Plain City Bridesmaids

by Dianne Christner

  “Not until she does the garbanzo dance!” Fletch yelled back.

  Lil laughed, did one little shimmy, then promptly seated herself, pulling Fletch down by the sleeve. He turned and stared at her, still beaming at her accomplishment.

  “I’m glad you understand how important this is to me.”

  “I’m proud of you. I’m speechless.”

  “Thanks.”

  Applause sounded as the event began. “Cute,” Fletch said. The youngsters peddled every way but straight ahead. He glanced over at Lil. “But I can’t believe you didn’t call me right away with the big news.”

  “I had some things to think through first.” And it seemed she still did. She had planned to tell him about the veal dish, but now she wasn’t so sure. Things were going so great between them. He had destroyed the video for her and her family. And he had a surprise in store for her. Something that would help her family forgive him. Could she ask him not to boycott veal, too? When he gave her another side hug, she knew she couldn’t. There would have to be another way. She would try to change her boss’s mind instead.

  In spite of the fact that Plain City was in the middle of a dry spell, harvest was starting earlier than usual. It stirred up clouds of dust in the corn and soybean fields on either side of the road so that Fletch kept his windows closed. Buddy panted against the glass, seeming to know where they were headed. It was Fletch’s night to volunteer at the shelter.

  He pulled into the drive, and once he’d parked, he released Buddy for some exercise. He knew the basset’s routine of sniffing along the fence row and the strip of bushes on the east side of the drive. It ended by whining or howling at the front door of the farmhouse until Ashley fussed over him. He was smitten with all females.

  A sudden noise similar to a creaking branch sent Fletch glancing up into a nearby pine. Curious, he brought his gaze down and extended it out toward the barn. The sun’s glare was blinding so he gave his cap a tug to shade his vision. He heard another noise and saw two elongated shadows zip around the far corner of the barn.

  Fletch hastened his steps until he broke into a run, chasing after the shadows. When he came around the barn, he saw two men preparing to hurdle the fence to the neighboring pasture. One of them was carrying a small animal.

  His heart somersaulted. “Stop!” Not even wanting to think about their intentions for the animal, he sped after the thieves. They had stopped by the fence when one of them got his shirt caught. But by the time Fletch reached the fence, they had both taken off again. The bleating animal was one of the shelter’s lambs. Fletch thought he could outrun them if his lungs didn’t cave in first.

  He hurdled the fence. “Stop!”

  The men kept running.

  Fletch chased after them. Panting hard, he got within several yards and decided to go after the guy with the lamb. He dove for his legs. The runner stumbled, smacked the ground, and rolled. Meanwhile, the lamb jumped clear. Fletch easily pinned down the intruder.

  The guy he’d tackled was only a kid, about high school age. Fletch had the boy’s arm pinned, and his knee was on the small of the boy’s back. “What’s your name?”

  The boy grunted. “You’re hurting me.”

  About that time, Marcus ran up to them. Probably given the bodybuilder’s enormous physique, the lad was too frightened to try to escape, and he even blurted out his name. But when Fletch looked out over the pasture, he saw the accomplice had gotten away.

  The police arrived soon after that. They had picked up the other boy farther down the road. When they saw him dash behind a tree, they hauled him in on suspicion. Both boys were handcuffed and placed in the back of the police car while the officers took Fletch’s statement.

  When they questioned Marcus about the shelter, Fletch told the officers he needed to get the lamb back to safety and to examine the other animals.

  “We’ll drive up to the barn before we go to get your report on the other animals.”

  At the barn, Fletch was relieved to learn that all the animals were unharmed, including Cottonball. He must have startled the intruders before they did damage to the barn again.

  Later Marcus was able to explain to Fletch that the vandals were farm boys acting on dares. They claimed they’d gotten the idea listening to their dads speak negatively about the shelter. “Thanks, man, for stopping them.”

  “No problem, but you showed up at just the right moment. I was still trying to figure out how to call you and keep my hold on the kid.”

  “Ashley had gone to the door to let Buddy in and saw ya take off around the barn like your pants were on fire. She alerted me. I was pretty much right behind ya, only I couldn’t keep up with ya.”

  Fletch shook his head. “I still have a stitch in my side. I can’t remember when I ran that fast. I knew I could catch them as long as I didn’t collapse first.”

  Marcus chuckled. “I owe ya. Thanks for your help, man.”

  “No problem.” Fletch could hardly believe that Marcus thought he owed him, but it made a good opportunity to give him back the camera. He took it from his pocket, hoping he hadn’t broken it in the scuffle. After a quick examination, it seemed fine. “I guess your dad told you I deleted that film?”

  Marcus accepted the camera with a sigh. “Yeah. He was pretty upset about it. But man, with this arrest, what those boys did, we could get some free publicity. I think I’m going to call the newspaper.”

  “What if it’s not good publicity?”

  “They admitted they were the ones who vandalized us before. They injured a horse and stole a lamb. How can that be bad publicity for us? Even if it is, it will still promote awareness.” Marcus ran a hand over the top of his shaved head.

  “I’m glad the horse is recovering.”

  “I know. Funny how those kids confessed to everything. I wonder if more kids were involved? The ones who dared them?”

  “I suppose the officers will get the entire story out of them.”

  “Who knows? There might have been other incidents.”

  “That’s true.”

  Marcus looked at the camera he held. “I guess Dad gave you an ultimatum?”

  “The veal boycotting? I won’t be doing that either.”

  “Oh man. Ya sure ya can’t humor him?”

  Hard as it was to see Marcus’s pain, Fletch held firm. “Sorry. Not this time. How’s his chemo going?”

  “We don’t know yet. But at least he’s willing to give it a try.”

  Fletch nodded. “I’m praying for remission.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Well, I’m done here. Cottonball’s fine. But if this had happened a few weeks earlier, or if they’d taken Flannel, it would have been traumatic, probably life threatening. Anyway, I’m finished with my rounds. Guess I’ll go find Buddy and be on my way.”

  On the drive home, Fletch found it hard to release his anger at the kids’ disregard of animal life. He didn’t know what their intentions had been with the lamb, but he knew if they’d swiped or hurt Buddy, he’d have had a hard time getting over it.

  The next morning at the clinic, Vic greeted Fletch with the Plain City Advocate. “Looks like you had some action last night. You made the local news.”

  “I’ll bet it’s going to be in the Columbus Dispatch, too.”

  “I don’t like your name being listed, being involved with the shelter.”

  Fletch quickly scanned the article to see what had been written about him:

  Fletch Stauffer is a veterinary student interning under Vic’s Veterinary Clinic. The Plain City Farm Shelter operates mostly with volunteer help, and Stauffer is one of many who donate their time to help abused animals.

  Fletch groaned and continued reading:

  He was getting ready to do a routine check when he saw two shadows sneaking around the barn.

  “I can’t believe you gave them all that information. My name!”

  Fletch slapped the paper back down on the waiting room coffee table. “I didn’t. Marcus
must have.”

  “Well, let’s hope this doesn’t cause us to lose any clients.”

  “You would have done the same thing, if it had been you. The kids were stealing an animal.”

  “I know. I know. I’ll be glad when we don’t have to go out there anymore.” Vic picked up the newspaper and threw it in the trash. “Don’t want anybody seeing that.”

  But that evening when Fletch had returned to his apartment, he snapped open the newspaper that he had retrieved from the trash on his way out of the clinic. He read the article more thoroughly, considering all the implications for himself, Vic, and the shelter. As his mind worked through the matter, he found himself flipping through the rest of the newspaper.

  In the restaurant section, where he usually found some fast-food coupons, something caught his attention. He pulled the paper closer, studying it carefully. Volo Italiano? That was Lil’s restaurant. The article was about her! His face broke into a beaming smile. She was making her dream come true. He was so proud of her. So glad he’d dug the paper out of the trash. He continued reading:

  Volo Italiano is proud to announce its new chef, Lillian Landis. She brings delicious new entrées to the menu. Look for her signature dish, Lily’s Veal Ravioli. The first twenty-five customers who order her special entrée will be given a 10 percent discount.

  The paper slipped from his hand, floated to the floor, and hit Buddy on the head. The dog jumped back, startled.

  “Sorry, Buddy. It’s just that I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.” Fletch shook his head, remembering that she hadn’t even told him about the promotion when it first happened. Why would she withhold such great news?

  He thought back to their discussion at the Shekinah Festival. She had seemed nervous, but he had taken it as humility over her promotion. He thought she was celebrating, but was she really just relieved that he was happy for her … because … her signature dish was veal, and she was afraid to tell him?

  If she was afraid to tell him, then she thought he was going to boycott veal. She didn’t trust him, thought he was still allowing Marshall to call the shots. Not only that, what kind of statement was she trying to make with her signature veal dish? Surely she could have made spinach ravioli her dish. Why the veal? This was disturbing news.

  CHAPTER 30

  Buddy’s tail vigorously thumped the wood flooring of the doddy house porch as Fletch waited for Lil to answer her doorbell. When the door cracked open, it was secured by a safety chain that Jake had added when Katy and Lil first moved into the doddy house.

  “Fletch! Hi!”

  He waited as she rattled the latch free. Buddy rushed in before Fletch could grab him.

  “Uh-oh!”

  “Buddy!” Fletch called sternly, embarrassed at the dog’s poor manners. The basset obediently returned and gazed up at him.

  “Sorry about that. I was going to ask if we could come in first…. I …”

  “It’s fine. Buddy just surprised me. He won’t hurt Slinky?”

  “That’s why I brought him. I thought we should introduce them while Slinky’s still a kitten. Buddy will accept Slinky because this is not his territory, but if we wait too long, Slinky might not allow a dog in his domain.” He gave her a grin. “And I’d hate to think a mere kitten was keeping us apart.”

  Lil nodded skeptically. “Come in. Slinky’s in his bed.”

  Fletch followed Lil into the living room, where she gently lifted up the kitten into her arms. He was pleased to see the bond that had formed between them. “Where’s Megan?”

  “At her folks. She misses them. Goes home pretty often.”

  “That must make it lonely for you.”

  “Yes. But it’s a small sacrifice. I’m relieved to have my own place.” She looked at the kitten. “How do we do this?”

  “Why don’t you pet Buddy and show your acceptance of the dog. Try to keep Slinky out of Buddy’s space, or he’ll poke his nose up against him and provoke the kitten to scratch. I’ll help by holding Buddy’s collar.”

  Lil gave a nervous nod, then knelt. With one hand, she kept Slinky in her lap. The other she extended toward Buddy. He sniffed her hand and leaned into her, his tail wagging. “Good, doggie. You’re so cute. I’ve missed you.”

  Meanwhile, Slinky squirmed, and Lil wasn’t able to restrain the kitten.

  Slinky pounced off Lil’s lap, gave Buddy’s face a swat, and sprang to the floor. Buddy backed up, startled but not aggressive. He placed his face on his front paws, eyeing Slinky from his side vision, while pretending to ignore the kitten.

  Lil softly giggled.

  “We should probably just let them go. If Buddy gets tired of Slinky, he’ll growl, and then we can separate them for a while.”

  The kitten pounced, swatted the dog, and retreated. Buddy squirmed.

  By now both Fletch and Lil had lowered themselves to the oval braided carpet. Fletch moved to get comfortable, resting his arm on a sofa cushion. “How’s your job going?” he asked, giving her the opportunity to be open about her veal dish.

  “First I have to tell you the good news. Matt’s hoop barns are being delivered on Friday. He’s so excited. They already poured the cement pads.”

  “That is great news.” Things remained strained between them, but Fletch had talked to Matt at church. At that time, he hadn’t had a delivery date yet. This information was vital to the plan he had mentioned to Lil at the Shekinah Festival. With it, he hoped to win back her family’s acceptance and approval.

  She reached down to pet the kitten, which had pounced back into her lap. “Matt still needs to procure a contract with an integrator company, but he claims that will be easier done, now that he’s getting the barns. He said the procedures are almost like starting up a new farm. And of course he still needs to get the hogs healthy again.”

  “Yes. He needs to practice isolation before the disease spreads, and the sooner the better,” Fletch agreed. “I’m glad things are working out for your family. How’s your mom?”

  “She’s doing so much better.” He listened as Lil told him about their recent conversation. She seemed excited that her parents were communicating again. It made him wonder why Lil was not being open with him. Did she want to follow in her parents’ footsteps?

  His parents had always shared a special intimacy. He wanted that kind of relationship with Lil. When it came to marriage, he wouldn’t settle for anything less. He’d been disappointed when Lil turned down his idea of visiting each other’s churches. To him, it felt like she wasn’t ready to commit to their relationship. As his dad had mentioned, if they weren’t moving forward, they were moving backward.

  “Lil, how’s work? How’s the new position going for you?”

  Her eyes darted nervously to the animals, avoiding eye contact with him. “It’s hard. Real hard.”

  “Why is that?”

  She met his gaze. “Because I have to make all the decisions. Not only that, but we’ve made some menu changes, and the cooks aren’t getting it right. I’m not comfortable critiquing them, but if we don’t get it right, Camila will hold me responsible. It’s intimidating to be in charge of a kitchen full of outsiders with more seniority. I’m not sure I like being the boss.”

  “They wouldn’t have chosen you for the position if they didn’t respect you. Giovanni and Camila are confident you are the best qualified. Instead of trying to please the other cooks or even your boss, you need to focus on the food. You’re good at that. They will follow your lead.”

  “I suppose.”

  Buddy crowded Fletch, trying to avoid the playful kitten. Absently, he massaged Buddy under the muzzle. “It will get easier. Every job has its less-enjoyable aspects. Tell me about the new items on the menu.”

  “Oh, look.” The kitten had suddenly quit playing and curled up next to Buddy’s side. “Isn’t that cute? I think they’re going to get along fine.”

  “So we can be one big happy family, right?” He pointed at her and back at himself a few times, hoping t
o coax a smile out of her, hoping she wanted their relationship to turn into something permanent as much as he did.

  “I hope so.”

  What was with this cautious, hesitant attitude? Normally Lil was out-front with everything. This was a facet of her personality that had drawn him to her. He wondered if it was her means of pulling away from him. Figuring one of them needed to be direct, he finally admitted, “I read the newspaper article about your signature dish.”

  Her eyes widened, and her face paled. “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”

  He waited for her to explain, but she didn’t. “Why couldn’t you talk to me about this?”

  Her eyes held remorse. “I thought it would make things more complicated between us.”

  “Can you tell me why you chose a veal dish?”

  “It was Camila’s idea. I was going to get her to change it.”

  “Change it, because?”

  Her voice grew exasperated. “Because Marshall asked you to boycott veal.”

  “You think I’m Marshall’s puppet?”

  “You didn’t tell me what your intentions were. And now that Marshall has cancer …” Lil shrugged. “You’d already destroyed the video. I didn’t want to put more pressure on you.”

  Her lack of confidence disappointed him.

  Buddy yipped, and the kitten jumped up, frightened. Lil scooped it up and cuddled it. “Shh. Shh.”

  Fletch hardly understood the disappointment and anger rising up to overwhelm him. Sure he’d made a mistake. But it was heartbreaking that nobody saw his good intentions and acknowledged the sacrifices he was willing to make. He was tired of shouldering the blame for everything, being the one who had to apologize over and over again. Sorry she didn’t trust him.

  Lil had been retreating from his advances from the beginning. He was tired of it. “Look, Lil. I feel as though I’m the only one trying to make us happen. You don’t trust me. You throw up your guard at every turn, as if I’m making you choose between your family and me. Your job and me. It’s not like that. I’m all about winning them back. I won’t quit until that happens. I’m about making you happy. But you’re constantly pushing me away.”