The cicadas left as quickly as they’d come. Quinn and her moms pushed back from the table without a word. Harper and her family followed, though River stayed.

“The town’s going to hear about this,” Susheila said. She pointed a finger at the mayor as she started for the door. “Don’t think the paper doesn’t sway votes.”

Finally, Addison, too, started to stand.

“Kaden,” Sylvia said. “Don’t go. This is all a big misunderstanding.”

He shook his head and followed the Bakers out the front door. When he made it out to the driveway, he found Maura fuming. “At least one Bonner has his head on straight,” she said. Were he not so rattled by the whole evening, he might have thanked her for the compliment.

“Sorry about what happened in there, Maura,” Elena said. “That wasn’t right.”

Maura grumbled a thanks.

“Still, I wish you’d told me about the garden,” she said. “I might’ve been more help in there if I’d known.”

“I didn’t know myself until the funeral,” Maura said.

Quinn grabbed her grandmother in a hug. “We’ll figure this out.”

“I don’t need you to comfort me,” Maura said. “But thank you.”

Clem and Taylor hugged Maura in turn, and she relaxed visibly, but as soon as they pulled back, she was pacing. The Bakers started for their cars, and Quinn followed.

“I’m going home and taking a bath and reading a book and drinking chamomile tea until I fall asleep,” Maura said. “Then tomorrow, I’m going to find a way to tear that distillery to the ground.”

“We’re with you, Mom,” Irene said as Maura climbed into the driver’s seat of her truck.

Maura glanced back at the house. “Where’s Addison?”

“She was on her way out,” Kaden said.

“Probably not ready to face you after she let the truth slip,” Quinn said.

Maura turned her key in the ignition. “She’ll have to sooner or later.”

“See you back at the house, Mom,” Irene said.

“Don’t bother rushing home on my account,” Maura said. Then she shut the door hard and had the truck started and out the driveway before they could say goodbye.

Kaden rested a hand on Irene’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “We need to talk.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re on her side.”

“What?” He shook his head. “Of course not.” With all these conversations swirling around in his mind, he felt like he was on the verge of something, like he only needed a few more pieces to put the puzzle together into at least a semblance of a picture that might make sense. “It’s just… can we get out of here?” He looked back at the house.

“What are we whispering about?” Clem asked.

Irene looked him over. “You’re really freaking out.”

“My aura?” he asked.