LOVE in a Small Town

by Janet Eaves

  He watched to see what reaction it would get. Betsy looked interested at least.

  “When are the tea parties?” Betsy twirled her finger in a long curl. This would at least be a distraction for her and LizBeth Ann.

  “Saturdays. I don’t know if it’s every Saturday, but you can call.”

  Betsy checked her watch. After five o’clock. “I’ll do that tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, Mike.”

  He backed out of the driveway a few minutes later. She almost waved as he headed up the road, but didn’t want to seem too friendly. It was hard to be pleasant but not encouraging. She did not need him to get the wrong idea, and the wrong idea would be that she was interested in him. He was her daughter’s father and her almost-ex. Soon to be ex. She needed to get to her storage unit and get those divorce papers. Or she could fill out new ones; the forms were on the internet. Well, someday soon, when she could get to the Legend library, or if she talked to Martin about a job, she’d have internet access there. No such luck at Charles and Dorothy’s of course.

  Betsy walked into the house, hesitant to close the door on the beautiful weather. She opened some windows because a cool breeze had started when the sun began to dip. Then she went into the library to see the status.

  Mike had put up floor-to-ceiling shelves along one long wall, and was framing the window seat in the same light oak. There were shelves along both sides of the big window, too. If he’d made this much progress since they left, he was moving much more quickly. It wouldn’t take many more days to do the rest of the shelves. Then there would be the floor, and he was done. Betsy sighed. That’s what she wanted, of course. She wanted him done and out of here. Charles and Dorothy wouldn’t be back ‘til the end of the month, so there would be time for Betsy to work on putting the books back up. On their next phone call she would ask Dorothy how she wanted that done for sure, but she remembered the general arrangement they used to be in. Right now they were stored in neatly labeled boxes in the garage.

  Whenever the McClain family had gathered here, Betsy had been drawn to the library. She’d even dreamed about it some since moving away. It had been a place that always felt peaceful to her, and she figured that’s why she dreamed of it. There wasn’t enough peace in the city.

  She looked out one big back window and up at the tree Mike and LizBeth Ann sat under to eat their picnic lunches. There hadn’t been a lot of peace for her in this library since coming back. Or was she being too harsh? After the first couple of days and the blow-ups, she and Mike had reached a kind of unspoken truce. A rhythm. It wasn’t so bad, really. Maybe she could live in Legend again.

  Tomorrow she would call Lilly about the tea parties.

  Chapter Seven

  After lunch the next day, Betsy and LizBeth Ann drove into town again. Betsy had decided it was better to investigate the tea room in person. Whether or not to participate wasn’t only her decision, but her daughter’s as well. If LizBeth Ann saw the place and didn’t like it, that would be the end of it.

  She parked just a little ways down South Main Street because there wasn’t a space in front of the store.

  “Are we going to see Midnight O’clock, Mommy?”

  “No, sweetie. She and her husband aren’t back yet.” She had called this morning to find out, and Chloe told her they’d return this evening. She missed Midnight. She’d thought they could spend some time together once Betsy was in Legend, but hadn’t made a point of doing that. Plus, with LizBeth Ann always with her, she couldn’t talk to Midnight about…some things…very easily. “We’re going into another store today. The lady who owns it is called Lilly. She sells baby clothes.”

  “I’m not a baby.”

  “I know that, sweetie. She has other things too. We’ll just look around. It’ll be fun.”

  It took about thirty seconds for LizBeth Ann to see the tea room set up toward the back of the store. She sat in each of the chairs in turn, and talked to the stuffed animals as she displaced them.

  “Hi, Lilly. I’m Betsy McClain. Not sure if you remember me—”

  “Betsy! Of course I remember you! I heard you were back in Legend. That’s great. Somebody said you might go back to work for Martin?”

  That’s Legend. Word travels fast.

  “Well. I haven’t talked to Martin about it yet. He might have someone else in mind.”

  “Whoever it is, she’s done. No one has been able to do the job for him like you did. Midnight told me as much. He missed you like crazy when you took maternity leave, and then… well, when you left town. Midnight too.” She looked quizzically at Betsy. “But I think Martin was more hurt than anyone when you left. Even Mike.” She rolled her eyes. “Men! And don’t think I’m going to try to get details on why you left him. None of my business.” She lowered her voice and glanced across the room at LizBeth Ann. “What I have noticed, though, is that Mike seems to have finally grown up. I guess you’ve seen him quite a bit because of him working out there, so maybe you’ve noticed.”

  “He does seem to have changed.”

  “Absolutely. Before, if you’ll excuse my saying so, Mike always seemed sullen and remote. Like he was here, but not really here. Not sure how to explain it. But Jim and I had some work done out at the house a while ago, and Greg sent Mike to do it. Not only did he do a beautiful job on the room, but he was really pleasant to talk to. Not like he was poised to escape the conversation.” She looked back at the tea room. “I see your little girl is a talker.”

  “LizBeth Ann.”

  “Right. Such a cute name. You kind of named her after yourself, didn’t you?”

  “Kind of. Someone suggested to me I call her Betsy, Jr. Just kidding, of course, but it got me thinking.”

  “She’s a doll, with those blonde curls. My daughter Lila June is a few months younger. She’s not talking a blue streak like that yet, but if she takes after me, it won’t be long.” She smiled softly. “So, Betsy, are you here looking for a specific item, or just stopping in to look around?”

  “Actually, I came in to ask about the Saturday tea parties.”

  “Oh! Wonderful! We have them every Saturday except holidays, starting at one o’clock. They last about an hour. Initially I started them in the middle of the afternoon, but it didn’t take long to realize some of our Little Ladies of Legend get cranky if they don’t get their afternoon naps.” She winked. “Mine included.”

  Betsy laughed. “I wish LizBeth Ann would still take a nap. We make do with ‘quiet time’ most days. She sits on her bed and looks at books for about an hour. Sometimes she falls asleep, but I can’t count on it. Too bad. There are a lot of days I’d like a nap!”

  “Amen. Surprising how much energy is contained inside a tiny little girl. So, one o’clock… and she can dress up if she wants to. Most of the girls wear dresses. Some even wear hats, like their Easter hats or whatever, and a couple of them have white gloves. It’s darling to see them all sitting with ramrod-straight posture in their little chairs, drinking tea and trying to chat like grownups.”

  “The mothers stay here during, right?”

  “The first time or two, yes. Once she’s comfortable with it, if you want to dash out to shop for a little while, or head down to The Emporium to have coffee with Midnight, give me your cell number and I’ll call if I need you. Otherwise, be back to pick her up in about an hour. I always have at least one high school girl helping me with the tea party, and like I said, the girls act grownup, so it’s mostly very quiet and refined. I’ve heard several moms tell me that as soon as their daughters get home and change out of their finery that comes to a quick end.”

  Betsy smiled, picturing it. She looked over at LizBeth Ann, sitting in a miniature chair and talking to the assembly of stuffed animals gathered around her.

  “We’ll be here Saturday, Lilly. Thank you so much.” Taking a step toward her daughter, she noticed the rack of clothing nearest her. The sign on top declared twenty percent off. She picked up the price tag of a darling little pink frilly dre
ss, then let the tag drop out of her hand. The price was out of her league. “Your store is so nice. The clothes are darling. Right now, though…”

  “Hey. Don’t worry about it. The tea party is for everybody. It’s a community thing. You don’t have to shop here.”

  It figured, of course. That was Legend people. So big-hearted. Lilly was pretty new to Legend, but she was like that too.

  “She has a dress that will be okay for the tea party, I think.”

  “I’m sure it will be. No big deal, really. Some of the girls dress up more than others.” Lilly put her hand on Betsy’s arm. “Let me tell you, I’ve been through tough times. Don’t you ever think you have to go through it alone, because you don’t. Not in Legend.”

  Betsy looked from Lilly’s hand on her arm, to her sincere eyes. “I know. Legend is different, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll say. It’s the first real home I ever had, and I can’t imagine ever leaving. No matter what.”

  Betsy sighed. “Well, I grew up here, and all I ever could think of was leaving. Getting away and seeing a little bit of the world.” She ran her hand along the cold metal of the clothing rack. “I didn’t see much of the world, but what I saw… What I saw made me want to come back here.”

  “I sense you’re going to say ‘But…’ ”

  A wry smile curled Betsy’s lip. “Okay. I came back here, but making it home again—that may not be so easy.”

  “And your point? Who said life is easy, girlfriend?” Lilly’s eyes looked haunted. “The harder it gets, the more worthwhile your rewards are when you get through the struggles.” She shook her head a little, and smiled. “Personal observation.”

  “Oh, Lilly! I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about what—”

  Lilly held up her hand. “And here comes Miss LizBeth Ann now!” she said brightly. “Did you meet all my friends at the tables back there?”

  LizBeth Ann stood at Betsy’s feet and looked up at the women. She nodded somberly.

  “Would you like to come back on Saturday for a tea party with some other little girls?” Betsy asked her. The radiant look on her daughter’s face answered the question before her squeal of delight.

  Later, as Betsy sat on the big bed in the guest room while LizBeth Ann looked at her favorite books, she remembered the awkward moment with Lilly. How could she have been so selfish and forget that she wasn’t the only person who’d been through tough times? The whole town of Legend had been in on the rescuing of Lilly Peach from the hoodlums that were after her soon after she moved to town. The entire story was never shared, but everyone knew the guys were nasty, dangerous, and probably would have killed Lilly. The memory made Betsy’s self-imposed misery in Atlanta pale in comparison.

  Chapter Eight

  Saturday morning, Betsy awoke to the sound of…birds. And her daughter’s gentle breathing. Where was the power saw? The hammer hitting nails? The electric screwdriver securing bookcases to each other and to the walls? The morning was bright, and the alarm clock told her it was after eight.

  Checking to be sure LizBeth Ann was sleeping soundly, Betsy left the bedroom door open and quietly went down the stairs in her tank top and smiley face boxers. Well, it was Saturday. Mike was probably taking the day off. So far he’d worked every day, but he was nearing completion of the project, and Charles and Dorothy wouldn’t be home for a while yet. He deserved a day off. To spend time…with whom? She wondered if there was a woman in his life. She’d tried to stop herself wondering things like that, but the questions still popped into her mind.

  Had he been seeing other women? Most likely. It had been nearly two years since she left. Was there someone he was serious about? Hm. He hadn’t made any indication, but why would he? How would he, when Betsy limited her conversations with him to the bare minimum. And those were always held in LizBeth Ann’s presence, except the time the child had fallen asleep in the car.

  So, yeah, he could and probably was taking today off. She glanced out the window on the landing. Bright sunshine. The weather guy had said mid 80s today. Great weather for a hike, or to rent a pedal boat on Lake Legend. How nice to pack a picnic lunch into a big old-fashioned hamper and sit by the lake under the trees, feel a gentle breeze and listen to the ducks and the other people enjoying their day.

  Betsy sighed and started down the last portion of steps. She and Mike used to do things like that sometimes. They’d been young and in love, but poor, so picnics and hikes and pedal boats were some of the things in their price range as far as entertainment.

  Reaching the parquet floor, she padded across it, her bare feet silent. At the entrance to the library, she pulled one of the big doors open, not sure what she expected to see. She absolutely didn’t expect to see Mike standing in the middle of the library taking pictures. She watched for just a moment and he swung the camera her way, so immersed in what he was doing—he seemed to be taking a panorama one frame at a time. He’d taken Betsy’s picture before either of them realized it.

  “Hey! Delete that!”

  “Oh, hey. I didn’t see you there.”

  “Well, now you do. Delete it.” She walked a few steps closer, hands on her hips.

  “Cool down. I can’t delete it. This isn’t a digital camera. It’s a 35 mm my parents gave me when they got their new one. You took the digital when you left. Remember?”

  “Hm. Well, you’d better throw that picture away when you get the film developed.” She crossed her arms over her chest, remembering too late that she was underdressed.

  For this conversation, and definitely for having her picture taken.

  Mike tipped his head and smiled a little. “Hm. You look pretty good, Betsy. Maybe I’ll just keep one copy?”

  She gave him an answering frown.

  “Just one, and blow it up to poster size?” He chuckled when she stomped her bare foot and started toward him, across some debris.

  Then, in slow motion, she tripped, fell, and screamed. And Mike dropped the camera.

  The pain was immediate. “Oh! My ankle! It hurts so much!”

  Mike knelt next to her. “You probably just sprained it.” He reached out to touch her, then pulled his hand back. “I’ll get a bag of ice.”

  “Mike.”

  He turned back to her from the doorway. “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem, Betsy.”

  Her ankle swelled enormously in spite of the ice pack from hell. It looked as if Mike had emptied the entire freezer. Betsy thought she was probably lucky he hadn’t foraged through the house and scored a cooler big enough to bury her leg in ice up to the knee.

  “Hey. I’m gonna take you to Doc Parker’s. I’ll put you in my truck— No. We have to take LizBeth Ann too. The car seat.”

  Betsy groaned. “I’d rather not, but I guess we should. In case I’ve broken the stupid thing.”

  ****

  “I’ll go get LizBeth Ann.”

  “She’s asleep. It might scare her if I’m not there when she wakes up. Take me up with you.”

  “What? You want me to carry you?”

  Well, of course she did. Betsy—the new Betsy—always had to be in charge of the situation, didn’t she? Even when she couldn’t walk.

  Mike carried her as gently as he could, but still he could see that each movement caused her leg to move some too, and the twisted ankle with it. She pulled her good ankle up under it, which may have helped some. He was relieved when they reached the top of the stairs, because she stopped cringing.

  “That one.” She pointed to an open door, they went into the bedroom. There lay LizBeth Ann, tangled in a sheet, fast asleep and looking more like a little angel than ever.

  “Hey, LizBeth Ann. Wake up.” He said it softly, so he wouldn’t alarm her. Then he tried again to make sure she could hear. Both blue eyes opened slowly, then flew wide open in recognition. She sat straight up in bed.

  “Mommy! What’s wrong?” She ran to her mother and Betsy held a hand down to her, touching her gol
den curls gently.

  “”Mommy fell, honey. Daddy’s going to drive us to town so a doctor can look at my hurt ankle. So you need to get dressed.” She cleared her throat. “Um, Mike, you can set me down. On the bed, okay?”

  He did, as gently as he could manage, and supporting her lower leg so it wouldn’t jar when her foot met the mattress. He watched the pain hit her, then recede. LizBeth Ann was off the bed, thank goodness, and pawing through a bottom drawer of the dresser.

  “Uh, do I need to help her?” He felt suddenly lost in the situation.

  Betsy closed her eyes. “We’ll see what she picks out.”

  Fortunately it was shorts that Mike helped her find the front of before stepping into, and a matching tee shirt that he held up for her to pop her head and arms through. He felt a huge whoosh of relief leave his body when the task was completed. He was so afraid of messing up with her again. He and his daughter managed to locate both pink sandals, and he was relieved to see they had elastic in the back so he didn’t have to get his big fingers to work tiny buckles. Then they were ready to go.

  “Um. My purse.” Betsy gestured at the leather bag sitting on a side chair. He handed it to her. “Okay.” He needed to pick her up again, carry her down the stairs and to the vehicle. But this time was different. When he’d picked her up before, it was like the other evening when he brushed some soft hair out of her face. Just reaction. This was different. This time when he looked down at her on the rumpled bed—with her hair sleep-tumbled, and wearing what she’d no doubt slept in—this time it definitely felt awkward. No matter, though. There was a job to be done.