Return of the Runaway Bride (8 page)

She placed the bowl of apple in front of Amanda.

Amanda's nose wrinkled as she gazed at the coarsely cut fruit. Savanna barely held her laughter in check when the little girl announced, "Mommy's apples look better."

Finally Amanda heaved a resigned sigh, picked up a hunk of apple and took a dainty bite. She chewed a moment and looked up at Savanna.

"Mommy's apples taste better too."

"Amanda Thompson!" Sheila pulled open the screen door and stepped into the kitchen. "I heard that. You'll hurt Miss Savanna's feelings."

"It's all right," Savanna assured her.

Amanda turned wide, innocent eyes toward her mother. "But, Mommy, your apples do taste better."

"That's enough young
lady
," Sheila cut in, lifting her "mother finger" and shaking it at her daughter. "Did you say thank-you?"

"
Fank
you," came Amanda's automatic response. She reached into the bowl and helped herself to another chunk of apple.

"I was going to call to let you know she was here," Savanna told Sheila, "but Amanda had me busy taking the 'red' off."

"Children."
Sheila rolled her eyes heavenward. "What can I say?"

"What I want to know is," Savanna said, "what do you do to an apple to make it taste better?"

Sheila chuckled. "Who knows? Sprinkle it with motherly love, maybe?"

Both women laughed.

"Listen," Sheila said, "I'm taking the kids to the park. The Ladies' Auxiliary is hosting a flea market to benefit the hospital. Jim's already there helping to set everything up. Want to come along?"

"I haven't been to a flea market in years. I'd love to go."

"Good!" Sheila pressed her hands together. "And after we spend our money buying some things we don't need, we'll take the kids to the playground and we'll have lunch. I'll pack a picnic basket."

"What can I bring?" Savanna asked.

"A few of those apples would be nice," Sheila said.

Amanda looked at the two women, a severe expression on her face and said, "Mommy
bwing
apples."

Savanna laughed openly. "I
know,
Mommy's apples taste better."

Sheila smoothed back Amanda's hair affectionately. "You little urchin," she said, and then she kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"The park is this way," Jimmy Thompson informed Savanna.

"Miss Savanna knows where the park is," Sheila told her son. "She grew up in Fulton."

"You did?" Jimmy asked.

"I sure did," Savanna said. She glanced back to check on Amanda who was sitting in the red wagon that Savanna was pulling behind her. "I climbed the trees, slid down the sliding boards, played on the teeter-totters..."

"The what?"
Jimmy interrupted.

"You
know,
the seesaws."

"They had seesaws way back in the olden days?"

Sheila laughed.
"Yes, son.
We did. Gee, the way you talk, you'd think Miss Savanna and I are old ladies."

"Oh, no, Mom, you're not old," he said gallantly.
"Yet."

"Intelligent young man you have there," Savanna said to Sheila in a lowered voice.

The Fulton Municipal Park brought back a whirlwind of happy memories for Savanna. She'd spent many a sunny afternoon in this wooded area with her mother.

"Hi,
Miz
Ida," Jimmy called out.

Miz
Ida patted the boy on the head. "Hi, Jimmy. How are you?"

"I'm real good."

"Sheila, Savanna," Ida greeted. Then she smiled down at Amanda. "And how's the day treating you, Miss Amanda?"

"Got any
wah
-wee-pops?"

Miz
Ida hooted with laughter. "You are so cute." Then she fished around in her pocket. "Let me see what I have for these children," she said. She pulled out two lollypops and handed them to Sheila.

"
Wah
-wee-pop!
Wah
-wee-pop!"
Amanda chanted.

"After lunch,"
Miz
Ida said. "If you eat all your lunch, then you can have a sweet." Then Ida turned her attention to Savanna. "I thought I might see you today, so I brought something just for you."

Handing Savanna a cinnamon jawbreaker, Ida warned, "But you must eat your lunch first."

"Yes, ma'am," Savanna dutifully replied and smiled her thanks. She tucked the candy away, looked at all the tables covered with secondhand goods for sale and then gazed at
Miz
Ida. "This is great. Did you have a hand in organizing this?"

Ida nodded. "Me and the other Ladies of the Auxiliary felt we had to do something. I hate the thought of losing our hospital."

"Things are that bad?" Savanna was shocked.

"My Jim certainly thinks so," Sheila said quietly.

"Folks are traveling to the bigger hospitals in Richmond," Ida said. "They just don't realize the jobs they're putting in jeopardy every time they spend
money at another hospital to have a test, or have surgery.”

"I've heard people from Fulton complain that our little hospital doesn't have the same modern equipment as the newer hospitals in Richmond." Sheila's face took on a thoroughly disgusted look. "Can't people figure out that if they don't spend their money here, Fulton General can't afford to buy new equipment? Or pay for more doctors? More nurses?"

"This measly little effort won't bring in much money,"
Miz
Ida commented.

"But it'll shed a little light on the problem. At least the Ladies are doing something," Sheila complimented Ida.
"As opposed to sitting on their backsides doing nothing."

Savanna scanned the tables of used clothing, books, puzzles, lamps and a thousand other household articles instantly positive that the items wouldn't convert into the kind of cash the hospital must need, not if the institution was on the verge of closing.

What Fulton General Hospital needed was a fund-raising idea that would earn a huge amount of money.
A fund-raising idea that a professional such as herself might be able to organize.

"You know," she said to the two women, "I just might be able to help. I wouldn't mind giving you a few ideas. I do this kind of thing all the time."

“Why, of course you could!''
Miz
Ida was quick to grasp the offer. "You come to Tuesday night's meeting at the hospital."

"Meeting?"
Savanna's brows lifted in question.

Sheila nodded. "The hospital board meets every Tuesday evening. The main topic lately has been our pitiful lack of funds."

"You're on the board,
Miz
Ida?" Savanna asked.

"Have been for some time now," she said. Lowering her voice conspiratorially, Ida added, "Between
seeing customers at the store, my
doin's
with the Ladies and my time spent tending to hospital affairs, I have no trouble keeping up on the whole town's comings and goings."

Savanna had to laugh.
Miz
Ida hadn't changed a bit.

"Speaking of the store, I need to run,"
Miz
Ida said. "Got to keep those young
fellas
I hired on their toes."

"I was going to invite you to share our picnic." Sheila's disappointment was genuine.

"Thank you kindly. But I only stopped by long enough to see that there were plenty of tables. Your wonderful husband had them set up before I arrived." She chuckled to herself and leaned toward them, whispering, "I also came to make sure that Loraine wasn't in charge of the money. That woman is lovable, but—" she tapped her temple with her index finger "—the gray matter's fading, if you know what I mean."

Sheila did her best to ignore this all-too-true statement concerning the aging town librarian and asked, "By the way, where is Jim?"

"Last I saw of him,"
Miz
Ida said, "he was over by the bake table."

Groaning, Sheila searched the crowd for her husband. "He's going to go off his diet. I should have come earlier with his lunch."

"Well, you all have a nice day. I'm off." Ida waved to the little ones before traipsing off toward the parking lot.

Sheila looked at Savanna. "Let's go find Jim," she said. She picked up the lunch basket and called to her son to follow. "Do you really think you could do something to help us keep the hospital going?" Sheila asked Savanna.

Savanna checked to see if Amanda was sitting before she tugged on the wagon. "I think so. What we need is something big, something really grand."

"Savanna."
Sheila smiled fondly. "You said
we
."

Hitching one shoulder, Savanna said, "Well, I was born in Fulton General. Had my tonsils taken out
there.
A doctor in the emergency room put three stitches in my chin when I fell in the school yard." Savanna pushed her bangs back from her forehead. "That hospital employs a lot of people. I'd hate to see them out of work. Fulton General did a lot for the community when I was growing up. I'm sure it still has a lot to offer. And just because I moved away, doesn't mean I don't care."

"Okay, okay." Sheila laughed. "There's no need to become defensive. I wasn't giving you a hard time. I was grateful that you included yourself with the rest of us who want to do something."

"I do want to help." Savanna's voice sounded far off to her own ears, so preoccupied was she with all the possibilities that floated in her head. If she did this job right, she could really help this small community. She'd feel terrific if she could give something back to Fulton, the town that had given her such wonderful childhood memories.

Let's see, she thought, a carnival might work. With clowns and games and
kiddie
rides.
Or a…

"Savanna?"

Sheila's sharp jab in the ribs brought Savanna to instant attention.

"Hmm…" The sound snagged in Savanna's throat when she looked up and saw Daniel standing in front of her. She stopped short and little Amanda nearly tumbled out of the wagon.

While Sheila shushed her affronted daughter, Savanna was left pinned by Daniel's dark gaze.

"Hello, Savanna."

Why did the sound of his voice do such crazy things to her insides?

"Hi," she said.

Jim Thompson called out a greeting to his family as he joined the small group. Savanna turned and saw the man ruffling his son's hair. He nodded a shy greeting at Savanna.

"Nice to see you again, Savanna," he said. "Sheila told me you were back in town."

"It's nice to be back."

He shook Daniel's hand. "Thanks for helping with the tables."

"No problem," Daniel told him.

Jim offered his wife a gentle smile. "You brought lunch. That's good because I'm starved." He directed his gaze at Daniel. "You worked hard this morning.
How about a sandwich?"