by Debby Mayne
The strains of someone warming up on the accordion reached their ears as they walked in the side door of the main building of the Village. They stopped off at the Village Creamery on the way and got Lacy an ice cream cone.
Naomi looked absolutely giddy as she led Lacy down the hall toward the clubhouse. Brad turned and winked at Sherry as a chorus of “Roll Out the Barrel” echoed through the building.
“Love the accordion.” Naomi attempted to skip, but she had to stop and pull up one of her knee-high stockings that had slithered down to her ankle. “It makes such happy music.”
Lacy looked up at her. “I wanna see the ’cordion.”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” Naomi tugged on Lacy and disappeared around the corner toward the music. “C’mon, slowpokes, get the lead out. Let’s get the party started.”
“I’m right behind you.” Brad cast a quick smile over his shoulder as he took off after Naomi and Lacy.
Gina sighed. “I haven’t seen Lacy this happy since before Jeremy’s last visit home.”
“I’m sure that’s been hard for her to understand.” Sherry didn’t know what else to say.
Gina nodded. “It’s been really hard. One of our friends from church knew about a temporary position on the coast. It’s been difficult on all of us, since we had to move in with my parents. And then some of the neighbors started prying, and their kids said stuff to Lacy. Really upsetting stuff. Lacy misses her daddy, but one of these days she’ll understand.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Although tempted to ask questions, Sherry decided to leave that up to the rest of the garden club. No point in putting her through that more than once.
The music tempo changed, and the sound of Lacy giggling floated down the hall. Gina cast a curious glance toward Sherry. “Something’s going on.”
“Let’s go see what they’re up to.”
They got to the door of the recreation room in time to see Brad dancing the polka across the floor, with Lacy in his arms, her head tilted back, giggling. Naomi stood off to the side with Brad’s parents, clapping in time to the music.
CHAPTER FOUR
The smile on Johnny Johnson’s face showed how much he enjoyed playing, even for a small audience. He glanced up as Sherry and Gina entered the room and nodded his greeting.
“This is such an odd place.” Gina followed Sherry into the room.
“You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t mean that. What I should have said is this place is unusual.”
“Are you talking about Bloomfield or Lake Bliss Retirement Village?”
Before Gina had a chance to answer, the music stopped, Brad put Lacy down, and she ran over to her mother. “Mommy, I danced the polka dot with Mr. Brad.”
Brad’s lips tweaked at the corners as he joined them. “And you’re a mighty good polka dot dancer. Best I’ve ever danced with.”
Brad’s mom laughed. “He’s always liked to polka dot dance.” Then she cut a glance toward Sherry before turning to Naomi and winking. “Too bad he doesn’t have a more permanent polka dot partner.”
Johnny and his band started playing again. More people streamed into the recreation room—some of them sitting in the folding chairs and others standing on the side, clapping. Brad’s parents were the first dancers to hit the floor, quickly picking up the beat. Lacy tugged at Brad until he relented and followed her to the only vacant patch on the parquet dance floor. It wasn’t long before more of the residents joined them in a polka. One of the elderly gentlemen grabbed Gina by the hand and gave her polka lessons smack-dab in the middle of the dance floor where others had cleared a spot. After a few awkward steps, she caught on and looked like she’d been doing the polka all her life.
Naomi snuck up behind Sherry and startled her, making her jump. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Naomi asked.
“Probably.”
“Yeah, Lacy certainly adds a spark of life to this dull place. We oughta have kids here more often.”
“I agree.” Okay, so maybe they weren’t thinking the same thing.
“Oh, and for what it’s worth, I think Brad would make an excellent family man.” Naomi’s lips flipped into a gotcha smile. “One of these days, young lady, you need to lighten up. Get out of that rut and enjoy life.” Naomi lifted an eyebrow and looked Sherry up and down. “Another thing—you’re a pretty woman, but you need to stop dressing like some of the dowdy characters in those books you always have your nose in.”
“What’s wrong with this?” Sherry opened her arms and looked down at the khaki slacks, white button-front, ruffled blouse, and sensible brown pumps. She’d even accessorized with a single strand of pearls and gold stud earrings.
“It’s boring.” Naomi placed her hands on Sherry’s shoulders and stuck her face merely inches from Sherry’s. “I’ve never wanted to hurt your feelings, but I think it’s high time someone spoke up. You’re too young of a woman to look like . . .” She gestured over Sherry’s outfit. “. . . like this.”
For someone who didn’t want to hurt her feelings, Naomi sure did a good job of it. “I like my wardrobe. It works for all occasions, and it’s perfect for work.”
Naomi slowly shook her head. “There isn’t a single outfit that works for all occasions, and this . . .” She paused to wave her hand toward Sherry’s clothes “. . . isn’t perfect for anything . . . unless you’re applying for a job at a prison.”
The sound of a clanging cymbal shushed Naomi and captured the attention of everyone in the room. As Sherry turned toward the noise, she saw Libby Birdwell, one of the volunteers who took turns helping out at the Village. Dressed in a hot pink skort and floral tank top, she appeared to have just walked off the golf course.
Libby gave a speech welcoming everyone to the Polka Fest. As she read from a crumpled paper, folks chatted among themselves, ignoring all the hard work she’d obviously put into her presentation. But that didn’t deter Libby.
“Is she . . . like . . . in charge here, or something?” Gina asked.
Sherry shook her head. “No, she’s just a volunteer, but she works hard, so the folks who live here appreciate her enough to give her the floor when she wants it.”
Naomi approached, shaking her head. “If you ask me, we’re just mollycoddling a hot-air bag.”
“Naomi!” Sherry glared at the older woman. “I thought you liked Libby.”
“I do. We’re in the same Zumba for Seniors class, and we have fun working out together.” Naomi contorted her lips and rolled her eyes. “But don’t you think she’s said enough? Let’s get this party going.”
“Speaking of parties . . .” Sherry couldn’t help but notice the head-to-toe bright floral outfit topped by a wide-brimmed hat entering the recreation room. “. . . here comes Pamela.”
Naomi glanced over her shoulder. “What’s she doing here? She doesn’t live at the Village.”
“She’s looking for someone.” Sherry made eye contact with Pamela, who smiled and made a beeline for her. “And it looks like that someone might be us.”
“Lucky us.” Naomi folded her arms and lifted her chin. “Whatever she wants, my answer is no.”
“There you are.” Pamela swooshed up to Sherry and gave her a double air-kiss. “I heard you were here. Now where’s that sweet young woman and that precious little girl who are visiting our beautiful town of Bloomfield?”
“I should’ve known.” Naomi mumbled barely loud enough for Sherry to hear. “Watch out, world. She’s doing her one-woman Bloomfield population explosion promotion.”
Sherry gently elbowed Naomi to shush her as she pointed with the other hand toward Gina, who stood off to the side, chatting with one of the band members. “She’s right over there with one of Johnny’s friends.”
“Why isn’t anyone talking up the town t
o her? We simply can’t let this opportunity get away from us.”
Naomi snorted. “We figured that was your job, Pamela.”
Pamela cast a stern look at Naomi. “We should all consider it our job. How else will we ever reach our goal?” With the determination of a vulture after its prey, she sashayed toward unsuspecting Gina.
Sherry couldn’t help but laugh as Pamela flitted around the room, making her way toward Gina, greeting everyone as though she were the host of the Polka Fest. When she reached her target, the pitch of her voice raised at least a full octave and carried across the room.
“That woman is her own worst enemy.” Naomi continued to glare at Pamela. “She needs to learn how to let things happen in their own time.”
Sherry leaned back and gave Naomi a look. “Really? Is that what you’re doing with me?”
“That’s different.”
“Oh, I see.” Sherry glanced back toward Pamela and Gina, and she saw that Brad and Lacy had joined them. “Why don’t we go see what’s going on?”
“Yeah,” Naomi replied. “I have a feeling our new friend might need saving.” She gestured for Sherry to follow. “C’mon, I need backup.”
As Sherry and Naomi approached, Brad stepped back to make room. He cast a helpless look at Sherry.
“I was just telling Gina about all the fun things we have for families here in Bloomfield.” Pamela lifted a hand and counted on her fingers. “There’s the annual Founders Day Parade, and then we have Art in the Park, and the Pumpkin Fest, and the playground you’re in charge of putting together, and—”
“I think she gets the picture, Pamela,” Naomi said. “She has other factors to consider, like . . .” Her voice trailed off as Pamela glared at her.
Pamela turned back to Gina and widened her smile. “I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to live in Bloomfield. We have everything a young family could possibly want.”
Brad leaned toward Sherry and whispered, “Everything except Lacy’s dad. That little girl misses him so much, I can’t imagine Gina taking off and moving away. She said after she goes to bed, she can hear her mommy crying.”
“Aw, that’s so sad, but I don’t think they’ll move here unless he comes too.” Sherry tried hard not to be conspicuous as she cut a glance toward Gina. “I sure hope things work out for them.”
“Yeah, me too. Children don’t understand stuff parents have to go through.”
The conversation hit a little too close to home, so Sherry sidestepped and turned toward Lacy, who now leaned into her mother. “Are you having fun, Lacy?”
The little girl smiled, nodded, and looked up at Pamela. Her smile faded, and her eyes widened as she studied the flamboyant woman. Pamela’s attempt to show off Bloomfield might have backfired, but that was okay with Sherry. If there was any way for Gina’s family to work things out, Sherry prayed that it would happen—even if it meant not moving to Bloomfield.
Brad bent down to Lacy’s level. “Would you like to dance the polka with me again?”
She shook her head no and rubbed her eyes. Gina lifted her into her arms. “Looks like the party is over for us. We’re starting to fade.”
Naomi looked relieved. “Let’s go to my apartment. We can put our feet up until suppertime.”
Pamela turned and looked out over the lingering Polka Fest crowd. “I was kind of hoping . . . well, I love parties . . .”
Naomi forced a smile. “Yes, I know you do, Pamela, so why don’t you stay right here and enjoy yourself?”
Pamela frowned. Sherry suspected Pamela knew she was getting the brush-off. “Okay, I suppose I can do that. Maybe I can take Gina and Lacy back to their hotel later?”
“Nah, that’ll be too hard.” Naomi flipped her hand from the wrist as she often did. “That car seat’s a bear to move.”
Brad opened his mouth, probably to offer to move the car seat, but he clamped it shut when Naomi gave him a look. She looked relieved that he clearly got the message.
“C’mon, let’s go,” Naomi said, leading the way. “I’ll fix some snacks to munch on while we wait for dinnertime.”
As they walked from one building to another, Gina took it all in. “This is very nice.”
“We pride ourselves on keeping the Village looking good.”
“I love the flowers.” Gina smiled. “It’s so peaceful here.” They’d reached Naomi’s apartment, where large pots of impatiens greeted them.
“We can put her in the guest room,” Naomi said as she unlocked her apartment door. “It’s quiet, and the bed is comfortable . . . so says my daughter.”
Lacy was so exhausted that she fell asleep the instant Gina placed her on the bed. Everyone stood outside the bedroom watching while Naomi pulled a lightweight blanket from the closet and gently tucked it around Lacy before leaving the room and closing the door.
“Have a seat in the living room, folks.” She followed them. “After the little angel wakes up, we’ll have lasagna. But shh, don’t tell her what I put in it.”
A look of concern came over Gina. “In the lasagna?”
Sherry laughed. “Naomi’s known for adding all sorts of things to food to make it more nutritious.”
“It’s the only way some of you would eat your vegetables.”
Gina nodded and smiled. “So what’s in it today?”
“Zucchini fresh from the Village vegetable garden.” Naomi lifted her chin. “I steamed it and pulverized it in the food processor before I added it to the sauce.”
Sherry chuckled. “If you think that’s weird, you should see what she puts in mashed potatoes.”
Brad made a face. “I can only imagine.”
“It’s just cauliflower.”
“So that’s why your mashed potatoes are always so lumpy. I wondered—”
“Yeah.” Naomi took a step toward the kitchen. “I’ll bring a tray of drinks and munchies. Who wants lemonade and who wants iced tea?”
Brad’s eyes lit up. “I love your lemonade, so I’ll take that.” He paused and lifted a finger. “Wait a minute. What do you put in the lemonade?”
Naomi gave him a closed-mouth smile and pretended to zip her lips.
“Lemonade for me, too, please,” Sherry said. “Whatever you do to the lemonade tastes good, so I won’t ask questions.”
Gina shook her head. “Nothing for me, thank you.”
Naomi frowned. “Surely you want something to drink. I promise, all I put in it is lemons, sugar, and water.”
“I’m fine.”
“Whatever.” Naomi disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her guests sitting in the living room.
Sherry felt a bit awkward as the three of them sat and stared at each other, none of them saying a word. Then all three of them opened their mouths at the same time, and they laughed.
Brad pointed to Gina. “You go first.”
“I was just going to say how much I like Bloomfield. The people are so . . . friendly.”
“And meddlesome?” Naomi hollered from the kitchen.
“Oh yeah,” Brad agreed. “But in a friendly, well-meaning way.”
Gina shrugged. “I wouldn’t exactly call it meddlesome. I think it’s nice when people care.”
“Some people care too much.” Sherry cast a nervous glance toward the kitchen.
“I heard that.” Naomi poked her head around the corner. “Don’t think just because I’m pushin’ eighty I can’t hear.”
“If I . . . we . . . decide to move, we’ll definitely consider Bloomfield, but I’m still not sure that’s the right thing for Lacy.”
Sherry resisted the urge to ask questions. She could tell Brad struggled too. However, Naomi didn’t have a problem prying as she walked into the living room carrying a tray of drinks—with one more glass than people in the room. She lifted
two drinks and handed them both to Gina. “Since you couldn’t make up your mind which you wanted, I brought you one of each.”
Gina hesitated only for a few seconds before she took both glasses. “I, uh . . . I didn’t really, well . . .”
Naomi placed coasters on the table beside her. “Next time you’ll know. I’ll go get the food.”
Sherry had to stifle a giggle, and she could see Brad’s lips twitching again. Once Naomi had left, Sherry smiled at Gina. “Like I said, some people—”
“I care just enough to make sure people are happy,” Naomi hollered.
Gina took a sip of tea, then lemonade. “They’re both good.” She set the glasses down, sighed, and squared her shoulders. “Maybe Jeremy will consider coming to Bloomfield to look for a job. It seems like the perfect place to get a fresh start. He loves working with his hands, and there aren’t enough remodeling or new construction jobs available for all the people out of work.”
Naomi returned carrying another tray filled with veggies, fruit, and several choices of dip. Brad tilted his head and gave her a teasing look. “What? No junk food? Where are the chips?”
“I’m watching my cholesterol, and at your age, you should, too, Brad.”
He playfully scowled. “Are you saying I’m getting old?”
“Of course not.” She pointed to the tray. “Now eat your vegetables like a good boy.”
CHAPTER FIVE_5
After a two-hour nap, Lacy came out of the guest room rubbing her eyes. “Mommy, I like the polka dot dance.”
Everyone laughed. Naomi jumped up from her chair and took Lacy by the hand. “How about you and I go put the finishing touches on dinner so everyone can eat?”
Lacy perked up and skipped into the kitchen, jabbering away. “You want me to touch everyone’s dinner?”
“No, sweetie, that’s just a figure of speech.”
“Oh.”
Gina sighed for the umpteenth time that day. “She really loves it here. I’ve never seen Lacy so happy for so long.”
