Small Town Girl (24 page)

Kelly and Brian turned into Lauren’s driveway at about two in the afternoon. The sky was bright blue, and there was the first invigorating little nip of fall in the air. Lauren ran out and embraced them both. Her emotions at seeing her friends surprised her as her eyes welled with tears.

“I’m so happy to see you!” she admitted. “I’ve been so busy, I guess I really didn’t realize how lonely I’d been. Come on in. I’ll show you my plans for the house, and you can take your things up to your room.”

Kelly looked around. “It is lovely, Lauren,” she said honestly, dropping her usual sarcastic edge. “I’m surprised you haven’t sold it yet.”

“I’m expecting an offer from a couple next week,” she responded. “I didn’t really like them, though. They kept talking about taking out walls.”

“What a classic old porch!” said Brian, going up the steps. “Where’s the lemonade?”

Lauren laughed. “I’ve got some in the refrigerator!” she answered, opening the screen door and ushering them into the house.

Kelly stood in the center hall and looked around. “It’s much bigger than I thought.”

“Four bedrooms,” said Lauren.

“Hmm, plenty big for a family.”

“Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Lauren toured them around the house, explaining her plans for the renovation. The kitchen was the last stop. Kelly absently picked up one of the magazines while still taking in the room. “This is really beautiful, Lauren,” she said. “You’ve done a wonderful job. You’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

“I am,” admitted Lauren. “I almost don’t want to sell it before I complete it. I want to see all my plans come to fruition.”

“Don’t we all,” muttered Kelly.

“I know I’ve got to get back to the city,” Lauren said with a sigh. “I’ve sent out a few resumes. Haven’t heard back yet, though.”

“It’s a hard time to be trying to find a job,” Brian said, “but with your qualifications, you should be able to find something before too long.”

Kelly looked at Lauren. “You haven’t seen Caleb, have you?”

Lauren gave a brave little smile. “No, Kelly. I’m afraid your Lauren-and-Caleb reunion plan is not going to happen. It’s okay, though. I’m doing okay. I really am. I know I’ll get a job offer soon, and then it’s back to the city. Hopefully I can sell the house before that.”

“I don’t have any Lauren-and-Caleb reunion plan!” Kelly snorted indignantly.

Brian gave a little cough and changed the subject. “Let’s go to the fair!” he said in a rousing voice. “I haven’t been to any kind of fair since I was about twelve years old.”

They piled into Brian’s car and set off down the road.

The fair grounds were on a flat hilltop conveniently located where the three southern most counties in the state bordered one another. It was a traditional fair grounds, with a race track that was adaptable to either horses or cars, a grandstand, long rows of red painted livestock barns, a covered events building, a livestock show ring, and an exhibition barn. There was also a two-story round house where all the domestic competitions like cooking, gardening, preserving, quilting, sewing, and other handcrafting took place. The midway with its food vendors, games, and rides took up the wide center portion of the grounds.

Brian followed the directions of a scrawny, flag-waving little man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and parked the car.

“Where shall we start?” asked Kelly as she got out of the car.

“Let’s get something to eat,” said Brian eagerly. “I never get a chance to eat real fair food.”

“That’s probably a good thing,” remarked Lauren, starting toward the midway. The three of them stopped at the American Legion tent, which looked relatively clean and smelled delicious. Brian ordered a huge sausage in a bun smothered in chili and sauerkraut. He proceeded to dump mustard on top of that, ordered a beer, and took a seat at one of the old picnic tables which sat under a forest of large sun umbrellas. He began to eat without waiting for Lauren and Kelly.

“Well, there’s a gentleman for you!” Kelly scolded. She ordered her beer along with a large hotdog and some fried dough.

Lauren stepped up to the Plexiglas window and said to the little gray-haired woman behind the food counter, “I’ll have a beer, please, and a small sausage grinder with onions and peppers.”

“Coming right up,” the older woman replied. Then she peered at Lauren from over the top of her glasses. “Are you that girl who’s moved into Kate Hamilton’s house?”

“Why, yes. Actually, I’m her granddaughter, and I’m getting it ready to sell.”

“Well, welcome to town, honey. My son’s one of the painters who’s been working on your house. Michael Thurston.”

“Oh, ah, yes,” said Lauren. The truth was she didn’t know any of them by name. “Thank you.” She took her food and joined her friends at the table.

“Looks like everybody knows you already. And your business.” Kelly laughed as she bit into her hotdog.

“That’s a small town for you,” said Lauren.

After they ate, they meandered along the midway. Brian took a couple of shots at a game but won nothing. They visited the poultry barn and the rabbits, went to see part of the horse show, and walked through the livestock barns where they saw children dressed in white shirts and jeans brushing and washing placid cows, pigs, goats, and sheep, getting ready for their various competitions.

“Well,” said Brian, “how about your flowers? Where are they? When can we find out whether you’ve won or not?”

“I think they’re in the round house,” said Lauren. “Joan, my real estate agent, entered them for me. Let’s go see what the judges thought.”

They walked into the round house. There were exhibits of prize winning pies, cookies, and cakes as well as competitions for various vegetables. Preserves were next. The judges were sampling jars of blueberries when Lauren passed them. At last they came to the flowers. There were many different varieties, but Lauren managed to pick out her dark red daylilies at the back of the display. Lying on the counter top next to the vase was a blue ribbon. First place.

“Oh my! Look! Look, Kelly,” she squealed happily. “I won! I actually won a ribbon at the county fair!”

“Ha! That’s incredible!” laughed Kelly. “What a hoot! A blue ribbon!”

Lauren felt strangely happy as she picked up the blue ribbon and turned it in her hand. Why should it make her so pleased with herself, she wondered? Why should she care about an award from a county fair in rural New England? It was satisfying, however, and she looked over the array of other prize winners. Men and women had made these things, grown these things, and taken pride in their success. There had been a time when lives depended on one’s ability to grow things, make things, preserve things, and this was a tribute to those times.

The three wandered out of the round house and looped around through the exhibit barn. There were a lot of information booths from the surrounding towns. The regional hospital had a booth; the animal shelters, farm equipment dealers, and car salesmen also had displays. There were some maverick salesmen selling food processors, vacuum cleaners, and other small household appliances. Lauren exited at the far end of the building and realized her hand was full of brochures. Kelly’s was as well.

“And what are we supposed to do with these?” Kelly asked, holding them up.

“Make paper airplanes, I guess.” Lauren laughed and turned to continue their tour. It was then that they saw the fire trucks.

“Oh, look!” breathed Brian excitedly. “I love fire trucks! I wanted to be a fireman when I grew up. Let’s go look at them!”

“I’m sure there’s still time,” muttered Kelly.

About six trucks were parked in a line, each from a different town. A couple of them were antiques. They were all cherry red and so shiny it was hard to look at them in the sunlight. Three firefighters tended each truck, helping droves of little children climb aboard, sit in the cabs, and get their pictures taken. One 1930s hook and ladder antique was employed giving rides around the fair grounds.

Kelly gave Brian a good natured push forward. “Hey, get right in line. Maybe they’ll let you take a ride with the rest of the kids!”

Lauren started to laugh, and that was when she saw him. His back was to her, but she knew it was Caleb. He was dressed in uniform blue slacks, black firefighter boots and a blue t-shirt with “FIRE DEPARTMENT” written across the back. Her stomach leaped. He turned toward her and bent to scoop up a little girl with curly blond hair in a yellow striped pinafore dress who looked to be about three years old. He held her in one arm, smiling down at the cluster of children clamoring at his knees. How was it that his clothes always seemed to fit him to perfection? No matter what he wore, that body underneath, with all its power and grace, was agonizingly evident. Lauren tried to turn away, but it was too late. He saw her.

Lauren was powerless, held by the tether of her emotion. Their eyes locked.

Lauren heard Kelly whisper, “Oh, no.”

Still holding the little girl, Caleb waded through the sea of four-and five-year-olds to her.

“Lauren, it’s nice to see you,” he said congenially. He smiled his bright friendly smile. “Hi, Kelly. Nice to see you again, too.” He held his hand out to Brian. “Caleb Cochran,” he said.

Brian shook his hand. “Brian O’Hara,” he said and then added pointedly, “I’m with Kelly.”

Lauren found her voice. “Hi, Caleb,” she said bravely. “Looks like you’re busy today!”

He laughed. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “We do this every year.” The little girl sat easily in the curve of his strong arm and stared at Lauren critically. She was obviously not happy with this interruption of her plans to ride the fire engine. Caleb said, “I heard you were at the house, fixing it up. Just call the shop if you need any plumbing done. I’ll send somebody up.”

“Put me on the truck!” demanded the little girl suddenly. She grasped his chin with her tiny hands and turned his face to hers.

Caleb laughed. “Okay, pumpkin.” Before turning back toward the fire truck, he looked at the trio and said, “Hey, why don’t you guys stay for the fireworks? The fire departments put them on. They start about eight. We’ll start setting them up as soon as we finish here. They’re pretty cool.”

“Oh, we’d love to,” said Kelly urgently. “Wouldn’t we, Lauren?”

“Yes, I would like to see them,” Lauren heard herself say. “We’ll do that.”

“You’ll enjoy it. Try to get a seat on that grassy bank over there,” Caleb said. “Well, nice to see you. Good luck with your house.” He turned his attention back to the child and walked away from them, the swarm of children bobbing after him like a school of little fish.

Kelly said, “What is it about a man with a baby that’s so damn sexy!” Lauren was silent, still watching as he lifted the little girl up into the cab of the fire truck and climbed in after her. “Lauren, are you okay?”

Lauren nodded. “I don’t think I want to stay for the fireworks.”

Kelly was all over her. “Why ever not? He
asked
you to. He probably wants to see you afterward.”

Lauren shook her head. “I doubt it. He spoke to me so impersonally. He might as well have been talking to his next-door neighbor, or — or his sister.”

“Well, that’s because we were with you,” offered Brian, trying to be helpful. “A man doesn’t just put his feelings out there for everybody to see. Besides, he was busy with the kids.”

“Come on, Lauren, let’s stay. You owe it to yourself. You know you’re still in love with him.”

Lauren sighed as they drifted back toward the food tent. “He said he knew I was in town,” she said. “He knew, and he didn’t call or stop by or anything.”

“He thinks you’re still marrying Charles,” Kelly pointed out. “And he’s trying to be a gentleman about it. You’re lucky he even spoke to you.”

“I think he spoke to me because he doesn’t care anymore. He’s over it. If he felt it to begin with. I think he just wanted to fool around.” She felt as though all she wanted to do was go home, climb into bed, and sob.

Brian put a brotherly arm around her. “It’s almost seven o’clock,” he said. “You need a beer. Let’s get some beers and something to eat, we’ll watch the fireworks, and go back to the house. Come on. You’re with us. We’ve got your back.”

“That’s right,” persisted Kelly. “We’re here to have fun. And we’re your guests. This fair thing was your idea, after all.
And
you won a prize. Don’t forget that!”