“Did you see her face last night, Nora?” the elder Morgans sat alone at breakfast, their offspring long gone to the Fair. “I don’t know if our Bethie’s ever gonna get through this.”
“She will be just fine, darlin’, and don’t think I don’t know this is more hemming and hawing about the trip.”
“I want to go, sweetheart, especially to be with you. I just wish it wasn’t so long, that’s all.”
“Two months will fly by.”
Her husband nodded, and Leonora knew just what he was thinking. It wasn’t the kids or worry about Beth. It was two months away from his beloved home. Getting Ben Morgan to the theater in Phoenix or Tucson was like pulling teeth.
The prospect of being dragged round the world was practically killing him. Ever since the doctor’s diagnosis, they knew they were living on borrowed time. She wanted to use that precious time together to travel, but he wanted to be home.
“Listen, I’ll make you a deal. Let’s try it, and if you’re really homesick, we’ll head home after the first cruise. That way I’ll get to see most of Europe, and we can save the Mediterranean for the next time. It might’ve been a bit much to book two trips back to back.”
He patted her hand. “Once we’re in the saddle, I’ll probably be fine, honey.”
Leonora leaned over and kissed him. “Sure you will, darlin’. Now we’d better get a move on. The fair’ll be over ’fore we get there.”
Lang woke at dawn, out of sorts after a restless night. He showered and dressed quickly, grabbing coffee and a bagel in the lobby before checking out. The Oleander was a lovely old inn, dreamy and romantic, tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. He noticed none of it until he started for the parking lot and passed an open courtyard. Through the archway he spied a lush garden area, surrounded on all sides by walls festooned with flowering vines, hanging pots, and brightly colored tile work. Lang stopped and stood, gazing inward, sipping his coffee, transported back to the Red Mesa Inn and the magical evening he had spent with Beth.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” The man’s voice startled him and he jumped. “So sorry, sir. I’m Ned Taylor, one of the owners here. You coming or going?”
“Going, I’m ’fraid. Didn’t notice this last night.”
“No, it was booked for a small wedding party. Southwest Quarterly just dubbed it the most romantic restaurant spot in the southwest.”
They must not have visited the Red Mesa, Lang thought, nodding. “It’s a pretty spot. Reminds me of another place.”
“Red Mesa’s secret garden, I’ll wager.”
“You know it?”
“Chip Redrock is my brother-in-law. When my wife Charlene and I remodeled here, we visited her brother and took lots of pictures and measurements.”
“Small world.”
“Yes, it is. You’ll have to come back to see us again and bring the woman you were just thinking about.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Ned Taylor smiled. “Would you excuse me? Duty calls. Have a safe trip wherever you’re headed. Good day.”
The Valley Fair stretched for acres and acres to the north of the village. Some of the land was the Morgan’s ranch grazing pasture, some owned by other ranchers and some federal and state park. Once a year, the land was mowed and groomed. Fences were removed and repositioned to make way for the midway, stalls for livestock, and over two acres of booths, tables, and open markets selling everything from high-end silver jewelry to homemade fudge. All the local ranches had tables or booths, and most of the village shops as well. Gabriella passed Beth and waved as she carried armloads of clothing to her prime spot just off the midway.
“Who’s that?” Kyle asked. “That’s not that wacky ladies dress shop owner from town, is it?”
Beth laughed and shushed him. “The very one. She actually has really nice things. Both mom and I have been shopping there recently.”
“I wouldn’t spread that around if I were you.”
“Ha, ha. Now let’s get the brushes out. These lambs looks as though they’ve been through a war.”
Ruthie had already disappeared. As soon as they unloaded, she’d told them she would grab coffees and muffins and be right back, and that had been an hour earlier.
“I’m starving,” Kyle said. “What’dya think? Should we wait for our lovesick sister to return, or should I go get us something?”
Beth laughed, throwing him a brush. “Call her cell, why don’t you? I don’t want to end up here alone if the judges come by.”
A few minutes later, the errant Ruthie appeared, laden with bags of muffins and sausage rolls and a tray with three large coffees. “Sorry it took so long. The line was unbelievable.”
“Especially when you take a detour around the horse stalls, Kyle said.”
“Very funny! Do you want your coffee or not?”
“Did you see Emma?” Beth asked, taking a muffin from the bag.
“Yup. She’s about to burst a button, she’s so excited. They have a long line waiting for rides.”
The bustle of the fair swallowed them up. They were surrounded by every kind of fresh local food you could want as well as a Ferris wheel, pony rides, and midway games. The bustle of the day carried Beth away, and for a few hours, she put aside the grief and sadness to enjoy the exuberant embrace of the close-knit Valley community. People traveled from hundreds of miles to the fair, but it was the locals who carried the weekend, the crowning glory of yet another year of hard work.
Midmorning, she got a text from Bill saying he missed being there, and he wished her a fun day. She deleted it, shoving memories of previous fairs they had enjoyed from her mind. Then she turned off her phone and threw it into her backpack just as the judges arrived to look over their animals, now groomed and festooned with ribbons.