Colleen took a long sip of her wine and then set it on the table. “The woman is exhausting.”
Dixie laughed. “You better draw those shades so she doesn't see us in here. Besides, I don't need any of my bookstore customers thinking I've turned this place into a bar.”
Janine stood up and closed the blinds. She pulled the rolling blind down over the door as well.
“The sun has gone down, so I doubt anybody is even walking around out there. You know why they call us a sleepy little town, don't you?” Janine asked as she sat back down. She poured herself a half a glass of wine, not wanting to miss her early morning class the next day.
“So why did you call this meeting exactly?” Dixie asked. Colleen sighed.
“Is it just me, or are Dawson and my mother two of the most infuriating people you've ever met?”
“What do you mean?” Janine asked.
“The two of them are madly in love with each other, but they have to make everything so difficult. I mean, come on. We know they're going to get married at some point, don't we?”
“That's not necessarily true,” Meg said from the corner. She had the baby on her hip and was trying to keep her occupied while the other women sat at the table.
“Do you have some kind of problem with Mom marrying Dawson?”
“Of course not. I like Dawson a lot. But, it's just kind of weird. I mean, she was married to Dad.”
“So what? Dad cheated on her, Meg. She doesn't owe anything to him.”
“I know that. That's not what I mean. It's just kind of creepy to see her with somebody else.”
“Well, you're gonna have to get over that,” Janine said, laughing.
“I know. I guess it just bothers me thinking of her going on a honeymoon or something,” Meg said, shuddering. Dixie laughed.
“Y’all are cracking me up!”
“So, what happened that made you call us all together?” Janine asked.
“These two need our help. I don't think they're ever going to get it together on their own. On the one hand, you've got Mom thinking that she does want to get married and then she doesn't want to get married and then she worries that Dawson will never ask her. She flip flops like a fish. On the other hand, you've got Dawson thinking about adopting a kid and thinking that Mom would never say yes if he asked her.”
“Wait, Dawson wants to adopt a kid?” Meg said.
“I’ll tell you about that later,” Colleen said, waving her hand at her sister. “The end result is that we have to figure out how to keep these two together. They are our glue.”
Janine cocked her head to the side. “Our glue?”
Dixie nodded. “I know exactly what she means. Julie coming to town and getting together with Dawson was what pulled all of us together. Why, if they were to break up, nothing would ever be the same.”
“Isn't that a little dramatic?” Janine asked.
“I think Colleen is right. These two are like baby birds who have hurt their wings. We need to pick them up, coddle them a little bit and then send them on their way. Hopefully they fly high.” Dixie lifted her arms into the air like she was setting birds free.
Janine stared at her. “And if they don’t?”
“Well, that's just not an option,” Dixie said, laughing.
“That camp is over tomorrow. I really think Dawson is going to try to adopt Dylan. And if he does, our mother would have to be okay with raising a child all over again.”
“Do you think she wants to do that?” Meg asked. “I mean, she's an empty nester. She's a grandmother, for goodness’ sake. Would she really want to start all over again?”
“To be fair, she wouldn't really be starting all over. Dylan is eight years old, so it's really just another ten years of her life,” Colleen said, thinking out loud. “Still, it’s a big responsibility. I don't think she's even spent five minutes with Dylan yet.”
“Well, you run that camp. You’ve got one more day. Why don't you put her with Dylan tomorrow and see if they don't form a bond?” Dixie asked.
Colleen thought for a long moment. “Isn't that a little underhanded?”
“Do you see a problem with that?” Dixie said, shrugging her shoulders.
“Not a problem at all,” Colleen said, a slight grin on her face. “Maybe the only thing we really have to do is make sure that my mom falls in love with Dylan just like Dawson has. Hopefully, that will stoke the fires a little bit to get Dawson to actually propose. Otherwise, this whole thing is going to go on forever.”
“Fine. I’ll go along with this, but we have to accept whatever the outcome is. No pushing of either Dawson or Julie, okay?” Janine said, looking around the room. Everybody nodded.
“Agreed. Tomorrow, we start ‘Operation Fall In Love With Dylan’,” Colleen said with an evil laugh. This just had to work.
Julie stood on the end of the dock and stared at Colleen. Even though it was a beautiful day, the salt scented air was blowing her hair away from her face. “Are you serious? I don’t know the first thing about fishing.”
Dylan stood off to the side, his little arms crossed over his chest. “I thought I was fishing with Mr. Dawson today?”
Colleen smiled and looked back and forth at each of them. “Today, we’re trying something new. It’s good to get to know new people, Dylan. So, I thought maybe you could show Miss Julie what you learned from Dawson about fishing.”
“Where’s Dawson?” Julie asked under her breath, her teeth gritted.
“He’s helping set up some games for later. Tucker is working with him.”
Julie looked at Dylan, and he didn’t look amused. After all, what little boy wanted to hang out with a forty-something year old woman he’d only met briefly? Especially when she was dressed in white capri pants and a tank top and looked nothing like a fishing instructor.
“Can Dawson come over here soon?” Dylan pleaded. Colleen ruffled his hair.
“Be good,” she said, walking away without looking back. Julie felt like something weird was going on, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
She and Dylan stood there for a moment, each of them looking around like they were on some really awkward date. Finally, deciding that she was the adult, Julie broke the ice.
“So, Dylan, are you going to show me what Dawson taught you about fishing?” She tried to put on her best smile without looking creepy.
“I guess so,” he said, dejected. He sat down on the end of the dock, his feet hanging over the edge. His hand rested on the fishing pole that was beside him, and he stared at his knees like they were the most interesting thing in town.
Julie finally sat down beside him, well aware that her white pants would never make it through the day without being stained. She picked up the fishing pole on the other side of her and laid it over one of her legs.
“Look, I know you'd rather have Dawson sitting here. I would if I were you. I don't know the first thing about fishing. But, I'd like to learn if you want to teach me.” She didn't really want to learn. But, she needed to do anything she could to salvage this very awkward moment.
He reached for the tacklebox a couple of feet away and popped it open, pulling out a fishing lure. “It's pretty easy. You just put this thing on your hook like this.”
She watched him carefully, trying to seem overly interested. Right now, she really just wanted to go back to the bookstore where she felt comfortable. But in the back of her mind, she kept thinking about how Dawson might actually try to adopt this little boy, and he would be in her life. That is, if their relationship survived. Lately, it seemed like Dawson was trying to stay away from her, and that made her feel sad and a little bit nervous.
“Okay. Can you hand me one of those?”
Dylan sighed and reached into the tacklebox, pulling out a bright green worm with glitter inside. It struck Julie that it was kind of cute. She took it from his chubby little hand and attached it to her hook.
“Then you have to turn the little handle like this,” he said, obviously not using the technical terms. Julie followed what he did and tightened up her line.
“Like this?”
He nodded. “Then, you flip this little thing over, hold your line and pull your fishing pole back like this,” he said, stretching his right arm out beside him. Julie didn't have enough room to do that, so she scooted down a few feet. “And then you swing it out like this and let go of the line. Once it hits the water, you need to reel it in a little bit like this.”
Now he seemed to be loosening up. He flung his fishing line out into the water, tightened up the line and then sat there looking at her. She did the same, trying to remember the few times she’d been fishing in her life as a kid.
She pulled her hand back and flung her line, but instead of it going into the water, the hook attached to the back of Dylan's shirt, narrowly missing his skin. Her fishing pole bent, almost to the point of breaking, before she realized what had happened. Dylan, obviously shocked by being caught with the hook, turned his head as far as he could to see what was on his shirt.
Julie stared at him, her fishing pole attached to him. Within seconds, she started laughing hysterically, probably out of nervousness more than anything. “Looks like I caught myself a big one!”
Dylan stared at her, his eyes wide. Thankfully, he started giggling. “I don't think you did that right!”
Before they knew it, they were both crying with laughter as Julie tried to figure out how to get the hook out of his T-shirt. It took a few moments, but she finally did, and she managed to do it without sticking it right through her own fingers.
She laid the fishing pole down on the dock. “Maybe I'm not cut out for this.”
Dylan reeled in his line and put it down beside him. “You can't give up. Sometimes things are really hard when you first try them, but you have to just keep trying. If you quit, you'll always be a loser.”
She was struck by his matter of fact way of speaking. “Well, I have to say that's very smart, Dylan. And you're right. Quitters never win.”
Dylan threw his line back out again while Julie watched him, opting to take a break from her own fishing. For some reason, she felt an urge to get to know this kid. There was no reason to be scared of an eight-year-old.
“So, are you looking forward to going back to school after spring break?”
He shrugged his shoulders as he stared out over the water. “I guess so. I don't really like my school.”
“Really? I remember when I was your age, I loved school. They had this thing called Super Kid at my school.”
“What is Super Kid?”
“Every week, the teacher could nominate a student to be Super Kid. You got your name on the board in the hallway and this really big pin to wear on your shirt. And then you got to go to the principal’s office for a party where you got new pencils and candy.”
“We don't have that at my school. Besides, I don’t think I’d be nominated for Super Kid.”
“Why don't you like school?”
“People make fun of me.”
Her heart sank. Julie had never experienced bullying. She’d been lucky to be one of the popular kids for most of her school years. "Why do they make fun of you, Dylan?"
“Because I don't have any parents.”
“But you have your foster parents, right?”
He looked at her. “Those aren't real parents. Everybody knows that my mom didn't want me and my daddy died. They call me the poor kid.”
“That's wrong. Those aren’t very nice people.”
“They tell me that nobody really wants me and that my foster parents have me because they get money to keep me. But I think they might be right because I still don't have real parents. Nobody ever picks me.”
“Dylan, you're an amazing kid. You're funny and smart and I know the perfect parents are going to come along.”
“There are kids in my foster home who are almost teenagers. They told me that they never got picked. What if I never get picked?”
He stared at her with those big green eyes, and she didn't have an answer for him. She didn't understand his life. Thankfully, she had never experienced anything like that. Staring into his eyes, she felt ill equipped to reassure him or answer his questions.
“You can't give up. Remember quitters never win. God has the perfect parents in mind for you.”
“But he didn't have the perfect parents for those other kids?”
She wanted to cry. She wanted to run. She felt like the world’s worst adult for not having answers for this kid. “You know what, Dylan, life isn't fair. And I would be lying to you if I said I knew the right answer. Sometimes, things just stink. But, I do know that most of the time, things work out in the end.”
“I sure hope they work out for me one day. I want a real home with my own room. I'm tired of the kids saying mean things to me.”
“I’m sorry, Dylan. I'll say extra prayers for you to find a good home, okay?” Prayers were good, but were they enough for Dylan? Was it a cop out for her to offer to pray but do nothing else to help him?
“Mr. Dawson said the same thing. I hope those prayers work.” He reeled in his line again and set his pole beside him. “Sometimes, I miss my dad.”
She rubbed his little shoulder. “I’m sure you do. I lost my dad too, and it was very hard.”
He nodded. “He did some bad things, but he was my dad. One time, he made me blueberry pancakes and we ate them in bed. That was so fun.”
“Blueberry pancakes are my favorite.” She didn't know what to say. There was absolutely nothing she could say or do to make it better.
“I wish my dad had been like Mr. Dawson. He's so fun and goofy.” Dylan looked at her, a slight smile on his face.
“Yes, he is,” she said, smiling herself. “Goofy is a good word to describe him.”
“Are you his wife?”
She chuckled. “No, I’m not. We’re just really good friends.”
“Oh. I think he likes you a lot. He told me how nice you are and that he likes spending time with you.”
“He told me the same thing about you,” she said. Dylan grinned.
“He did?”
“He sure did. Dawson really thinks a lot of you, and he’s pretty smart. Definitely smarter than those mean kids at your school.”
Dylan nodded. “I think you’re nice.”
Julie smiled. “Thank you, Dylan. I think you’re very nice too. I’m glad I got to know you today.”
“Okay, let’s get back to fishing. You can’t quit. But this time, please don’t catch me instead of a fish!” He giggled and picked up his pole once again. As Julie watched him, she couldn’t understand why no one had picked Dylan to be their son, and she couldn’t imagine Dawson not becoming his father either.
Dixie stood in front of Harry with her hands on her hips. After explaining her plan to him, he still looked confused.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Dixie cackled with laughter. “Honey, I'm never sure anything I think up is a good idea but that hasn't stopped me from doing it.”
“What if you cause a whole ruckus?”
She waved her hand at him. “I don't mind causing a ruckus. Sometimes you have to shake things up a little!”
“And you're not going to tell anyone about this?”
She shook her head. “Not a soul. If I tell somebody, they'll try to talk me out of it, and I know I'm right about this.”
“Sugar, it seems a little bit pushy. Don't you think you should let people make decisions for themselves?”
She walked over and sat down beside him on the sofa, squeezing his leg. “People don't always know what's good for them.”
“You might ruin a friendship over this.”
“I don't think so. Look, I know I'm doing the right thing. Sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns.”
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “Well, I fell in love with you because you're a spitfire, so I guess I shouldn't try to stop you now.”
She laughed. “It wouldn't do you any good anyway, sweetheart. You just be there to back me up, okay?”
“Always.”
SuAnn stood behind the counter in the bakery, staring out the plate glass window at the square beyond. Today, she was alone because Darcy had to take her baby to the doctor for a check up. She didn't mind being alone as it gave her some time to think.
Traffic in the bakery had been pretty slow today, and she was enjoying the downtime. After the couple of weeks of preparing for the pie bake off, she needed a break. Of course, she would've liked to have won the contest so that all that time was worth it.
Watching Henrietta Bankston win had made her sick to her stomach. That woman didn't deserve anything, and certainly not the title of best pie. She knew hers was better, but she didn't understand the politics of whatever was going on in the town.
“Welcome to Hotcakes,” she said as a man walked in. He was well-dressed, wearing a nice suit, and he certainly didn't look like he was interested in eating poundcake. “How can I help you?”
“I’m looking for SuAnn.”
“That's me. And you are?”
“My name is Alton Fisher. I'm on the board of commissioners.”
“Oh. Nice to meet you,” she said, unsure of why he was there.
“I’m going to cut right to the chase. I understand that you competed in the pie bake off a few days ago?” He asked, looking behind him as if he was afraid he was being watched.
“Yes, I did. I was the runner-up.”
“Actually, you weren’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look, I don't normally make it a habit to go outside of the ranks of the county commission, but I just couldn't hold my tongue. You see, we found out that there were some inconsistencies in the voting. In a nutshell, you won by several votes. But, Henrietta has a lot more power, if you get my drift.”
SuAnn couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stood there, her mouth hanging open. “So, I won?”
“You won.”
SuAnn laughed. “So that old bat messed with the votes?”
He struggled not to laugh. “It appears that Henrietta Bankston was involved in some fraudulent behavior, yes. But I won't go as far as calling her an old bat. Even though I might think so.”
SuAnn came out from behind the counter and rubbed her hands down the front of her apron to get the flour off. “Now what?”
“Well, I only found out this information an hour or so ago. You know, I have small kids, and I teach them about integrity and honesty. I just couldn't go without telling you the truth.”
“But, is this going to be addressed in some way?”
“I don't know how much you know about small-town politics, ma'am, but it can be worse than what you see in Washington D.C.. I'm not sure I can do anything to help you right the wrong.”
“Oh.”
“I was hoping just knowing that you were the actual winner would be enough.”
“Yeah, it's not. Henrietta Bankston needs to be put in her place.”
“I wish I could help you do that.”
“Me too.”
“Well, I should be going. I hope you'll keep my name out of this?”
She smiled and reached out her hand to shake his. “I will. And thank you for coming here to let me know the real truth. I do appreciate that.”
Mr. Fisher turned around and walked to the door, turning back before he exited. “Welcome to Seagrove.”
As he walked down the sidewalk, SuAnn smiled to herself. Oh, she was going to get old Hen back if it was the last thing she did.