by Tanya Agler
The mayor laughed once more, and nervousness welled inside Aidan. “Always straight to the point. Here in Hollydale, we like our visitors to take time to eat at our restaurants and spend time in the great outdoors so they’ll come back again. Are you liking our fair town?”
Yes, especially one beautiful whirlwind. “No complaints, although Hyacinth and Belinda are coming on rather strong.”
Mayor Wes shrugged and kept a steady pace alongside Aidan. “You’re army strong. Judging from your attention to detail, you can handle that situation. By the way, Sheriff Mike and Woodley are impressed with the schematics you emailed them this morning.”
They were still a couple of blocks away from Shelby’s house. Judging from the mayor’s body language, the mayor hadn’t revealed the real reason for stopping him yet.
“Good to know.” Light conversation wasn’t his strong suit, but he could give it a try. “Beautiful summer day.”
And it was. The gazebo stood proud in the town square, decorated with bunting and twinkle lights. The mountains provided a shield against the heat and humidity associated with the South, and a cool breeze made his morning run enjoyable earlier. People waved their greetings, and the mayor acknowledged each by name, asking after loved ones and pets before returning his attention to Aidan.
“Guess I’d better get to the point before we’re interrupted again. The grand marshal of our parade, a former baseball player turned manager with ties to our community, received an offer to star in an advertisement for Japanese sake. He called me personally to ask for a release from his obligation before he accepted. Nice of him. He threw in a new fire engine, so I could hardly turn the man down, could I?”
Aidan grunted his acknowledgment, unsure of any other response. “Danny won’t be upset about that. He’s more into fire trucks than baseball at the moment.”
“That leaves me in a bind, though. The grand marshal leads the parade, unites the town, so to speak.” The mayor paused and dipped his head in greeting to more passersby.
Aidan nodded and pursed his lips in his semblance of a smile, unused to this much attention. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
The mayor seemed bright enough to forge a solution. “That’s where you come in.” The mayor’s soft drawl belied his authority. “You’re my top choice.”
Stunned, Aidan stopped marching forward and rubbed his ear. Then he started laughing. “Sorry. Heard you wrong. Thought you asked me to be grand marshal.”
“I did. The Boulevard of Stars Parade is a celebration of everything good about our country on its birthday.” The mayor pointed to Aidan’s arm. “You’ve made sacrifices while serving in more ways than one. You answered my call for a project when you arrived, and your work is top-notch. What’s more, I need an honorable man for a day that should bring people together.”
Aidan lowered his sleeve. Until now, he’d been unaware he had bunched the fabric around his elbow. “How do you know the scar isn’t a personal injury with no connection to my military service?”
“Was it?” The mayor leveled a look at him.
“No. I did sustain it in combat.” He shifted his weight, uncomfortable with the subject. “There are other veterans. Why me?”
“You’ve endured and survived, and I believe you’re thriving in these parts.”
“That’s my point. I’m only visiting these parts. Shouldn’t the grand marshal have ties to the community? Be a leader.”
“I stand by my choice. In the short time your sister lived here, she made a big impact, thinking and dreaming big about Snickerdoodles. The lunch café would have had a real niche in Hollydale, one not represented by our other fine dining establishments. The other businesses in the area and I were hoping she’d make a go of it. Since her loss, the residents have rallied around Danny. That little boy represents us supporting each other in times of crisis. We want to extend that to you as well.” The mayor sounded genuine, and Aidan understood why the man spoke for the town.
A strange feeling came over him as he accepted how much Hollydale was rallying around him. Cathy had once rallied around him, and he rejected that kind of concern and affection, only to realize later that he’d missed out on something special. Still, a town going out of their way to embrace him? When he’d seen the hard truth of life out there? Maybe that was what he was fighting for.
“I can see you’re skeptical. I would be, too.” Hesitation halted Aiden voicing his concern, and Mayor Wes tapped his chin. “There’s a perk I haven’t mentioned. Georgie’s offering her convertible for the parade. You and Danny would get to ride in a beaut of a fully restored Thunderbird.”
“Anything else?” While some operations in the army required split-second decisions when your life and the lives of your fellow soldiers were on the line, others required all the necessary information spread out on the table for an informed decision. Having a backup plan would have prevented the mayor from being entangled in this type of sticky situation, where he was asking a total stranger to be the grand marshal.
“I need an answer about the grand marshal position. Today. Think it over and call me this afternoon.” The mayor called out to two well-dressed women, and he crossed the street. “Kitty, Beverly. Good to see you both out and about. How are you on this fine day?”
This was an honor, and Danny loved his aunt’s Thunderbird. He’d call the mayor later to accept. Another unexpected turn of events, but he was starting to expect nothing less from Hollydale.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“THANKS FOR YOUR help today, Mike. Glad to know they give you a day off every once in a while.” Natalie hammered a stud in place.
Mike wiped his forehead with the back of his arm and swallowed a big swig of water. “The least I can do is help today since I won’t be around this weekend.”
“You’re lending me Georgie. That more than makes up for it.” She winked as she struck the last nail in place.
Little by little, the float was coming along. In no time she’d be throwing candy out to the crowd and, with some luck and a lot of patience, she might hear Danny laugh again. Even when he won the horseshoe competition, he’d only smiled and thrown his arms around Aidan.
“If I wasn’t so sure of myself, I’d be offended by that remark.” Her brother crossed his arms and fell backward into a soft patch of grass.
Natalie laughed, hopped off the platform and extended an arm to assist him up. “Nice to see your sense of humor’s returned since Georgie came back to town.”
“I’d be offended by that if you weren’t right. Getting a second chance with Georgie was the best thing that’s happened to me.” He wiped the grass off his shorts. “That and Rachel.”
“The float’s coming along, don’t you think?” She tilted her head one way, then the other. “It’ll come together in the end, right?”
Mike shrugged and picked up the hammer off the grass. “Most things do. I didn’t feel like it would when I arrested Georgie, but it did. I think you’re finally returning and coming back together, too.”
She slipped back to the pavilion area and started cleaning up around them in case Danny and Aidan arrived earlier than expected. Mike followed and waited on the edge.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Natalie tidied the piles of scrap wood.
“Part of you has been AWOL since Francisco died. You’ve been so busy throwing yourself into everything and urging others to have fun. Anyone not close to you wouldn’t guess anything was wrong, but I’ve seen the faraway looks and the longing glances at Rachel.”
She hadn’t hidden her feelings as well as she thought, and he knew she’d thrown herself into a haze of productivity to balance out the grief. Staying busy and living in the moment only worked up to a point. There was a time everyone went home and she had to be satisfied with silence.
It was taking some getting used to, but she was making progress. Wi
th a quick glance at the sky, gray clouds on the horizon, Mike shook his head. “Looks like it’s going to rain. Maybe we should move it back into the shed.”
She checked the weather app on her phone. “The system’s heading our way, but there should be enough time to get more accomplished.”
“Seems like you’re throwing your whole self into this.” He headed to the toolbox and traded the hammer for a wrench. “Whirling dervishes are a force of nature, little sis.”
Leave it to her big brother, the class clown turned sheriff, to know her so well. “Forces of nature make things happen. Nothing wrong with that.” There was an edge in her voice that wasn’t normally present. Now he was talking to her one-on-one and she realized Mike was the last member of the family she’d have expected to confront her. “Danny needs a force of nature in his life, one that will provide him with sunshine rather than a constant deluge.”
“When Rachel burned herself in that accident, I wanted to take away her pain, endure it for her, scream, but I couldn’t. She faced it with me at her side. I was so proud of her. I’ve learned the best I can do is make sure she has an umbrella and knows how to use it.”
She sat on the nearest bench. He came over and settled next to her. She clenched her jaw and fists, anything so the tears burning her eyes wouldn’t fall. “Do you believe Aidan would be a better choice to teach Danny how to use his umbrella?”
“Did Mom say something to you?”
“So Mom and Becks are both against me keeping my promise to Shelby?”
If she sat here any longer, she’d start crying. She walked over to the chicken wire and unrolled the spool. One by one, she twisted and fluffed the tissue paper loops poking out of each hole until they formed beautiful flowers.
Mike followed her and watched for a minute before imitating her actions on his end of the wire. “I haven’t talked to Becks about it but, judging from the way you said that, I assume she said something to you. On the record, neither Mom nor Becks has said anything to me. The way you said ‘too’ made me think Mom had talked to you since you two are so close. You take after her the most.”
His words soaked in, and she took a moment to absorb everything around her. On a normal day, the birds singing and the kids playing boosted her morale, pushed her a little more to finish what was in front of her. Today, they were reminders of what she stood to lose. She glanced at the ceiling of the pavilion with a myriad of initials written in Sharpie, a couple of spiderwebs and more than enough gum to keep her kindergarten class in ecstasy for several hours. “What do you think?”
One look at his face, more serious than she’d seen in some time, and her stomach dropped. “You’ll make a great mom...”
She finished his sentence for him. “For someone else, right?”
“That’s the most pessimistic thing I’ve ever heard you say.” Creases lined Mike’s forehead, getting deeper with every word. “It doesn’t take blood to make a family. It takes love.”
And those might be the wisest words she’d ever heard her brother say. If anyone could say that, though, he could, considering her parents adopted him before they found out they were expecting twins. She slugged his shoulder. “And fun.”
“And jokes.”
Shelby’s compact pulled into the parking lot. A few seconds later, Danny emerged and ran to Natalie. He wrapped his arms around her, and she breathed in baby shampoo and pine trees. “Smells like you did something outdoors. Did you have a good time with your uncle?”
“We went for a hike near Sully Creek after our trip to the Corner Grocery.” Aidan shrugged and gave a clipped nod to Mike.
Danny broke away, and she flicked off a pine needle from his mop of brown hair.
“I saw a deer and a baby fawn at the nature preserve this morning. It was so neat. They ran away before I could pet them. Then me and Uncle Aidan saw some neat flowers at the creek. Next time, you have to come with us, Aunt Natalie.” Danny’s smile tugged at her heart, and she glanced at Aidan.
“You and your uncle need time together,” Natalie said.
More than ever, she understood the fear of missing out. She wanted Danny to live his life, and she wanted to be there right alongside him.
Aidan walked toward the truck chassis, and they followed. “I’m impressed with the progress.”
“We worked on the support frame. Mike helped since he has to miss out on the work party this weekend. Something about commitments as the sheriff and all that.” She elbowed her brother in the ribs and winked. “This afternoon, we’re going to get the background built so it can be in place for this weekend.”
Mike’s phone buzzed, and he glanced down. “Hold up a second, little sis.” Without another word, her brother headed to the pavilion.
Danny tugged at her sundress. “Uncle Aidan’s gonna take me to Timber River Outfitters this afternoon.”
Mike came back, shaking his head, his face lined with disappointment. “Sorry, but I have to bail out. Duty calls.” He hurried to his squad car.
After he left, Aidan turned to her. “What can we do to help?”
“I’m still your bestest helper.” Danny hugged her waist. “And your most favorite, too, right?”
She winked at him. “And the cutest.”
She looked Aidan’s way. Danny might be the cutest, but Aidan took her breath away. Over the past week, he’d lost some of that straitlaced exterior. Not that a person could change who they were on the inside. He’d always plan everything to the nth degree. Still, some time with Danny loosened him up enough to make this casual side of him that much more appealing.
“What’s in store for this afternoon?” Aidan stepped to the toolbox.
“Mike and I were going to lift the superstructure, which is basically that wooden thing that looks like a cross between a stage and a platform, onto the chassis and connect it to the rectangular wooden area we cut out of the red fuzzy fabric that’s the base covering most of the float.”
He looked impressed but then folded his arms. “Would we get in the way?”
“Most likely.”
Without saying a word, Aidan seemed to understand her dilemma. Before she knew it, they dropped Danny off at her mother’s, where her niece Rachel offered to teach him how to draw cats and cows. Back in front of the park shed, she wondered if this was a good idea. The gray clouds passed overhead with swiftness, and she wasn’t sure if the weather would hold off long enough to get anything done.
Aidan looked at her and pointed. “Something’s better than nothing.”
No sooner had they fastened the superstructure onto the platform than the distant rumbling of thunder crackled in the air. The wind picked up, the tips of the pines swaying. Nearby, the splash fountains faded away to nothingness as car doors slammed with parents and other caregivers urging their charges to hurry before the storm arrived.
“Where’s your tarp?” Aidan yelled as he hopped off the platform to the grassy flat.
“I think there’s one in the shed. Wouldn’t it be easier to back the truck in?” Natalie disembarked, taking care when she landed. Her ankle boots left an imprint in the soft grass.
“We don’t have time. Besides, the truck might not fit. We should have measured the height of the tiered rainbow frame you designed. The rain’ll be here soon.” He ran to the shed and brought out a bright blue tarp.
He unfolded the plastic, and they worked together, making sure every inch of the truck was covered, securing the corners with rocks. The wind now swirled all around them, leaves hitting her face. No sooner did they pile on the last stone than fat raindrops began to fall. Her car and the pavilion were farther than the shed, so Natalie grabbed her bag from the side of the float and rushed inside the makeshift building. She and Aidan made it inside the second the skies burst open with a deluge.
Rain poured forth, coming down sideways, lightning flashing across the dark sky. She
shivered.
“Are you cold?”
His words drew her attention to him standing a good ten feet away on the other side of the utility shed. He shook some water droplets off his cropped dark brown hair.
“Not really.” She removed the elastic holding her messy bun in place. She then shook out the rain from her hair. “I feel like a dog after a bath.”
She only hoped she didn’t look like one.
The rain pelted the roof, the constant pitter-patter almost a melody. She exhaled and looked around for a place to get comfortable. The smells of fertilizer and paint weren’t her favorites but, with the doors wide open, fresh air and rain dispersed the strong aroma. “Mountain storms tend to last longer than a pop-up shower.” She found a bucket and upended it before pointing to its twin. “Do you prefer to sit or stand?”
“I’m fine.” He glared outside as if that would stop the storm in its tracks.
“I’ll text my mom to let her and Danny know we’re okay.”
“Good idea.”
She rifled through her purse until she found her phone. After a quick text to her mother letting her and Danny know they were safe, she searched through the rest of her bag. With a triumphant cry, she produced a deck of cards. “What’s your poison? Poker? Gin rummy? Crazy eights?”
“Solitaire.”
Thunder boomed in the distance, and she kept herself from tumbling off her makeshift chair. “Meet me halfway.”
Rain started coming inside the shed, and he backed away, closing one of the doors while keeping the other open. Then he approached her. “What’s with you and games anyway? Basketball? Horseshoes? Cards?”
“Would you prefer to talk? I’ve been known to do that on occasion.”
“Hand me the cards. I shuffle well.”
She smiled as he upended the other bucket. “Whoa. Someone’s found his confidence. Pride goeth before a fall, and notice I’m the one who travels with a deck of playing cards.”
A clap of thunder directly overhead elicited a gasp, and she jumped off the bucket, knocking it sideways. He dropped the cards and stood.