by Debby Mayne
Theo gave his version of an apology, but it didn’t come across as heartfelt. Then he actually proposed, but no way would she ever accept now that she saw the real Theo. Besides, she’d never felt the head-over-heels chemistry she’d read about in her novels, so it wasn’t hard to say no, even though he asked her more than once.
Theo finally got the message and spread word around town that he’d broken off their relationship so he could pursue a more lucrative career elsewhere. Less than a year later, his best friend Brad had been the one who informed her that Theo met someone else right after he moved and then got married right away. That’s when Brad asked her out, Sherry suspected, out of pity.
He cleared his throat, bringing her back to the moment. “Hey there, Sherry. I tried to talk to you before church, but it was crowded, and I couldn’t catch up with you.” He looked as uncomfortable as she felt.
Naomi leaned back in her chair and grinned with satisfaction. “My, my, isn’t this nice? All of us friends, old and new, sitting here together.”
“Very nice.” Gina’s gaze grazed everyone at the table before settling on her daughter. “Isn’t it, Lacy?”
The little girl nodded without looking up from her coloring book. “When are we gonna eat?”
“The nice lady has to take our order,” Naomi said. “But if you’re hungry, I bet she’ll bring you some applesauce. Would you like that?”
Lacy nodded again, this time looking up at Naomi. “I like applesauce.”
“So, Lacy, what else do you like?”
Lacy shrugged and continued coloring. “Macaroni and s’ghetti and pizza and tacos and chocolate cake . . . and ice cream.”
Brad smiled. “How about flying kites? Do you like to do that?”
“She’s never—” Gina stopped when Lacy glanced up at Brad, her eyes wide and her smile even wider.
“Mommy, I wanna fly a kite.”
Brad leaned toward her and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial level. “I just happen to have one in my truck, and if it’s okay with your mom, we can go to the park and fly it after we eat.”
Naomi laughed. “Why do you have a kite in your truck?”
Brad shrugged. “Never know when you’ll need one. So, Lacy, how does that sound?”
Lacy bounced around in her booster seat and turned to Gina. “Can we do that, Mommy?”
“I suppose . . .” She looked back and forth between Naomi and Sherry. “If it’s not an imposition.”
“Oh, that’s just plain silly,” Naomi said. “We impose on each other all the time. That’s what friends do.”
Brad grinned and winked at Lacy. “I think it would be fun for all of us to go to the park. Maybe afterward, we can get ice cream.”
Gina chuckled. “You’re making some major points with my daughter.”
Naomi remained uncharacteristically quiet for several minutes, but Sherry knew it wouldn’t last. When Naomi was determined, she never left anything to chance.
“After we fly the kite and get ice cream, why don’t we all head on over to my apartment for some polka music?”
“Polka music?” Brad folded his arms on the table. “I haven’t heard that in a while.”
“Yes, Johnny Johnson and his band play at the Village clubhouse once a month.” Naomi challenged Brad with a comical stare-down. “Since we’ll be going to the Village for the Polka Fest, we can fly the kite in the little park by the gardens and maybe get a treat at the creamery in the Village lobby on the way to the clubhouse.”
Brad chuckled, nodded, and spoke to Gina. “My folks live at the Lake Bliss Retirement Village, and I’m sure they’d love to see me. How about it?”
Gina nodded. “Sounds like fun.”
Brad turned to Sherry. For a split second, a flash of attraction shot through her, but she quickly came to her senses and turned away. Brad was a handsome guy, and she had no doubt he could have whatever woman he wanted. No point in setting herself up for disappointment and complicating her safe, orderly life that she’d so carefully crafted after her messy childhood.
“How ’bout it, Sherry?” Naomi asked. “We’ll have a blast at the Polka Fest, and then we can all head over to my apartment for some lasagna. You know I always cook for an army.” She opened her arms to include everyone at the table. “Let’s show our new friends some Bloomfield hospitality.”
Lacy looked at her mother. “I wanna see your hos’tality. Mommy, can we go?”
“I guess that would be okay.”
“Good, then it’s settled.” Naomi gave a clipped nod. “Lacy, you and your mother can ride with me, and since I’m sure Sherry walked to church like she always does . . .” Naomi rolled her eyes. “. . . she can ride over with Brad.”
CHAPTER THREE
Brad held the truck door for Sherry and leaned toward her. “Naomi McCord is in rare form today.”
“You can say that again.”
“Naomi McCord is in rare—” He laughed. “Sorry.” He closed the door and rounded the truck to slide into the driver’s seat. “As soon as I saw your face after I sat down, I knew you’d been blindsided. I hope you’re okay with having me join you.”
“Of course I’m okay with that. Why wouldn’t I be?” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to come across so . . . well, so . . . unwelcoming.”
He patted her arm. “Don’t worry about it. I understand.” He started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked, so I reckon this is as good a time as any to catch up. How’ve you been doing?”
“Same. How about you?”
“I wish I could say the same, but things have been a bit busy at the office lately.” After college Brad returned to Bloomfield as a civil engineer, helping plan and design some of the business complexes springing up on the outskirts of town. “The city has been trying to annex some of the properties I’m working on, but the developers aren’t interested in the higher taxes.”
“That’s understandable.”
He chuckled. “I would’ve thought you’d side with the city. After all, isn’t the garden club’s main goal to raise the population in Bloomfield?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“So are you not in cahoots with the rest of your club?”
In spite of the fact that Sherry had always struggled to fit in with any of the groups in Bloomfield, Brad always saw through that. He’d once asked her why she kept trying. There was no point in pretending with him.
She shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter to me whether we have 9,900 people or 10,001.”
“But it’s extremely important to your friends, right?” He grinned and winked.
“Yes, it’s very important to them.” She glanced out the window, hoping that flicker of attraction for Brad would fade.
“Sorry, let’s change the subject. So how did you and Naomi meet Lacy and her mom?”
Sherry let out a sigh of relief before telling him about her first encounter with the mother and daughter. As she spoke, Brad laughed. “Andy’s bird can be pretty intimidating. I can imagine how frightened Lacy must have been.”
“Not only Lacy. Murray scares me half to death, and I had to bring him home with me.”
“You didn’t have to.” He pulled up to a stop sign and glanced at her. “I’m sure he would’ve been just fine if you’d left him in the shop overnight.”
“I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him. Andy would never speak to me again.”
Brad tilted his head back and let out a deep chuckle. “Would that be a bad thing?”
“I like Andy, even if he is rather crusty.”
“Yeah, you always said he reminded you of a loaf of French bread—crusty on the outside and soft in the middle.”
Sherry was impressed that he’d remember. “I
did say that, didn’t I?”
Brad turned into the Lake Bliss Retirement Village visitor parking lot, found a space wide enough for the truck, and pulled into it. “You go on ahead. I think I’ll call my folks and see if they’d like to come watch us fly the kite. I’ll catch up with you.”
Since Naomi lived in one of the Village apartments, she’d parked in a different lot. “Okey, dokey. Want me to take the kite?”
Brad leaned over and pulled a still-in-the-package kite from the truck bed and handed it to her. “In case you’re wondering why I have the kite, I bought it for my niece yesterday. I’ll get her another one.” He picked up his cell phone, and Sherry left to give him some privacy.
She knew this area well since she’d helped do some of last season’s planting. This was truly one of the prettiest places in Bloomfield. One of these days, she thought she might like to live in Lake Bliss Retirement Village, but she still had at least another twenty-five years before she hit the golden age to qualify. They were a youthful bunch of seniors, but they were strict about the age requirement.
“It’s not that we don’t like young people,” Naomi had once explained. “It’s just that we like to have our own space, and most of us enjoy peace and quiet after the sun goes down.”
She spotted Naomi, Gina, and Lacy approaching from the other side of the field. Gina and Naomi were deep in conversation, while Lacy skipped along beside them. If Sherry didn’t know better, she’d think they were three generations of the same family.
“I have the kite,” Sherry informed them. “Anyone know how to put it together?”
Gina shook her head. “Sorry, but the only other time I flew a kite, my husband had it assembled before I even saw it.”
Sherry made a face that elicited giggles from the rest. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t guarantee it’ll even slightly resemble a kite when I’m done.”
Naomi shook her head. “Then why don’t we wait for Brad? No point in wasting a perfectly good kite.”
Lacy seemed to be enjoying herself, and Naomi’s obvious delight in the little girl’s energy showed. “C’mere, Lacy,” Naomi said as she extended her hand. “I’d like to show you the butterfly garden.”
“You grow butterflies in the garden?”
Naomi chuckled. “Well, sort of. Actually, we plant flowers that attract butterflies so we can enjoy their beauty. Shh, be real quiet so we don’t scare them away.”
Lacy mimicked Naomi by lifting her finger to her lips and repeating, “Shh.”
All sorts of emotions tugged at Sherry from maternal longing to wishing she’d gotten off to a better start with the little girl. Gina remained quiet as she watched her daughter with Naomi.
Finally Gina broke the silence. “She’s very good with Lacy.”
“Yes, I know. Too bad her children and grandkids moved away.”
“My parents didn’t want us to come here, but after Jeremy left . . . well, even though we’re from a big city, it’s hard to be in the same small neighborhood where we grew up during a time like this. Some of the older people don’t understand why he had to go somewhere else looking for work, including my parents.” A look of frustration washed over her as she tilted her head. “They assume that he could find a job close by if he really wanted one.”
Sherry’s heart went out to Gina’s family. Before she had a chance to respond, Brad joined them.
“My folks are too busy to join us. They’re helping set up for the Polka Fest.” Brad cast an amused glance toward Sherry and Gina. “Ever since they moved here, I’ve had to call in advance to make an appointment, but at least they’re enjoying themselves.”
“Here’s the kite.” Sherry handed it to him.
He feigned surprise. “What? I thought you all would have it put together and in the air by now.” He lifted a finger. “We have a perfect breeze to fly a kite. It’ll be just enough to get it in the air with a little play without ripping it apart.”
The three of them walked over to a bench near the butterfly garden. “This place sure has turned out nice.” He nodded toward Sherry. “I don’t know if she’s told you this, Gina, but Sherry is an officer in the Bloomfield Garden Club.” He said that with so much pretend reverence he might as well have announced she was mayor of the city.
“No wonder you know so many people.” Gina shielded her eyes and looked off into the distance in the opposite direction of the Lake Bliss Retirement Village. “What are those buildings over there? They look like apartments.”
“They are.” Brad squared his shoulders. “My firm designed them.”
“I might want to take a look at them. Do they allow families?”
He shrugged and lowered his shoulders. “I don’t know. After we finished the plans, we turned them over to the owners.”
Gina turned to Sherry. “How about you? Do you know anything about them?”
Sherry nodded. “They’re called Fontainebleau, and they have a family section with a playground and pool.”
Brad reared back and gave her a quizzical look. “How do you know this? Thinking about moving?”
“Some of my customers live there.” She wasn’t about to let on that she’d even looked at them herself out of curiosity.
“Of course.” Brad’s expression turned serious, so she glanced away. “They’re nice apartments, Gina. I think you’ll like them.”
“Good. I’ll go look at them tomorrow morning.” She spoke in a monotone that indicated a lack of excitement. “We found something wrong with all the other places we saw.”
“Really?” Brad tied the tail on the kite and handed it to Sherry. “Where have you looked?”
Gina shrugged. “We walked through a few houses, and then we looked at a duplex near downtown. Jeremy will have to approve whatever we choose, and I know he’d want a cozy eat-in kitchen and a big backyard.”
Lacy ran out of the butterfly garden. “Mommy, when are we gonna fly the kite?” She tugged at Gina’s sleeve.
Brad took Lacy by the hand and led her away. “You ladies can stay here and gab while Lacy and I have some fun with this kite.”
“Be careful,” Gina called out. “Lacy, don’t get too close to the lake.”
“We’ll be fine.” Brad waved before turning all his attention toward Lacy as they headed toward the open area.
Naomi clicked her tongue, mother-hen style. “That man will make some woman a fine husband. Too bad some women are stubborn and set in their ways.”
Gina blinked. “Has Brad been jilted?”
“Nope.” Naomi shook her head. “He never had the opportunity to get jilted because the woman was too blind to see what—”
Sherry had heard enough, so she cut a warning glance toward Naomi. Naomi clamped her lips shut and smiled.
“Is she someone I know?” Gina asked with a grin and a sideways glance at Sherry.
“No.” Sherry’s response came out a little too fast, sending Naomi into a fit of giggles.
“You are one transparent girl, Sherry Butler.” Naomi shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked toward Brad and Lacy. “Aren’t they getting awful close to the lake?”
Gina’s eyebrows shot up. “They sure are. I better go tell Brad he needs to come back this way.”
“Why don’t you do that, Sherry?” Naomi propped her elbow on Gina’s shoulder. “Kids always act better for someone who’s not their parent.”
“Okay.” Sherry stood up and walked toward Brad and Lacy, leaving Naomi alone with Gina to tell her who knows what. But what did it really matter anyway? No one could embarrass her any more than Naomi already had.
“Hey, Sherry.” Brad handed Lacy the kite string and pointed to Sherry. “Run toward Miss Sherry, Lacy.”
Lacy took off running full speed and didn’t even slow down as she got close. Next thing Sherry knew, the li
ttle girl had propelled herself into Sherry’s midsection, knocking her to the ground, the kite string wrapped around both of them. Good thing she wore slacks to church today.
“I flied a kite, Miss Sherry. See? It’s up there!”
Sherry didn’t even bother getting up off the ground as she squinted up at the kite dancing in the breeze. “Yes, I see.”
“You okay?” Brad approached and offered her a hand.
She took his hand long enough to get to her feet but quickly let go. He slowly untangled the string. The look he gave her burned even more than the lingering sensation from his touch. She knew it was time to put some distance between them, or she’d wind up making a fool of herself.
As Gina and Naomi approached, Lacy squealed. “Mommy, did you see me fly that kite?”
“I sure did, sweetie. Did you have fun?”
“Uh-huh.” Lacy bounced around. “Mr. Brad says we can do it again sometime.”
“When does the polka music start?” Sherry asked.
Naomi’s face lit up. “Soon. We have so much fun at these things. I’m sure Lacy will love it.” She bent down to look Lacy in the eye. “Have you ever heard an accordion?”
Lacy glanced up at her mother. “Mommy, have I ever heard a ’cordian?”
Gina’s lips twitched as she stifled a grin. “No, sweetie, I don’t believe you have.”
Lacy turned back to Naomi. “Mommy doesn’t believe I have.”
Naomi chuckled. “Well, let’s head on over to the clubhouse and see if the band is there yet. I just happen to know the accordion player, and I think he might even let you play a few notes.” She winked at Gina.
All this time Sherry could feel Brad’s gaze, so she added more distance between them. She reminded herself that Brad was kind to everyone, and her attraction was one-sided. Her dad used to say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” After being hurt once, Sherry didn’t want to put herself in that position again.
