by Molly Cannon
Officer Melber leaned toward the window. “Vandals? Did you see anyone?”
Theo shook his head. “No, we just got here.”
“Well, the department is making regular passes. We’ve heard about the problems.”
Irene stuck her head over so she could see him. “You are? That makes me feel much better. As you can see, I could hardly sleep worrying about it. My float is in good hands if you are guarding the premises, though.”
“It’s just part of the job, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Owen. You aren’t planning on hauling us off to jail this time?”
“Any reason why I should?”
“Not a one,” Theo assured him quickly. “If it’s okay, we’ll go home and leave this to you.”
“Get out of here. But I don’t want to find the two of you parked in any more dark places. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” Theo started the car and they drove off. He sounded kind of grumpy when he said, “Next time you want to wake me up in the middle of the night, don’t. We’re lucky we didn’t end up in jail again.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Irene was frustrated that her plan had been foiled before it ever got off the ground. But maybe the sabotage would stop now that the police were keeping an eye on the hangar, and that was the important thing. “What if the next time I want to wake you up in the middle of the night it involves staying in bed?”
He sighed and reached over and grabbed her hand. “I guess that would be okay.”
Her hand slipped from his and found his thigh. With a squeeze she asked, “Just okay?”
His answer was to step on the accelerator and hurry back to the house on Overbrook.
Irene waited on the front porch in the white rocker. Sadie lounged at her feet. They were both watching for Theo’s Jeep to turn the corner. It had become the best time of the day lately. Knowing he’d be coming home any time now. Knowing he’d be coming home to her. Seeing the big grin that spread across his face the second he spotted her. Admitting there was no place else on earth she’d rather be. Since the night they’d spent together, she would finish work and head to his place. His workday varied, and sometimes he’d be waiting for her instead. Either way, she was happy. She knew Theo would be leaving soon, and she tried not to let it dampen the mood. But she knew she’d miss him even more than the first time he’d gone away. She knew and tried to pretend it would all be fine. Otherwise she might howl with the sheer misery of it all.
She saw the Jeep and stood up and waved. He pulled into the driveway and got out. She drank in the sight of him. He was wearing a white T-shirt tucked into work jeans and had work boots on his feet. Taking the porch steps two at a time, he grabbed her and swung her around, while she squealed with delight. Sadie bounced around wanting to be part of the greeting. Theo set her back on her feet and then took a few minutes to greet Sadie properly. Squatting down and rubbing her head, he asked, “How’s my girl? How’s my Sadie?” Sadie barked and wagged her tail, telling him she was glad to see him, too.
Theo stood up, his eyes twinkling. “And how are you, beautiful?” he asked before kissing her hello.
“I’m good.” Irene thought she might die from the simple joy of the moment. “I brought pizza and wine for dinner.”
His arms went around her waist. “Pepperoni and mushrooms?”
She leaned back so she could see his face. “Is there any other kind?”
“I could use a shower first,” he said with a smile.
“That’s funny. So could I.” She led him into the house, shutting out the rest of the world.
“Theo, I’m not going to spend the night here anymore.” They were lying in bed, snuggling. Tomorrow was the Fourth. The big day.
He looked down so he could see her face. “Is it something I said?”
She shook her head. “No, but you’ll be saying good-bye in a few days. And I might cry. I can’t promise I won’t.”
He smiled at her honesty but felt a tug on his heartstrings. “I might cry, too.”
She cupped his face with her palm. “We don’t want that.”
He turned so they were nose to nose. “No. Just happy memories, right?”
“Right. You’ll be busy getting Jake up to speed, and I still have a million things to do for the parade.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Only a million?”
In the end, he’d had no choice but to agree with her decision to go home. She wanted the Fourth, a day full of parades and picnics and fireworks, to be the day they formally said good-bye. Not that they’d avoid each other if they ran into each other before he left. They’d speak. Maybe even share a joke or two. It would all be very civilized, he thought savagely. He rolled her into his arms, determined to make the next few hours count.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Fourth of July finally arrived. It was a hot, clear day that boded well for the parade and all the planned activities for the day ahead. Theo stretched out all alone in his humongous bed, listening to the quiet house. He’d woken up early to walk Sadie as was his habit only to realize Sadie was back home with Jake and Marla Jean.
They had shown up yesterday afternoon, and she’d gone into doggy fits of heaven when she’d seen them. Barking and squirming, not being able to get enough of their touch and attention.
Jake finally sat on the ground, letting the poor dog climb into his lap. Marla Jean hugged the dog’s neck as though she’d reclaimed a long lost child. Sadie did stop for a minute and woof at Theo, wondering why he wasn’t joining in the joyful reunion.
Theo was happy to see them, too.
They looked tanned and relaxed and gloriously in love.
Jake wrestled Sadie to the ground while saying, “See, Marla Jean. I told you Theo would take good care of Sadie.” He winked at his brother, letting him in on the joke.
Marla Jean stood up watching the man and his dog. “I wasn’t worried. You were the one who wanted to Skype with Sadie so often I finally had to put my foot down.” She looked at Theo and said, “Don’t ever go on a honeymoon with this man.”
Jake abandoned Sadie to chase his wife around the yard. “Is that right?” He caught her and swung her around by her waist.
Theo felt like an intruder watching them laugh and kiss like teenagers.
Marla Jean protested, “Stop it, Jake. Your poor brother probably has better things to do than watch us slobber all over each other.”
“I don’t slobber, but you’re right. We need to get home and unpack and figure out what we are going to do for the parade tomorrow. Did you finish Irene’s float?”
Theo nodded. “I haven’t seen the finished product, but she was working on last-minute details last I heard.”
“Are you going to ride in the car with me? Jake’s Remodeling? Or we can change the name to Jacobson Brothers and announce it with our sign. Just say the word.”
“I appreciate the offer, Jake, but my plan to go to Australia hasn’t changed. And I’m afraid I’ll be riding on Irene’s float tomorrow.”
Marla Jean looked disappointed. “Well, you aren’t leaving right away, are you? Give us a chance to change your mind.”
“I’ll be here for another week or so, but I can’t promise anything more than that.”
Jake walked over and held out his hand to his younger brother. “Thank you for holding down the fort while we were gone. I can’t tell you what it meant to me.”
“You’re welcome, Jake. I couldn’t let everything fall apart while you were off lollygagging around.”
Marla Jean put her arm around her husband’s waist. “Hey, Theo, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight, so you can tell us what we missed while we were gone.”
He agreed, and they climbed back in their car, taking Sadie with them. As they drove away, Theo felt more alone than he had the entire time he’d been in Everson. He’d been e-mailing back and forth with his friend Mitch, and his friend from Australia was enthusiastically looking forward to his arrival. Theo kept waiting for the bubble of
anticipation that he’d always experienced before embarking on a new adventure to build. So far, he felt nothing at all. Maybe he’d become jaded. The places might change, but the vacant place in his soul stayed empty and unfulfilled.
He looked at his watch and jumped up—this time for good—and took a long shower, got dressed, and then climbed in the Jeep, heading to Lu Lu’s parking lot. All of the floats were supposed to be in place by 9:00 a.m. to be ready for the parade. It would start at ten and wind through town around the Main Street Square and end up back at Lu Lu’s. He would meet up with Irene and make sure everything was ready to go. He’d finally agreed to play Elvis and had gone online to be ordained. Now he was wearing the outfit Ree had come up with and was getting a variety of looks from people he passed. Some did a double take. Some looked startled. Some smiled and waved like he was a parade all his own.
This whole wedding-on-board thing was top secret. Only the bride and groom, Irene, and Theo were in on the plan. But now, before long the cat would be out of the bag. When he pulled into the parking lot, it was already more than half full. He spotted Jake and Marla Jean and parked in a place out of the way.
He got out and greeted them warmly. “Happy Fourth of July.”
“Theo? Is that you? Why are you dressed like Elvis?” Marla Jean laughed, inspecting him like he’d just stepped off an alien ship.
Jake was arranging the sign on the side of one of his cars but stopped when he saw Theo. “What the hell is that getup? Is this for Irene’s float?”
Theo looked down at his outfit. Thank goodness they’d decided on early Elvis so he didn’t have to wear the skintight white outfit with the cape. Instead he was more “Jailhouse Rock,” with the black-and-white striped T-shirt and black jeans and jacket. Aviator sunglasses and a black bouffant wig completed the look. “Yep. What do you think?”
“I don’t understand, but I love it,” Marla Jean declared.
“Thank you very much,” Theo mumbled with a curled lip.
“I can’t believe Irene talked you into doing this.” Jake crossed his arms over his chest and laughed.
Marla Jean was bouncing up and down. “Oh, I love this parade. Did you see what Hoot and Dooley managed to do for the barbershop?”
Theo looked around to where she was pointing. A cardboard pair of giant scissors painted silver opened up as an arch with a barber’s chair sitting underneath. “I get to sit in the chair and wave. Mom and Dad are going to sit on either edge and hand out candy.”
He laughed. “Very nice. Are you handing out candy, Jake?”
Jake reached into Lucille and hauled out a giant bag of mixed candy and lollipops. “It’s the only way to get out of the parade in one piece.”
“Well, I better go find Irene. I’ll see you two after the parade.” He waved and walked off looking at the different entries. The high school marching band was organizing to his left. Young kids practicing on their instruments in a cacophony of noise. Old Martin Quinn was there riding his antique tractor. A line of shiny convertibles waited to carry local officials. The first one sported a sign indicating it would hold the mayor. Another one would carry the county judge. Then there were more cars carrying a variety of junior princesses—dairy, strawberry, blackberry, and rose. Any number of agricultural royal representatives.
A veritable garden of blooms and flowers covered the Posey Pot float. Romeo’s Pizza was easy to spot. A giant pizza served as the background. And then he saw Irene’s float. The giant wedding cake rose above the other floats. He could see her climbing up on the side.
Theo trotted over to her float. “Hey, Ree. The float looks great.”
His heart lightened as she turned and spotted him. Her face lit up like the morning sun breaking over the horizon. “Theo! Happy Fourth. Isn’t this wonderful?” She stood up proudly holding her arms out to her side indicating her finished float.
“It looks terrific, Ree.”
She climbed down and, smiling with real delight, touched his collar. “And so do you. Are you ready to do this, Elvis?”
“It’s too late to back out now, so I’m ready. Have you seen your competition yet? I don’t see Nell’s masterpiece anywhere in the parking lot.”
“It’s over in the far corner shrouded from the public eye. I’m sure she wants to make a grand entrance.”
“I’ve got to admit I’m curious. But I think you have a good shot at the trophy.”
“Thanks, Theo. But at this point I’m just happy to be a part of everything. Too many years I’ve sat on the sidelines. Not anymore. Now I really feel like part of the community.”
Theo saw the young couple dressed as a bride and groom milling around to one side. “There’s the happy couple.”
Ree laughed. “They haven’t seen you yet. I wanted to surprise them.” She pulled him out of sight around to the other side.
An older woman Theo didn’t recognize stood there, holding a cupcake. “Irene, I have all the cupcakes loaded into the slots. We can hand them out whenever we stop.”
Irene grinned. “Thanks, Aunt Jo. I don’t think you two have met. Aunt Jo, this is Theo Jacobson. Theo, my aunt Jo Anne Cunningham.”
Theo watched as the woman’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O. He held out his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mrs. Cunningham. Irene has spoken highly of you over the years.”
Jo Anne took his hand, studying him like a bug under a microscope. “So, you’re Theo. Finally, I get a good look at you. She said you were a handsome devil, and she was right.”
Grinning, he glanced at Ree who looked embarrassed. “Well, thank you, ma’am.”
She looked over at the float. “I can’t believe I let Irene talk me into riding on this thing. I’m probably going to fall off and break my neck.” Aunt Jo laughed like a young girl.
Theo smiled and reassured her. “I made sure those handholds were good and secure, so you should be okay.”
Ree’s aunt leaned closer and spoke as though she was confiding precious secrets. “I can’t tell you how much she appreciated all your help since you’ve been back in town. I think she’s just blossomed since she started this new business. She’s like a new woman.”
Theo spoke honestly. “She’s always been special to me.”
That put a twinkle in her eye. “Well, now, we need to talk later. Maybe later at the picnic.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Theo agreed.
Jo Anne turned, patted Irene on the back, and disappeared around the other side of the float.
Irene made a face. “Sorry, Theo. She’s always romanticized our relationship.”
Theo was surprised. “Why? She didn’t even know me.”
“No, but she didn’t approve of my marriage to Sven. She takes every chance she can to point out my mistakes. Now that she’s gotten a good look at you, she’ll be even worse.”
“Because I’m such a handsome devil?” Theo winked and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops.
Irene shook her head. “No, because she used to be a huge Elvis fan. So, don’t let it go to your head, mister.”
“Too late.” His grin was cocky, and he enjoyed seeing her squirm.
She gave him a small push. “Come on. It’s time I introduced you to the bride and groom.”
They walked around the float and Lizzie gasped. “Oh my gosh, it’s Elvis. You found him. Mrs. Cornwell, I mean Irene, thank you!”
Irene smiled. “Actually, you found him. But he looks great, doesn’t he?”
Matthew Long stepped up and held out his hand. “We appreciate this. The wedding was already perfect since I’m marrying Lizzie, but now this is awesome.”
“I’m happy to help.” Theo shook his hand, and for the first time since he’d put on the Elvis getup, he was glad he’d let Irene convince him to do it. “We should go over the plan. I know there will be eight stops along the way. We can do the whole ceremony at the first stop and then just pronounce you man and wife and kiss the bride at all the rest. Otherwise we can break it up and just do
a bit at each stop.”
“I vote for kissing the bride at each stop,” Matthew said with a grin.
Lizzie wrapped her arms around his waist. “Me too.”
Theo took out the paper that had his part written on it. “Okay, then let’s review my part and yours.”
Irene made sure her aunt had a good seat on the float and then climbed on board. Theo stood under the wedding arbor, facing Lizzie and Matthew. Everyone was in place, and she was excited. Up at the front of the parking lot, the line of cars started moving. First the car with the mayor left the parking lot. The county judge’s car followed, and the ancient tractor pulled out behind that. Bo Birdwell, the town’s only cabdriver, rode a unicycle and juggled at the same time. Irene was impressed. The marching band marched out of the parking lot next with only the percussion section setting a rhythm, and the high school twirling team came next. She knew from other years they’d make two stops on each block and play something patriotic to the folks gathered along the street. Irene knew they’d be far enough ahead that they could use those stops to perform the wedding ceremony.
Finally, it was time for the business floats to leave the parking lot. Oliver was driving the truck pulling their float. He waved at her and climbed into the cab. He honked his horn as they started moving, and everyone grabbed onto their handholds. Ahead of them she could see Linc and Dinah on their float followed by Marla Jean in a barber chair flanked by her parents under her giant scissors. Hoot and Dooley played Parcheesi on a table at the front. It was very cute. A group of men and women riding horses from the Landon Riding School followed at a safe distance; Romeo’s Pizza, the Posey Pot, the Rise-N-Shine float, which was still shrouded in secrecy, and then Irene brought up the rear.
She was amazed by the number of people crowded along the street since it seemed like everyone she knew was already in the parade. She and her aunt tossed candy in the direction of kids holding big empty bags in hopes of filling them with their share of the sweet bounty being handed out along the way. Lizzie, Matthew, and Theo waved.