Providence (9 page)

“Well then, welcome to Watson’s Grove. Who do we have in here?” Mrs. Hanson asked as she bent over the carriage. “What a sweetheart! Look at those beautiful red curls. What’s her name?”

“Her name is Georgia, ma’am.”

Mrs. Hanson stood up and turned toward Sarah. “You could take a lesson from Becky,” she said. “You were complaining the other night there were no jobs in town. Babysitting would keep you very busy and provide the spending money you’re always asking for from your father and me.”

Sarah hesitated a moment, then said, “Mom, maybe you should go to the library ahead of me. Becky and I were just about to discuss a book I’m sure you’re going to want to read. We don’t want to spoil the ending for you. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

“Spoiler alert!” her mom giggled. “Thanks for the warning! It was nice to meet you Becky. Sarah, I’ll see you in a few.”

We watched her mother walk down the block, before Sarah said, “My mom and I aren’t best buds. I don’t spend all of my time with her. Last night at dinner, my dad mentioned that we would be spending most of his vacation days next spring and summer touring college campuses. Then they both started rocking nostalgic. They spent the rest of the meal talking about the things we did when I was younger and all the dreams and plans they had for me when I was born. So now a regular old mother/daughter day isn’t enough for Mom. She needs to throw in some of the things she thought we would do together, but never did. Anyway, the book was great. We really should get together and swap some books or book titles. I think we have the same taste in literature. That’s not something I can say about the girls you saw me with at the library.”

“Okay. Have fun today,” I said, as I walked into the store.

I picked out the colors I needed and hurried to the counter. I had already been away from the Second Hand Rose long enough.

“I’m Becky. Rosie asked me to say hi and to tell you we’ll be coming to you for all of our floss needs.”

Lydie nodded. She didn’t smile, but at least her face went from a frown to a flat line. I was ready to pay for my ten hanks of floss and a packet of needles when I spotted the Fourth of July bargain basket. I sifted through the basket and came upon a small music box with a top for stitching. I was looking at the price and wondering if I dared buy it when Lydie spoke her first words to me. “I’ve got six of those music boxes, if you’re interested.”

“I don’t have enough money for more than one,” I smiled.

“Are you the girl that dressed up Rosie’s store?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The ends of Lydie’s mouth curled into a smile. “Maybe we can make a deal. I’ll give you all six of these beautiful music boxes for the price of one—and the sale price at that. And in return you can dress the front of my store for tomorrow’s parade.”

I hesitated before answering. I was worrying about what Rosie might think of this bargain. Lydie decided to add some honey to the pot. “Each box plays a different tune, and if you come back after the weekend to take the stuff down, I’ll throw in three items of your choice from this basket.”

And of course, once again, I was overtaken by the thrill of shopping and piled the music boxes onto the counter next to my floss. When I got back to the Second Hand Rose, I discovered that I had been worrying for nothing. Rosie was sure we got the better end of the deal. She helped me gather things to decorate the storefront, and I set off to complete the first half of my part of the bargain.

As I worked, I thought about Sarah and her family. The closest thing Mama and I ever got to a girls’ day was spring cleaning. Having someone paint our nails would have seemed as strange as feeding chickens in the house. The truth be told, Daddy wouldn’t have put up with us spending money like that. I don’t think I ever saw Mama wearing nail polish. As hard as Daddy could be on me, he was ten times worse with Mama. I couldn’t even picture Mama and me having a little book club together. I was always sneaking a few minutes alone with a book, but I never saw Mama enjoying the luxury of a novel. I wondered if I had spent a little less time with my books maybe Daddy would have been a little easier on all of us.

When I finished, the Needles and Notions looked as pretty as a picture postcard. Lydie was so happy with my work that she had me set her chair out in front of her store. She started to settle in, but before Lydie’s bottom even touched the chair, she sprang back upright. She clutched my arm with one hand and shaded her eyes with the other. “Do my eyes deceive me or is that Miss Lily standing with Rosie?” she asked. “I can’t remember the last time I saw her in town. It definitely was before the tragedy. Poor Lily has endured too much pain for a woman her age.”

As Lydie settled back into her chair, I turned to look up the street. Rosie stood on the walk in front of the Second Hand Rose, waving at a dark car as it pulled away from the curb. Even from my distance, I could see the sadness in her face. I wondered who Lily was, and what kind of tragedy had caused such pain.

CHAPTER 12

The parade didn’t start until eleven, but Rosie wanted to beat the crowd so we could stake our claim on the walk in front of the Second Hand Rose. I carried the chairs out to the curb, parking the stroller between them. Rosie settled into her favorite chair and started slowly rocking the stroller back and forth. She had come to know Baby Girl’s love of motion.

“I’m going to see if Lydie needs some help with her chair,” I said.

“You go ahead, Becky,” Rosie answered. “Georgia and I will be right here, soaking in the excitement of the day.”

As I walked back to the Second Hand Rose after helping Lydie, I spotted Rosie coming out of the store. She was toting a bucketful of flags, but what was worrying me was what she wasn’t toting. I couldn’t see Baby Girl’s stroller through the people, so I sprinted the rest of the block.

“No need to run in this heat. I can carry this myself,” Rosie said.

I was looking at Baby Girl. She was curled up safe and sound in Dottie’s arms. Dottie was gazing down at her with such tenderness that it made me put all my bad feelings about the inquiring waitress aside.

“You didn’t think I left Georgia alone out here, did you?” Rosie asked. “I got to thinking that it wouldn’t be unpatriotic to do business on the Fourth if that business was selling flags. I waved Dottie on over and she sat here with Georgia while I got the flags out of the window.”

I took the bucket from Rosie and placed it by her chair. Before I could take Georgia from Dottie, I heard someone call my name. I looked up and saw Sarah approaching.

“Hi!” she said. “I was hoping I would find you here.” She waved a paperback book with its cover on in front of her. “Right after the parade, I have to go with my parents to my aunt’s house for a week. From there we are going to pick up my brother from camp and then we’re going on to Virginia Beach for vacation. I’ll be gone for four weeks, which required a stockpile of books. I started this one on my way home from the store and finished it before I could pack. I thought you might like to read it next.”

“Thanks,” I said as she handed me the book. It was hard to come up with social words when all I could think of was Dottie holding Baby Girl. I had such a need to hold that baby in my arms at that moment.

Rosie put her arm around my shoulders. “Becky, are you going to introduce us to your friend?”

My cheeks started to heat up. “Yes, I’m sorry. This is Sarah Hanson. Sarah, this is Rosie Perkins.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Perkins,” Sarah said.

“Call me Rosie; everyone does,” Rosie answered.

Sarah smiled and nodded.

I waved my arm toward Dottie. “This is Dottie, and you’ve already met Georgia.”

Dottie lifted her chin and said, “I’ve seen you around the diner.”

Sarah nodded again. “I have to go. My parents are all the way at the end of the street. I hope you enjoy the book. I also put an invitation in there. When I get back, I’m having a pool party. It won’t be over the top or anything, just a few friends. My dad will throw some dogs and burgers on the grill for us. We’ll swim, eat, talk, dance, and whatever. It might be the last chance for fun before school starts again. I hope you can come.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Thanks again for the book. I’ll take good care of it and get it back to you after I read it.”

As soon as Sarah walked away, I reached down to take Baby Girl from Dottie’s arms. “Thanks for your help,” I said, as I wrapped my arms around the baby.

“Any time,” Dottie answered. “She’s a little angel.”

Dottie went back across the street, and Rosie and I settled back into our chairs. The flags sold in the flick of a cat’s tail. “All gone,” Rosie said.

“Yup,” I responded.

“Becky, I would never put doing business before the needs of that little girl you’re holding. I knew she would be safe with Dottie.”

I reached over and took her hand. “I’m just being silly. I know you would never put her in harm’s way. Let’s just forget about it.”

“No. Worrying is what mamas do, and I gave you cause to worry, so I apologize.”

Before I could respond a band began to play. “Yankee Doodle” filled the air, and I covered Baby Girl’s ears to protect her from the booming drums. I felt a little homesick watching the band in their matching uniforms march by me. They reminded me of the band at my old school. And the majorettes that followed behind the band really tugged at my heart. I’d practiced twirling a broom handle behind the barn for weeks, getting ready to try out for the Tyson Twirlers. Mama and Daddy would have none of that foolishness, though, with so much work to be done at home on the farm. A flash of light in my eyes brought me back to the here and now. A man was walking along snapping pictures of the crowd and the parade. He looked like he was about to ask us something, until I glared at him real hard. He moved along and I returned my attention to the parade.

Veterans dressed in uniforms marched in straight lines, and a horse-drawn wagon was filled with children who were tossing candy out to the crowd. A whole pack of boys zipped down the middle of the street, riding Mr. Garcia’s decorated bikes. At the very end of the parade was Mr. Garcia himself. He was walking on stilts, dressed in stars and stripes, and wearing a white wig and beard. Every time Uncle Sam bent over to tip his hat at the crowd, he would sway back and forth on top of those sticks. I wondered if he would make it to the end of Main Street.

When the last note was played and the parade turned from a stream of people to a swirling pool, the crowd wandered off in search of their cars. Baby Girl had managed to doze off in my arms during the festivities. I was debating the merits of putting her back in her stroller when Rosie took charge of the situation.

“I’m going to put this pail back in the store, along with the flag money. When I come back out, we can bring these chairs across the street for the picnic. I can smell that pork barbeque already. It’s got my mouth watering.”

Rosie pushed the stroller while I lugged the two chairs. She had some difficulty deciding where the chairs should be set. “We want some shade,” she said. “But we want to be in the middle of things, too. No sense going to a party and not knowing who danced.”

It took about ten tries before Rosie settled on a spot. “I’m going to go down to see if Lydie needs some help again,” I said. But when I looked in the direction of Needles and Notions, I saw Mr. Garcia walking up the middle of the road wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and his stars and stripes top hat. He had Lydie on his left arm and her chair on his right arm.

The road in front of the Tick Tock filled with the people who spent their days on Main Street. Even Miss Willis, the librarian, was there. I didn’t recognize most of the folks, but Rosie knew each of them by name. Two men had brought guitars, and it didn’t take much convincing to get them to start strumming away.

A man cleared a space in the middle of things and started dancing to the guitar music. He spun and strutted as fast as a jackrabbit with a hound dog at his heels. When he wore himself out, he bowed to the crowd and made a sweeping motion with his arm. Folks took up the invitation and found a place on the dance floor. Pete Garcia stood in front of us. He tipped his hat toward Rosie. “Señora, if you please.”

I swear Rosie turned as red as the stripe on his hat, but she got up and took his arm. I stood on the side swaying to the music with Baby Girl. I had my eyes fixed on Rosie and Pete gliding and twirling their way through the crowd, so I didn’t notice when Dottie first joined me. “Are you having a good time?” she asked.

She startled me so that I lost my rhythm, which of course set Baby Girl off. “Now I’ve gone and upset the apple cart. I guess you two were having a better time before I came over.” Dottie ran her fingers through the swirl of red curls.

“We’re having a great time.” I kissed Baby Girl’s forehead and picked up the pace of my swaying. “Does your boss throw a party every year?”

Dottie laughed so hard, I thought she was going to pee in her pants. “First off, Ray isn’t my boss. He’s my husband, and if you take a look at him over by the grills you’ll see why I keep him tucked away in the kitchen. Secondly, this is the first shindig we’ve had in the seventeen years we’ve been here.”