A Wrinkle in Thyme

by Sarah Fox

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  On Thursday, more than one customer showed up at The Flip Side in a cowboy hat. A couple of people even had boots to match. Ed and Gary outdid everyone, however. They both showed up for breakfast, fully decked out as wild west sheriffs. They wore gambler hats and rifle frock coats, which they removed before sitting down, but not before posing for photos with several other customers. Beneath their coats, they wore silk puff ties tucked into Galloway vests, dark trousers, and boots. The final touches were the pocket watches, leather holsters—with replica pistols—and the shiny sheriff’s badges affixed to their vests.

  Everyone was impressed that they’d gone to such lengths to look the part for the role they’d be sharing over the next few days. Leigh and I made sure to get our photos taken with them, but I hoped to get another later on, with the wild west town as a backdrop.

  I was as excited as everyone else for the event to get underway. It didn’t officially start until five o’clock, so I was able to finish up my workday without rushing. I enjoyed the stroll home along the beach, where children and dogs splashed in the shallows, apparently unfazed by the chilly water. I’d dipped my toes in the ocean the other day and had hopped back out immediately. It would be another couple of weeks before I’d dare to go for a swim.

  While walking home, I texted Lisa, asking if she was planning to go to Wild West Days that evening. I didn’t have to wait long for a reply. She said she and Ivan were hoping to check out the event, but it would depend on what time she finished work.

  Her next message really grabbed my attention.

  We need to talk ASAP!

  What’s wrong? I wrote back, wondering if I should be worried.

  Nothing’s wrong. It’s something good. I’ll tell you later!

  I typed out another message.

  Leaving me in suspense?!? No fair!

  She sent back a winking emoji.

  I responded with an emoji with its tongue sticking out, but then said I’d keep an eye out for her and Ivan. After that, I tucked my phone in my pocket and enjoyed the rest of my stroll, all the while trying to guess what Lisa wanted to talk about.

  As soon as I’d arrived home and had given Flapjack a cuddle, I took Bentley down to the water so he could bound about and burn off some energy. By the time we returned to the house, Brett had arrived home from work. I hosed off Bentley’s sandy paws while Brett took a quick shower. After that, the two of us walked over to Wildwood Park.

  It looked like half the town had arrived before us. People young and old milled about in the park, taking photos and chatting with friends. Shortly after Brett and I reached the park, the mayor gave a short speech and declared the first-ever Wild West Days underway.

  Brett and I strolled along the wild west street he helped build, walking hand-in-hand as we admired the finished project. Everything looked great, and the volunteers who’d dressed up in period costume to take on the role of colorful characters helped to bring the place to life.

  Gary was playing the sheriff at the moment, and I got my photo with him in front of the old west jail before he had to get ready for the stagecoach robbery re-enactment, which would be repeated several times over the weekend. Brett and I cheered for Gary when he arrested the scoundrels and hauled them off to jail.

  By the time the show was over, there was already a long line for the mechanical bull riding.

  “Do you want to give it a try?” I asked Brett, secretly hoping he’d say no. I was getting hungry, and I figured the wait would be at least half an hour.

  “I’d rather eat,” he said, to my relief. “You?”

  “Food is my choice too.”

  We were about to make our way over to the food trucks lining the northern side of the park when I spotted Tommy coming our way on his crutches. Keegan was there as well, but he stopped to talk to someone else as Tommy headed over to meet Brett and me.

  “It’s great to see you out and about,” I said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Pretty good.” He grinned. “And I haven’t scared any young children yet, so I’ll call that a win.”

  “The bruises are hardly noticeable now,” I said, glad to see that they’d almost faded, along with the abrasions on his face.

  “How are the ribs?” Brett asked.

  “Okay, as long as I don’t try to do too much.” Tommy winced as a young woman was flung from the mechanical bull into the inflatable ring that surrounded it. “I’m thinking I’ll have to give the bull riding a pass.”

  “Probably a good idea,” Brett said.

  “Have you heard anything new about the hit-and-run investigation?” I asked Tommy.

  “No.” Some of the cheerfulness faded from his face. “I’ve kind of lost hope that the driver will be found. I guess there wasn’t enough to go on.”

  “Don’t give up on Ray yet,” Brett said. “I know for sure he won’t quit looking.”

  Tommy’s mood brightened again. “You’re right. He called me yesterday to assure me that he’s still on the case, and I appreciate that.”

  Keegan came over to join us then. We chatted for a few more minutes and then parted ways with them and resumed our trek over to the food trucks. We decided to order from the grilled cheese truck, which had specialty melts on the menu, along with fries, salads, and milkshakes. The delicious smells wafting from the truck made my stomach rumble and my mouth water.

  While Brett and I waited in line behind three other people, Sienna waved at me, catching my eye. She was in line at a funnel cake truck with her friend Ellie, whom I’d first met the previous spring when she took part in an amateur chef competition.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” I told Brett, leaving him to stay in line while I darted around a few people to get to Sienna.

  She and Ellie had already paid for their orders, and the food truck owner handed them each a funnel cake, Sienna’s drizzled with chocolate and Ellie’s with strawberry sauce.

  “How are you enjoying the event so far?” I asked the girls once we’d moved into the shade cast by a maple tree.

  “It’s really cool,” Ellie said.

  “And the food’s delicious.” Sienna took a bite of her funnel cake. “We’re going to check out the stagecoach robbery later, but then we’re heading down to the beach to meet up with some friends.”

  “I’d better tell my mom about that,” Ellie said. “I’ll be right back.”

  She set off towards another maple tree where her mother was chatting with two other women.

  Sienna was about to say something, but she hesitated and apparently thought better of it, taking another bite of her funnel cake instead. I took her arm and gently tugged her farther away from the people lined up at the nearest food truck.

  “Okay, spill,” I said once we had more privacy.

  Her eyes widened. “Spill what?”

  “Whatever it is you’ve been wanting to say to me for the past couple of weeks. I know there’s something. Can’t you just tell me?”

  Sienna stared down at her funnel cake but didn’t take another bite. “I’m nervous.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Are you wanting to leave The Flip Side before August?”

  “No!” Her gaze shot up to meet mine. “Is that what you thought?”

  “I wondered.”

  She sighed. “I wouldn’t leave The Flip Side at all if I didn’t have to.”

  “I thought you might need some time to get ready to head off to college.”

  “I don’t need to stop working to do that.” She hesitated. “Unless you want me to?”

  “No way,” I said quickly. “I’m going to miss you like crazy when you go.”

  She smiled briefly. “Same.”

  “So why are you nervous?” I asked, getting back on track.

  She dropped her gaze to her food again. “I don’t want you to think I’
m stupid.”

  “Sienna, I would never think that,” I assured her with complete sincerity. “You can tell me anything, and I promise I won’t judge you. No matter what.”

  She bit down on her lower lip and glanced around as if making sure no one else could hear us. I wondered if I should be worried about what she was about to say.

  “Okay,” she said to start. “You love mysteries, right?”

  “Understatement of the century.”

  She smiled at that. “And you like reading mysteries, right?”

  “Of course. More than any other genre.” I had no idea where she was going with this.

  “Well…” She drew in a deep breath and then blurted out, “I wrote a mystery novel and was wondering if you’d read it and tell me what you think.”

  Her words came out so fast that it took a moment for my brain to register them. As soon as their meaning sank in, my face broke into a smile.

  “Sienna, that’s fantastic! I didn’t know you were writing a book!”

  “I didn’t want anyone to know,” she whispered. “My mom knows, and I told Tommy recently, but they’re both sworn to secrecy.”

  “But that’s such a great accomplishment,” I said. “Why wouldn’t you want anyone to know? And why were you nervous about asking me to read it? I’m thrilled that you want me to.”

  Cautious hope showed in her brown eyes. “Really?”

  “Of course.”

  She kept her voice low. “I wanted it to be a secret because I didn’t know how it would turn out. If no one knows about it, then I don’t have to be embarrassed if it’s total garbage.”

  “I can guarantee you right now that it’s not total garbage,” I said. “But I can also understand why you don’t want to announce it to the world. Yet, anyway. No matter what anyone else might think, though, the fact that you wrote a book from start to finish is really amazing.”

  She smiled, and I thought I detected a slight shimmer of tears in her eyes. “Thanks, Marley. I had so much fun writing it, and…” She lowered her voice to a whisper again. “I’ve decided that I really want to become a published author.”

  I gave her a hug, being careful not to cause her funnel cake to tumble to the ground. “I think that’s awesome. And I’m really honored that you want my feedback.”

  “Even though I’m nervous, I’m excited to know what you think since you’re a mystery expert and all.”

  “I don’t know about being an expert,” I said, “but I do love mysteries, and I’ll help you out any way I can.”

  Her smile grew brighter. “Thank you. But you’ll be honest, right? If it sucks, don’t pretend it doesn’t.”

  “I already know it doesn’t, but yes, I’ll be honest.”

  She looked as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders. “You have no idea what this means to me, Marley.”

  “And you have no idea how much it means to me that you asked for my help.”

  Ellie was heading back in our direction, and Brett was paying for our food, so we prepared to go our separate ways. First, though, Sienna told me that she would email me her manuscript later that night, and I promised that I wouldn’t share her secret with anyone other than Brett, who would also be sworn to secrecy.

  Brett and I found a free picnic table at the quieter end of the park and sat down to enjoy our dinner. The cheese melts were so gooey and delicious that I wished the food truck was a permanent fixture in Wildwood Cove. The fries and chocolate milkshakes tasted equally good. The fries were crisp and salty, and the milkshakes were creamy, cold, and packed full of chocolate flavor.

  “I’m not sure I can move now,” I said, once we’d polished off our food.

  Brett treated me to the lopsided grin I loved. “I take it you’re still not interested in mechanical bull riding then.”

  I put a hand to my full stomach. “No way.” That would be a disaster.

  Despite over-indulging, I managed to get to my feet. We returned to the heart of the festivities, where we took part in a cowboy boot toss and gold panning. I found a few flecks of gold, and Brett turned up a tiny nugget.

  By the time we’d finished panning, the daylight was starting to fade from the sky. I decided to take a few more photos before it got too dark, even though I’d likely be back on the weekend to take in more of the event. I used my phone to snap pictures of the old west street and some of the people in period costume.

  Two costumed men hanging outside the saloon were pretending to argue, using plenty of old west insults.

  “Yer so ugly you could scare a buzzard off a gut wagon,” one yelled.

  “If yer brains were dynamite, there wouldn’t be enough to blow yer nose!” the other man threw back.

  I laughed and filmed a short clip of them on my phone. Right after I’d stopped filming, I heard someone call my name. I turned around to see Lisa heading my way, her smile brighter than the sun had been earlier in the day.

  “Hey,” I said, “I’m glad you made it. Are you here alone, or is Ivan with you?”

  “He’s here. He’s buying us some food.” Her eyes sparkled as she took my arm and guided me off to the side of the old west street, away from the crowd gathering around the saloon.

  “What is it you wanted to tell me?” I asked her. “You left me in suspense.”

  “I know. Sorry about that, but I really wanted to tell you in person.” She looked like she was about to burst with excitement.

  “No more suspense,” I told her.

  She held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers. The evening sun glinted off a diamond ring.

  My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “If you’re thinking it’s an engagement ring, then yes.”

  “Oh my gosh!” I threw my arms around her and squeezed before letting go. “Since when?”

  “Since last night at dinner. Well, right after dinner. We took a walk along the beach, and that’s where he popped the question.”

  “That sounds romantic.” Brett had proposed to me on the beach too, and I couldn’t have picked a better spot. I hugged Lisa again. “I’m so happy for both of you.”

  She was still beaming when I released her. “Thank you. It’s like I’ve been floating on a cloud ever since.”

  “I know what you mean.” I remembered the feeling well. “Did you see it coming?”

  “No. Although with hindsight, maybe I should have.”

  I looped my arm through hers as we half-watched Brett having another go at the cowboy boot toss while we continued our conversation.

  I connected dots in my mind. “Ivan’s mysterious trips to Port Angeles.”

  Lisa held up her left hand again. “He was buying the ring. He picked it out on the first trip to the jewelry store, but he didn’t know my ring size. When he went back, he took one of my other rings with him, so it’s a perfect fit.” She admired the ring, looking the happiest I’d ever seen her.

  “So when’s the big day?” I asked. “Have you set a date?”

  “Not yet. I’m still getting used to the fact that we’re engaged. And I haven’t even told my parents. After we eat, we’re heading over to visit them so we can share the news.”

  “They’ll be happy, right?” I asked.

  “Definitely. It took them time to warm up to Ivan, but now they adore him.”

  “Good.”

  I could understand her parents being wary of Ivan at first. His muscles, tattoos, and habit of scowling belied the heart of gold within. He also wasn’t the easiest man to get to know, but anyone who spent time with him soon found out what a good man he was.

  “I’m so thrilled for you two,” I said.

  Ivan headed our way, carrying food and drinks on a cardboard tray. Before he had a chance to say anything, I launched myself at him and gave him a big hug.

 
When I looked up at his face, I could tell I’d taken him by surprise, but at least he’d managed not to drop the food.

  “Lisa told me about the engagement,” I said as I stepped back. “And it’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

  Brett came over to join us then, so Lisa showed him the ring too. As he gave Lisa a hug and shook Ivan’s hand, I noticed a very rare sight—Ivan’s usual scowl was nowhere to be seen.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  After Ivan and Lisa left for her parents’ place, Brett and I didn’t hang around the park much longer. Brett took part in one more game of the cowboy boot toss, and this time managed to win a prize by landing three boots inside the hula hoop. He handed me his prize—an adorable stuffed donkey—and took my hand as we set off for home.

  Once we were ready for bed, I placed the donkey on the top of our chest of drawers.

  “First toy for our future baby?” I said as I climbed into bed.

  “I like the sound of that.” Brett got into bed next to me.

  I settled against the pillows and grabbed my e-reader from the bedside table. I’d loaded Sienna’s manuscript onto it as soon as we’d arrived home.

  I was vaguely aware of Brett reading a paperback next to me, but mostly the world faded away as I delved into Sienna’s opening chapters. I’d fallen so far into the story that I was momentarily disoriented when Brett nudged me.

  “You planning to read all night?” he asked.

  I glanced at the clock. “Whoa. It’s that late?” A whole hour had disappeared since I’d started reading.

  “Sienna’s book must be good,” Brett said as he switched off the lamp on his side of the bed.

  I’d told him about Sienna’s manuscript on our walk home from the park earlier.

  “So good.” I reluctantly shut off my e-reader and set it aside. I didn’t want to put the book down, but I had to be up early in the morning.

  I switched off my lamp as Brett shifted closer so he could put his arms around me.

  I snuggled up against his chest as my thoughts drifted away from the engrossing story Sienna had written.