by Arianna Hart
“Oh my God. He’s walking. He’s actually walking again.” Tears ran down Ellie’s face, ruining the makeup job she’d spent half an hour on, but she didn’t care. She ran up to him and hugged him gently over the walker. “I knew you’d be back, Big Ed.” She kissed his cheek and laughed as she left a smear of lipstick on it.
“It’s coming,” he replied slowly, his eyes shining.
“I’ll bring the car around, you can’t get the walker over the gravel,” Mrs. Anderson said.
“His arm has regained almost eighty percent of function, but his leg is only at fifty percent,” Grant said, still hovering as if waiting for Mr. Anderson to show any signs of faltering. “He gets tired easily.”
“I bet. But he looks great.”
“Y-you too.”
“Stop flirting with my girl, Dad,” Grant teased as he helped his father get into the car.
Ellie stood there like an idiot, stunned at hearing Grant call her his girl. Her heart flipped over in her chest and a rush of warmth filled her from head to tingling toes.
“It’s all right if we take your car, right?” Grant asked, breaking into her daze. “My parents probably aren’t going to be able to stay for long.”
“Oh. Yes. Of course. I’ll go get my car.” Would she always act like a love-sick fool around him?
Probably.
“I’d forgotten how much this thing itches. I think they put extra starch in it the last time it was cleaned,” Grant said as he folded himself into the car.
“It’s worth it. You look hot.”
“That’s because I’m sweating my ass off. Thank God, Founders’ Day is in April and not July, or I’d pass out before I got to the gazebo.”
“I’m sure there’d be a legion of women willing to break your fall. There’s something about a man in uniform that turns anyone with estrogen into mush.”
“You wouldn’t say that if I hadn’t earned warrant officer and got this snazzy uniform. The Cracker Jack look just isn’t attractive.”
“Grant, you could wear a burlap sack and be attractive, now stop fishing for compliments and let me concentrate on driving so I don’t run us into a tree.”
The drive to the staging area was a quick one, and Ellie’s stomach sank as they approached the cluster of people waiting for Grant by the vintage convertible that would be his ride for the parade. She’d gotten used to having him to herself and sharing him with the rest of the town sucked.
“Here we go. Make sure you sit with my folks so I’ll know where to find you afterward.”
“Sure. I promised Mary Ellen I’d help Bill with the kids because she’ll be running around crazy as part of the committee, but I can bring them next to your parents. Your dad is half in love with baby Emily anyway. You should have seen him playing with her the other morning. I can’t believe how much mobility he’s gotten back in the last few weeks. You’ve been good for him.” Why was she babbling again? He had to get ready for the start of the parade and she was running off at the mouth about his father and the baby.
“Here comes Mary Ellen to drag me out on display. I’ll see you at the gazebo.” He leaned over and captured her mouth in a kiss that turned hot fast. “Don’t disappear on me today. I have plans for getting you out of that dress.”
He kissed her again quickly before getting out of the car. Mary Ellen stood by the passenger door with a satisfied smirk on her face as she waited for him to unfold from the tiny front seat.
“Ellie, are you sitting with the Andersons?”
“What? Oh, yes.” Her head was still in a fog from the kiss.
“Good. I’ll tell Bill to look for you there. Little Billy loves parades and probably won’t move an inch, but Hunter…” She let out an exasperated sigh. “It’ll take both my parents and Bill to keep him from running under a fire truck. What did I do to deserve a whirlwind like that?”
“I can think of a few things,” Grant said.
“You just hush and get your fine self over to the car.” She slapped his arm. “Thanks for helping out, Ellie. I’ll make sure Nadya spells you at some point.”
“She’ll have to pry Emily out of my hands. I just love that little angel.”
Mary Ellen smiled with maternal pride. “She is a sweetie. Now move along so I can get Grant where he’s supposed to be.”
Ellie waved goodbye and eased the car out of the way. In the rearview mirror, she saw Grant’s tall form swarmed by men and women alike. She focused her gaze firmly on the road and didn’t try to see if Pansy was part of the mob. For just a second, she let herself feel a touch of smugness that she was the one Grant got naked with, not Pansy with her fake boobs and collagen-injected lips.
“So there,” she said aloud.
After finding a place to park, which was no easy feat, she made her way to where the Andersons were already camped. Nadya Sarov—no, Nadya McBride now—was talking with Mrs. Anderson. Ellie smiled as she joined them. Nadya was smart and had a wry sense of humor that never failed to entertain. She also glowed with the happiness of a newlywed. It was nice to be around someone who was so happy.
“Hey, Ellie, I haven’t seen you since New Year’s. How’re you doing?” Nadya asked.
“Good, busy. This time of year is insane for me. How is the new office working out for you? I love what you’ve done with that old storefront.”
Nadya had opened her own law practice in Canton last fall. It was in the same complex as one of Ellie’s clients, so she had seen it go from a slightly rundown former florist’s shop to a smart-looking law firm.
“Thanks. It took forever to get it renovated, but I like how it turned out. I’m still trying to get the smell of lilies out of it though. Where did you get that dress? It’s adorable. I wish I could pull that off, but wearing polka-dots would be like advertising my big butt.”
“Stop it. I wish I had that problem.” Ellie gave a wistful sigh as she took in Nadya’s curves, accented by the flowing red skirt and white peasant top she wore.
“You look more and more like your momma every time I see you, God rest her soul,” Mrs. Anderson said.
“Probably because I’m wearing her skirt. Nadya laughed. “It’s nice to get out of business suits and pearls, but this is the first time I’ve gone full-on gypsy since I’ve been back.”
Nadya had been a few years ahead of her in school, but Ellie remembered the taunts Nadya had gotten for being one of those dirty gypsies. Ellie had been too shy to try to stick up for Nadya then and it had made her feel ashamed. Since Nadya had been back, Ellie had made an effort to be welcoming, even offering to help her with the new business paperwork. It didn’t make up for doing nothing all those years ago, but it made Ellie feel a little better, and she enjoyed going to lunch with Nadya when they had time in their busy schedules.
“Oh, look, here come the Michaels. I can’t wait to see the baby again,” Mrs. Anderson said.
“I guess I can share her with you for a little bit. Maybe.”
“M-me too,” Mr. Anderson said.
Nadya laughed. “Everyone wants the baby, poor Billy and Hunter are like chopped liver now.”
“Auntie Nad! Auntie Nad! We’re going to see fire trucks and police cars and motorcycles and everything.” Little Billy Michaels was five years old and looked like a smaller version of his father. He ran up to Nadya and wrapped his arms around her legs.
“And tonight there’s gonna be fireworks too,” three-year-old Hunter Michaels said, not to be outdone. “I like the big ones that change colors. Daddy said if we behave during the parade, we can get ice cream before the picnic. We never get ice cream before lunch.”
Bill Michaels looked frazzled and the parade hadn’t even started yet. Ellie figured by the time they got through the picnic, the sack race and the dance, he’d be sound asleep long before the fireworks went off.
“Here, park that stroller ri
ght next to my chair,” Ellie said.
“Thanks. I have the cooler and our chairs in the van, but I couldn’t haul everything in one trip.”
“You can leave the kids with me, I’ve had a lot of experience with active boys,” Mrs. Anderson said as Ellie took the diaper bag from Bill.
“Are you sure? Emily is sleeping, but Hunter…”
“Hunter will help me make sure no one tries to take your spot, won’t you?” Mrs. Anderson asked the bouncing three-year-old.
“Yes, ma’am!”
“I’ll help too,” Billy said.
“There, it’s all set. You get the chairs and the cooler and we’ll hold down the fort.”
“Great. Nadya, I’ve got a chair for you too.”
“Oh, thanks. I was just going to sit on the grass, but I won’t turn down a chair if you have it. I’ll help you carry everything.”
“Boys, you mind Mrs. Anderson and Miss Ellie. No running into the street or running off because you see a friend.”
“Yes, sir,” they both said.
“I’ll be right back. Em should sleep for a little while longer, but if she wakes up, there’s a bottle already made in the insulated pack in the bag,” he directed Ellie.
“Got it. Go on now before you miss the whole parade.”
Ellie settled the stroller with the sleeping Emily so the sun didn’t shine on her face and watched Mrs. Anderson ride herd on the Michaels boys. Mrs. Anderson didn’t try to contain them, but instead put a bag down marking off their area and told the boys to run back and forth between the bag and her chair so no one would sit there.
When they’d get tired of that, she’d accidentally drop change from her purse and have the boys searching the grass for the pennies and nickels. They were on their third game of Simon Says when Nadya and Bill got back.
“Man, I think everyone in town is here,” Nadya said. “J.T. is going to have his hands full controlling this crowd if things get out of hand.”
“A lot of folks will head out after the picnic. We’ll leave the dancing to you youngsters and watch the fireworks from the comfort of our front porch.”
That sounded like a good idea to Ellie. She’d much rather watch the fireworks with a glass of wine on her own balcony with Grant than be surrounded by half the town.
Stop being selfish.
Ellie pushed down the part of her that wanted to keep Grant to herself and stomped on it. He was a hero, and the rest of the town wanted to see him just as much as she did. He deserved to bask in their attention, not be hidden away because she was feeling insecure and having high school flashbacks.
“Where’s Peter? I thought he’d want to be up front too,” Nadya asked.
“He’s taking pictures for this week’s Dale Weekly. He said he’d catch up with us during the picnic. I’ve been so busy I haven’t done more than text with him in the last two weeks. It’ll be good to actually talk to him in complete sentences.”
They got themselves settled and chatted a bit while they waited for the parade to start. The weather was perfect, not too hot and no humidity. A rain shower last night had cleared out a lot of the pollen flying through the air, making the day seem brighter and definitely less green.
Emily started to stir, but before Bill could get up, Ellie waved him off. She just loved holding the baby and feeling her soft little breaths right next to her cheek. Ellie held the baby so Mr. Anderson could offer his finger for her to play with. The two of them laughed as Emily tried to stick it in her mouth.
“I think she’s probably hungry,” Ellie said. “Good thing we have a bottle right here. I don’t think your finger would satisfy her for long.”
Ellie got the bottle and Emily reached for it greedily. The boys played around them, laughing as Bill pretended to be a dinosaur or a dragon or some other creature that made a lot of noise and liked to eat little boys.
“Whew, now I know why we had our kids when we were young. Those two wear a body out just watching them,” Mrs. Anderson said, sitting back in her chair.
“I don’t know, you seemed to have them well in hand. I wish I had a pad and pencil so I could take notes,” Ellie said.
“Grant was just like Hunter, full of spit and vinegar. I swear he could run around all day and night without a nap by the time he was three. But I was in my twenties then, it was much easier to keep up with him.”
“Oh, look, here comes the chief in the squad car. The parade’s starting,” Nadya said.
The boys bounced up and down and clapped as the police chief waved to everyone and threw handfuls of candy, but Ellie only had eyes for the red convertible driving slowly behind the squad car.
Grant sat up straight and tall in his gleaming uniform. He’d been given a blue honorary parade marshal sash and a red carnation boutonniere. Ellie’s heart almost burst as she watched him coming closer. Her eyes prickled with unshed tears when Mrs. Anderson grabbed Mr. Anderson’s hand and sniffed into a tissue.
“Doesn’t he look so strong now? Remember when it was all he could do to get out of bed? He got that determination from you, Ed. If he got back, you will too,” Mrs. Anderson said.
Oh, that did it. Tears ran freely down her cheeks right along with Mrs. Anderson. She balanced the baby in one arm and held Mr. Anderson’s other hand. The three of them cried together as Grant went past.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Grant couldn’t wait for the parade to end. His cheeks ached from smiling and his back had tightened up with the stress of being on display to the entire fucking town. The only thing that was keeping him from jumping out of the car and bolting home was knowing Ellie was waiting at the end of the parade for him.
He could see the gazebo ahead, which meant he was almost done. Once he got out of the car, he’d have to sit in the reviewing stand and watch the rest of the parade, but at least he wouldn’t be listening to the cheers for him and feeling like a phony. It was hard to remember what Ellie said about him being a hero when he felt like anything but.
His gaze was caught by a flash of red and he saw Nadya Sarov waving and clapping next to Bill Michaels and two boys that had to be his, they looked just like him. Next to them, his mom sat holding his father’s hand and Ellie was on the other side holding a baby.
Longing washed through him, hitting him so hard it felt like a fist to the chest. He wanted to capture the moment in time and hold on to it forever. Three of the people he loved most in the world, together, for him.
Emotions tore through him, almost knocking him off the backseat of the convertible. When had Ellie slipped inside his heart? Sure, she was important to him, and he loved being with her, but Love with a capital L? How had that happened?
The car lurched to a stop and the crowd cheered as he got out and walked to the reviewing stand, trying to shake himself out of his daze. Ellie stood, adjusting the baby onto her shoulder so she could wave and cheer too. The noise and the people faded into the background. He couldn’t focus on anything but Ellie standing in the sunlight watching him with eyes that glowed with emotion.
Instead of turning to climb up the stairs to the gazebo, he made a quick left and grabbed Ellie over the line of caution tape keeping the crowd back. Being careful not to crush the baby, he pulled her to his chest and kissed her, trying to tell her without words how much she meant to him.
And the crowd went wild.
He let her go without a word, smiling to himself as she collapsed in the chair as if her legs wouldn’t hold her any longer. If she hadn’t been holding the baby, he might have scooped her up and run away with her.
Which probably would have pissed off half the town, so maybe it was a good thing she’d had the baby on her shoulder. As he took his place in the reviewing stand next to the members of the committee, Mary Ellen whooped with laughter.
“That was the best thing to happen since J.T. carried Nadya across the street duri
ng the silent auction last summer.”
“I think it was completely inappropriate for a Founders’ Day parade. There are children around,” Pansy said, her arms crossed over her barely concealed chest.
“You’re just jealous because it wasn’t you he planted one on.”
“As if I’d be jealous of that string bean. A real woman has curves.”
“Ellie’s more of a woman than you could ever dream of being, and it has nothing to do with her cup size,” Grant said, getting irritated at the bickering going on over him. “Hey, here’s the fire department. Did Dale get a new tanker?”
Pansy sank back with a huff and Mary Ellen subsided, but Grant could see her still smiling like the Cheshire Cat. The rest of the parade passed by the reviewing stand, but he didn’t see any of it. His gaze kept straying to where Ellie sat next to his folks. His mom had the younger Michaels boy in her lap, and his dad appeared to be listening intently to whatever the older boy was saying. But Grant only had eyes for Ellie. She looked so happy holding the baby and pointing to things. She didn’t even seem to mind when the baby spit up on her. She just used some wipes and blotted it up.
Whenever her gaze would turn toward the gazebo, she would stare straight at him, her eyes soft and warm. Her smile lit up her face and had a hunger stirring in his gut that no amount of potato salad and hot dogs would fill. He wanted to run back to the house with her and tell her how he felt, what he’d figured out, but he had to wait for the never-ending parade to finish.
Were people circling back and going through the parade again? What the hell was taking so long? He didn’t think there were enough people in Dale to have this many marchers and still fill the town green. What had they done? Hired people from other towns to march?
Son of a bitch, they had. There was the Canton Marching Band, complete with color guard and twirling flags. Clowns and a horse brigade came next. Since when did Dale get big enough that out of towners wanted to be part of Founders’ Day? Man, things really had changed over the last decade.