Whisper's Edge (27 page)

“Well, that sure is a plus.” Savannah’s brain started buzzing with additional ideas. “Maybe we could offer some craft classes of our own? You know, for other seniors living in Cricket Creek.”

“A good idea, but Savannah you’re overworked as it is.” She shrugged. “We’ll see.”

“I’ll keep my thinking cap on.” Savannah smiled. “Well, I say that we should head up to Violet’s later on and spend some of our raise money on something fun. I want a cute cowgirl outfit for the…”

“Hoedown?” Kate finally grinned if only slightly. “We could call it a barn dance if you like, but if you ask me I like hoedown.”

“Then Whisper’s Edge is about to have our first ever hoedown! We could have a horseshoe tournament before the dinner and call it the Hoedown Throw Down.”

This drew a small chuckle from Kate. “I like it. Call Jeff and book him for next Thursday.”

“So, do you want to go shopping later?” Savannah persisted.

Kate’s smile vanished. “I’m not feeling all that well, Savannah, and I’m not sure I’d make for good company. In fact, I believe I’m going to call it an early day and head home for a nap.”

Savannah felt a flash of alarm. Kate never went home early.

“Oh, sugar, don’t look so stricken. I haven’t been sleeping well and I just need some time to myself to regroup. Hey, why don’t we close the office and you can head on up to Violet’s to shop. Take a well-deserved half day off. Okay?”

No, it wasn’t okay, but Savannah nodded. “All right, but if you change your mind and want to join me, let me know.”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“Oh, shush. I’ll survive. I always do.”

Savannah nodded but then said, “You know, Kate, I truly don’t think that falling in love has any age boundaries. We see evidence of that every day right here in Whisper’s Edge. In other words, it’s never too late.”

“I know that,” Kate admitted. “And I hate that Ben’s wounds are a lot fresher than mine and he’s the one willing to take a leap of faith and not me.”

“But why aren’t you willing?” Savannah asked gently.

Kate’s shoulders rose and then fell as she sighed. Finally, she said, “I guess I had resigned myself to the fact that, I don’t know, that my life was going to remain pretty much the same.”

“But change can be a good thing.”

“Yeah, and scary as hell.”

“Maybe we both need to quit running scared and put our big-girl panties on.”

“No fair quoting me,” Kate grumbled. But when she tried to make a face at Savanna she failed.

“Talk to Ben, Kate. You owe him that much, at least,” Savannah gently urged. She was fond of Ben and hated to think of him hurting.

Kate closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I hate that I’m acting this way,” she admitted in a shaky voice. “I’m just one big ole hot mess.”

“That’s where the big-girl panties come into play,” Savannah reminded her.

“Okay, but if I put on my big-girl panties, you have to do the same. Deal?”

Savannah scooted from behind her desk, walked over and extended her hand toward Kate. “Deal.”

Kate came around from behind her desk and shook
Savannah’s hand, but then drew her close for a hug. “Ah, sugar, what would I do without you?” Because Savannah had spent her childhood feeling in the way and unloved, Kate’s words felt like a validation of worth. “Feeling needed and wanted is something I’ve never had, and I feel it every day here at Whisper’s Edge.”

“Because you
are
, Savannah.”

Savannah put her hands on Kate’s shoulders. “Call me later, okay?”

Kate nodded. “I will. Now scoot on out of here and buy yourself something pretty.”

“Okay. But try to get some rest. You look tired.”

“I will. Now run along.” Kate made shooing motions toward the door.

After giving Kate one last worried glance over her shoulder, Savannah left the office. She would have liked to have walked and enjoyed the pleasant weather but didn’t want to have to lug packages home and so she opted to drive up into town. She smiled as she drove past the Cougars stadium. Flags were up, indicating a home game. Cricket Creek continued to build on the success of the baseball complex, and she knew that more development was yet to come. But as Savannah turned down Main Street she was glad that the renovations hadn’t changed the charm of the small town. In fact, City Hall kept a careful eye on the historic buildings, and even the new strip mall had the appearance of old-fashioned brownstones. As luck would have it she found a parking spot on the street right in front of Violet’s Vintage Clothing.

After getting out of her car she looked down the street, thinking that she’d like to pop into the used bookstore and browse and then perhaps pick up some baked goods at Grammar’s. She paused at the sale rack that Violet always had outside in the nice weather. Fifty percent off would always entice Savannah to pause. When she didn’t find anything that caught her eye she tugged the front door open.

“Well, hello there, stranger!” Violet shouted when Savannah entered the shop. Spry as ever, she came from around the counter and gave Savannah a quick hug. “Looking for anything in particular on this fine day?”

“Mmm, well, we’re going to have a good old-fashioned country music hoedown at Whisper’s Edge in a couple of weeks. If you have any cute cowgirl-looking stuff, that would be great. Boots would be even better.”

Violet waved a hand. “Oh, what fun! I’ll look around for you. And I’ve got some pretty jewel-toned blouses over on the sale rack. Perfect for your gorgeous auburn hair.” She pointed to an artful display of shoes. “And just so you know those shoes were all donated for Mia Monroe’s Heels for Meals charity. All of the proceeds will go directly to needy families right here in Cricket Creek.”

“Oh, what a great idea!” Savannah knew all too well the importance of charity for those in need and she was so glad that she wasn’t the only one in Cricket Creek who enjoyed giving back.

Violet nodded her white head. “I’m on the committee and I’m happy to say that we’ve already done a lot of good in the community. I sure hate to think of anyone, especially a child, going hungry.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Savannah said. “If you have a flier or anything like that, I’ll be glad to post it on the bulletin board in the community center at Whisper’s Edge.”

“Well, now,” Violet said, smiling, “it just so happens that I do! Remind me to give you a few as you leave.” She tapped her red, glossy-tipped fingernail against her cheek. “I don’t believe I have any boots right this minute but I’ll call you first thing if I get any.”

“Oh, thanks, Violet. I’m a size eight.”

“I’ll make a note of it. Now, you browse while I look around for some cowgirl attire. Maybe a denim skirt and tank beneath a Western-cut blouse? Oh, and I bet you can pick up a cowboy hat pretty cheap over at Wilson’s. They carry a bit of everything there.” She rubbed her hands
together and grinned. “You’ll make such a cute little ole cowgirl, Savannah.”

Savannah laughed. “Why, thank you.”

“The dance seems like such a fun time! I wish I could go. There are not many activities for seniors around these parts.”

“Well, Kate and I have actually been talking about expanding some of our activities at Whisper’s Edge to include Cricket Creek seniors. So, do you think that having craft classes, dances, and, you know, things like that, would go over?”

Violet nodded firmly. “Oh, without a doubt! In fact, I would have moved there a while ago but y’all didn’t have anything available for sale. I know Whisper’s Edge needs a little updating but the river setting is so pretty and within walking distance of everything up here in town. If you’d add some new homes they’d be snatched up in nothing flat.” Violet snapped her finger.

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“That’s good to know.” Savannah felt a surge of excitement. Did Tristan realize this? Savannah knew that there was occasional interest from local seniors but not how much. With a happy heart Savannah walked over to the shoe display and picked up a pair of cream-colored wedge-heeled espadrille sandals edged in black. They were surprisingly comfortable and made her feel tall…well, taller, anyway.

“Oh, I have the perfect dress to go with those shoes!” Violet hurried over to a rack of dresses with a sign that read:
JUST IN
. She held it up. “What do you think?” Violet was so excited that she could barely stand still.

Savannah walked over and looked at the crisscross halter-topped dress in soft cream eyelet lace. Her heart pounded a little bit harder. “Oh…do you think I could pull something like this off?”

Violet frowned. “Child, whatever do you mean?”

“My shoulders and, lordy, Violet, half of my back would be…
exposed
.” Her other dresses were much more conservative.

“Savannah, this style is classic and feminine. The flared flirty skirt is so flattering. I think it will be a perfect fit too.” She skimmed her hand down the dress. “You could wear this out on a date or dress it down for a picnic. Wear a floppy straw hat!”

Savannah pressed her lips together and hesitated. “But I’m, you know…a bit top heavy.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Well, and bottom heavy too.”

Violet shook her white head so hard that her curls bounced. “Girl, show off what God gave ya. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of cleavage or some junk in the trunk. Look, there’s even a built-in bra so you don’t have to bother with one of those strapless things that can slide down and be so annoying.” She thrust the garment at her. “Do me a favor and try it on, okay, sweetie?”

“Okay…”

“Goody!” Violet ignored Savannah’s hesitation with a wave of her hand. “In the meantime, I’ll look for some cowgirl attire and anything else that I think would flatter your hourglass figure. Who wants to be built like an ole stick anyway? Back in my heyday women were proud of their curves. Marilyn Monroe is a prime example. ‘Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world…’ and that’s a direct quote. Marilyn was a lot smarter than she ever got credit for.” Violet tapped her head.

Savannah smiled with more conviction than she felt and headed to the dressing room. Developing ample curves at an early age had been uncomfortable for her and she’d always tried to play them down. Being ogled by strangers or, worse, by people you lived with always made her blush hotly and run for cover. She’d dressed in big sweatshirts whenever possible, so showing her body off never really occurred to Savannah.

Savannah slipped into the dress and looked at her reflection in the mirror. “Oh my.” She put a hand to her throat.
The crisscross neckline exposed her collarbone and the soft slope of her shoulders. While the cut was lower than she’d ever worn, it wasn’t too sexy.…
Was it?
Violet said it was classic. She sucked in her bottom lip and turned to the side. Oh, and Violet was right. The nip of the waistline and flare of the skirt was a style that was tailor made for Savannah’s body. After putting on the shoes, her legs appeared long! Well almost, but it was as good as it was going to get.

“May I look?” Violet asked.

“Sure.” Savannah pushed back the dressing room curtain and shyly looked at her for approval.

“Oh…sweetie.” She put down the armful of clothes draped over her arm on a nearby chair and sucked in a breath. “I declare!”

“That’s good, right?” Savannah might have lived in Cricket Creek for a long time but the Southern way of speaking still gave her pause once in a while.

“Oh, you are stunning! The dress is per-
fect
. You need ten of them in all different colors!” She reached up and twisted Savannah’s curls up into a French knot. “If you pull your hair up like this the delicate curve of your neck will make the dress look even more graceful and feminine. Just let a few tendrils trail down. My…
my,
you pull off both classy and sexy at the same time. You’d throw any man for a loop dressed like this.”

“You think so?” Savannah immediately wondered what Tristan would think. “Really?”

“No doubt in my mind. Girlie, I’m not trying to sell you a bill of goods. I mean it.”

Savannah chuckled. “I came in for cowgirl stuff, remember?”

Violet’s eyebrows shot up. “Put on a pair of cute boots and you could pull that off with this outfit too. Hey, this dress might be a resale but it was made for you.” Violet pointed at Savannah. “You must have it. I’ll even mark it down twenty percent for you—that’s how strongly I feel about it.”

“Oh…I don’t know.” Savannah caught her bottom lip between her teeth. This was a bit of a splurge, but then again her thirtieth birthday was coming up. Maybe she needed to treat herself to a little early present.

“Say
yes
to the dress!” Violet said with a laugh.

“Yes!” Savannah raised her fist in the air and laughed with Violet. By the time she left the store, in addition to the cream-colored sundress and sandals, she had two pretty sleeveless blouses, a flared denim skirt, and a Western-cut shirt in teal plaid that she thought was a little bit too snug but Violet thought fit perfectly.

“I’ll keep an eye out for the boots,” Violet promised and then gave Savannah a hug.

“Thanks, Violet. Hey, why don’t you come to the Hoedown Throw Down as my guest?”

Violet sucked in a breath. “You mean it?”

“Sure, we have it planned for next Thursday.”

“Why, thank you.” Violet wiggled her eyebrows. “Are any eligible bachelors going to be there?” she asked in a low, excited tone.

Savannah laughed. “Why, yes, I’m sure there will be. Most of the events are attended by the entire community. Just watch out for the Camden brothers. They’re players.”

“I can be quite a flirt myself,” Violet told her. She formed her very red lips into a pout.

“I don’t doubt it for a minute.” Savannah grinned as she hefted the bag of clothes from the counter and then picked up the dress that Violet had sheathed in plastic. “Talk to you soon.”

After putting the packages in her car she decided to come back another day to shop for books. She did glance longingly over at Grammar’s Bakery but at this time of the day Mabel probably wouldn’t have much left on the shelves anyway.