What could she do? The man had just given her a free book. Fortunately, she had sold out of her larger pies, but he still walked away with a mini pie, a couple of cookies, and four blueberry scones, plus an extra-large T-shirt, all free of charge.

“You know, sweetie, I think you’ve just been taken.”

“Huh?” Candy twisted around. Standing behind her, arms crossed and wearing a suspicious smile, was her best friend Maggie Tremont, Amanda’s mother.

“Oh, hi, Mags. What was that you said?”

Maggie tilted her head toward the huge bulk of Sebastian J. Quinn as he made his way down the street, stopping at various booths along the way. “I think he just ripped you off for some free goodies.”

“Wasn’t the first time today.” Candy smiled bleakly and held up the book. “Besides, he gave me this. It was sort of an exchange… I think.”

Maggie looked unimpressed. “No one wants to buy his moldy old books of sappy poetry. He probably can’t sell the damn things. I bet he gets them for nothing and uses them to get free stuff from suckers like you.”

“Go ahead, rub it in.”

“I’m telling you,” Maggie went on, “you’ve got to protect yourself. There are vultures everywhere.”

Candy gave her friend an appraising look. “You’re sounding a bit cynical. Been a rough day?”

Maggie waved a hand at her. “Honey, you don’t know the half of it. That pet parade almost did me in. Got attacked by a goat with a tennis-shoe fetish.”

Candy couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re making that up.”

Maggie’s dark eyes twinkled as she made an X across her chest. “Cross my heart. Couldn’t keep him from chewing on my shoestrings.” She held out her left shoe as proof. The shoestrings had obviously been chewed on.

“It wasn’t one of Sally Ann Longfellow’s goats, was it?”

“The very one. She was all dressed up, with an old cowbell and a beat-up hat with a plastic flower in it, but she still looked raggedy, like she’s been sleeping outside all summer.”

“The goat?”

“No, Sally Ann. The goat actually looked in pretty good shape.”

They both laughed at that. Maggie could always make Candy laugh, no matter what. They had met shortly after Candy moved into town. She’d gone to the local insurance office to check on Doc’s homeowner’s policy, and there Maggie had been behind the front desk. They hit it off immediately and had been close friends ever since.

Maggie checked her watch, then flicked her eyes left and right. “So where’s that daughter of mine? I’ve got to get her to the hairdresser’s.”

“I sent her and Cameron over to Duffy’s to get some lunch. My treat.”

Maggie eyed her with horror. “What? Are you mad, girl? Do you know how much food that boy can pack in? He was born with a bottomless pit instead of a stomach. He practically lives at our place. He’s eating us out of house and home.”

“They’re growing up all right,” Candy agreed, then added subtly, “Amanda seems quiet today.”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “She’s convinced Haley Pruitt’s going to win the pageant. But I told her that’s crazy talk, that she has as good a chance to win as anyone. She just has to go up there and do her best, no matter what the competition does.”

“That’s what I told her,” Candy said, and then grabbed Maggie’s forearm as she saw a woman approaching the booth. She lowered her voice. “Speaking of the competition…”

“Oh my God,” Maggie muttered under her breath as a thirtyish, dark-haired woman wearing a cherry red, low-cut dress and white spiked heels stopped to talk to someone two booths away. “It’s Sapphire Vine, the queen of Cape Willington herself.”

“She’s looking all prettied up today,” Candy commented.

“Yeah, like an apple that’s waiting to be plucked off a tree.”

“Or stuffed into a pig’s mouth. I’m surprised she’s not wearing blue. You know, with her name and the festival and all.”

“Just wait ’til you see her outfit tonight.”

“You’ve seen it?”

Maggie shook her head. “No one has. Top secret, she says. Won’t even rehearse with the other girls. But she says she’s pulling out all the stops. From the rumors going around town, she’s got a presentation guaranteed to have you rolling in the aisles.”

“Or win that crown for herself.”

“Don’t even think that,” Maggie said, nearly seething. She tilted her head toward the oncoming woman in red. “You know what she’s doing, don’t you?”

“No, what?”

“She’s campaigning.”

It took Candy a moment to realize what Maggie was saying. “You mean she’s trying to influence the judges?”

“Wouldn’t put it past her. She’s been following that poet character around all morning.” Maggie’s gaze narrowed. “Just look at her. You’d think she was a teenager instead of a thirty-seven-year-old woman.”

“I thought she was thirty-two.”

“Thirty-seven if she’s a day. I guarantee it.”

“Well, anyone can run for Blueberry Queen. She sure proved that.”

“Yes, but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. Everyone knows that traditionally only high school girls…”

But she broke off as Sapphire Vine walked up to Candy’s booth and happily slapped the display counter to announce her arrival.

“Good afternoon, ladies!” she chirped with barely contained glee, then reached into a large basket she carried on one arm. “You ladies are looking so pretty today. You deserve something special!” She pulled out two pale blue silk roses on long wire stems

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” she asked, handing one to each of them. “I found them on eBay. Got them for a song. That color is called ice blue. And if I do say so, Candy, it brings out the color of your eyes. Though we have to do something about your hair. There’s a wonderful color rinse you should try. Honey Sunrise. Isn’t that a lovely name? It’ll add a little shine to your hair and hide some of that gray.”

Candy took the proffered rose, uncertain how to respond. “Um, well, er, okay, I might give that a try. Thank you… I think.” She held up the rose. “That’s… that’s very nice of you.”

“Just my way of spreading a little joy in our wonderful little town!” Sapphire Vine bubbled as she cast a wary glance at Maggie. When she saw nothing but a scowl, she turned her attention back to Candy. “And would you tell Amanda I wish her the best of luck. I saw her here at the booth earlier, but I didn’t get a chance to stop by and chat with her. I’m sure she’ll do wonderfully. She’s such a sturdy girl, and I hear she’s been working so hard on her talent-once she found one, of course.”

Candy almost had to hold Maggie back, but Sapphire had already turned away, her gaze searching. “You haven’t seen that nice poet fellow, have you?” she asked, glancing back.

Candy pointed down the street with the rose. “He went that-a-way.”

Sapphire beamed at them. “Then I must be off. I’ll call next week to see how things are going on the farm.” Her eyes shifted quickly to Maggie. “I’d ask how the diet’s going, but I guess you’re off it already,” she said without a hint of meanness. “Toodles!”

As she scurried away, Maggie clenched a fist and muttered with amazement, “Did she just call me fat?”

“Did she just say toodles?”

“That woman knows no shame.”

“She’s out of control.”

“She’s more than that. She’s a menace to society.” Maggie’s glare nearly burned a hole in the disappearing back of Sapphire Vine. “I swear,” she said quietly, “if she wins that pageant tonight, I’ll kill her. I mean I’ll kill her.” She shot a dark glance at Candy. “You’re with me on this one, right?”

Candy fingered a few strands of her hair, pulling them in front of her face so she could check them for gray. There was none that she could see, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. Her brow lowered. “I can’t let you do it alone and have all the fun, can I? Tell you what-if she wins, you hold the gun and I’ll pull the trigger.”