“Can’t tell you how much we appreciate your help,” Al said as he held up the lamps.
The young man waved off his thanks. “That’s what Creekers do. We help each other out.”
A car pulled into the driveway in front of the U-Haul. When the driver emerged, Al experienced a rush of annoyance. What was Thacker doing here?
Then he remembered. The man lived here.
Thacker caught sight of him and rounded the bumper, waving toward the activity that surrounded them. “Now that’s what I call a parade.”
Al scanned the yard. People streamed out of the house, arms laden with boxes and furniture. They smiled at one another, calling out the occasional joke, laughing and happy. Neighbors, all of them. Even better, friends.
His mood light, he managed to smile at Thacker. “You’re right. Quite a parade.”
“So, what’d you think of Mrs. R’s surprise?”
Al stared at the man. “What surprise?”
Thacker’s eyes went wide, and he clapped both hands over his mouth. “Oops. Not a thing, Bert. Not a thing.” He looked over Al’s shoulder and a frown descended on his face. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted. “Hey, watch out for that bushy thing there. You almost trampled it. And keep to the sidewalk. I don’t want my grass smashed to smithereens before I even move in.”
Gritting his teeth, Al headed toward the house to retrieve another load.
Though Al would never have thought it possible, by the time the day ended the house on Mulberry Avenue was empty. The Updyke house, on the other hand, was stuffed to the bursting point. Who would have thought that the contents of their twenty-two hundred square foot home would fill a space three times that size? Of course, their furniture had to be squeezed in beside the dusty old stuff the Updykes left behind, which Millie insisted would be perfect for their bed and breakfast when it was cleaned up and refinished.
The horde had deposited the last truckload and left. Finally, he and Millie were alone. She’d made hot tea and they’d collapsed into their lounge chairs on the back porch, or verandah, as she insisted on calling it. Herbal tea, not that there was any danger of a sleepless night tonight. Exhaustion resonated in every cell of his body. From the way her eyelids drooped as she slumped in the chair beside him, Millie felt the same.
“Quite a turnout today,” he commented.
“I lost count,” Millie confessed. “I want to send everyone a thank-you note, but I know I’ll miss someone.” She paused, and then continued with a smile in her voice. “Did you see Susan and Justin kissing in the side yard?”
Al chuckled softly. “The whole town saw them. Not that they noticed. I don’t think either of them saw anyone but each other.”
She breathed a sigh. “I love happy endings.”
He didn’t mention it, but he doubted if Mr. Jeffries would let things end there. No doubt there would be more chapters to read in Susan and Justin’s story.
“Oh look, Albert.” Tiredness dragged at her voice, but she managed to lift a hand and point. “There are geese by the pond.”
He examined the small flock of Canada geese. “Nasty things, geese. Leave a mess wherever they go. And they bite. My advice is to steer clear of them.”
She punched him on the arm in a playful reprimand. Then she sat up. “Look there. I can’t believe how close that squirrel is coming.”
Sure enough, one of the dozen or so varmints who frolicked between the trees had decided to venture toward them. Al glanced down at Rufus, waiting for him to notice the approaching intruder. The squirrel scurried a foot or two in their direction, then stopped. It stood upright, eyed the dog, and then dropped down to all fours to edge closer.
“It’s coming for his food,” Millie whispered.
They’d set Rufus’s food and water bowl on the edge of the porch earlier in the day, when they’d had to secure him to the post to keep him from getting underfoot. Though the rope had been untied an hour ago, they hadn’t yet picked the bowls up.
The squirrel halted one last time about a yard away. Rufus finally stirred enough to raise his head.
Here it comes. That rodent’s about to learn a lesson he won’t forget.
Al watched, anticipation mounting. The animals regarded each other. The squirrel inched closer, its body tense, tail twitching, ready to dash away at the first sign of trouble.
Trouble that never came.
Unbelievably, the squirrel covered the last foot without a peep from Rufus. It inspected the contents of the bowl, sniffing with a cautious eye fixed on the dog. Apparently deciding the dry dog food would suit, it shoved chunks into its mouth until both cheeks bulged. Then it turned and retreated at a pace that might be called a victory strut. Rufus let out a sigh and dropped his head onto his paws.
Al regarded the dog with disgust. “Traitor.”
Rufus closed his eyes and rolled onto his side, while Millie’s laughter rang over the lawn. How could Al not enjoy such a delightful sound?
She settled back in her chair and drained her tea mug. “So what are we going to call this place? How about Richardson Manor?”
He shook his head. “Too plain.”
“Millie’s Manor?”
He dipped his head and gave her a look out of the top of his eyeballs.
She laughed. “Just kidding. What about the Lantern Inn?”
He glanced around the yard. “We have a lantern?”
“No, but we could buy one.”
“It’s not in the budget.”
Silence descended between them, comfortable and peaceful. He almost hated to intrude with a suggestion, but voiced his idea anyway. “What about keeping it simple? The Goose Creek Bed and Breakfast.”
She sat straight up, mouth gaping. For a moment he thought she would veto the idea outright. Then she closed it again, and tilted her head as she considered the suggestion.
“You know, I like it.” Settling back in her chair, she smiled. “The Goose Creek Bed and Breakfast. That’s a winner.”
They fell silent again as the sun dipped below the tree line beyond the pond. The squirrels disappeared as the last rays of light dimmed, deserting the sky to a spreading dark purple night.
“So you haven’t said much about my surprise.” Millie’s voice held a note of disappointment. “Don’t you like it?”
Al turned his head toward the side of the house, where the back end of his new/used Airstream RV was parked. How Millie had convinced Thacker to throw it into the deal, he had no idea. Like the house they’d just bought, it needed a lot of work. He didn’t mind. He had three years before retirement, plenty of time to do all the minor repairs it needed.
“I love it. Thank you.” He extended his hand sideways and grasped hers. “And I love you.”
“I love you too.” The fading light caught one of those kissable dimples on her cheek. “If I weren’t so tired, I’d prove it.”
They shared a laugh, and he squeezed her hand. If there was a luckier man in all of Goose Creek, he couldn’t imagine who it would be. He had the best woman in town right here beside him.
Quite the little fixer-upper, his Millie.
Acknowledgments
The more I write, the more certain I am that I couldn’t do my job without the help and support of many people. In creating the fictitious town of Goose Creek and writing stories about the characters who live there, I’m thankful for the assistance of more people than I can easily list here. But it seems churlish not to say thank you, so I’ll give it a try.
Thank you to the cities of Midway and Frankfort, Kentucky, for providing the inspiration for the charming, small-town atmosphere I’ve tried to create in Goose Creek. I love walking your streets, admiring your quaint shops, chatting with your residents, and pausing every so often to see a train plow through the middle of everything.
Thank you to Jerry Selbo for allowing me to use his name for my fictitious mayor. Jerry won the opportunity to have a character named after him during a fundraising auction at Mountain Vista
United Methodist Church, where we worship together. Though the mayor of Goose Creek is fictional, I enjoyed giving him a few of Jerry’s characteristics, such as his love for music and his levelheadedness in the face of conflict.
Thank you to my friend Lynn Bowers for answering questions about serving on the City Council, and for graciously allowing me to use her name for my fictitious councilwoman.
Thank you to three very special author friends who helped me craft the story and characters of Goose Creek: Amy Barkman (a.k.a. Mom), Anna Zogg, and Marilynn Rockelman. These ladies are brainstormers extraordinaire!
Thank you to the professional team that makes the Goose Creek Stories possible: my agent, Wendy Lawton; my editor, Kathleen Kerr; and everyone else at Harvest House Publishers for caring about this story and working so hard to make it good.
Thank you to my husband, Ted Smith, for…gosh, for so much! Not only is he the most supportive, encouraging husband a writer could ask for, but he is the inspiration for every romantic heartthrob I’ve ever written. There’s a song that says, “I love how you love me.” I do, Ted. For that, and so much more.
Above all thank you to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the true Author of all stories worth reading.
Dr. Horatio vs. the Six-Toed Cat
(ebook-only novella prequel)
Buy Now
This bonus e-only short story is the perfect introduction to bestselling author Virginia Smith’s latest series, Tales from the Goose Creek B&B. Set in the years before the Richardsons launch their bed and breakfast scheme, the quirky residents of the small Kentucky town are all in a tizzy over the upcoming Fall Festival. Alison, Al and Millie’s headstrong daughter, astounds everyone with the news that she’s getting married—in three weeks—to a Colombian! As her parents frantically try to stop the nuptials, Dr. Horatio, Goose Creek’s beloved veterinarian, is determined to solve the mystery of the six-toed kittens that have been popping up all over town.
This charming prequel will make you laugh out loud, fall in love with the delightful residents of Goose Creek, and remind you why you love reading.
Renovating the Richardsons
Buy Now
Things are finally starting to fall into a steady rhythm in the small town of Goose Creek, Kentucky. Millie Richardson is hard at work renovating a drafty Victorian house into a B&B. Her husband, Al, is busy writing checks for the renovations. And the new vet, Susan, has finally found acceptance from the town—not to mention a hunky new boyfriend, Justin.
But things never stay quiet for long in Goose Creek. The innercounty softball game is coming up, and Millie volunteers Al as team manager. But the softball team is a disaster. If they’re not going to embarrass themselves in front of the whole of Franklin County, Al needs Justin to play. But Justin lives just outside the city limits, and the rules say that players must live in town.
As if that weren’t enough to keep the town gossips busy, a massage therapist has come to town and opened up shop. Imagine—a massage parlor!—in Goose Creek! No decent Creeker will stand for it.
It’s up to Al and Millie—again—to save the day.
The Room with the Second-Best View
The B&B Is Open for Business!
Shhh...
Excitement is in the air in Goose Creek, Kentucky, as the small town prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary and the veterinarian’s upcoming wedding. But trouble is brewing in this provincial paradise...
Al Richardson agreed to open a B&B with his wife after his retirement in two years, but Millie secretly invites some guests to stay for the wedding. She plans to be the most gracious Southern hostess—until a tumble down the stairs leaves her unprepared for their quirky and cantankerous first guest.
Meanwhile, the town’s anniversary plans are in a state of chaos as the celebration committee scrambles to raise the necessary funds—an effort spearheaded by a “newcomer,” which ruffles the townsfolk’s feathers.
Goose Creek has lasted 150 years. Can it survive the next month?
Read More from Virginia Smith
TALES FROM THE GOOSE CREEK B & B
Dr. Horatio vs. the Six-Toed Cat
(prequel)
BOOK 1 — The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade
BOOK 2 — Renovating the Richardsons
BOOK 3 — The Room with the Second-Best View
Books by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith
THE AMISH OF APPLE GROVE
“A Home in the West”
(free short story e-romance prequel)
BOOK 1 — The Heart’s Frontier
BOOK 2 — A Plain and Simple Heart
BOOK 3 — A Cowboy at Heart
SEATTLE BRIDES
BOOK 1 — A Bride for Noah
BOOK 2 — Rainy Day Dreams
About the Publisher
To learn more about books by Virginia Smith or to read sample chapters, log on to our website: www.harvesthousepublishers.com
The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade Page 21