The Season for Ginger Snaps

by Katie Carver

  When Andy was gone, Jake re-read the citation. It was indeed a three-hundred dollar fine for violation of the town fire codes. He crumpled the paper up and jammed it into his pocket. Jake suddenly didn’t feel as bad about the misunderstanding with the music. In fact, he wondered if he had it turned up to the loudest volume. He chastised himself for believing that she could ever be anything other than an opponent. If she wanted to turn their disagreements into a feud, he’d gladly join her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ginger took a seat near the back of the room and waited for the town meeting to begin. There was no longer a point to making her presence known to Mayor Curtis so she decided to make it easier on herself if she wanted a fast exit. Ever since the tree lighting, she hadn’t been able to get her conversation with Jake out of her mind. He seemed so sincere in wanting to call a truce, but she had a difficult time believing that he would have wanted the spot at the festival for any other reason than knowing it was something she wanted. After what she’d seen these past few weeks, there was nothing humane about him. His main intention in life seemed to be looking out for himself no matter what the cost to anyone else. That was a quality that Ginger just simply couldn’t understand. Ginger decided that living in a city may have hardened him, but anyone who had a heart would have changed their ways upon moving to town. It was her opinion, that if he really had wanted to fit in, he would have a lot of work to do. When Mayor Curtis approached her a few days later to confirm her booth location, Ginger confronted him. She wanted to know how he could have given such a spot to someone who didn’t even reside in town. He assured her he had thought long and hard about it and it was the right thing to do to make Jake feel part of the town. Taking Franklin’s suggestion, he opted to give the spot to Jake. He felt that if Jake could see what the town was all about, he’d feel more welcome and at home. If that was truly the case, she may have agreed with the mayor, but knowing Franklin had his hand in the decision made Ginger skeptical. If it had been anyone else other than Jake, she wouldn’t have found the concept so loathsome. In the end, she’d just have to come up with something a little better to regain the edge she’d lost from missing out on the most prime location.

  She spotted Jake in the front of the room sitting near Victoria and Andy. She felt a twinge of anger that he’d gotten sympathy from Victoria. She was supposed to be her friend and she held her directly responsible for her misguided apology to Jake. If it hadn’t been for her guilting her into feeling sorry for him, she would’ve never tried to make things more cordial between the two of them. He had lied to her about turning the music off at night, too. If anything, it seemed louder. She was having trouble sleeping now, but at least she was getting all of her orders done in record time. If she couldn’t sleep, she could bake.

  Mayor Curtis took the spot behind the podium and everyone turned their attention to him. “The town meeting is now in order,” he said loudly. “First things first. I am pleased to announce the tree lighting was a huge success. I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work and for attending.”

  Everyone in the room clapped politely. Every year he deemed it a success. Ginger wasn’t exactly sure what his method was in determining it a success, but she somehow knew that even if no one showed, he would still believe it to be a thrilling achievement.

  “Secondly, to everyone who was concerned about the nativity scene’s unfortunate theft, the baby Jesus has been returned unharmed and intact.” More polite clapping came from the room. Mayor Curtis held out a hand to hush the crowd. “It turned up under the tree in the town square after the lighting. And though I am a firm believer in miracles, I don’t believe that the deviant who pilfered the figurine intended it as such.” Mayor Curtis wagged a stern finger at the crowd. “I just hope whoever it was knows that security efforts will be ramped up next year and the perpetrator will be caught, make no mistake.”

  Ginger smirked. She knew Timmy was somewhere in the crowd and took the news of renewed security efforts as more of a challenge than a warning.

  “Booth assignments have been given out to our local businesses and the festival committee is hard at work planning this year’s celebration. There were many difficult decisions this year, but I truly feel that the locations of the booths are positively perfect. Remember people, all the funds raised will be donated to the Spruce Valley Library. The library is in dire need of some updates and if we don’t tackle the project now, it will only fall into further disrepair. I, myself, enjoy our wonderful little library and think of it as a jewel in the crown of our small little hamlet. I know most of you feel exactly the same way about it. Renovating it is a worthy cause and I hope you will all do your utmost to make the festival a rousing success,” the mayor said and smiled cheerfully to the crowd.

  He went on to air the town grievances for a while. Issues with the raccoons were still plaguing the town and few new issues were brought to light that Ginger did not find interesting. By the time Mayor Curtis repeated his request for the community to continue checking on the older residents during times of cold, she started to wonder why she caused herself the grief of coming in the first place. She appreciated the reminders, but Ginger attended each meeting mostly out of habit. She already knew most of what was going on in town and listening to Mayor Curtis ramble on was beginning to grow tiresome. She put her jacket back on to leave when Mayor Curtis cleared his voice loudly.

  “A wonderful opportunity has just come up and it is my great pleasure to tell you all about it.” Ginger settled back in her chair. “You all remember Carol Baxter, the wonderful woman who sadly passed away two years ago. Though she left us, her love of this town is fondly remembered and cherished by us all.” He looked down at the podium solemnly before returning his gaze to the room. “Some of you have inquired, more than a few times, about Carol’s home. Now, those of you who asked may recall, her wishes were to leave the home to the community. Her estate has finally been settled and the home has been released to Spruce Valley. It was my initial plan to use the home for something the entire town could enjoy, but according to the terms of her will, the home can only go to a person and not an entity.” Ginger perked up at this new development. She had been one of the people who had initially inquired about the home. “It seems our dear Carol wanted to pass down the home to one family or person, but had certain stipulations in doing so. She felt it was important that it be fair to everyone in town. She devised a plan to award the home to whomever the town voted most worthy.” A frantic chattering filled the room. “Quiet, please. Quiet.” Mayor Curtis tried to calm the excited room. “There will be a contest. The winner of the contest will be whoever embodies the most holiday and town spirit. The week of Christmas, Christmas Eve to be exact, we will hold a vote right here in the town hall and whoever wins will receive the house. I personally feel it would be a great gift if that person were to donate it back to the town, but I’m sure some of you will have other plans,” Mayor Curtis added glumly. “If you wish to submit yourself into the running, I have a sign-up sheet with me.” He held up a clipboard. “Add your name to the list and if you can prove to your neighbors and friends you have the most town and holiday spirit, you will become the proud new owner of the Baxter House. There are a few small rules if you would like to read them, let me know. I’ll have them posted in the town hall. The short version is this, all people in town are eligible and the person must exhibit the traits of kindness and generosity.”

  Ginger could hardly believe her ears. The fact that the Baxter House was up for grabs was the best news she’d heard in a while. She’d visited Carol many times when she was young and always had wonderful memories of the place. Carol was one of the town’s most loved residents and her generosity and kindness inspired her and many others to follow her example. The loss that was felt from her death had never really been healed. She touched so many people in their small town that her funeral shut down all of Spruce Valley. It didn’t surprise her in the least that Carol’s last act would be to donate somethi
ng as magnificent as her home. Her mom and aunt would take her there sometimes when they visited Carol and Ginger would spend hours exploring the old home. It was large, probably not as spacious as it seemed to a child, but it was the biggest home in town. There was no need for such a large place just for herself, but it wasn’t the size that made her yearn for the home, it was much more. It was one of the first homes built in town and the ornate details that it held couldn’t be duplicated in a newly built place. The thing she remembered the best was the kitchen. The kitchen was enormous. She was sure that the place had fallen into a bit of disrepair as it had been vacant for the past two years, but it didn’t matter. There was no other home in town where she would find a larger or better kitchen. It had a pantry, a large island, and plenty of cabinet space for all her expansive bakery equipment. If she had wanted, she could even do some of her baking from that kitchen and wouldn’t be stuck in the bakery at all hours of the day. It was her dream home and when Mayor Curtis had told her it wasn’t available years ago, she was devastated. Now, with another chance at it, she wouldn’t let the opportunity pass her by. It wouldn’t be easy, so many people in town were worthy of it, but if she could play her cards right, she might be able to sway some votes. She knew not everyone would be interested, but there would be enough vying for it to give her some competition. She waited for Mayor Curtis to finish the meeting and was the first person to sign up for the contest. Suddenly, the blow from losing the top spot in the festival wasn’t as severe and if she could find a way, maybe she could win both the home and the festival. With the stakes as high as they were, she’d have to get to it right away.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jake was shocked by the Mayor’s announcement that an entire house was going to be given away. The rules sounded simple enough, make everyone like you the best and you would win. The concept of it boggled his mind. What kind of town would give away real estate to the person who had the most holiday and town spirit? If they wanted to raise funds, they should have auctioned it off to the highest bidder in town. If that Carol person wanted it fair, that would make it fair.

  Jake leaned nearer to Andy seated next to him. “Is this for real?” he asked in a whisper.

  Andy smiled and nodded. “It seems so.”

  “Is the place worth it? What’s this Baxter House like?” Jake asked.

  “It’s the biggest house in town. It’s really old and I’m sure that it’ll need some updates, but she always took care of it while she was alive. I know Mike got a lot of business from her over the years.”

  Jake settled back in his seat. That sounded promising. He didn’t particularly care for older homes, there was usually a lot of maintenance and he wasn’t impressed by the strange embellishments that were sometimes added. If it had been kept up, the updates might be able to be kept at a minimum. If he were going to put any effort into the contest at all, he’d want to make sure it was worth it. He’d already been roped into a booth and after the decorating fiasco and he wasn’t even sure he’d wanted to bother with another town even. He could always sign up and then decide to withdraw later. It was an interesting prospect and he couldn’t really see not taking at least a small chance he’d be interested.

  After the meeting ended, he stood in line to add his name to the list of entrants. There were a few, but not as many as he thought there would be. Usually, when someone says that something is free, people line up in droves no matter what the item is and this time it was a house.

  Andy waited for him by the door. “You think you can win?” he asked and smiled.

  “I’m not sure about that, but what the heck. I might as well take a chance on it. I’m homeless,” Jake said and chuckled.

  “It’ll be fierce competition. I saw Ginger up there before you and Mayor Curtis will no doubt try to win. Aside from Franklin, those two are the most competitive people I’ve ever met in my life,” Andy warned.

  Jake wasn’t as concerned. He’d already gone toe-to-toe with Ginger and he was prepared for any battle with her. He didn’t know the mayor too well, but aside from underhanded tactics in getting what he wanted he didn’t seem very ominous.

  “You said the place is big? How big?” Jake asked

  “Why don’t I take you over there? It’s only a few minutes’ walk. I know it’s cold, but I don’t mind if you don’t,” Andy offered.

  “That’d be great! Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  Andy shook his head. “Not at all. It makes sense to see the house in question. I’m not sure how much we can see since it’s dark, but at least you will get an idea.”

  Jake followed Andy out of the town hall and onto Main Street. “What is the story with this Carol Baxter? What would possess her to hold a contest for her home?”

  Andy shrugged. “That’s just the way she was. She was one of the most loved people in town. She was invited to every birthday party and event and she attended every single one until she was too ill to go. She never married and all of her family had died many years before her, so she thought of the town as her family. Carol was also probably the wealthiest person this town ever had. Her great-great-grandfather had invented something and moved to Spruce Valley when it was first being built. The Baxter House was the first house built in town.”

  “Two years seems like a long time to be vacant, though,” Jake added.

  “The rumor is that the reason it took so long after Carol passed was that she had no money left. As I said, she was rich and during the last years of her life, she gave it all away. Every last penny. I guess the lawyers involved in her estate searched high and low for any remaining fortune, but never found anything. They must’ve finally given up. They didn’t know Carol. She was extremely generous. She gave every kid in town a birthday card filled with money and whenever someone had a baby, she’d buy all kinds of toys and baby items for the family. If they needed a little extra help, she’d be the one who would pull through. I know that firsthand. I’m not sure what we would have done without her help when my twins were born,” Andy said and smiled sadly.

  Jake could tell that Carol had been important to Andy. If what Andy said were true, Carol must’ve been special. A person that generous and kind was rare. He didn’t know Andy had twins. In fact, he realized he didn’t know anything at all about Andy.

  “She sounds like an amazing person,” Jake said kindly. “I didn’t know you had twins. How old?”

  “The girls are six.” Andy smiled at Jake.

  “That’s a great age. I bet they are keeping you on your toes,” Jake said and laughed.

  “It can be exhausting, but they are the best thing in the world, you know? My wife and I probably didn’t sleep for two years straight, but now that they are older, she’s starting to talk about another one.”

  “I can’t imagine two at once, but I guess that once you know you can tackle that one more doesn’t seem that bad.”

  “That’s her thought process, although, I’m not convinced,” Andy smirked. “It’s just up here on the corner.” Andy pointed.

  Jake was stunned. Andy was right, the place was massive. It dwarfed the other homes on the street. As it came into view, he could see that it wasn’t as ornate as he had imagined. It was a square, red brick home with three rows of large windows and two chimneys located on each end of the house. It had a small porch with pillars leading to the front door. He wished it wasn’t so dark so he could get a better view.

  “What do you think?” Andy asked as he scanned the top of the house.

  “It really is huge. Have you been inside? Do you know what it’s like?”

  “Yeah, a bunch of times. There are three floors, I think it’s 5 bedrooms and 2 baths. There is a parlor room where Carol always entertained her guests. That was probably my favorite room. Do you want to go inside?”

  “I’d love to go inside. Do you think Mayor Curtis will give us the key to check the place out?”

  Andy gave him a strange look. “We can just go in now, it isn’t locked. Unless you want
to wait until tomorrow.”

  Jake stared blankly at Andy. “It isn’t locked? Why wouldn’t it be locked.”

  “Why would it? There’s nothing in there to steal. Plus, Mayor Curtis left it open in case people wanted to stop by when they were missing Carol.”

  Jake couldn’t believe the fact that a huge vacant home would be left unlocked. People must’ve gone in and vandalized it and he could only imagine what the interior was like now. Still, it would be better to know right away than to spend any time investing in a contest where the prize was worthless. “Yeah, I’d like to go in, if you have the time.”

  “Leah and the kids are baking cookies tonight. If I get home too early, I’ll be shooed out of the room anyway. Come on, I’ll show you the parlor.”

  Jake followed Andy to the front door and, sure enough, it was unlocked and they walked right into the home. The floor near the door creaked a bit and Andy searched the wall for a light switch. When he found it, he switched it on and off.

  “The electricity must be off.” Andy reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and produced a small flashlight. He turned it on and flashed it around the foyer.

  “You carry around a flashlight?” Jake asked amused. “Do you walk into dark houses often?”

  “I carry a flashlight because, if you remember, I am also the fire chief,” Andy retorted.

  “Yes, I remember,” Jake said miserably. He also remembered the three-hundred-dollar citation.

  With the small amount of light, Jake was able to strain his eyes to get a better view of the home. From what he could see, there was no damage. In fact, Andy had been correct when he said the house was well kept. He followed Jake around the first floor of the home.

  “This is the parlor,” Andy said and flashed the light around the room.

  Jake could see why it was Andy’s favorite. It may have been decorated in an older fashion, but the room itself was cozy with its large windows and a fireplace.