Ghastly Gadgets

Chapter 1 "You know, I really like this place." Emily Olson looked around, leaning on the counter with the antique register. Becky Olson was sweeping the floor after a long day, knowing that soon she’d have to go teach a art class. She exhaled. "I'm glad, Mom," Becky said. It wasn't that she didn't like her mother, it had been them, the Olson Girls, for a very long time, and Becky had left to try to be a little more independent. Yet now it was feeling as if Emily was starting to overstay her welcome. Becky's apartment, which was over her store, was only fit for one person. "You must work really hard," Emily said. Her mother was amazing at dancing around a subject. Two weeks and it still felt as if they were exchanging pleasantries, and Becky still wasn't sure why her mother had arrived on her doorstep. "I do," Becky replied. Emily and her sister, Pauline, had grown up in town of Rose Hollow and although Emily had left at one time, Pauline stayed, running Carnegie’s Antiques. Then Pauline disappeared without a trace, and left her store to Becky. "Can you take the trash out?" Becky asked. "I need to go change for class." This would have to be a quick process before she was late. "Oh, I was hoping we could have dinner tonight," Emily spoke up. "Mom," Becky said. "You know that I teach at night, too. Maybe tomorrow." Emily raised an eyebrow. Becky was an exact clone of her mother. She wondered what, exactly, in her gene pool her father had given her. It didn't matter. Both the Olson women possessed brown hair, although Emily kept hers long, and both had wide, brown eyes, although Becky's were a little darker. They were almost exactly the same height, but Emily managed to be beautiful where Becky found herself plain. "You're always doing something," Emily said. "I swear, you didn't do half as much back home." The Olson women, until a few months ago, had resided together in Ohio. "I don't know," Becky said. "I guess I just like it here more. It feels more like home." "You always enjoyed those summers with Pauline more than you like being with me," Emily commented. Becky tried to ignore the ice in her mother's voice. She knew that her mother had, at one point, hated Rose Hollow enough to leave, following her father to Ohio, a state where she had known no one. And now that Emily was back, she realized that absolutely nothing had changed. Her old friends, her old life had all been the same, as if it was frozen in time. "And not tomorrow, either. Rachel is going mad over this whole baking thing and she needs us to taste recipes, and I assume that it will take up most of the night," Becky explained. She smiled at the thought of spending an evening eating assorted baked goods. It would be the best was to spend an evening. "You know," Emily said, "I remember this contest. Pauline always wanted us to enter, but I was never too good at baking. Nor was she. We wouldn't have done very well." Emily sat down behind the register and stared around the store. Becky wasn't too clear on the history of Carnegie’s antiques, but she believed he aunt opened it after her mother left town. Which meant this was Emily's first time visiting. "I thought, maybe on Wednesday, we can leave the store to LJ and go to a few auctions and estate sales," Becky offered. She was always going to something and returning with very little, yet it didn't matter. The store was crammed with absolutely anything. It was a bit of a misnomer, and was more than a nostalgia shop. "We could drive around, maybe go to Daisy Harbour." Emily rolled her eyes. There was a long-standing rivalry between Rose Hollow and Daisy Harbour, and apparently that hadn’t gone away even though Emily hadn't been in Rose Hollow for years. "Sure," Emily said. "I miss having you around. It isn't the same." Becky had been gone from her mother's home for about seven months, and it appeared that she was finding it easier to adjust than her mother was. "I'm sure you’ve been fine," Becky said. "Nothing a phone call couldn't solve." "But I want to see you. I didn't even know you cut your hair. And I didn't know you got rid of Jimmy. What did you even name your new car?" Emily asked. Jimmy was the car that had faithfully taken Becky from Ohio to Rose Hollow. Becky nodded in understanding towards her mother. Becky was bad at returning Emily's multiple phone calls and emails, but that was her fault. Becky knew that she should make a little bit more of an effort. Becky inhaled and looked around. The store was clean and she still had time to sit before she had to leave for her class. "Mom, I'm almost thirty," Becky said, "or I will be, in a couple of years. I need to stop naming inanimate objects." She only said it because she wasn't able to think of a good name for her new car. "Coffee?" "Let me make it," Emily offered. "You never make it right." Becky nodded. That much was true. She put the cleaning supplies away and followed her mother to the kitchen. The first thing Becky did was refill bowls of food and water for her cat, Celia, then sat at the table. "I can't believe you got a cat, too," Emily continued. "I didn't even know you were a cat person." "It was an impulse thing," Becky said. "There was this pet fair and I stopped to look with Catherine and ended up going home with a cat." She hated the fact that it felt she had to justify all of her choices, everything she had done since moving out. Emily refilled the coffee maker, then sat across from her daughter. "She really had something here, didn't she?" Emily wondered. Becky nodded. "Yeah, she did. Everyone really loved her here." "They used to love me, too," Emily said bitterly. Becky let this pass too. She wasn't quite sure what to say to that. It was as if Emily hadn't been away. She resumed her Rose Hollow life with an easy grace. She was easy going and a little flighty, and that annoyed Becky. She wished her mother was a little but more grounded. "Mom," Becky said. The coffee machine beeped and Becky rose to get it. The other thing they shared was drinking too much coffee in lieu of sleep. Becky pulled two mugs and placed them on the counter. "We should go grocery shopping, too, I guess," Becky said. She had been living a comfortable life of letting her older neighbor Mickey Dunner feed her, eating at Minnie's Diner next door, and getting take out, but now that her mother was there, Becky had to change that. "I can do it while you're in class," Emily offered. "But you don't know what I like," Becky said. "I am your mother and I raised you," Emily scoffed. "I know you better than you." Becky wrinkled her nose at this, but it was true. "It would be very helpful," Becky said. "Just take my credit card. I'll leave it for you." Emily had not supported Becky moving, not really. They’d had a fine life in Ohio, and Emily wasn't happy when Pauline's letter showed up out of the blue for Becky. A very long fight had ensued, and Becky wasn't sure if they were past that yet. But Emily was here, and that had to count for something. Becky handed her mother a mug, and then picked hers up. "So, I should be back from class soon, and then we can make dinner and do literally whatever you want. It's not really warm enough to really spend some time outside, yet, but..." "Becky, calm down," Emily said gently. "It'll be fine. Go change or whatever you need to do." Becky nodded, too used to following her mother's command. She made her way up the hidden staircase and to her bedroom where she stripped off her sweater, pulling on an oversized button-up instead, something that she was not afraid to get dirty. Becky tied her hair into a braid and drained her coffee mug, making sure she had everything to teach. She reappeared ready to go. Emily was still sitting at the table, reading the Rose Hollow Mirror. "Gavin Masters," she said quietly. "New mayor," Becky informed her. Emily nodded. "The name sounds familiar, but I don't know why," Emily pondered out loud. "Maybe we went to school or something like that." "Maybe you should call and ask," Becky said, raising an eyebrow. "Very funny," Emily said, although Becky thought it was a good idea. "Go now." Becky moved to give her mother a quick kiss before she left, then headed out the front door. Rachel Davis was standing behind the counter of Minnie's Diner. Still in her uniform of the diner, a place that was committed to its 1950's aesthetics, she had an apron tied around her waist. She had several trays lined up on the counter. It was the next day, past closing time and Rachel was freaking out. "It has to be perfect," Rachel said. "It has to be more than that. It has to be like so perfect they'll give me an award." Becky exhaled. She was sitting at the bar, next to Liam Jennings, Jeremy Pike, Catherine John and Declan Walsh. Rachel slowly made eye contact with all of them. "You are looking a little crazy," Becky said. "I am totally fine," Rachel said. "This is just a big thing, okay? And I'm going to win because I have never won before. You know who wins? Ella wins. We hate Ella." "Okay," Catherine said, getting some enjoyment from Rachel's quick descent into madness. "We hate Ella." With a dramatic flourish, Rachel removed the cloths covering the dishes. "A classic. Brownies with maple syrup and caramel, chocolate chip cookies. I've also have two cakes and three pies." "Did you do any work today?" Declan asked. "What?" Rachel asked. "No, this is important." The Grand Baking Tournament was important. The tournament would film over a week, and randomized teams of two would compete to knock each other out and become the winner. The had celebrity hosts and judges, and Rose Hollow was home to it every year. It was the most serious Becky had ever seen Rachel. Competitors came from all around to try to win, and it was important that Rachel won, for herself and for the town. "Rachel, you'll do fine," Jeremy encouraged, stepping into the role of supportive boyfriend. "We aren't going to settle for fine," Rachel said seriously, "I mean it. Ten teams over five rounds, and only three will move to the finals? I need to do better than I ever have, ever. Okay. So, eat." Becky thought that this would be a good way to spend an evening, but she had no idea how stressed out Rachel would be. They all shared a look and then began to eat. "These brownies are amazing," Liam said. Rachel nodded and wrote that down. "The cookies are okay, I suppose?" Catherine added. "You suppose?" Rachel asked, venom in her voice. There was flour and chocolate powder over her face and hands. It was evident that she had spent all day baking. "I mean, they are amazing, obviously," Catherine said slowly. "But basic. Maybe add something." Rachel nodded and wrote that down, too. "What is in this cake?" Becky asked. "Pink champagne. I topped it off with chocolate icing," Rachel explained. Becky nodded. It was good, but everything Rachel made was good. She had been working at the diner for years and everyone in Rose Hollow loved her baking. If Rachel was this good, she didn't want to know how good the other bakers would be. It would even be filmed for television, as it was every year, and it was the mid-winter pick up Rose Hollow needed. Becky knew that there were multiple events in the summer, but from the end of February to the beginning of May, there was almost nothing going on. The week would be packed with visitors, and the buzz and hum was in the air. It was exciting for people like Becky who owned a store and would definitely profit from the tourists. For people like Rachel, it meant that she wasn't sleeping at all and constantly coming up with new recipes. Even though it was stressful, there was nothing like being able to sit and eat. "The judges are so lucky," Becky sighed. "Everything is going to be incredible." "They've thrown a twist this year. The second round is meant for desserts for a wedding, hence the pink champagne with chocolate icing," Rachel explained. She pushed a curl of her hair from her eyes and exhaled. She had dark rings under her eyes, meaning she hadn't slept in ages. Becky couldn't imagine the type of stress she was under. She was tapping her pen on the counter, waiting for more reactions. "Rachel, you're going to win," Declan added, probably the safest thing to say. "Do you know who you're going to partner with?" Becky asked. "We won't know until the competition begins," Rachel explained. "Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't people we would like to work with. I'm hoping for Lauren Taylor, personally. She’s good at what she does and she'll stay out of my way. Anyway, these are all just suggestions. Who knows if they'll want something specific or not. They change it every year and we won't know until the judges read the rules. We can practice all we want, but it may not make a difference. I need sleep." "You do need sleep," Catherine said. She was a cook, too. She owned a catering company, but she wasn't much for baking. "This is going to get intense." "Don't you have work to do?" Rachel asked. "I am catering the welcome party and the after party," Catherine explained. "So yes. But it's okay. I'm doing a set menu and things are already in motion." Becky exhaled. Surrounded by so many talented and skilled people in the kitchen, there was no wonder why she felt she didn't have to cook. "I just really want to win," Rachel said. She exhaled again. "If Ella Clarke wins again, I swear to God, I’m going to lose it." "What if you're on a team with Ella?" Becky asked. "Then I guess I have nothing to worry about." Rachel exhaled. "You guys can take all that home if you want. I have too much stuff in the back." "You're going to do wonderfully," Jeremy said. Becky watched Rachel absolutely melt as she looked at her boyfriend. "I hope so. I know it happens every year, but I just need to do well," Rachel said. Becky got the sense that she was pushing herself to do well for some other reason. "You will," Becky said firmly. She helped Rachel clean up. She had never been in the kitchen of Minnie's Diner, but it was large, silver, and professional. She wiped down appliances and counters, making them shine and removing a fine layer of flour and sugar and whatever had managed to settle on them. "I hope no one thinks I'm too insane," Rachel said. Over the months, they had formed a very tight knit little family. They were more than friends now. Their experiences had pulled them closer together. Becky had more friends now than she had ever had in Ohio. "We don't think you're insane," Becky said. "It's important to you, it's important to all of us." Rachel relaxed into a smile. She had removed her apron but was still in her kitschy diner uniform. Becky always thought that working in the diner would be fun, like stepping back into time. "I feel like I've gone insane," Rachel said. "It always happens. You weren't here last year, but we always go in feeling totally insane and it's always such a blast. It's a really intense thing." The contestants each year usually remained the same. The entry for the Grand Baking Tournament was long and hard, and it weeded out amateurs from people who seriously baked. She didn't know all of the details, but Becky knew it involved personally baking for the judges. "And Carly Anne and Timothy Hughes are hosts," Rachel said. "You are so lucky," Becky said. Carly Anne and Timothy Hughes were set to star in a big new action movie together and they were, currently, the biggest stars in Hollywood. It was overwhelming, the thought of having that type of star power in their little town. "I'm going to see Timothy Hughes up close," Rachel repeated. "I hope I don't say something stupid." "I hope Jeremy doesn't mind," Becky quipped. "I heard he's really into antiques," Rachel said. "You better hope Declan doesn't mind." "Oh, he won't," Becky said. "It's only been official for like two weeks. It's fine. And I won't flirt with a movie star." "Okay, liar," Rachel said. "Here, take some of these." She passed a tray of brownies to Becky, who took them gratefully. "My mom will love these," Becky said. "Yeah, your mom is in town. Emily? My mom was surprised," Rachel said. "Can't stop talking about the time they all went to the beach and Emily was the one who started the skinny-dipping. My mother, of course, was shocked and appalled." Stephanie Davis was in the year between Emily and Pauline. For all Becky knew, and she didn't know much, they could have been friends. "I am too," Becky said. "I've got to go." "Of course," Rachel said. Becky exited the kitchen and back out to her car.