Summer's Belle

by Paige Winship Dooly

  “I didn’t know there was a difference.” Britney stared at the badge, not sure what to look for, while Allie rummaged through the console and handed him the requested information.

  “I wasn’t driving recklessly or speeding or anything else. We topped that hill and were looking for somewhere to pull off. We started down the other side when we noticed the entrance, and I turned in at the last minute.” Britney handed him the ticket and badge.

  “I understand. But even though the place is deserted, you need to be careful when you’re behind the wheel.” He walked over to his bike to call it in.

  Britney released a sigh of frustration.

  “Why’d this have to happen?” Allie’s whisper rose in pitch. “The last thing we need is a cop sniffing around. I wonder if Ms. Murphy has called in our situation or disappearance?” She glanced over at him. “Are you sure he’s a sheriff? He’s not even wearing a uniform.”

  “I don’t know.” Britney glanced in the rearview mirror and shushed her. “Maybe he’s undercover. How would I know? People can order stuff like that off the net on a whim these days.”

  The towns they’d passed through on their way to the Ozark Mountains had looked so serene and safe that Britney had let down her guard. Now her lack of caution had possibly put Allie and their sleeping siblings in danger.

  “We can make a run for it.”

  “And if he’s really a sheriff, that’ll really help our case. I’ll be arrested for evading the law.”

  “Oh. In that case, forget that idea.”

  Britney rolled down her window as the young sheriff returned to her car.

  He studied her license. “Are you lost?”

  Like Britney was going to admit that to this menacing stranger, sheriff or not. “No.”

  He smirked. “The wadded up map says otherwise.”

  “It isn’t exactly wadded. I folded it that way on purpose.”

  “I see.” A smile twitched at the corner of his lips.

  Britney had met a lot of hardened and dangerous men in her life. Pretty much every man her mother had brought home with her, as a matter of fact. Each one had a dangerous edge to them. Those men had caused creep alarms to go off in her head the moment they laid eyes on her, yet this man seemed different. He seemed more amused than dangerous. But who could ever tell?

  He leaned down so he could see Allie in the passenger seat and then let his gaze drift over the now awake and scared children in the backseat.

  “Are we being a–arrested, Brit?” Brady asked in a quiet voice from the backseat. “I don’t want him to sh–shoot you.”

  “Of course not, Brady.” She wondered if he’d heard Allie and her talking the night they’d left their mother’s. And apparently he’d also noticed the man’s holstered gun.

  The man outside the car didn’t acknowledge that he’d heard Brady’s panicked question. “Listen, I know we work hard in our small towns to put out the welcome mat for the likes of you, but you really should use a bit more caution when pulling off the beaten path like this. Maybe try to find a populated area to stop in or locate a convenience store that’s actually open. And at the very least, take note of your surroundings so you’ll notice if someone is lurking around that could approach the car with ill intentions.”

  “Someone like you?” Britney muttered.

  “Someone the complete opposite of me.” He studied her with warm brown eyes and reached out his hand. “Welcome to Lullaby, Britney. Tell me where you’re headed, and I’ll see if I can help you with directions.”

  Britney sighed. He was right. The map had been a dead giveaway that they were hopelessly lost. They’d apparently arrived in Lullaby, though there wasn’t a town in sight. “We’re trying to locate Ethel Hart.”

  His expression hardened. “Ethel Hart.”

  “Yes.” Brit wondered why the mention of Ethel’s name made all his warmth evaporate. “You know her?”

  “I do.”

  She glanced over at Allie who shrugged.

  “Are you going to tell us how to get to her place?”

  “It depends. What business do you have with her?”

  Britney bristled. She appreciated his help—if he intended to help—but she didn’t see that the reason they were there was any of his business. “I’d rather not say.”

  “Why? Are you hiding something?”

  “No! Why would you even ask that? What, I rob banks and drag my siblings along for the ride? Trust me—our business with Ms. Hart is nothing sinister.”

  He stared her down.

  She sighed. “Okay, if you must know, she’s our grandmother.”

  His eyes darkened with disbelief. “Your grandmother.”

  “Yes.” Britney wondered if she’d said the wrong thing. He’d stated the words with sarcasm.

  “Is she expecting you?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “I didn’t think so.” He thought for a moment and then rallied. “I’ll tell you what. I happen to be heading over to Ethel’s for dinner. I eat with her most every night. Why don’t y’all tag along, and we’ll see what she has to say about this.”

  “You’re going to her house for dinner?” Brit couldn’t believe they’d run into someone who actually knew the person they’d come to find.

  “Yep. And she told me to bring something special for dessert. She always does. Can’t think of anything more special to bring her than a passel of her grandkids.” He grinned. “I’m not sure this is what she had in mind, but it should be pretty interesting.”

  Red flags rose up in Britney’s head, but she didn’t have any other choice.

  “Will she mind us coming?”

  “I doubt it. Ethel’s always up for a good surprise.”

  Would she consider five grandchildren showing up on her doorstep a “good surprise”? Britney figured they might as well head to the house and find out.

  Matt walked over to his Harley and started it up.

  “Too loud!” Noelle screamed and covered her ears. She hated loud noises.

  “It’s okay, honey,” Brit soothed. “In a minute he’ll be farther ahead of us, and it’ll be quieter.”

  Brit waited until Matt left the parking lot and then followed him out onto the deserted road. Her eyes honed in on the telltale red light on the back of the bike.

  “He’s definitely a cop.” Allie slunk down farther in her seat. “I don’t think he’d get by with riding around on that thing if he wasn’t. Wouldn’t that be considered impersonating an officer? Why didn’t he flash his badge as he approached? Sure would have put us more at ease.”

  “Probably. But maybe he thought we’d be more perceptive. It’s not like he hid the fact. We saw the gun; we should have seen the badge. And the big red light on the back of his bike is a pretty good indication of his status if we’d have looked.” She motioned to where he’d parked his bike under the rusty metal awning that overhung the old-fashioned gas pumps.

  “He sure didn’t introduce himself as Sheriff Matt or whatever when he first approached.”

  “We’re in a different place, Al. They obviously do things differently around here.”

  Five

  Matt kept watch in his rearview mirror, half expecting Britney to make a run for it. He’d enjoy catching her and bringing her in if she did. While he was all business when it came to his job responsibilities, he found her amusing. It wasn’t like there were a lot of places for her to go on this solitary road. The two-lane highway meandered through the hills and straight into the heart of Lullaby with the exception of a few dirt or gravel roads that curved around the hills and led to small farms or homesteads. It would take some fancy maneuvering to turn her vehicle while his motorcycle would loop around on a dime.

  Most of the time Matt didn’t mind the relaxed small-town atmosphere, but he sometimes wished for a little bit more excitement. He knew this was the reason his buddies all signed on to larger towns far away from the peaceful hills of their youth.

  It was no secret that
nothing eventful ever happened in his quiet little town, which for the most part was a good thing. He didn’t want unsafe conditions or crime to change the safety of their quaint lakefront village. But something or someone who would put a little zip into the area would be most appreciated. Britney seemed like she would fit the bill. Matt sighed. With tourist season in full swing, things would liven up soon enough.

  Since Britney had swooshed into the parking lot of the abandoned gas station in such a reckless nature, he was surprised that she now drove at a sedate pace, staying a safe distance behind him. He’d pegged her for the type that would ride his bumper, impatient to arrive at her destination. Matt reminded himself that Britney came complete with the smaller children buckled safely in their respective seats in the backseat of her car. He chastised himself. Maybe she hadn’t been speeding or driving recklessly; maybe, just as she’d said, she’d turned into the lot at the last moment after noticing the opening so she could check the map, and that made her look reckless when in fact she wasn’t.

  Matt was glad to see that she put the safety of her passengers as a priority. It raised his impression of her a notch. No way would he want her or the children’s safety jeopardized. A chase wouldn’t do anyone any good. Sometimes his old ways rose to the surface, and he had to tamp them down. He was an officer of the law and needed to remember in this and all situations that peaceful and quiet was good.

  Britney continued to maintain a safe distance behind him as he maneuvered the twists and turns that led into town. He wondered about their situation. He knew for a fact that Ethel didn’t have any grandkids. She would have raved about them if she did. So why would the newcomer lie about something like that? Surely Brit knew the truth would come out as soon as they arrived at Ethel’s house.

  Maybe Britney knew Ethel some other way and figured the older woman would back her story. They’d find out soon enough. Matt knew he should have flashed his badge the minute Britney whipped her car into the parking lot, but she looked so vulnerable he didn’t want to scare her. Based on her reaction, he’d scared her anyway in a much different fashion.

  A vagrant. The thought put a smile on his face. Back in his wilder days, the term would have fit his happy-go-lucky lifestyle, but he couldn’t believe Brit and her sister had actually called him that now! Their expressions when he did flash the badge were priceless. The younger one with the bouncy auburn ponytail, Allie, had gaped while dark-haired Britney—obviously the more serene of the two—rallied with a quick shrug of her shoulders. Shoulders that seemed to carry a heavy burden on them. He hoped meeting Ethel would somehow help.

  Matt wanted people to respect him. His days as a rebel were long past. If his hair was a stumbling block, maybe it was time to let Ethel take the scissors to it. But other than his longer-than-normal locks, he dressed carefully and with pride. What vagrant did that? The younger one had probably just used the term to annoy him. Since he was still dwelling on the scenario, her plan had obviously worked.

  ❧

  Britney sighed as they topped yet another rise. This place was much hillier than she’d expected. She’d been to the North Georgia Mountains as a young teen and had found them to be gorgeous. She hadn’t expected smaller versions to be present in southern Missouri.

  The up-and-down motion with nothing to see but trees and sky and road had lulled the younger three back to sleep. Britney had a feeling their lack of food the past couple of weeks, along with irregular bedtimes, contributed to their exhaustion. Fresh air, good food, and lots of sleep would fix them up in no time. Britney figured if leaving the kids with Ethel Hart didn’t pan out, she’d find a way to provide for them herself. She wasn’t sure how to go about putting that plan into action, but as always, she’d figure things out as she went along. Deep down, she hoped something worked out for the kids here. It seemed like a beautiful place for kids to grow up. The city, at least their part of it, wasn’t a good place at all.

  Allie’s gasp of awe had Britney peering out to her left to see what had captured her sister’s attention.

  The view caused Britney to follow suit. “Oh Al, it’s beautiful. Look at the lake!”

  “It is beautiful.”

  Matt slowed his bike and made his way down the final hill that led to the lakefront buildings just ahead. Britney rode her brakes, trying not to run him down. Though the hill was steep, the town itself was built on flat ground at the lake’s edge. Quaint buildings lined the edge of the lake on both sides of the main street for as far as she could see.

  Britney wanted this to work out more than ever. “Can’t you just imagine growing up here? The little kids would love it.”

  “We should probably see what type of reaction we get from Ethel before we plan our future.”

  Britney ignored Allie’s negativity. “If we don’t get the reaction we’re hoping for, I’ll secure us a place to live. I’ve never seen such a charming town.”

  Allie laughed. “Charming? I’ve never heard you use that term before. Did you learn that at college?”

  Britney reached over and gave her smart-aleck younger sister a playful little shove on her shoulder. “I learned lots of fancy terms at college. I expect you to follow suit and do the same as you go to school.”

  “Ew.” Allie quieted down at the mention of school.

  “I bet you’d love school here, Al. You’d feel safe. Classes wouldn’t be the same as they were in the city.”

  That was an understatement if ever there was one. Al’s previous school in Atlanta was constantly under lockdown conditions. Police officers patrolled the halls and classrooms. Fights broke out daily in the school yard. The situation wasn’t conducive to learning.

  Allie sighed. “That’s true. But that still doesn’t mean I’d like it.”

  “Just promise me you’ll give it a chance if you stay here.” Britney pointed to a building where the lakefront road meandered away from town on the far side. “Look, there’s the high school right over there. Just across from the lake. Look at all that green grass! Think what it would be like to have that view from your classroom windows. And sure enough, it has the same warm charm as the rest of the town. There are chairs and tables at that little park across the street. Maybe they’d let you take lunch over there.”

  “You sound like a travel brochure.” Allie laughed. “If we stay, do we have to enroll now?”

  “No, with it being the last few days of May, you’d only have a couple of school days left anyway.”

  “Attending school here would definitely beat looking out at dreary gray cement walls of the crumbling buildings that surrounded us at my old high school. It’s different from my other school for sure. Look how tiny it is! And as tiny as it is, it says it’s the middle school and elementary school, too! I have to admit, they have a nice playground. Guess we’d all go to school together.”

  Brady leaned forward to look. He wiped sleep from his tired eyes. “I’d g–go to s–school with you, Al? I’d l–like that.”

  “I’d like it, too, Brady. But first we have to see if we can stay. Don’t get your hopes up. Good things like this don’t often happen to people like us.”

  “Allie! Why do you say things like that? It’s going to work out, Brady. You wait and see. I’m going to make sure of it.” Brit stared over at Allie. When had her little sister become such a cynic?

  Britney sighed. It had probably been imprinted in Allie at the same age it had for Britney, somewhere between growing up in an unstable home while being constantly in need and then culminating around the time their mother dumped them for good.

  God, if at all possible, could you prove Allie wrong on her assumption and let things go our way this once? I’d really appreciate it.

  Meanwhile she’d do her best to see that things worked out, too.

  “I’m going to see to it that good things happen to us all from here on out. Okay? No more negative talk like that, Al. I’m not Momma, and I’m not going to raise you like Momma did.”

  Brit felt a tinge of
guilt that her original plan involved finding Ethel, making sure she had a stable home situation, and then, if all went well, handing the kids over to Ethel so Britney could go on down the road. Now she wasn’t so sure. The kids didn’t deserve that. Britney wasn’t sure that leaving them behind was the best plan for any of them. If she abandoned the kids, Allie would surely shut down. And what damage would it do to the younger kids? A grandma figure would fill a void, but not if Britney caused them a new one. But settling in a place like this hadn’t been one of her life’s goals.

  Matt slowed his bike and turned onto the main strip. The two-lane road that snaked through town appeared to be the only strip. Small stone and brick-fronted shops lined both sides of the street. Some of the buildings had been or were in the process of being renovated, while others looked like they could still use a major facelift. Most shops were open and seemed to be readying themselves for the summer tourist rush. Each shop window displayed unique and different wares from antiques to used children’s clothes to lake supplies. An old-fashioned candy store had delectable confections showcased in the window. What would it be like to live in such a small town? Crime must be low or virtually nonexistent in such a place. Everyone looked relaxed and happy.

  They continued down the road and at the far end passed a surprisingly large marina.

  “Britty! I want to g–go on a b–boat!” Brady’s excited yell made her swerve.

  She saw Matt glance into his side mirror before pulling off to the side of the road. He motioned for her to do the same. She wondered if Matt would give her another ticket for reckless driving.

  Britney steeled herself for his approach.

  “Everything okay? I saw you swerve.” Matt seemed genuinely concerned. To Brit’s relief, no ticket book rested in his hands.

  “Everything’s fine. Brady got a little overexcited when he saw the marina. I didn’t think he was paying attention, so when he yelled, he startled me.”

  Matt didn’t even try to hide his smile. “I love the marina, too, bud. If you stay in town for a while, maybe we can take my boat out for a spin.”