Do re mi fa so la ti do.” Annie Mae paced her room while waiting for her pa to call her down. Tonight was the talent portion of the pageant. She needed to make sure her vocal chords were in good condition.
“Hot tea with honey.” Mama thrust a mug into her hands. “Sip it slowly. Don’t burn your throat.”
Mama’s nervous fluttering around the house all day kept Annie Mae on edge. “Thank you.” She sat on the edge of her bed. “I’m scared. What if my voice cracks?”
“You’re in first place, dear. There’s nothing to be worried about. Sing as if you’re singing in church and the prize is yours.”
Annie Mae wished she had her mother’s confidence. In her experience, something always went wrong when she wanted something as badly as she wanted a first-place ribbon.
A horn honked outside, signaling that it was time to go. Annie Mae took a couple more sips of her drink then followed Mama outside.
Pa held the car door open. “Daughter, you’re riding inside tonight. Ma will ride in the back. We can’t have you getting mussed.” He grinned.
Annie Mae’s eyes widened. It didn’t seem right for Mama to sit in the back with the young’uns.
“Time’s wastin’. Let’s go.” Pa slapped the door.
Annie Mae slid onto the worn seat. She wanted to say thank you, she loved them, any number of things, but Mama had made her promise not to speak another word until it was time to sing. That was going to be a near impossible feat. She’d really wanted to talk to Daisy before stepping onto that stage. Which was ridiculous. She needed to speak with people, not animals. Better yet, God. She closed her eyes and said a prayer. When she opened them again, they were at the fairgrounds.
Pa helped her from the truck as if she were royalty. While the rest of the family headed to the front of the tent, he led Annie Mae through the back entrance. “Good luck, sweetheart.” He gave her a tender kiss on the cheek then left to join the rest of the family.
Only five girls would showcase their talents, the rest having not made the cut. One was dressed in a flowing gown and would dance the foxtrot with her brother. Another was going to tap dance, another yodel, and yet another was doing a poetry reading. It might not be a pageant by New York or Hollywood standards, but Pulaski County did their best.
Annie Mae ran her hands down the flowing skirt of the peacock-blue dress her mother had sewn for her and took one last glance in the mirror provided for the girls. She was to be the last to perform.
The first girl’s name was called, and Annie Mae peeked through a slit in the curtains to watch. The girl’s yodels filled the tent. Cows answered from the livestock corrals. Annie Mae smiled and glanced to where Jonathan sat. How could the man sit with such an impassive expression on his face? He almost looked bored.
If he hadn’t wanted to judge, he shouldn’t have accepted in his father’s place. There were other men who would have been very happy to sit in his seat.
As she watched, Sheriff Barton approached the judge’s table and whispered something to Jonathan. He paled and bolted to his feet then dashed out of the tent. Mr. Smithson took Jonathan’s seat, folded his hands on the table in front of him, and listened as the first contestant finished her talent.
Annie Mae let the curtain fall into place. She didn’t have a chance of winning first place now. Not with Pa’s nemesis as one of the judges. What could have taken Jonathan away in such a hurry?
Before she knew it, her turn had come. With palms sweating, she stepped into the spotlight, nodded at the piano player, and sang, focusing her gaze on the loving faces of her family. Her voice didn’t crack or warble. Instead, had there been rafters in that tent, they would have rung with her praise. Through it all, Mr. Smithson sat stonily, looking everywhere but at Annie Mae.
When she was finished, she thanked the judges and gave a curtsy. She’d done her best.
Fifteen minutes later, after the judges’ deliberation, the girls were called back onstage. Mr. Washington, microphone in hand, turned and smiled. “Without further ado, we will announce our winners. In third place, we have Ila Ruth Mason. In second place, Annie Mae Thompkins. Miss Pulaski County 1930 goes to …”
Annie Mae didn’t hear the rest. She’d lost. Tears burned her eyes. Sure, she’d receive ten dollars, but that wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. All her hopes now lay on Daisy. She plastered a smile on her face as the first-place winner accepted her bouquet of roses and her crown.
As soon as it was polite to do so, Annie Mae bounded down the steps of the stage and into her pa’s open arms. “I failed you,” she sobbed.
“That could never happen. It was just a bit of bad luck.”
“Better luck next time, Thompkins.” Mr. Smithson gave a nod on his way past.
“It’s cold for that man to take out his grievance with me on my innocent daughter.” Pa held Annie Mae close.
“We don’t know that’s what happened.” She forced the words past a throat clogged with tears.
“Of course that’s what happened. I know how that man thinks and acts. Come. Let’s see how Daisy did.”
Lulu slipped her tiny hand in Annie Mae’s as they walked to the livestock pens. “You sang real pretty.”
“Thank you, sweetie.” Annie Mae gave her sister’s hand a squeeze. She had sung her best. Unfortunately, circumstances were out of her control.
“Oh.” Next to the hog pens, Mama clapped a hand over her mouth and turned to Annie Mae.
“Second place?” Annie Mae glared at the blue ribbon on Belle’s pen. Second place for the second time that night, and all because of Jonathan Mercer. On top of the red ribbon instead of blue, two people left messages that they wanted to purchase Daisy.
“Mr. Thompkins, Mrs. Thompkins?” Sheriff Barton stepped into the tent. “I’m wondering whether I could ask for a charitable favor.”
“Sure, Sheriff.” Pa reached out and shook the man’s hand.
“Frank Mercer passed into eternity less than an hour ago. I’m wondering whether your missus could go sit with Harriet. See what the family needs?”
Annie Mae swallowed past the mountain in her throat. She’d had bad thoughts about Jonathan, but no matter how bad she thought her night was, his was a thousand times worse. “I’ll go, just as soon as I change out of this dress.”
Jonathan stared at his pa’s lifeless body, his arm around Ma. She sniffed into a lace-trimmed handkerchief. Next to them stood his siblings, features still, but tears filled their eyes.
When he’d arrived home, Ma had told him that Pa had insisted on feeding the hogs. Eric helped the best he could, trying to do most of the heavy lifting, but at the age of ten, there wasn’t a lot he could do. Pa had collapsed on his way back to the house.
Jonathan should have been there. Just as with Marcus, he hadn’t been around when he was needed the most. Nor had he been there for Annie Mae. Word didn’t take long to spread through Rabbit Hollow as to who won first place and where the other contestants placed.
“What are we going to do now, son?” Ma leaned her head on his shoulder.
“I’ll take care of it. We’ll be fine.” He’d done the majority of the work since returning home from the work relief. It wouldn’t be difficult to continue doing so. “The children will have to step up and do a bit more work. If we all pull together, we’ll be fine.”
“What about asking Annie Mae Thompkins to marry you?” Ma peered up at him. “Then we could combine farms and workload. You’ve always taken a liking to her.”
That was an idea. One he wasn’t adverse to, but now was not the time to make such a decision.
A knock sounded on the door. Suzanne rushed to get it then called out, “That girl you want to marry is here with a casserole.”
Jonathan turned and met Annie Mae’s startled gaze. “I’m sorry about that. You know how children are. Come in, please.”
“Let me take that. Thank you so much.” Ma took the dish and set it on the stove. “I hope you’ll stay and have a bite with us. I do believe I smell your mother’s potato and ham specialty.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Annie Mae fussed with her dress. “I’ve come to express my condolences and to help wherever I’m needed.”
“We need someone to slop the hogs,” Eric said.
“We could use you to feed the chickens,” Suzanne added.
Jonathan wanted to box their ears. “They’re trying to palm their chores off on you. Have a seat, we’re just saying good-bye to Pa. The coroner will be by soon.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “I hadn’t expected him to still be here.”
“Neither did I.” The coroner must be walking to retrieve Pa’s body. The sooner things settled down, the sooner Jonathan could escape to his tree house and let go the tears blocking his throat. He turned his head so Annie Mae couldn’t see.
“Mrs. Mercer?” Annie Mae approached Ma at the stove. “I’ll serve the food. Please, go say good-bye to your husband. There’s no need to treat me like a guest.”
“Thank you, honey.” Ma sat on the sofa next to where Pa lay.
Jonathan went to close the front door and saw the coroner and Pastor Forrest driving up. It was about time. Didn’t they understand the pain of having your father lying dead in the living room?
“I’m sorry I’m late.” The coroner hurried to Pa’s side. “I had a flat. If the pastor hadn’t come along when he did, I’d still be sitting out there.”
“Let me pray for you while he works.” The pastor gathered the family in the kitchen and prayed a prayer for strength to get through the tough times ahead.
As he prayed, the tears Jonathan was holding in fell. He was now the man of the house. The burden weighed heavy on his shoulders. Gone was the Mercer figurehead, the man of wisdom who seemed to have all the answers. His head jerked up when the pastor prayed they find joy in their sorrow. Was that even possible?
The children’s sobs rose above the pastor’s prayer. Ma cried silently, her shoulders moving with her grief. Jonathan came to a decision. If there was joy to be found, he would figure out a way to bring it to his family. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but he’d see they were all happy again. He glanced to where Annie Mae watched them, her face creased with concern. Maybe joy would start with her.
By the time the pastor and coroner left with Pa’s body, Jonathan collapsed at the kitchen table. He couldn’t remember ever being as tired as he was at that moment.
“I’m so sorry.” Annie Mae handed him a plate then sat next to him. “Tell me what you need.”
“Now is not the time for that.” He set the plate on a nearby chair. “Sorry, but I’m not hungry.”
“You should eat.” She twisted a dish towel in her hands. “Belle won first place. Congratulations.”
“I’d give you the ribbon if I could. It doesn’t mean much to me anymore.”
“No, now, with your Pa gone … you need the prize money to help support your family. I admit, I was sore at first. And then I came in second in the pageant, too. I blamed you for leaving, not having a clue about why you left in such a hurry. Pa’s rival took your place, so there went my chance. I’d lost the moment that man sat down. He isn’t fair, like you, and allows his own prejudices to decide for him.”
She took a deep breath. He took her hand in his and traced the lines on her palm. “Isn’t that why you wanted the money?”
She nodded. “We’ve two good offers to purchase Daisy. We’ll be all right.”
“There has to be another way. You love that hog.” He thought for a moment, setting her hand back in her lap. “How about I lend you one of my boars? It’s not an immediate fix, but you could sell the piglets.”
“What would you want in return?”
“For you to be open-minded enough to let me court you after I’ve finished mourning.”