Zoe shrugged. “So the phone’s out. Ella, I assume you’ve gone by the house and tried to see her there, too?”
“Multiple times. She won’t answer the door.”
Mark sighed. “I blame Mom for that. She’s been protecting Grandma. In a way, we all have been.”
“Why would Angela need protecting?” Zoe asked, obviously astonished. “She’s fierce.”
“And Ella wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Aunt Jo said in a no-nonsense tone.
Sarah added, “What is Jules afraid of? That Ella might bake them a cake?”
“No, no.” Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “It’s not like that. Mom thinks…” He shot an embarrassed look at Ella. “Do you want to tell them?”
“Why not? It’s not as if it’s a secret. Angela and Jules believe I stole something from their family, a recipe book they’ve had for generations.”
“It’s called the Book of Cakes,” Aunt Jo added.
Sarah looked stunned. “They think you stole it?”
Ella nodded.
“Baloney!” Sarah cast a furious look at Mark. “Ella would never steal anything, especially not a cookbook.”
Zoe clicked her tongue. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
Mark flushed and cast a longing look toward the kitchen.
Before he could move, Ella reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “Mark, you’ve always been nice to me, and I really appreciate that. But I need to talk to Angela and explain things to her.”
“I can’t get involved,” he said miserably. “You know that.”
“Humph,” Aunt Jo said. “Someone in your family owes Ella a visit with Angela. It’s the least you could do after accusing her of something like that.”
“The very least,” Sarah added darkly. She slid a hurt look at Ella. “Ava and I figured you had a reason for coming home—we just didn’t know what.”
Ella’s face grew warm. “I’m sorry. I was going to tell you. I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. But things have gotten complicated. Jules doesn’t want me to see Angela, and she’s ill, too.”
Worry chased away Sarah’s irritation. “Angela’s sick? I’m sorry to hear that. I should bring her some soup—”
“No, no,” Mark said in a hurry. “She’s fine. Mom says Grandma just needs some quiet.”
Ella leaned forward. “I promise I won’t upset her. I just need five minutes. That’s all.”
His gaze searched hers. “And then?”
And then what? What can he want— Ah. He was worried about Gray. That left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she refused to acknowledge it. “After I see Angela, I’ll leave town and never return.”
Sarah made a distressed noise, so Ella added, “Except for Thanksgiving.”
Sarah looked disappointed, but Aunt Jo’s gaze was on Mark. “You have to do this.”
“It’s only fair,” Zoe chimed in. “Angela will probably thank you afterward.”
“I doubt it,” he muttered. “Geez. This is—” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, the curls now standing this way and that. “Fine,” he said sullenly. “I’ll help.”
Ella couldn’t keep an elated grin from her face. Finally something was going her way.
“When Mom finds out, though, she’s going to be furious.” He pulled a pen from his apron pocket, found a clean napkin, wrote down a phone number, and slid it across the table. “That’s Grandma’s new number.”
Ella’s excitement cooled. “Thank you, but she won’t answer.”
“Don’t call her. Text her. She’s big on texting. She sends out a few dozen a day, most of them orders.” He stood. “Just promise you won’t rile her up.” He returned the pen to his pocket and claimed his empty cup. “I’d better get back to work. See you all later.”
Zoe watched him amble across the dining room. “He’s a nice guy, isn’t he?”
Ella absently murmured a yes as she looked at the phone number. It wasn’t the help she’d wanted. She’d been hoping he’d just set up a meeting for her, but this might work. Now she could reach Angela directly. Ella slipped the napkin into her purse.
“Now that that’s over,” Aunt Jo said loudly, “I have news.”
Everyone looked her way.
“Something’s happened. Something bad.” Aunt Jo glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was close enough to overhear before she scooted closer. “Someone sent me a present for the bake-off.”
Zoe’s eyes widened. “A bribe?”
“Shhhh!” Aunt Jo looked around, her eyes wide. Certain no one was paying attention, she added in a low voice, “A whole case of oranges.”
Sarah didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure that’s a bribe? If I wanted you to do something for me, I’d send you apple pie moonshine, not oranges.”
“Or a case of Fireball whiskey,” Zoe said in a thoughtful tone. “That would do it.”
“Probably,” Aunt Jo admitted. “Whoever did this either doesn’t know me well, or they weren’t trying very hard.” There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“Did they leave a note? Anything to let you know who sent it?” Sarah asked.
“There was a note, but it got wet during transport and you can’t read a word of it. It’s just a bunch of blue smudges.”
“Whoever it is,” Ella said, “I hope they can bake better than they bribe.”
“Can’t you just send the oranges back?” Sarah asked.
Aunt Jo shook her head. “The crate only says ‘Florida.’ I know just one person who lives there, my old friend Philamedra Phelps. I’ve already called her, and it wasn’t her.”
Zoe sighed. “I thought about entering the bake-off myself after Preacher Thompson said he expected fewer people to enter because of the big scandal, but then I remembered I can’t bake.”
“You’re really, really bad at it,” Sarah agreed.
Aunt Jo patted Zoe’s hand. “But we admire your spirit.”
“Thanks. I figured I would have as good of a chance as anyone else, unless Ella here decided to enter.”
“Me? Lord, no. I won’t be here for the bake-off.”
Aunt Jo snorted. “Are you sure about that? You said you’d only be here a few days, and it’s been more than a week already. The bake-off is part of the Apple Festival this year, which isn’t that far away. In fact, at the last committee meeting, Grace said it would greatly benefit this town if you were a judge.”
“She’s right.” Zoe’s eyes shone with her enthusiasm. “Ella, you’d be a PR dream judge.”
Ella felt the need to slam the brakes on this idea as fast as she could. “Sadly, I won’t be here. Besides, this contest has already gotten way too complex.”
“It’s complicated,” Sarah agreed. “Personally, I think Abby Lews is going to win.”
Ella searched her memory. “Abby Lews?”