Hers To Protect. Catherine Lanigan

their horses. Mother didn’t know, but I was always very careful. I loved working our little vegetable garden, and Isabelle planted a million flowers every spring, claiming they were magical. I thought it was the best place to grow up. If those kids had a whole farm to learn skills and play and just be in the clean air and sunshine...”

      “Violet, you are so right!” Maddie said. “We have to talk to Gina about this.”

      “But remember, girls,” Mrs. Beabots cautioned. “The land is only the beginning. It’s going to take a lot of money. For that, we need one huge extravaganza of a fund-raiser.”

      “You can’t steal my summer festival idea,” Sarah said. “St. Mark’s still needs the profits every year.”

      The edges of Mrs. Beabots’s mouth cranked up. “It’s Violet who gave me the idea.”

      “I did?”

      “What was the biggest gathering you all have seen since we’ve been doing fund-raisers together? Not counting Sarah’s Summer Festival.”

      “The opening of Austin’s car museum,” Maddie replied.

      “Exactly!” Mrs. Beabots’s eyes grew wider with excitement. “And Violet, I’m going to take you up on your offer to help.”

      “What can I do?”

      “Austin McCreary is sponsoring an event at his car museum. Wine and appetizers. I was thinking if you would ask Josh Stevens to make a personal appearance that night, we could sell so many tickets, people would be out the door. Better still, ask him if he’ll bring that fancy Bugatti of his for photographs of him and the donors.”

      “Why not ask Austin to ask Josh?” Violet asked uncomfortably.

      “Because I’ve asked Austin for a great deal more than a simple event at his museum.”

      “Like what?” Violet asked.

      “He’s donating a million dollars. And that, ladies, is information that remains in this room.”

      They all stared at Mrs. Beabots.

      “Pressing Austin for more after his generous donation might not be prudent,” Mrs. Beabots said.

      “Well,” Maddie interjected, “I think this is all fabulous. And this upcoming event is perfect. I know Olivia would be happy to take photographs. She’s so talented. Maybe she can get them printed in the Chicago papers.”

      “The Indianapolis newspaper would run anything about Josh Stevens,” Sarah said.

      The enthusiasm was electric. But Violet felt her hands grow clammy and her mouth go dry.

      She hadn’t told her friends all the truth. She hadn’t told them that in ten days she would be testifying against their hope for this project’s success.

      They didn’t know anything about him other than that he was a friend of Austin and Katia’s. And how strong was that relationship?

      Violet was a bit surprised that reclusive Austin would have a celebrity like Josh for a friend. Though Austin was wealthy, he came across as an ordinary kind of guy, running his father’s auto parts manufacturing company, and now a new cell phone parts manufacturing company. Austin was a hardworking entrepreneur. Violet just didn’t see the connection between status-hungry Josh Stevens and Austin.

      What she did see was that there was no talking her way out of helping her landlady and her friends with this very worthy fund-raising endeavor.

      Her biggest fear was that once Josh Stevens discovered that Violet was part of the fund-raiser, he would decline. Mrs. Beabots would be without a celebrity to bring in ticket sales, and Josh Stevens would race out of town so fast he’d break the sound barrier.