by Debby Mayne
Again, Mary lifted her hands. “What did I say a few minutes ago, ladies? We will behave today, if for no other reason but to appear like a friendly town to all the folks who’ll be here for the festival.”
“That’s right,” Naomi said directly to Pamela. “And don’t you forget that either.”
It took every bit of self-restraint for Bethany not to laugh. When the omelet arrived, Bethany sank her fork into the fluffy yellow exterior and watched as the cheese and vegetables oozed from the center. The aroma of a blend of cheese, onions, and peppers made her mouth water. Perfect as always.
“Mmm.” Aunt Mary’s eyes glazed over as she took her first bite. “Delish.”
Bethany enjoyed everything about her breakfast, but she’d always enjoyed the Pink Geranium where everything was fresh-baked and cooked with love by people she’d known all of her life. Naomi always said the reason everything was wonderful at the Pink Geranium and the Old Towne Inn was that Caroline had found her calling and allowed the Lord to direct her.
“If you do that, you can’t go wrong,” Naomi told her children. “You won’t be any good at anything if you don’t pay attention to where the Lord leads you.”
Pamela finally finished her breakfast. She stood and dropped her pink napkin on the table. “It was nice having breakfast with you, ladies.” Then she looked directly at Bethany. “Now that you’ve got your house de-cluttered, it’s time to work on your wardrobe. I can help you with that.” She smiled and nodded toward Aunt Mary. “Nice to see you too, Mary. Have a wonderful day.”
Bethany blinked as she watched Pamela leave the Pink Geranium. Aunt Mary remained silent, until Bethany turned and looked at her.
“Do I look that bad?” Bethany asked. “I thought you said—”
Aunt Mary shook her head. “That was totally uncalled for.”
“Do you agree with her? Is my wardrobe really horrible?”
“Well . . . not exactly horrible.” Aunt Mary tightened her lips and glanced away before finally nodding. “It wouldn’t hurt to update it a bit.”
“But you told me not to change clothes. In fact, you said I looked fine just as I was.”
Aunt Mary gave her an apologetic look. “Your clothes are okay, but you can do so much better, dear. You’re a beautiful woman, so I have no idea why you try to hide behind such . . .” She looked Bethany up and down. “Behind such matronly clothes.”
“What do you think I should wear?” Bethany’s voice cracked.
“Something more stylish, maybe?” She scrunched her face. “I wish Pamela hadn’t started this. I want you to have a good time this weekend.”
“I will.” Bethany leaned back in her chair, still numb from Pamela’s comment.
“Maybe we can go shopping again while I’m here, only this time for clothes.” Aunt Mary comically wiggled her eyebrows. “Unless you’d rather go with Pamela. I’m sure she can help you pick out some interesting outfits.”
An image of fluttery chiffon angel sleeves, high heels with rhinestones, and floppy hats flitted through Bethany’s thoughts, and she shuddered. “No thanks.”
“And we really don’t have to do a major overhaul. Just maybe pick up a few stylish tops and some accessories to freshen things up a bit.” Aunt Mary laughed. “Pamela probably has other ideas, like a bunch of sequined tops, maybe a few hats, and . . .” She pointed to her fingernails. “Lots of glitter.”
“That’s beyond wrong.” Bethany made a face.
Aunt Mary laughed. “I think you’d look cute in a turquoise V-neck top with a silver necklace and some hoop earrings. You can wear that with any neutral pants or skirt.”
That didn’t sound too bad. “Okay. I’ll give it a whirl if you’ll go with me.”
As they got up to leave, Bethany couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. When people looked at them, she wondered if they saw her as a dowdy woman who didn’t know how to dress. Now that she thought about it, she realized even her mother’s wardrobe was more stylish than hers. Yes, it was time to make a few more changes.
By the time they arrived at the garden club booth, a small crowd had formed on the sidewalk on both sides of Main Street, waiting for the parade. It had warmed up enough for some people to shed their scarves and heavy coats. Thank You, Lord.
Bethany saw the boxes full of sale items had been delivered as she’d asked, so all she and her aunt needed to do was pull them out and find ways to display them. Fortunately, Aunt Mary knew how to arrange her treasures to show them off. She stacked boxes to create tiers and then covered them with scarves and doilies.
“Wow.” Bethany took a step back. “This looks good.”
Aunt Mary nodded toward the sound of the marching band moving into position. “Why don’t we go watch the parade?”
Bethany nodded and pulled her purse from beneath the table. “I really missed parades after I left Bloomfield.”
“I know, and that’s too bad. Parades make me feel like a kid again. I’ll never forget the time I brought you to your first parade here on Main Street. Your father was on the city council, and our whole family was so proud of him and your mother as they rode in a convertible, waving to the crowd like dignitaries.”
Bethany had her own personal flashback of her parents’ involvement in Bloomfield events. By the time she’d come along, her dad had been deeply involved in city politics. Between his position and her mother being the president of the Bloomfield Garden Club, they were like royalty ruling over the town. Whatever they wanted they got, so it was a good thing they never did anything without praying first.
“Oh look!” Aunt Mary pointed to something behind Bethany. “Here comes Pete.”
Bethany turned and saw Pete walking full-speed toward them, and right behind him were Ashley and Eric. After all that talk about her clothes, she wanted to make herself invisible. She wondered if Ashley was embarrassed by how she dressed. Bethany had never thought about it before.
“This is turning out to be quite the event,” Pete said, grinning. “The mayor can’t believe we have so many people visiting for the festival and parade. Did you know all the hotel rooms in town are booked?”
Another reason to be thankful for the weather that continued to warm up. “That’s nice.” Bethany glanced down at her sneakers and wished she’d thought to buy some newer, more fashionable shoes for the event.
“Bethany?” Pete’s voice cracked. “Is everything okay?”
When she glanced up at Pete, she saw the look of concern on his face. Ashley and Eric stood off to the side looking puzzled.
She nodded. “Everything is just fine. I’m glad we have so many people here.”
Aunt Mary went over to Ashley. “Introduce me to your young man.” Before her niece had a chance to say a word, Aunt Mary extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Mary, Ashley’s great-aunt. You must be Eric.”
When Bethany looked at her daughter, she didn’t see an ounce of embarrassment on her face. Instead, she noticed pride.
Eric shook hands with Aunt Mary and answered one question after another. After the inquisition wound down, he chuckled. “I can see why Ashley loves it here so much.”
The look he gave Ashley brought a flush to Bethany’s cheeks. These kids were obviously in love. She should have known something was up when Ashley had stopped calling. When Bethany called her, she always had to go. And she hadn’t been home since shortly after she’d met Eric. At least Ashley had chosen a guy who didn’t shy away from anyone, which was a good thing, because she saw Naomi and Pamela bearing down on them. And he seemed to take his Christian faith seriously.
With her normal flourish, Pamela’s smile widened, and she gestured with her long fingernails, now painted a royal purple and tipped in silver. “Didn’t your mother do a wonderful job promoting this festival?” she asked Ashley, but before giving her a chance to answer, she turned to Eric. “I’m Pamela Jasper, president o
f the Bloomfield Garden Club. It’s nice to have so many young people interested in moving to our fabulous town. Will you be next?”
Naomi grunted. “Back off, Pamela. Eric is in college, and he didn’t say he was moving here.”
Pamela tilted her head and gave Naomi a mock glare with her lips pooched out and her eyes comically wide. “But he didn’t say he wasn’t, did he?”
Eric laughed. “This is a beautiful town, ladies. Maybe after I graduate, I might consider Bloomfield . . . that is, if I can find a job here.” He smiled down at Ashley, who grinned back with open adoration.
“No problem,” Pamela said. “Just let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Eric smiled at Ashley and winked. She nuzzled closer to his side.
Pete leaned over and whispered, “Isn’t young love sweet?”
Bethany paused and nodded. “Yes, very sweet.” She glanced over at Pete and suspected he wasn’t sure what to say to her with Ashley standing there. Even though Charlie had been gone a while, even Bethany thought Ashley might still harbor thoughts that no one else should be with her.
As the high school band marched closer, Bethany felt tiny prickles of excitement. She’d watched many parades on this very street in her past, but this was the first time she’d been so actively involved in the process of making it happen. The joy from seeing the results of her hard work made her giddy.
“Having fun?” Pete asked. He’d shoved his hands in his pockets, but he remained right beside her.
She nodded. “The parade has barely started, and it’s already the best I’ve ever seen.”
Aunt Mary laughed. “That’s because you know what goes into making one successful.” She shielded her eyes and looked around at the crowd. “Oh, there’s Gina and her family.”
Bethany looked across the street and made eye contact with Gina, who waved. Lacy sat atop Jeremy’s shoulders, clapping to the beat of the drums as the band approached the corner. When they stopped and did a short dance formation on the street in front of her, Lacy’s eyes lit up, flooding Bethany with memories of Ashley at that age.
After the band moved on, one of the colorful tissue-stuffed high school floats followed. Bethany stood transfixed, watching more floats, the mayor and his city council riding in convertibles, clowns carrying balloons, and other acts as they made their way past her.
“Wow! I think that’s the best parade I’ve ever seen,” Pete said as the final float turned the corner. “And we’ve had some good ones here in Bloomfield.”
Gina ran across the street toward them. “This is so much fun! Bloomfield is the best place in the entire world!”
Pete laughed at Gina’s enthusiasm. Living in Bloomfield all of his life, he sometimes wondered if the reason he liked it so much was because he had nothing to compare it to. Gina’s enthusiasm confirmed this place truly was a wonderful town.
“I agree,” Eric said as he stepped forward, still holding on to Ashley’s hand. “I’ve only been in town since last night, but I can feel something different here. It’s really special.” He winked at Ashley. “A feeling of being in a Norman Rockwell painting.”
Gina’s eyes lit up. “Yes! That’s totally it. The first time I stepped foot in Bloomfield, I felt as though I’d been transported to a different time and place.” She grinned at Eric. “You absolutely have to move here after you finish college. There’s no place like it.”
Eric chuckled. “There are several factors to consider, but I’ll definitely put it high on my list.”
Pete noticed Bethany squirming. It had to be difficult to see her only child with a serious love interest, especially since she didn’t know much about him. Maybe he could help.
“So, Eric, where are you from?”
“Chicago. We have parades there, but they’re nothing like this.”
“Chicago, huh?” Pete had been there once, but he didn’t know enough to talk about it intelligently. “I’ve never lived anywhere but Bloomfield. I bet living in the big city is quite a bit different.”
Eric nodded. “Really different. My folks used to live in the city, but they moved to the suburbs when I was in elementary school.”
“You do go to church, don’t you?” Pamela asked.
Pete wished Pamela wouldn’t be so aggressive, but Eric handled himself quite well. Eric nodded.
“Yes, ma’am. My family attends a small church close to our neighborhood. At college, I go to a church in town most of the time, but when I can’t, I go to the campus chapel.” He grinned down at Ashley who held onto his arm. “That’s how the Lord brought Ashley and me together.”
“That’s so sweet.” Pamela’s beatific smile almost made Pete laugh. “Church is the best place to meet the person you want to spend your life with.”
Pete almost choked when she said that. He looked down at Bethany, and he saw she was just as shocked.
“No one’s talking about a lifetime commitment, Pamela,” Mary said.
Pamela grunted. “Maybe that’s the problem with everyone. You’re all too afraid to say what’s on your mind.”
Pete wanted to gag Pamela, until he caught the exchanged glance between Ashley and Eric. Something was going on, and apparently, until now, Pamela had been the only one to see it . . . or at least the only one willing to mention it.
Chapter 25
Gina gestured toward the town square, where throngs of people had begun to gather. “C’mon, everyone. The mayor is about to make a proclamation.”
“Daddy, what’s a proc-lation?” Lacy asked as Jeremy lowered her to the ground.
“It’s a type of announcement.”
“Nouncement?” Lacy still looked confused, but she grew quiet.
Bethany noticed that Pete appeared amused. “She’s cute, isn’t she?”
He nodded. “Yes, very cute.”
Before Bethany could say anything else, Naomi tugged on her arm. “Let’s go join the mayor on the stage. He wants the committee up there with him. I think he wants to call each of us up to the podium and give us something.”
To her surprise, Bethany enjoyed being front and center, and as the mayor handed her a certificate for being an outstanding citizen of Bloomfield, her insides swelled with pride. She scanned the crowd for Pete, and when she finally spotted him, she grinned. He waved and gave her a thumbs-up and a wide grin.
The mayor drew his speech to a close. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank the rest of the folks of this beautiful town and welcome all our visitors to Bloomfield. Don’t forget to stop off at the visitor’s booth by the courthouse before you leave. I’ll be there with the rest of the city council, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions . . .” He chuckled. “And hug a few babies.” He made a shooing gesture. “Now go have yourselves some fun!”
“Hey, Bethany,” Sherry hollered after she stepped down off the stage to join Pete. “I have something I’d like for you to take a look at. I’m not sure if you can use it in the booth, so I want your opinion.”
“Sure, I’ll be right there.” She gave Pete an apologetic look. “Looks like I’ll be super busy all day.”
“That’s fine. I think I’ll go help out with one of the pony rides.” He sounded disappointed.
“Maybe we can have dinner later.”
Pete shook his head. “I heard the mayor has something special in mind for the committee before the folk band plays.”
Bethany had forgotten all about the folk group. Gina tried her best to contract Peter, Paul, and Mary, but the group was booked throughout the rest of the season. The folk tour wasn’t playing anywhere near Bloomfield, but she’d managed to find a regional group that had a decent following.
She went over to see what Sherry wanted. After Sherry thanked her, Bethany enjoyed the sense of pride, knowing her opinion was valued. Yes, she was definitely experiencing a change, and it fe
lt wonderful.
In the past when she was a child and later when she visited, Bethany had walked up and down Main Street, stopping off at booths, perusing shelves of handcrafted items, and munching on hotdogs and bear claws. But today, she was so busy working the garden club booth, helping Gina, and answering questions, she didn’t have time for anything else. And she loved every single minute of it.
Bethany’s mom approached her midway through her final shift for the day at the booth. “Looks like all your hard work paid off. Thanks to your promotion, we have more people visiting than ever. I’m so proud of you I could pop.”
“Thanks, Nao—” Bethany caught herself. “Thanks, Mom. I learned most of what I know from you.”
“That’s utter nonsense.” Naomi tried to pretend she wasn’t flattered, but the flush in her cheeks showed otherwise. “I have to admit I’m surprised we had such a good turnout. Nothing against anything you did, but we have so many festivals, you would think folks would get sick of them.”
“Are you sick of them?” Bethany challenged.
“No, but don’t tell Pamela. I actually enjoy a good festival.” Naomi chuckled. “It makes me feel young again.”
“You act younger than most people half your age,” Bethany said.
Naomi chuckled, but a serious look quickly crossed her face. “So what do you think of Ashley’s young man?”
“He seems nice.” Bethany darted her gaze away.
“But?” Naomi took hold of Bethany’s shoulders and turned her around to face her. “What’s wrong?”
Bethany shrugged. “I like him, and you know how much I adore Ashley, but I feel sort of . . . well . . .”
“Left out?” Naomi asked.
“Yes, I guess you can say that. Why didn’t I know about Eric before the phone call?”
Naomi laughed. “Maybe because at this place in her life, telling you everything isn’t as important as the experience itself.”
“Did I do that to you?”
Naomi’s chest rose and fell as she pondered the question. “Not like this, because you never moved out until you and Charlie got married. But I still felt as though you pushed me away sometime during your late teen years.”