As she got closer, she realized his leg was pinned between the hitch and the front of the deer stand, which was hanging half off the wagon.
“Oh my gosh.” Gloria darted to the edge and joined her grandsons, who were struggling to push the stand back onto the wagon. The three of them worked together and were finally able to move it far enough for Paul to free his leg.
Paul stumbled backward. He quickly recovered, limped to the side of the wagon and helped them slide the stand back in place.
“Are you all right?” Gloria cast an anxious glance at his leg.
“I’m fine.” Paul gingerly put some weight on it. “I got a little ahead of myself and didn’t double-check to make sure the hooks were secure before I started lifting the base. One of the hooks came loose, and I happened to be in the way.”
“This could have been so bad.” Gloria pressed a hand to her chest. “What if we hadn’t come along when we did?”
“I would’ve called for help.” Paul patted his front pocket. “I have my cell phone.”
“Except for the fact that there’s no cell service out here.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” Paul rubbed his brow. “I would’ve gotten it off eventually.”
Gloria made an unhappy sound.
Seeing the look on his wife’s face, he quickly changed the subject. “Did you come back to check on me, after all?”
“No, but I’m glad we did.” Gloria patted Tyler’s shoulder. “Tyler isn’t interested in the convention. He would rather hang out with you. Since we’re here, we’ll help you lift the deer stand.”
“I can guide it from the tree,” Tyler offered.
“Me too.” Ryan clambered up the makeshift ladder that was nailed to the side of the tree. Tyler waited until he was up before joining his brother.
“I marked the spot with orange spray paint.”
“I see it.” Tyler gave them a thumbs up. “We’re ready.”
Paul secured the hook to the lip of the stand. Gloria held it steady while her husband began slowly tugging on the pulley rope.
When the base of the stand was level with the tree, Tyler grabbed the corner and eased it into place while his younger brother grabbed onto the opposite corner.
After a few instructions from Paul on adjusting the location, Tyler removed the hook. Paul and Gloria lifted the rear panel next and then finished by hoisting the two sides.
The boys stacked the last piece on top of the base and climbed down the ladder.
“Good job, guys,” Paul said. “The pulley system worked like a charm.”
“This is gonna be great.” Tyler rubbed his hands on the front of his jeans. “Can I help you put it together?”
“Sure. We’ll have it assembled and ready to use in no time.”
Ryan tugged on his grandmother’s hand. “Can we go now?”
“Yes.” Gloria watched Mally circle her legs. “I think Mally is going to stay here with you. Ryan and I are heading out. I told Ruth we would be there at nine.”
Back at the house, Gloria stopped long enough to grab her purse and keys and climbed into the car.
Ryan hopped in the other side and slammed the door shut. “Do you think we’ll see aliens, Grams?”
“I’m not sure if we’ll see aliens, but I can guarantee you’ll meet some interesting people.”
Despite being busy, Gloria was able to find an empty parking spot next to Ruth’s spymobile. Ruth was nowhere in sight, but Helena Giese was inside the office and standing behind the counter.
“Gloria,” Helena smiled. “You brought a helper with you. Who is this handsome young man?”
“My grandson, Ryan. He’s tagging along while I help Ruth.” Gloria motioned to the shopping bags lining the counter. “Are those yours?”
“They are.” Helena reached for one of the bags. “I’m selling my freeze-dried meal packs in the vendor area today and tomorrow.”
“Is this the stuff astronauts eat?” Ryan asked.
“Close. They’re prepper meals for end of times when the world goes crazy.”
“Like a zombie attack,” Ryan said.
“Or a zombie attack.” Helena chuckled. “I figured the alien abduction group might want to stock up on some supplies for the long trip to outer space.”
Ryan’s eyes grew round as saucers. “How long does it take to get to outer space?”
“I have no idea,” Gloria slowly shook her head. “I think I would be fine if I never found out, either.”
“I think it would be awesome to be abducted.”
“I’ll buy you a batch of Rose’s Alien Allure. Maybe that will help,” Gloria teased.
“Alien Allure?” Helena lifted a brow.
“Rose Morris likes to tinker with making special potions. She concocted a new one, specifically for this convention. It’s called Alien Allure. A word of warning…” Gloria stepped closer and held out her wrist. “Take a good whiff.”
Helena cautiously sniffed before jerking back, a sour look on her face. “Yuck.”
“Yuck is right. I accidentally spilled some yesterday, and now I can’t get rid of the smell.”
“Did you try vinegar?”
“I did.”
“A mixture of baking soda and hot water, slathered on your wrist might help,” Helena said.
“I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.”
Before Helena could reply, there was a commotion near the door. Ruth burst into the office, a troubled look on her face.
“You look like you’re being chased by outer space creatures,” Gloria joked.
“That would be preferable. I’m trying to get the booths set up for the sellers. I’m not going to have enough tables.”
“Have you checked with Dot? She might have a few you can borrow.”
“Good idea. I’ll give her a jingle.” Ruth plucked her cell phone from her pocket and tapped the screen. “Hi, Dot. Sorry to bother you. I’m calling to see if you have any extra card tables or spare tables I can borrow for the vendor booths. You do? Great. I’ll send Cliff, one of my coordinators, by to get them.”
Ruth disconnected the call. “I need to track down Cliff.” She ran out of the room.
“Poor thing.” Helena tsk-tsked. “She’s been like that since I got here, running around like a chicken with her head cut off.”
Ruth ran back in. “Cliff is on his way.”
“What can I do to help?” Gloria asked.
“I need someone to coordinate the setup area.” Ruth reached behind the counter and handed Gloria a clipboard. “This is the list of vendors. All you have to do is assign a table – any will do – and then place a checkmark next to their name. I told Helena to pick the spot she wanted first.”
“Do you need them in any particular order?”
“Nope. First come, first to get.” Ruth patted Ryan’s shoulder. “You’re here to help Grams today?”
“Yep.” Ryan nodded. “I want to see an alien.”
“They’re around.” Ruth pointed to her eyes. “You gotta keep an eye out for them since they like to hide out in human clothes.”
“Ruth…” Gloria chided.
“It’s true.”
“C’mon, Ryan. Let’s get to work.” Gloria guided her grandson out of the office. They turned left, passing by the pavilion. Gas and charcoal grills lined the back wall. Picnic tables dotted the covered area.
A long stretch of canopy tents and empty tables were beyond the pavilion, and there was a large sign with an arrow, Vendor Booths, on one side.
“This must be the place.” Gloria didn’t have to wait long for the first vendor to arrive. More followed behind. She decided the best plan was to put them at the far end and have them work their way down the aisle.
The tables were filling up fast, and Gloria anxiously kept an eye on the road, hoping Cliff and the extra tables would arrive soon. She was down to two empty spots when a van rounded the corner, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Cliff sprang from the vehi
cle and slid the side door open. Gloria hurried over. “You made it just in time. We’re filling up fast.”
“Looks like we’re going to need all of these tables.” Cliff gave Ryan a nod. “You have a helper today?”
“This is my grandson, Ryan,” Gloria said.
“Hello, Ryan.”
“Are you here to find aliens too?”
“No.” Cliff shook his head. “I’m part of NASCA. I’m more into surveillance and spy stuff like Ruth.”
“She has a cool van,” Ryan said. “My brother and me even got to ride in it once. She wouldn’t let us touch the buttons.”
Cliff chuckled. “I’m surprised she’s letting Leonard borrow it.”
Ryan pitched in and helped them finish unloading the tables.
“Do you need me to hang around and help you set these up?” Cliff asked.
“I think we’ve got this.” Gloria thanked him for the offer. After he drove off, she and Ryan got to work lining them up on the opposite side of the road, directly across from the other tables.
Helena stumbled around the corner, juggling several large bags.
Gloria dropped the table and ran to help her. “I saved the perfect spot for you. It’s a prime location with high visibility. It’s right behind us.”
“Looks good to me.” Helena eased a bulky bag onto the empty table. “Rose is on her way.”
“Shoot. I forgot about her.” Gloria studied the remaining tables. “I’ll put her next to you. There she is now.”
Ruth and her go-kart zipped around the corner. Rose was seated next to her, a look of terror on her face as she gripped the sides.
They came to a screeching halt. Rose flew forward, nearly clunking her head on the dashboard. “Ruth Carpenter.” She stumbled out of the go-kart. “I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
“We weren’t even going top speed.” Ruth hurried to the back and grabbed a cardboard box. “Time is money. I can’t be dilly-dallying. I need to get back to the front.”
Ryan joined them, and Rose handed him a smaller box. Gloria took the third while Rose removed the fourth and final box.
“I’ll see you later.” Ruth hopped into the driver’s seat, and with a quick wave, spun in a circle, leaving a cloud of dust as she sped off.
“She’s a crazy driver,” Rose shook her head. “I’ve never seen her so wound up.”
“She has her hands full.” Gloria placed Rose’s box on top of the empty table. “I put you next to Helena.”
“I think my freeze-dried meal packs are going to sell like hotcakes.” Helena rubbed her hands together.
“Right alongside my Alien Allure.” Rose reached into the box and began removing the small glass vials. She emptied the first one and began working on the second. Instead of purple, the vials in the second box were filled with gray powder.
Gloria eyed them suspiciously. “The gray powder looks…vaguely familiar.”
“I used it on the haunted farmhouse Lucy and Margaret bought last year. Works like a charm to ward off evil spirits,” Rose said. “A word of warning, although it smells nice, it’ll leave a dark stain on whatever it touches.”
“I don’t plan on touching it,” Gloria said. “I’m still trying to get rid of the Alien Allure scent.”
Ryan carefully picked up one of the purple vials. “Grams said I can have one of these.”
“I never said that. Your mom will kill me if you come home smelling like a locker room.”
“Please?” Ryan begged, “Just a little?”
“Aww, Gloria,” Rose joined in. “What will it hurt if he tries a small amount?”
Ryan gave his grandmother a pleading look.
“All right,” Gloria caved. “But only a dab. A little goes a long way. Let Rose put it on for you.”
Rose reached inside a plastic bag and pulled out a cotton swab. “This here can be my sample bottle. It will be the try-it-before-you-buy-it one.”
“I don’t think the smell is going to entice customers to buy it,” Gloria warned.
“They’re not buying it because it smells nice. They’re going to buy it to attract otherworldly creatures.” She removed the lid and dipped the tip of the cotton swab into the mixture.
Ryan held out his wrist, and she rubbed some on.
“There.”
Ryan took a big whiff and began gagging.
Gloria patted his back. “I tried to warn you.”
Ryan spit on the ground and then took another whiff. “This is awesome. Can I test it out? Ruth told me to be on the lookout for aliens.”
“I…” Gloria cast an anxious glance around. “There are a lot of people. I don’t want you to get lost.”
“I won’t. I’ll stay right around here.” Ryan slashed the air with his hands.
“Okay, but don’t go beyond the blue tent to the right or the pop up with the screen room to the left,” Gloria said.
“I won’t.” Ryan hurried off before his grandmother changed her mind.
“He’s getting so big,” Rose placed her hand on her hip. “Where’s his brother?”
“Tyler? He’s hanging out at the farm with Paul. They’re setting up the deer stand.” Gloria shifted her gaze. A vendor was trying to get her attention. “I need to check on the vendors. I’ll be right back.”
She grabbed her purse and headed to the other end. There was some confusion on how much space the woman had rented. Gloria consulted Ruth via text and finally made her talk to the woman to go over the details.
After ending the call, she realized Ryan had not returned. Gloria’s eyes scanned the vicinity, focusing on the direction of where she’d last seen him.
She began making her way in that direction when she caught a glimpse of someone running between two of the campsites. It was Ryan. He barreled across the grass, knocking her off balance. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone was following me.”
Chapter 8
“What do you mean – someone was following you?”
“It was a creepy old lady. She started following me over there.” Ryan jabbed his finger behind him.
“You’re sure it was a woman?” Gloria grasped her grandson’s arm, and they began walking in that direction.
“Yeah. She was old. Old and wrinkly. Her eyes were black. She kept staring at me.”
“Did she say anything? How do you know she was following you?” Gloria asked.
“She didn’t say anything, just kept staring at me with her creepy black eyes. I noticed her right after I left, and then I kept going in different directions.” Ryan hurried to keep up with his grandmother’s quick pace. “Do you think it was an alien? Maybe Rose’s potion worked.”
“We’ll find out.” Gloria abruptly stopped when they reached the next road. She remembered the elderly woman with the squirt gun. “Did she have a gun?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t see one.”
They continued to the end of the aisle and then started down the next. They walked back and forth, circling it twice before returning to the vendor stands.
“Is everything all right?” Rose asked. “We saw Ryan come running around the corner.”
“He said an old lady was following him,” Gloria said.
“It was a creepy old wrinkly lady with black eyes. She was carrying a cane.” Ryan tugged on the bottom of his t-shirt. “I’m pretty sure she was an alien. Your potion worked.”
“Imagine that,” Rose lifted a brow.
“Can I see what else is for sale?” Ryan asked.
“Don’t leave my sight.” Gloria watched him walk to the booth on the other side of Helena. “He scared me half to death when he ran around the corner, telling me someone was following him.”
“I heard about the boy who was almost abducted,” Helena said. “I can’t recall there ever being an attempted abduction in Belhaven. It makes you wonder if someone from this convention is responsible.”
“Officer Nelson thought the same thing.” Gloria told Helena that Nelson, along with
several other deputies, searched the grounds for vans matching the description the boy gave.
“Did they find any?” Helena asked.
“As a matter of fact, Ruth’s van was a match. Her friend, Leonard, had borrowed it. Nelson found some boy’s clothing in the back.”
Rose gasped. “I met Leonard. He seems like a very nice man.”
“So are serial killers,” Helena said. “Did they arrest him?”
“No. The more I think about it – it doesn’t make sense it would be Leonard,” Gloria said. “What would he do after he abducted the boy? The van belongs to Ruth. It’s not like he could kidnap him and hold him captive.”
“Unless he drove to a wooded area, killed him and dumped his body,” Rose said.
“True.” Gloria’s eyes drifted to her grandson. “The whole thing has me freaked out.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for an older woman with a cane,” Helena promised.
Gloria thanked them before making her way toward her grandson. Ryan ran to meet her.
“Can I be a sign spinner? Mr. Kleep is going to give me a voice changer if I spin signs for him.” Ryan held a megaphone to his mouth and began speaking like a robot. “Please, Grams?”
“Hang on.” Gloria removed her schedule from her pocket and rattled off the list of duties Ruth had assigned to her:
9:00 a.m. Help coordinate and set up for vendor booths.
10:30. Check on Leonard Navoy photo props. Orion zone.
11:00. Return to front. Check with director for further instructions.
Noon – 1:00 Lunch break.
1:00. Secrets of FBI Surveillance talk. Neptune presentation tent.
2:30. Alien Interception. Photo ops with alien props. Host event.
4:00. Check in for the alien swap meet. Arena behind office.
5:00. End of schedule.
Ryan set the voice changer down. “Can I get my picture taken with the aliens?”
“Absolutely. In fact, if you want, you can help me host the photo op.”
“I can?” Ryan hopped up and down.
“What about your job helping Mr. Kleep?”
“Yeah. I almost forgot. He wants me to walk up and down the aisles with this sign.” Ryan held up a sign.
Alien Allure: A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 23) Page 6