Free Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen Page A

almost hissed the words, like a curse.
    Emma’s eyes darted to meet Eliza’s, but she didn’t move a muscle. Was that why everyone was acting strangely tonight? Because Sydney was back and everyone here couldn’t wait for Emma to arrive in order to get her reaction? That disturbed her for many reasons, the most important of which was that people thought she would even have a reaction, that this warranted some kind of concern on her part.
    “She came back Wednesday and she’s staying with her sister,” Eliza continued. “She even helped Claire on a job in Hickory this afternoon. You really didn’t know?”
    “No. So she’s back. So what?”
    Eliza raised her brows. “I didn’t think you’d take it this well.”
    “She was never anything to us, anyway. And Hunter John is very happy. I have no worries. I need to find my mother. We’ll do lunch next week, yes? Kiss, kiss.”
    She finally found her mother seated at one of the tables, sipping champagne and entertaining people who stopped by to see her. Ariel looked queenly and elegant and ten years younger than her real age. Like Emma, her hair was blond and her boobs were big. She drove a convertible, wore diamonds with denim, and she never missed a homecoming game. She was so Southern that she cried tears that came straight from the Mississippi, and she always smelled faintly of cottonwood and peaches.
    Her mother looked up as Emma approached, and Emma knew right away that she knew. Not only did she know, she wasn’t happy about it. No, no, no , Emma thought. There’s nothing wrong. Don’t make this wrong, Mama . Ariel stood and left Emma’s father with a provocative smile that would have him waiting eagerly for her return.
    “Let’s take a stroll out to the veranda,” Ariel said, hooking her arm in Emma’s and firmly leading her outside. They smiled as they passed some small groups of people who had come out to smoke, because smiling meant everything was okay. Once in a far corner, Ariel said, “No doubt you’ve heard about Sydney Waverley. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”
    “I’m not worried, Mama.”
    Ariel ignored her. “Here’s what I want you to do. First, treat Hunter John extra special. Call more attention to yourself. I’m going to throw you a party at your house next weekend. Invite all your closest friends. Everyone will see how wonderful you are, how special. Hunter John will see how envied you are. We’ll go shopping on Monday and buy you a dress. Red is your best color, and Hunter John loves you in red. Speaking of dresses, why did you wear black? You look better in white.”
    “Mama, I’m not worried about Sydney being back.”
    Ariel cupped Emma’s face with both her hands. “Oh, sugar, you should be worried. First loves are powerful loves. But if you keep reminding your husband why he chose you, you won’t have a problem.”
     
    Late that night, Emma couldn’t wait to get Hunter John in bed, with a fervency she assured herself had nothing to do with Sydney being back. Once they arrived home, she checked on their boys, asleep in their rooms, and said a distracted good night to the nanny. She started undressing the moment she entered the master suite, then stood naked except for her heels and the pearl necklace Hunter John had given her for her twenty-seventh birthday last year.
    Hunter John entered a few minutes later with a sandwich and a beer. “Ball food,” as he called it, always left him hungry. He did this every time they came home from a function, and while Emma didn’t particularly care for the habit, it wasn’t worth arguing over. He did, after all, come up to bed to be with her and eat instead of doing it alone in the kitchen.
    He didn’t seem surprised to find her naked. Emma wondered when that had happened, when he’d begun to expect it instead of desire it. But he smiled as she sauntered up to him and took the beer bottle and the sandwich plate out of his hands. She put them on the table by