The Lawman's Holiday Wish Page 15

  “Yes. Perfect. Anyway, we’re at one of those crossroads in life. With Dad in hospice care, I have to start making decisions that will keep our fruit farm afloat for the next generation. And I think you’re in a similar circumstance. When I heard you were carrying Testy’s smoked meats, I realized we could do the same kind of thing without affecting each other’s sales.”

  She was right. Not too many people enjoyed the slow, meandering drive around the lake in the winter. Rainey put out her hand as Lacey stood. “I think this is a great idea, Lacey. Mama? Do you agree?”

  “I do. And we’ll let Piper and Marty know what we’re doing. Even in the summer, people love being on the lake, but they do not love driving around it.”

  Lacey nodded. “You’re right.”

  Lucia wrapped up a loaf of bread, then a large hunk of the fresh cake. “Keep this in the refrigerator, and put whipped cream on top when you’re ready for dessert. It is so good, your family will love it. And take with you our prayers for your father and the whole family,” Lucia added. She reached out and hugged the younger woman. “Vaya con Dios, Lacey.”

  “Thank you, Lucia.” Gratitude deepened Lacey’s tone. “We’re planning on being at the festival, unless Dad’s situation changes. He wouldn’t hear of canceling the booth for something as simple as cancer.” Her expression said that the tough old farmer who had raised her was in charge to the end, and no one was about to thwart his wishes. “My older brother has come back to town. To stay.”

  “I am surprised,” Lucia admitted.

  “Here’s a bigger surprise,” Lacey told her. “He’s taking over as manager of Kirkwood Lodge again.”

  “Now that it sputters in red ink.” Lucia’s expression turned dour. “Perhaps this is a good wake-up call for many, but for now, it is just nice to have Greg here to help with your father. And for us to do business with Barrett’s Orchards.”

  “I agree.”

  Rainey reached out a hand to Lacey and was surprised when Lacey offered her a hug instead. “We women need to stick together. It’s good to have you home, Rainey. And seeing Luke here when I walked in?” Lacey grinned as she pulled open the door. “Pretty sweet. We’d all like to see him happy.”

  “Well, I—”

  Lacey waved off any reply she tried to make. “I’ll keep it to myself, but I want you to know it made my day, seeing him looking so content. God bless you, Rainey.”

  Lacey’s open nature, and her offer of shelf space at their busy farm store, lifted Rainey’s spirits. The latter might mean a push for their dairy. It could also indicate that her homecoming might be starting to right itself, one step at a time.

  * * *

  “Where was this gorgeous weather the day of my wedding?” Piper wondered as she backed the truck into a vendor’s parking spot on Friday morning. She turned to face Rainey before they crossed the grass lot to the festival area. “Remember, if you need me, I’m in the booth next door. I’ve got your back. Okay?”

  Rainey waved off her concerns and swallowed the urge to run far and fast. “I’m fine. A little nervous, but I’ve got Marly and cinnamon milk. What more could I need?”

  “That amazingly good-looking sheriff’s deputy who has set his sights on us from over there?” Marly indicated the petting zoo across from their booth.

  Luke headed toward them with a cardboard tray of fresh-baked apple fritters from the Barretts’ stand. “Consider this breakfast,” he said as they met at the corner of the McKinney booth. “Or lunch. If we’re as busy as the town expects, it might be both.”

  “Thank you. I’ll devour some once I’m set.” Rainey grinned up at him, then hurried into the booth to double-check her coolers.

  She and Marly set up the basket display on the shady side of the booth. By the time the festival opened, they were stocked, decorated, organized, and both booths looked great.

  Customers came sporadically at first, but as the temperature rose, more people stopped to check things out. By lunchtime Rainey was feeling less nervous. Some folks were avoiding her purposely, but the booth’s steady business said she was doing something right.

  “Tres leches cakes?” A nice-looking man stopped by in the early afternoon and studied her samples with a look more intent than most. “In different flavors? What a great idea.”

  “Try some.” Rainey held out the tray of samples. “See which you prefer. Coconut lovers have an obvious favorite, but the traditional cake and the apple eggnog variety are making plenty of folks happy.”

  “I will, thanks.” He sampled each one, and Rainey sensed he wasn’t simply tasting the combinations, his expression said the cakes passed the test. “I’m not sure I have a favorite because they’re all wonderful. You made these yourself?” he asked.

  “Using my Mexican grandmother’s recipe,” she explained. “I think the texture is perfect. Not too light, not too dense.”

  “Exactly.” His appreciation mirrored her thoughts. “Not too many people understand that balance. You’ll be selling these at the store?”

  “Yes. We wanted to introduce them here and then carry them in the store for take-out and special orders.”

  “Excellent.” He leaned forward and stretched out his hand. “Greg Barrett from Barrett’s Orchards. My sister came to see you last night.”

  “Of course.” Rainey shook his hand, then held on. “And I want you to know that your family is in our prayers.”

  “Thank you.” He turned as Luke came up alongside him. “Luke, how are you?”

  Luke clasped the other man’s hand in a grip that showed friendship. “Good, Greg. Nice to have you back, but my condolences on your father. I’ll miss the way he loved being out on the water in the summer. His laugh. That sense of humor. Tom Barrett always had something to laugh about. We loved that about him.”

  Greg’s face showed a raw mix of emotions. “He’s had a rough go of it these past few months. Right now having God call him home will be a blessing and a sorrow.”

  “No one’s ever quite ready to say goodbye,” Rainey added.

  “That’s true,” Greg admitted. “Well, I must get going. Lacey asked me to stop and check out our booth, make sure the crew has everything they need. Dad insisted we do this, even though he’s taken a turn.” Greg made a face. “Stubborn to the end. But we weren’t about to argue with him.”

  Rainey sent him a look of commiseration. “My mother would be the same way, so I understand. You go. And God bless you all.”

  “Thank you. And I’d like to give you a call about the cakes.” He handed her his card. “I’m thinking we could do an exclusive flavor at the lodge, one that people can’t get at the store. And once I’ve settled into the job there, I’d like to carry your dairy products in the kitchen. If we did a standing order twice a week, could you deliver?”

  Another sales venue for the dairy store. Rainey smiled calmly while her heart did a salsa dance in her chest. “Of course. And I’d love to develop a cake flavor for you. Maybe we could do seasonal ones, as well.”

  People were gathering at the stand, so Greg stepped back to make room. “Give me a call and we can talk.” He shifted his gaze to Luke and stuck out his hand once more. “Good to see you, pal.”

  “You, too.”

  “They’re a nice family, Luke.” Rainey refilled a tray and handed it to Marly, who was offering samples. “You grew up together?”

  He nodded. “There was a crowd of us. We hung out, did youth group together, had some of the same classes, but then we grew up. Went our separate ways,” he added. “Oops, I’ve got a nursery school crew coming my way. I’m going to go protect tiny four-legged creatures. And a few chickens.”

  “You do that.” She grinned, but his words hit a nerve. Lacey Barrett’s name was listed in the local church bulletin as a musician. Sean Barrett headed the youth group.

 
The obvious truth rose up before her. Luke didn’t see them anymore because he never went to church. Their paths didn’t cross because Luke was busy working and raising Aiden, which didn’t include church attendance or prayer. She should have seen this before, but Aiden and the girls talked so naturally about God and faith that she hadn’t recognized the obvious. Aiden knew about God from his grandmother, an ardent member of the church. Not from his father. Because he didn’t attend church. Or talk about God. Or embrace faith.

  A bus of senior citizens from Clearwater pulled up alongside the festival grounds. Rainey put her thoughts on hold. Frankly, that was better than dwelling on what she’d just realized: that Luke Campbell didn’t practice the faith he was raised in.

  Rainey did. She knew what the absence of faith had wrought in her life. She’d lived the emptiness and longing. The lure of bad choices. She was stronger now because she was steeped in the spirit. And there was no way she’d ever compromise her faith again.

  * * *

  Strangers mobbed Rainey’s booth, so her sales would be healthy, Luke noted later that afternoon. Folks were sampling tiny cups of the cakes and milks, then ordering larger versions. She’d do okay by the numbers.

  But the attitude of some locals indicated she still had a fight on her hands.

  When Laura Spelling’s eldest son walked by, he snarled something under his breath.

  Marly looked shocked.

  Rainey drew a breath and went on working the crowd with a smile.

  When the Cosgroves brought their preschool grandchildren to see the kids and lambs, Mrs. Cosgrove made it clear, in a voice meant to be overheard, that they’d avoid the opposite side of the path.

  And when a seedy-looking guy stopped by Rainey’s booth to talk over old times, Luke had to fight the urge to send the guy packing.

  But he didn’t need to. Rainey’s kindness accomplished the task. The guy walked off, looking surprised and annoyed, but when he glanced back, Luke saw something else in his expression, as if whatever Rainey had said made a difference.

  He turned toward Piper’s booth, knowing she and Marty were watching over Rainey, too. They exchanged looks, and Piper raised her shoulders in a shrug, but her expression said she was proud of her sister.

  So was Luke.

  But when he arrived at the festival grounds early Saturday morning, he stared at Rainey’s booth, horrified.

  Crude graffiti covered the freshly painted surfaces. Nasty words scrawled in permanent black marker insulted Rainey in every way possible. Her beautiful decorations were stripped away; bundles of colorful Indian corn lay broken and strewn in the walking path. Her pretty swags and wreaths had been torn to pieces and scattered about. Everything was gone. Ruined. The booth that Aiden, Sonya and Dorrie had worked so hard on was unrecognizable.

  Piper’s truck pulled in. Luke wanted to shield Rainey from this venomous attack, but when she and Piper climbed out of the cab with Zach’s sister Julia, he saw that they carried a long roll of plain white paper and tape.

  “You know?” He crossed the field to meet them and took the heavy roll from Rainey’s arms.

  “Seth called us. He’s on early patrol and saw what they did, so we came prepared.” Rainey stared at the booth. For just a moment her chin quivered, but then she directed Luke to set the roll of paper on the table. “Julia, you cut. Piper and I will window-dress this garbage. If we hurry, we can have it all covered before the festival opens.”

  Luke got his animals settled while the women worked.

  As other vendors streamed in to set up, he saw them note the commotion in Rainey’s space, and an odd thing happened. While some appeared satisfied, as if Rainey had gotten her just due, others came by to help. And more soon followed.

  “I’ve got a nice stepladder so we can reach those high places,” offered one older gentleman. “I’ll be right back.”

  “And I’ve got plenty of decorations to share from my spot,” said a middle-aged woman from Clearwater. “Once you’ve covered this mess, we’ll get you decorated pretty again.”

  “I’d be grateful,” Rainey told her.

  Luckily, Rainey’s food had been trucked back home, and the gift baskets had been stored in a second truck overnight. But the booth itself had been vandalized in every other way possible.

  It took over an hour, but by the time the festival opened, Rainey’s display looked welcoming again. No one would know that dark, angry words lurked beneath the heavy-duty paper. And the donations from other vendors made Rainey’s area look more festive than it had the day before.

  “Folks should mind their own business,” one man told Rainey as he stood on the borrowed ladder to affix bunting to the upper reaches of the booth. “There’s no call to be wrecking stuff.”

  “I agree.” Mrs. Thurgood had come by to lay out crocheted doilies where Rainey’s trays would go. “You set those delicious cakes on here, honey. It’ll be pretty as a picture again.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Thurgood.” Rainey came around the corner of the dairy stand. Gratitude softened her features. “Thank you so much.”

  “Bah.” Mary Thurgood waved off her thanks. “Rainey, I’ve been around a long time and I love my town, but there’s always folks that forget to live what they hear preached on Sunday. And that’s a shame. Don’t you go thinking you deserved this,” the old woman scolded.

  The look on Rainey’s face told Luke the words hit home.

  “Do you remember the woman in the Bible?” Mrs. Thurgood asked. “About to be stoned for making a mistake? Jesus reminded folks that we’re all sinners. We all make mistakes. It’s what we do after those mistakes that counts. I know you risked your life to get those bad cops off the streets, and I’m grateful.”

  Rainey’s eyes watered at her words, but she blinked them back as a middle-aged vendor from Warrentown came by with more contributions. “Here, honey, use these on your tables.”

  “Thank you.” Rainey hugged her and Mrs. Thurgood as Luke finished cleaning the pathway. “I appreciate your help. But mostly your kind words.”

  “Just bein’ neighborly,” Mary Thurgood assured her. “And I’d like a bottle of that cinnamon milk to keep for later. It’s an old favorite of mine and I was so excited to see you carrying it yesterday. And two slices of the coconut cake.”

  “And I’ll take the same, only I’d like the apple eggnog cake,” said the other woman. “Three pieces, please. One for each of my daughters.”

  When Rainey tried to refuse their money, the women fussed at her. She gave in, and looked around as Luke leaned his big rake against a fence post. “I can’t believe this.”

  “I know.”

  She shook her head and motioned to the beautiful booth. “Not the damage. I half expected someone to act stupid. But the help. The support. The donations people made to help me. I prayed for God to tell me what to do. Know how to fix things. For Him to make me strong. And then this happened.”

  Luke shrugged. “There are nice people everywhere, Rainey. Sometimes the negative ones are noisier, but I think most folks try to be good.”

  “Well, it was an answer to prayer,” she said lightly. “I couldn’t have the kids see that stuff. As of now, I’m putting it behind me.”

  That was easier said than done, but Luke read the determination in her eyes and knew she was in it for the long haul.

  She is. Should you be?

  The question made Luke think hard as he tended the miniature goats.

  She’s strong. She’s tough. And she has no choice but to meet things head-on if she wants to prove herself. But you and Aiden have done nothing wrong. Today, graffitti. Tomorrow? Who knows? You’ve got a five-year-old kid who’s been through the mill already. He’s just getting his feet set on solid ground. What if someone confronts Rainey with Aiden around?

  Was he right to put an innoce
nt five-year-old boy in the middle of such angst? Cops were wolves, guarding the sheep. He knew what the darker side of humanity could do. Today’s destruction was a minimal version of what could happen. He hated that Rainey was targeted. But Hillary’s words came back to him.... Was he putting Aiden first now? Or himself?

  Luke wasn’t sure anymore.

  Chapter Twelve

  By the time she got the girls to bed that night, Rainey was exhausted. Lucia motioned for her to sit down, and she did, then accepted the cup of hot tea her mother gave her. “I’m wiped.”

  Lucia’s expression was understanding. “So many long days in a row, and then good sales! You should be proud, Larraina. But that nasty business makes me worry. There might be some who will not stop at messing up a booth. People might hurt you, or the girls. And then I wonder at what cost do we try to fix things here?”

  Rainey leaned forward. “I’ve wondered about this, too. And I pray about it constantly. I still feel like I’m meant to be here, Mama. Things will be made right eventually. I don’t want to endanger the girls or make people mad. But I want to belong, so I’m going to stick it out. I think we made good headway this weekend, and that’s what I wanted to do.”

  “And I believe that our town saw what some are capable of,” Lucia mused. “That might help, as well.”

  “The children had fun today,” Rainey told her. “Luke let them help with the petting zoo. And his parents took them around the festival midday and let them play games and eat wonderful things. They even took a wagon ride through town with Ben Hull’s draft horses.”

  “The girls will sleep well. Me, too.” Lucia rose, hugged Rainey and padded off toward bed. “I will see you in the morning.”

  “All right.” Luke had invited the girls over to play tomorrow, but Rainey had gently refused. After several hectic weeks, she thought a quiet day at the farm was in order.

  But there was another reason she’d begged off. A niggle of awareness had nudged her again that morning, when she’d talked to Luke about God answering her prayer.