by Tara Randel
The town put on its Sunday best, at least that’s what Annie thought when she arrived downtown. Flags flew in front of homes and businesses. Red, white, and blue banners hung from fences and light posts. In the Town Square, booths were set up for hot dogs and hamburgers, along with souvenirs. Farther down the street, in the park, a late afternoon baseball game between the police force and the volunteer firefighters was scheduled, and later that night the fireworks extravaganza would fill the sky. Vendors hawking everything from miniature American flags to cotton candy and snow cones set up their wares around the park. No one could miss the dunk tank and the first victim, the mayor of Stony Point himself.
Tourists from the area’s bed and breakfasts and inns, as well as locals, filled the sidewalks, shops, and restaurants. A buzz of patriotic excitement crackled in the air. Back home in Texas, Annie and Wayne had always volunteered for similar festivities, flavored with a western theme. Since she was in a different town this summer, she couldn’t help but become enthralled by the activities special to Stony Point.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Mary Beth told her as she showed up for duty. Dressed in sneakers, denim shorts, and a white T-shirt with fireworks painted in glitter on the front, Annie was ready to do her part.
“I can’t believe you found the first clue to our little mystery,” Mary Beth said as she straightened out the craft table.
“What mystery?” asked a pretty teenaged girl with long, wavy brown hair and wearing a crocheted beach cover-up of aqua, lined with a bright dandelion yellow. No doubt Kate’s handiwork. An even brighter yellow bikini could be seen underneath, evidence that the girl would be hitting the beach later.
Kate stepped beside the girl, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Annie, this is my daughter, Vanessa.”
“Hey,” Vanessa said.
“Nice to meet you.”
“And to answer your question about a mystery, Annie found a Betsy Original up in the attic at Grey Gables. She’s been trying to identify a young woman in the piece, so we’re all doing a little detective work.”
“That’s cool.”
Annie smiled at the girl, who reminded her of a younger LeeAnn. “We think so.”
“Great shirt.” Kate pointed to the design glittering in the sunlight as she set up folding chairs. “Did you create that yourself?”
“Yes. Actually, it’s free-form. I had a picture in my head and went crazy with fabric paint.”
“You do Betsy proud,” Mary Beth told her. Then she took a step back and studied Annie’s shirt. After a few moments, she snapped her fingers. “You’ve given me a great idea.
“Kate, run down to the T-shirt shop and see if they have any blank white shirts in all sizes. Sam mentioned he was ordering extra. Tell him to put it on my charge and bring them back here. While she’s gone, Annie, gather up some of the fabric paints. With your shirt as advertisement, we can encourage the mothers of the kids who come by for the free crafts to make their own shirts. At a nominal charge, of course.”
Annie glanced down at her shirt, then back at Mary Beth’s calculating eyes. “You’re good.”
“Genius is more like it,” Kate told her. “She always comes up with fabulous money-making ideas.”
Mary Beth shrugged. “It’s a gift.”
Kate left and Annie finished setting up the craft materials, as well as a table for the T-shirt painting. It was just after noon, and the crowds arrived. Before long, children begged their parents to stop at the beading table. Annie had her hands full supervising the crafts and helping the kids, enjoying every minute of it.
“I see you jumped right in,” Alice teased as she joined her an hour later.
Annie glanced at her watch. “Somebody had to start working since you’re late.”
“Sorry.” Alice wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Something came up.”
“Are you okay?”
“I will be.”
There was more to this story, Annie was sure. There always was. But if Alice didn’t want to talk in front of the others, Annie wouldn’t press her. “Then come get to work. We need an extra pair of hands.”
Kate had been able to finagle two dozen shirts from Sam, but they were going quickly, so Mary Beth got on the phone and found two dozen more at a shop the next town over. She took off to retrieve them, leaving the three women to hold down the fort. Kate stayed in the store, ringing up sales from customers. Annie and Alice barely had time to breathe between the rush of excited kids making crafts and the T-shirt sales.
The midday sun lightly burned her skin, but Annie didn’t mind. For the first time in months she felt productive and part of a community. The only shadow on the day was when she thought about her grandchildren, wishing they were here to share in the fun. Since that wasn’t going to happen, she enjoyed the smiling faces right here in front of her.
Mary Beth returned just in time, since the paint table was running low on shirts. Just as Annie had hoped, the mothers loved the idea of making their own holiday T-shirt. By late afternoon, they’d sold out.
“Another Stony Point tradition,” Mary Beth boasted, wiping her hands as if she’d done some major work. “Applause, please.”
Laughing, Annie clapped her paint splattered hands together. “At least you’re modest about your success.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Alice warned.
“How else do you think I’ve kept my shop open for so long?” Mary Beth tapped her temple with one finger. “Always thinking.”
“No wonder Gram liked you.”
“She was a smart cookie too.”
Once the crowd thinned, having moved down to the park for food and games, Annie helped the women clean up.
“Mom, can I go now?” Vanessa asked, clearly anxious to make a run for it. “I’m supposed to meet my friends in fifteen minutes.”
Kate glanced up at her daughter. “Sure, honey. Make sure you’re home by eleven.”
“Are you kidding? Everyone is staying out late for the bonfire.”
“You know the rules.”
“Fine.” Vanessa grabbed her beach tote from behind the counter and stomped out of the store.
“I remember that age,” Annie quipped as she helped Kate put away the supplies. “Not fondly.”
“I look at her sometimes and wonder where my sweet baby girl ran off to.”
“She’ll be back. Though it’ll feel like a few decades from now.”
“I don’t know if I can hold out that long.”
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Alice said from across the room.
“Don’t mind her, even though it is true.”
Mary Beth came from the back of the store. “Okay, ladies. Let’s call it a day.”
Alice finished wiping her hands on a paper towel. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Yes ma’am. It’s time to party.”
“Let me get my purse.” Kate circled around the counter just as the phone rang. She stopped to answer. “A Stitch in Time.”
Mary Beth pulled her keys from her pocket. “I think there’s a nice big hamburger with my name on it waiting at the park. Are you two going to join me?”
Annie nodded. “Now that you mention it, I am hungry.”
They waited by the door for Kate to finish the call. “Ready?” Mary Beth called as she flipped the sign from open to closed, ready to lock up.
Kate hustled outside, preoccupied as she rummaged in her purse for her car keys. Her cheeks were flushed, her motions jerky. “Listen, I need to do something right now. I’ll meet you later.”
Mary Beth narrowed her eyes. “Everything okay?”
“As okay as usual.” Kate pulled a tight smile. “Thanks for your help, Annie. I’ll catch up later.” That said, she pushed past them to hurry down the sidewalk.
“Was it something we did?” Alice asked.
“No. I believe there’s trouble with Harry.” Mary Beth bit her lower lip, her expression worried. “I’ve seen that l
ook on her face enough to know.”
When Mary Beth didn’t elaborate, Annie chose the smart angle and didn’t meddle. Instead she said, “I had a great day, Mary Beth. Exhausting, but great. Are the holidays always so exciting around here?”
“Oh, yes, and you haven’t seen anything yet. This is only the beginning. Next there’s Labor Day, then Founder’s Day and Halloween. And don’t forget Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m going to need all the free help I can get.”
Annie regarded the woman who had welcomed her with open arms and reveled in the idea that she might very well be around for all those holidays, included in all the festivities as one of their own.
“The town council always makes sure to draw large crowds,” Mary Beth continued. “For the most part, the town derives most of its money during the summer. Lucky for me, I have both tourist and local customers. The locals help me stay open year round, so look out, sister, I’ll be calling on you.”
Annie’s heart swelled. “And I’ll be happy to answer.”
The women walked down the sidewalk toward the park. From the corner of her eye, Annie spied a Lincoln Continental slowly moving down the street. As she turned to look, the back window facing her was closing.
“That woman really doesn’t like me,” Annie muttered under her breath. If she was any less obvious, she thought, Stella might as well hit her over the head with a mallet. At this point, it wouldn’t hurt any less.
“What?” Alice asked, her attention focused on dodging running kids playing tag.
“Nothing.” No point in dragging Alice into this personal … tug-o’-war between Stella and her. As much as she longed for circumstances to change, she couldn’t see Stella making the first move. Annie would have to deal with this her own way.
In the distance she heard the strains from a band warming up amid shouts and laughter. “This is really special, you know? The American traditions. Honor for our country. Back home we celebrate larger than life every year, because, as y’all know, everything is bigger in Texas.”
Alice laughed. “We get it. You like Texas.”
“But each and every town is special,” Mary Beth pointed out. “Stony Point is my home. I’ve lived here for twenty-five years and wouldn’t consider moving anywhere else.”
Annie glanced over at Alice. “I’m not going anywhere either.”
Alice grinned back. “Then this promises to be an interesting summer. What with the mystery and all.”
Once at the park, Mary Beth took off in search of the perfect hamburger. Annie and Alice roamed around, soaking in all the fun and laughter.
“I don’t know about you,” Alice called over the noise, “but I’m starving.”
“Me too. How does a hot dog sound?”
“If it has the works, count me in.”
They hunted for a vendor, and after placing their order, ate their fully loaded hot dogs.
“I’m going to regret this later,” Alice moaned.
“But it’s worth it now.”
They moved to a shady spot to enjoy the food. “Last year wasn’t great for me. After my husband died, I withdrew,” Annie admitted as she watched the hubbub of activity in the park. She inhaled deeply before continuing. “Before Wayne died, he told me to keep enjoying life. I couldn’t even imagine it. Now I guess I understand why he said that to me.”
“Last year I stayed home too. I couldn’t even think about joining in.” Alice shook her head. “It’s amazing the difference a year makes.”
How true, Annie thought. She’d grieved for Wayne. And she never thought she’d be spending the summer in her old stomping grounds, enjoying herself. But life continued on with or without her participation. Wayne and Gram may be gone, but she still had her memories to hold them close. Nothing could ever take them away.
As for Alice, Annie could still see the lingering pain. Everyone healed in their own time.
A trio of boys ran by, jolting Annie from the past to the present. As they called out to each other, she thought of her grandchildren, which gave a little stab to her heart. She made a mental note to call them tomorrow.
The late afternoon wore on. As the sun began to set, Annie watched as groups of families laid down blankets, marking their spots to watch the light show. The merchant booths were closing down, but the food vendors carried on. A lull fell over the park, as if everyone took a collective breather before the main attraction. Once the fireworks show began, spirits would rise and kids would get their second wind. “I should have thought to bring chairs.”
“There should be some empty seats in the baseball stands when the game is over. We can watch from there.”
“Good. I’m not sure these bones could handle sitting on the hard ground.”
“Don’t worry, ladies,” came a voice from behind them. “I brought extra chairs.”
Annie swung around to find Ian Butler smiling at them, his hair still wet from his second dunking in the water tank. “Mr. Mayor.”
He nodded. “Mrs. Dawson. Alice.”
“Your tourism bureau pulled the people in this year, Ian. I’m impressed.”
He shrugged. “A little advertising goes a long way.”
“A little?” Alice scoffed. “You pulled out all the stops.”
Annie waved her hand out over the park. “I take it this was your idea?”
“Nope, mostly it’s tradition. But the tourism bureau put a new spin on it. Looks like it worked.”
Alice touched Annie’s arm. “Excuse me for a moment. I see someone I need to talk to.”
Annie watched Alice weave through the crowd until she disappeared.
Concern laced Ian’s tone. “Was it something I said?”
“I have no idea,” Annie said, turning back to him.
“The offer of the chairs is still open.”
“And I gladly accept.”
Ian showed the way to a grouping of chairs at the edge of the park. After Annie sat, he joined her. “I’m glad I ran into you. I have some information about the photo you gave me.”
“Really?” Annie scooted to the edge of her seat. With the Fourth of July festivities in full gear, she’d moved thoughts of the cross-stitch in the back of her mind. “What have you learned?”
“I studied all the scenes stitched around the woman. The storefront stood out to me, but I couldn’t figure out why. I showed the picture to my father, and the first thing he said was, ‘Bascom’s. Before it was Bascom’s.’ He showed me an old family snapshot that I’d seen growing up, and I realized he was right.
“There’s no sign over the door in the scene your grandmother stitched, but it has the original federal architectural style from when that block was built. Obviously, it faces a main street. The actual storefront is different, but that’s no surprise. Over the years each tenant changes the entrance to reflect its business. Once my father mentioned Bascom’s, I went to the library archives and looked in the old town records.” He grimaced. “The ones that aren’t computerized, I might add.”
“Wow. You went to a lot of trouble. I owe you big time.”
“And I’ll take you up on that, believe me.” Ian’s expression went from kidding to serious once again as he explained his search. “Lucky for you, the town always kept good records. About twenty years ago, the historical society decided to go through all the files we had stored away and preserve everything. Including old town pictures.”
A rush of excitement twisted around in the pit of her stomach. She could barely speak the words. “So that’s good news, right?”
Ian nodded. “I believe this is the building that used to be Bascom’s Department Store. It currently houses Dress to Impress.”
“So my grandmother stitched a store that was once in this town.” She immediately recounted the discovery of the beach scene. “Ian, I’ll bet the two remaining scenes are right in this same area.”
“I would think so.”
This was better than she’d dare to hope. “Did you come up with a date?”
&nbs
p; “The store before Bascom’s was open in the 1920s until the early ’40s, when it changed owners and became Bascom’s.”
“That coincides with what Norma at the post office told me.” She beamed at Ian. “Another real clue.”
“Surprised?”
“That you found something? Not at all. Everyone says you know all about this town. Why do you think I asked the expert?”
“I don’t know about being an expert, but I do love this town. And I know where to look for information.”
Without his help, and Alice’s, she’d never have gotten this far. Each step brought her closer to discovering the identity of the young lady. Another step forward in her personal quest. “Thanks so much, Ian. I really mean it.”
“So what’s your next plan of action?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll figure out who lived in town at that time, see if they’re still around, or alive even, and ask more questions. Do you think your Dad might know anyone else?”
“I asked, but he didn’t seem too confident. You’ll have to continue asking around.”
“And we both know how well that goes.”
Ian chuckled. “Tell people I sent you. You might get better results.”
“Deal.” Annie thought for a moment. “I guess this means we’ll be going back to The Cup & Saucer soon.”
“Why’s that?”
“I owe you a cup of coffee and a slice of pie for all your help.”
“I never turn down the offer of pie.”
During the conversation, the sun had set. The street lamps were dimly lit, casting an inviting atmosphere for the fireworks show. Children ran about as their parents settled on blankets or pulled out lawn chairs to get ready for the upcoming display of sound and color.
Annie settled back, soaking in the small-town charm. Right now, sitting and observing families and friends enjoy the holiday outing, she felt at ease. Oh, she missed LeeAnn and the grandchildren, her home and garden, even her town, but something was changing for her. Something good. And she didn’t want to leave Stony Point until she figured out what that was.
She was making friends. Alice, Mary Beth, and Kate. Even Ian.
Finally, she felt as if she was fitting in.