Page 50 of Want to Know a Secret?

“Just taking a break!” I hold out the apple turnovers. “Would you guys like a sample from the table?”

Maria barely looks at me. Julie eyes the turnovers then shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

“Um, okay.” I stand there awkwardly for a moment with the apple turnovers in my hand. “It seems like the carnival is a huge success though. You did an amazing job, Julie.”

If there’s one thing I know Julie loves, it’s compliments.

“We all did an amazing job, April,” she says. “It wasn’t just me putting this together. I couldn’t have done it without help from all the other parents.”

And she smiles at Maria. Even though I did half the freaking work for this carnival.

“Well!” My cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling. “I guess I’ll get back to the bake sale.”

“You do that,” Julie says.

My cheeks are burning as I walk back across the gym. I can’t believe the way Maria snubbed me. Julie and I used to be so close—she was the one who told everyone in town to watch Sweet Secrets and helped me make the show a success. She’s been my best friend for five years! But now that Maria is around, it’s like I can’t do anything right in her eyes.

I can only imagine what Maria has been saying to her about me. I don’t know how that stupid giraffe ended up in my backyard. It wasn’t Bobby’s fault, and it definitely wasn’t my fault.

Tears are pricking at my eyes. I certainly don’t want to go back to the bake sale, where everybody is staring at me like I have the plague.

So instead of leaving the gym, I hang right. That’s where the bouncy houses are. Where Sean is doing his second shift, since Teresa backed out. But he doesn’t look like he’s getting too burned out. He’s teasing this little girl about her sparkly pink shoes, and she’s giggling. He’s really good with kids. And he’s such a good dad.

Meanwhile, my husband isn’t here at all. He’s working. Obviously.

Sean knocks on the door to the bouncy house. “Hey! Sixty more seconds of bouncing then everybody out for the new group! Time to go crazy!”

I take a deep breath and walk over to Sean, who seems taken aback to see me. He literally takes a step back.

“Hi,” I say.

“Uh, hi, April,” he says.

He must think I have the plague, like everyone else. “I guess you saw that post on Facebook,” I say.

He frowns. “Facebook? No, I don’t have a Facebook account.”

Oh, thank God.

“Lucky you.” I snort. “So how is it going over here? Looks like fun.”

“Yeah…” He rubs at the back of his neck as he avoids my eyes. “It’s pretty busy.”

“Well, I don’t want to interrupt or anything. I just thought you might enjoy a snack.” I hold out the turnovers, wrapped in a napkin. “It’s those apple turnovers you loved the other night. I saved some for you.”

Actually, there’s a whole pile of them back at the bake sale table. But he doesn’t need to know that.

I had hoped Sean’s eyes would light up like they did that night of the book club, but instead, he takes another step back. “I better not.”

I look back at the raffle table. Sure enough, Maria’s eyes are on my back. I turn back to Sean, my own eyes narrowing. “Did Maria tell you not to talk to me?”

“What? No.”

Liar. “So why don’t you want a turnover?”

“I just…” He shrugs. “I just don’t. I’m not hungry.”

“Fine.” I almost crumble the turnovers in my hands. “Are you picking up Bobby to go play soccer at the park tomorrow?”