Please, tell me you’re fooling.”
Paige Callahan’s best friend clutched two corners of the red-and-white-checkered tablecloth as they readied it to cover one of the hand-hewn wooden tables inside the newly built Agriculture Hall on the outskirts of the fairgrounds.
“I wish I could say I was, but that would be a lie.” Paige grabbed the other two corners and smiled across the expanse of fabric at Millie as they laid it evenly across the table. “At least Charlie asked to speak to me privately first instead of assuming or announcing it to Mama and Papa.”
“Did he ask your father yet?”
“No.” And thank goodness for that. Mama and Papa would pressure her to accept and be relentless in providing all the reasons it would be a good match. “He said he wanted to be certain I was in agreement before he arranged to speak with Papa.”
“He just dropped it on you though? Like an idea for a business merger? No romantic words? No flowers? Nothing?”
“It was a very matter-of-fact conversation.” Paige smoothed her hands across the tablecloth to eliminate any wrinkles. Faint strains of a string quartet playing Gershwin’s “Lullaby” floated on the breeze from the orchestra stage across the way. “I must admit, I was a little surprised he managed to gather up enough courage to even broach the subject in the first place.” Charles wasn’t exactly known for his bold nature, or for taking any kind of risk, for that matter. Proposing marriage? That was a giant step.
“That is a good point,” Millie replied. “He sure has earned his ‘Conventional Charlie’ nickname. Always living life exactly as planned and never straying.” She stepped to the next table and reached for the folded tablecloth on top of it. “But are you really surprised? I mean, you two have been pushed together almost since you were born.”
Paige poked out her lower lip and released a puff of air, stirring the flyaway strands of her bangs across her forehead. She joined Millie again at the opposite end of the table and caught her end of the tablecloth as it came sailing toward her. “That certainly hasn’t been anything I’ve encouraged, but what other options have I had?”
They made quick work of covering that table and moved on to the next. “At present, there aren’t a lot.” Millie tugged on her end to even out the sides. “When we were finishing our studies in school, though, the selection was a lot more diverse.”
“And then so many of the good ones were sent off to serve in the Great War.” Paige’s eyes met Millie’s. “You lost Christopher, and I lost Grandpa Milton and Uncle Robert. Papa hasn’t been the same since.”
Millie pressed her lips into a thin line and inhaled then exhaled slowly. “Between the Great War and then the influenza, I don’t think any town was left untouched.”
Now, how had their conversation shifted to such dismal topics? Setting up for the annual state fair was always such an exciting time. “That’s true, but I think we did an admirable job of recovering and even going on to achieve greater things.” Paige swung her arm wide to encompass the Ag Hall where they stood. “Take this building, for example. When the fair was first brought here to Douglas, there was that little grandstand, and people camped in tents out there in the field. Now, we have a brand-new Ag Hall and shiny steel grandstands instead of that old, dilapidated wooden one.”
“No more splinters,” Millie chimed in with a big grin. She raised her forefinger. “But even with the simple things, we had the best racetrack in the state!”
“Ah, right.” Paige winked. “For all those roundup wagon races and horses running around in circles for what felt like an eternity.”
Giggles erupted from Millie, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes shone bright above her fingers. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe I remember a certain young girl in those early years who was so fascinated by the excitement of the races, she sneaked away from her mama and daddy and hid under the grandstand to watch.”
“Can you blame me?” Paige protested. “The state fair and those races are the most exciting thing that happens here in Douglas.” She planted her fists on her hips and sent a mock glare toward her friend. As if Millie was completely innocent of any misbehavior or disobedience herself. “And I wasn’t exactly alone in my covert observation.” Paige wagged a finger. “You were right there with me.”
Millie placed her hand on her chest and sighed. “Guilty as charged.”
“No wonder we got along so well then … and still do.”
With her thumb holding her pinkie finger down, Millie pressed the other three fingers together and mimicked the Girl Scout hand signal. “Through thick and thin, best friends to the end,” she vowed.
Paige couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s antics. The Girl Scouts weren’t available for them when they were younger, but they knew of a lot of girls enrolled now. At least those girls could go on adventures and add a little excitement to their lives.
“All right, best friend,” Paige began as she moved from the now-covered tables to all the items left for them to set up and arrange. “You know Mrs. Waverly is going to be here any minute to check on our progress. We’d better get moving.”
Millie scrunched up her nose. “You mean Sergeant Waverly?” An appropriate name for the woman who demanded everything be in tip-top shape and wasn’t beyond using harsh tones and clipped words to see that happen.
“Exactly,” Paige replied. “She won’t be happy if this isn’t all done. Judging starts tomorrow with the opening of the fair. We don’t have any time to waste.” She perused everything left to be organized. “Could you make sure the canning table display is complete?” she called over her shoulder. “Showcase our regulars front and center, then fill in any empty spaces with the newcomers and work your magic.”
“I can do that!” Millie turned away and headed for that table.
Paige watched her friend’s chestnut hair sway with each step. She hadn’t been looking for a friend when Millie virtually blew into her life all those years ago. They began as classmates assigned to the same row in the schoolroom. It didn’t take long for Millie’s unique eye and appreciation for the arrangement of things to earn her a place as the teacher’s favorite helper, right alongside Paige, and that had cemented their friendship. Millie’s infectious zest for life had wormed its way into Paige’s life and heart. Now, she couldn’t imagine life without her.
She gave the hall an experienced appraisal. Checkered tablecloths covered every wooden table, aligned to allow ease of access for the fair attendees and for those who had entered their prized items to be front and center during judging. Signs were hung from the rafters, designating each of those areas. Fresh pinecones and well-placed potpourri provided just the right amount of freshness to mask the potential mustiness of a place that remained sealed tight most of the year.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!” Millie’s excited voice called to her from among the glass jars of both sweet and dill pickles she now arranged. “Sarah Cooper’s engaged!”
“Did Jonathan Brandt finally get around to asking her father for permission?” Paige smiled. Jonathan was one of those mischievous boys growing up who always seemed to be causing trouble and pulling harmless pranks on others. But when Sarah moved into town, all of that changed.
“Aww, don’t give him a hard time when you see him.” Millie looked up. “It’s not his fault Sarah’s father was an officer in the Great War and earned several medals. That would intimidate any man, let alone one trying to court his daughter.”
“You’re right. Jonathan changed a lot after he met Sarah. He deserves happiness as much as any of us, and I’m glad to see he’s getting it with Sarah.” At least he had found a sweet girl like Sarah and set the course of his life accordingly.
“Then why do I get the feeling you’re not as happy as you say you are?”
Paige glanced up and found Millie standing on the other side of the table. Her friendly smile and tender expression warmed Paige’s heart.
“Never mind, I bet I can guess,” Millie continued before Paige could answer. She folded her arms. “You’re thinking about Charlie and what he said to you just before you came here, and you’re wondering if his matter-of-fact suggestion is all you’re going to get.” She wagged a finger in Paige’s direction. “And you’re back to wishing something different or better would happen. You’re dwelling on what you don’t have instead of thanking God for what you do.”
Her friend was right, but it didn’t stop the pain of Paige’s predictable life. The man who had never really officially courted her had reached the age of twenty-five and decided it was time to put a check mark in front of the next item on his list for life. And that’s when he told her he thought they should talk about when they would marry. No fanfare. No sentiment. Just the facts. It all made sense, but was it what she wanted? Or was it just what everyone expected?
“Charlie is a very nice man.” Paige raised her hand. “He’s intelligent, hardworking, devoted,” she said, tapping out each adjective on a fingertip. “Trustworthy, dependable.”
“Always happy to greet you,” Millie chimed in. “Content to stay right by your side.”
Paige nodded. “Yes. That’s Charlie all right.”
“I hate to say this, Paige, but you might as well describe your favorite dog instead of a man who has for the most part offered marriage to you.”
Paige grimaced. Had it really sounded that bad? “I’m sorry, Millie. I didn’t intend to drag you into my melancholy state.” She gestured toward the tables around them. “I think a big reason I agree to supervise this part of the fair each year is it gives me something to look forward to. The judging is full of excitement, and it brings me to a place where people come from all over the state of Wyoming to gather in droves for this one week. They’re all eager to go home with one of those prized blue ribbons, or maybe even win the one hundred dollars offered by the Wyoming State Tribune to the winner of the spelling bee. But each time I walk the fair and see a smiling couple, I’m reminded yet again that I’m alone.”
Sympathy filled Millie’s eyes. She stepped forward and clasped Paige’s hands in her own. “You’re not alone. You’ve got me.” Paige raised one eyebrow and Millie conceded. “All right, seriously. You’ll find that special someone. You just have to trust God and believe He knows what’s best.”
Paige offered a quick prayer of thanks for bringing Millie into her life and providing such a dear friend. “My head knows that, but it’s not easy convincing my heart, especially when evening comes at the fair and I see all those happy pairs holding hands, oblivious to everyone around them.” She released a sigh, blowing a loose tendril of hair from her eyes in the process. “It’s enough to send me into a fit of doldrums!”
Millie gave Paige’s hands a squeeze. “Be patient. It’ll happen for you when it’s time.”
Paige pulled away and turned toward the back wall. “You know, I can’t tell you how old that sage piece of advice is. ‘Be patient.’ ‘God knows best.’ ‘It’s not time yet.’” She repeated the myriad of pat lines she’d heard over the years, each one meant to offer comfort but instead only offering more frustration. “I know God’s trying to teach me patience, but I sure wish He’d hurry up and do it!”
A laugh burst from Millie, and Paige couldn’t keep a small grin from her lips. Half expecting the words that were sure to come next, she whipped around and pointed a finger in Millie’s direction. “And don’t you say it!”
Millie held her hands up in front of her and waved them. “I wouldn’t dare. I’d be too afraid of your wrath if I did!”
Paige narrowed her eyes and cocked her head as she watched Millie. The woman barely contained her mirth, and a snicker escaped her lips. With a huff, Paige headed for the quilting area.
“Good things come to those who wait,” Millie’s voice sounded from behind.
“Argh!” Paige looked up at the roof. “Millie, you promised.”
Millie skittered back to where she’d been working with a mischievous grin lighting her face. “I know, but I couldn’t resist.” She winked then bent her head to focus on her task.
“You know, if you were a better friend, you’d be more supportive,” Paige called, raising her voice to be heard.
“If I were a better friend, I’d knock you upside the head and shake some sense into you.”
“I have plenty of sense.”
“Prove it,” came her friend’s challenge.
“All right, that’s enough.” Paige stomped in the direction of Millie’s voice but didn’t find her there. She placed her hands on her hips. “Where are you?”
“Right here.”
Millie rose up to be seen over the top of a table full of knickknacks and handmade items in various assortments. With a mock glare, Paige pursed her lips and exhaled through her nose. Times like these made her wonder how she and Millie ever put up with each other. They needled each other more than anything, but that’s probably why they got along so well. They each gave as well as they took.
“Look, just because I get upset over certain things and share my frustrations with you, it doesn’t mean I don’t have any sense.”
“No, I agree. Dwelling on it doesn’t help any, though.”
But talking helped Paige get her feelings out in the open so she could deal with them. If she brushed them aside, it only made her feel worse.
“What would you do if you were in my shoes?”
Millie turned a random knickknack around and around in her hand and shrugged as she placed it back on the table. “I am in those same shoes, remember?”
Oh. Yes. Millie didn’t have a romantic suitor, either, though her friend had never suffered from the lack of them over the years.
“So why does this not bother you the way it does me?”
“Look at how often you talk about it. You spend so much time wishing for what you think you don’t have, when you should be counting the blessings in your life … like a family who loves you, work you enjoy, and a God who has a plan for your happiness.”
“I know, but all the women in my family married young. For as far back as I can remember, they were wives and mothers before they reached eighteen.” Paige headed closer to the front of the hall. “Here I am at twenty-two, and the best I can get is a man who seems to have checked ‘tell Paige it’s time to set a date’ off his to-do list.”
“Well, I hope you don’t miss it when the kind of love you’re seeking does manage to find you.”
“Oh, believe me. When I find it, I’ll know.”
Millie placed the final two crafted items on the table and turned to face Paige. She smiled then her gaze shifted to just over Paige’s shoulder and her smile disappeared as her eyes widened. With a catch in her throat, Paige froze.
Someone was standing behind her.
A chill ran up her back, but she fought off the shiver. Should she turn around and greet the person, or should she immerse herself in some menial task and leave Millie to handle it?
Before Paige could make a decision, Millie rushed forward. “Can we help you?”
With forced nonchalance, Paige turned then quickly concealed the soft gasp that almost escaped. A well-dressed gentleman stood just inside the main door to the hall. The stranger’s dark brown hair, strong jawline, and broad shoulders only complemented his neatly pressed double-breasted tan suit and felt hat set just slightly askew on his head. Even worse. He had to be attractive, too.
“Yes,” the gentleman spoke. “My name’s Andrew Lawrence. I’m wondering if either of you fine ladies might point me in the direction of the Administration building or the director’s office.”
Paige fidgeted with the pleats in her skirt and fingered the strand of beads hanging from her neck with her other hand. She swallowed once. Twice. Then, she opened her mouth, but no words came out.
The stranger grinned, one corner of his mouth quirking up slightly higher than the other. “Has the cat got your tongue, miss?”
She tried again to speak. No such luck. Millie came to her rescue.
“If you follow the causeway to the end and turn right, the building you seek will be just around the corner.”
“Many thanks,” the man replied, reaching up to tip his hat to both of them. “Perhaps once I get my affairs settled, I’ll have the opportunity to return and engage both of you charming ladies in more extensive conversation.”
With a slight bow and a final glance in Paige’s direction, the gentleman disappeared. Was that a wink he’d just given her? No. Surely she’d only imagined it. Why on earth would he wink? They’d barely met, and thanks to her addlepated brain, they hadn’t even exchanged any words.
Millie stepped close and gave her a nudge. “Well, that was a first. You, unable to talk.”
Paige swallowed and wet her lips. “I honestly don’t know what happened. I tried to answer him, but the words wouldn’t come out.”
“If you ask me, I think you’re smitten,” Millie teased then glanced toward the door. “He was quite handsome.”
“Yes, but …”
“Who allowed that reporter in here?” a sharp voice demanded from the side door of the hall. “He’s not supposed to be here until tomorrow to cover the preliminary results of the first round of judging.” A plump form moved slowly toward the girls.
“Mrs. Waverly!” both girls chorused.
“I told him to make his way to the Administration building and gave him explicit instructions on how to find it.”
That gentleman was a reporter? And he already knew how to find the building he needed? So, why did he stop into the Ag Hall, when it was clearly marked on the outside and obviously not where he was supposed to be headed? Paige’s chest tightened as she recalled his amused gaze. There was no doubt in her mind that he had heard some of her conversation with Millie. But just how much?
“Did he see anything or take any notes? Was he here long?” Mrs. Waverly’s frantic yet irritated voice cut into Paige’s musings.
“No, ma’am,” Paige replied.
“He asked us for directions, and then he left,” Millie added.
“Strange.” The dowager woman pursed her lips. “I’m certain I already provided that to him.” She waved a hand of dismissal in the air. “Never you mind about that. Let’s see what kind of progress you girls have made.”
Paige led Mrs. Waverly around the hall, showcasing each area and the neatly arranged tables. She and Millie answered the older woman’s questions, but Paige’s mind was still back on that reporter. Why had he come into the Ag Hall? Was it mere curiosity about all the blue ribbon contender items, or could he have possibly heard them talking from outside and decided to investigate? Whatever his reason, Paige knew she’d see him again the next day. Maybe she’d be able to actually talk to him this time and ask.