight, and for the first time she realized that she didn’t want it any other way.

  19

  Candace woke up the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. Showtime, she thought to herself as she got out of bed. She had made it through the school play, now it was time to take on Talent Show.

  I can do this, she told herself. Just relax and breathe. She got dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt. She braided her hair so that it would be back and out of her way. She had several hours to kill, but she had already decided to spend them in the park.

  When she got to The Zone, she could tell by the number of cars in the referee parking lot that she wasn’t the only one with that idea. She parked and entered the park, walking slowly, taking in the sights and sounds. She came across the train just as it was pulling into the station, and Pete motioned to her.