Summer at Fraser’s Mill

An Old-Fashioned Evening

T he town was getting excited about the fireman’s supper and dance coming up the next Saturday. After Mass on Sunday (at which the choir music went decently well and Mary Jane said Grace’s singing was lovely) it was the main topic of discussion in the church vestibule.

Grace planned to go since the store would be closed during the event. Her parents were going, even though Dad couldn’t dance with his injured foot, and she thought an old-fashioned evening sounded like fun. It did seem a bit over-hyped, but then again, dinner and dancing at the fire hall was about as exciting as Fraser’s Mill ever got, apart from the Fourth of July parade every year. The grocery store was providing most of the food that would be cooked for the dinner, so a couple freezers in the back room were packed with frozen meat from the store’s supplier until the people in charge of the dinner picked it up.

Grace’s hand was finally healing, and she ditched the bandages. The skin on the back of her hand still looked funny, but she hoped it would get back to normal with some air. Working in the store without the bandages was a lot easier, and she could take over the baking from Mom.

Dad was getting around better than ever on his scooter, and he made a bargain with his wife: he would work in the store two hours every day while she worked on her novel. He said he needed the exercise, and this was a great opportunity for Liz to get novel writing done while they had Grace around to help. Mom reluctantly agreed to the plan, since her story was finally progressing.

On Friday evening, Alex came into the store, her face wreathed in gloom. She propped her elbows on the checkout counter, her chin resting in her hands. “I don’t think I’m going to the dinner and dance tomorrow.”

“Why? What happened?” Grace lost track of the money she was counting. She pushed the cash register drawer back in.

“I gave Charlie those cookies on Sunday, and he seemed happy about them, but he hasn’t done a single thing since then. He’s never going to ask me out.”

The cookies had been five whole days ago. Why hadn’t Charlie said anything?

“Wow,” Grace said. “Gee, Alex, I’m sorry. I thought for sure the cookies would help.”

“I guess not,” Alex said. “Here’s what happened. I took the cookies to St. Anthony’s with me in my choir bag. I didn’t want to give them to Charlie in front of the whole choir, so I waited until after Mass. Charlie and I talked to Mary Jane about the music for a while, but then she left and it was just us. So I said, ‘By the way, Charlie, I have something for you,’ and I pulled out the bag of cookies and gave them to him. He said, ‘Wow, thanks, Alex! These look great!” He had this huge grin on his face, and I thought he was about to say something else. But then Sam and Doc came up and started asking him about playing pickup basketball that evening. Then my family was leaving, so I had to go.”

“Maybe he would have said something, if Sam and Doc hadn’t come barging in,” Grace said.

“Well, they didn’t know anything was going on,” Alex said. “I didn’t tell Sam about the cookies. I didn’t feel like telling anybody about it, in case it didn’t work out. Anyway, after that I hoped Charlie would text me later. But he didn’t. He talked to me on Wednesday after choir practice, but it was just about random topics. And now that dance is tonight, and everybody in town is gonna be there, and I don’t wanna stand around waiting for him to ask me to dance. I’m sick of the whole thing. Clearly, he just isn’t interested in me.”

“But he seemed so interested,” Grace said. “It’s been less than a week. I wouldn’t give up on him quite yet. Why don’t you come to the dance, and we’ll have a good time even if Charlie doesn’t say anything. And if he wants to say something, you’ll be there, so he’ll be able to say it.”

“I don’t know,” Alex said. “I hate the thought of being there all evening, feeling more and more disappointed if he doesn’t say anything.”

“Then don’t think about him,” Grace said. “There are lots of other people to hang out with. He’s not the only person in town. Give him a couple more days, and leave him an opportunity to talk to you if he wants. But try not to worry about it in the meantime.”

Alex’s forehead furrowed. “You really still think there’s a chance he might like me?”

Grace nodded hard. “Absolutely. I don’t see how we’d both have been completely wrong about him.”

“All right then,” Alex said. “I’ll go. But if I don’t have a good time, I’m going right home.”

“Deal.”

§

On Saturday, Grace dressed up—she wore her favorite yellow flowered dress, and she bought a bunch of yellow roses from the grocery store so she could put one in her hair—and went to the fire hall with her parents.

The Fraser’s Mill Fire Hall had been built in the 1950s in order to raise funds for the town fire department. It serviced wedding receptions, birthday parties, and anything else that needed a large building or a kitchen. For tonight’s old-fashioned evening, the building was filled with tables, and the large parking lot was set up with speakers for dancing after dinner. A few people from the area had brought classic cars and parked them around the edges of the lot to give the place a more old-fashioned feel.

Alex arrived with her parents, her brother Sam, and an unfamiliar young woman—it must be Sam’s girlfriend. Grace waved. Alex waved back.

Although dinner had just begun, the whole town seemed to be there already. Most of the round tables were occupied. The speakers in the hall played oldies music in the background of the crowd’s chatter.

“Reckon we’ll have trouble with the fire marshal if any more people show up,” Dad said, chuckling. “They’re gonna have to put more tables outside.”

Dinner was buffet-style, ten dollars a person, offering hamburgers or grilled chicken, potato salad, green beans, and apple or cherry pie for dessert. Charlie was serving food behind the buffet line, but Grace didn’t get a chance to notice whether he talked to Alex yet. She got distracted by Hannah coming in, Doc at her heels. They must have come together.

Overall, dinner and the atmosphere were fun. Dorothy and Walt sat at Grace’s family’s table and reminisced about what the town had been like thirty years ago, when the Murrays had just moved there. Elaine joined them, and so did Ed Hoffman and his wife Janet.

Janet talked about her youngest son, who had joined the Army. “We’re really proud of him, but it’s hard having all our kids so far away,” she said.

Dad nodded. “I know what you mean. It’s been nice having Grace here for a few weeks before she goes back to teaching.”

“You know your parents brag about you all the time?” Ed asked, and Grace blushed. “They’re always talking about their English teacher daughter out in California. We’ve got a daughter out there. Maybe our grandkids will be in your class someday. Wouldn’t that be a coincidence!”

As dinner finished, people trickled out to the parking lot. Chairs and tables were set up for anybody who didn’t want to dance, as well as board games and a couple of cornhole boards. Grace didn’t think she would dance. Dad’s foot was broken, her brother Thomas wasn’t there, and Alex’s brother Sam had brought his girlfriend. That counted out all her usual dance partners. Maybe she could find people to play cornhole or Battleship or something.

“Hi, Grace,” a voice said behind her. It was Natalie. “Wanna play cornhole with us?”

“Sure!”

Natalie had three sisters, two older and one younger, who were with her. They were all good at cornhole. Grace was not surprised to find she was terrible at it. Ball sports weren’t her thing, and apparently bean bags were in the same category. But Natalie and her sisters were friendly and sympathetic to Grace’s failed shots. And it was a sunny but not-too-hot evening in late spring, with big band music playing and everyone in town having a good time. It would be hard to ruin a night like this.

Wait a minute. What was Doc doing coming over here? He sauntered toward the girls playing cornhole, hands in his pockets. Great. Now he would witness another of Grace’s failures. Couldn’t he wait until later and get a group of his own people to play cornhole? Grace turned her attention to Natalie, who was throwing a beanbag.

“Nice shot, Natalie,” Doc’s voice said. Grace looked up and found him right at her elbow.

He held out his hand, palm up. “Dance with me?”

Grace blinked. What?

“Uh—” Grace started to say.

“I could dance with you,” one of Natalie’s sisters said from behind Doc.

Doc didn’t seem to notice. He waited for Grace’s answer, hand still outstretched.

“Um—” Grace said. “Sure.”

Taking Grace’s hand firmly, Doc led her toward the parking lot. “Do you know the foxtrot?”

“I used to, but it’s been a while.”

He swung her in among the dancers. “Let’s give it a try.”

Grace tried to remember dances in her college days. Start with the right foot. Back, back, side-together. Back, back, side-together. Then a turn. It wasn’t too bad. Even if Doc was the last guy she would have thought she would ever dance with.

“Wanna try a spin?” Doc asked.

What the heck, why not? He swung her around, and she only tripped slightly getting back into the rhythm.

Doc raised his eyebrows, his mouth quirked in a hint of a smile. “See, you remember.”

“I think it would be easier if you took smaller steps,” Grace told him.

“Whoops, sorry.” Doc moderated his steps. “Better?”

“Much better.”

He was good. Of course he was good. Everything Grace had seen him do, he did competently. He was probably a world champion cornhole player too.

Over Doc’s shoulder, Hannah stood on the sidelines of the dance floor with her arms folded. She didn’t look happy. Maybe she thought Grace was chasing Doc. Well, she wasn’t.

“So you don’t dance much out in California?” Doc asked.

Grace shook her head. “I haven’t danced since college—except at weddings.”

“The town’s put on three or four dances since I moved here,” Doc said. “A few of these old-timers could teach a ballroom dance class all by themselves.”

Dorothy and Walt passed by, doing a fancy step. Grace laughed. “I believe it.”

Doc spun her around. “Dang, I just remembered—that’s your burned hand, isn’t it? Let me look at that.” He stopped in the middle of the parking lot and scrutinized Grace’s hand. “How long has the bandage been off?”

“Since a few days ago. Wednesday, maybe.” From dance to doctor checkup in two seconds flat. Doc must like multi-tasking.

“Does it hurt when I touch it?” Doc asked.

“Not anymore. I think it’s pretty much healed.”

“Good.” Doc swung Grace back into the foxtrot. “I wouldn’t want to be the one who re-injured it. It could damage my professional reputation.” His face was serious, but his eyes twinkled.

They danced. The step felt more familiar now. The song kept going. It must be a long one. Surprisingly, Grace didn’t mind.

“We haven’t argued about anything today,” Doc said. “That’s a change.”

Grace raised her eyebrows. “The evening’s still young.”

He spun her again, with assurance, as though he’d done it a hundred times. He must have done a lot of dancing in college.

Another couple bumped into them. Doc grimaced. “Watch where you’re going, Kevin,” he called.

“Sorry,” the couple both called back.

“Let’s go where there’s more room,” Doc said, and led Grace into a smooth traveling step toward the edge of the parking lot.

Grace had forgotten how much dancing—with a partner who knew the step and kept in time—felt like flying. As they whirled around, and Doc forgot to moderate his long steps, Grace felt as though she would lift off into the air any moment.

Doc spun her out and back into a dip, his arm solid behind her back, just as the music came to a stop. His dark hair fell tousled across his forehead. His eyes were blue—light blue and laughing.

He set her upright, grinning down at her. “Good timing?”

“Yeah,” Grace said, breathless.

He guided her to the side of the parking lot.

“Thanks,” he said, and headed toward the fire hall.

“Thanks.”

Well, that had been unexpected. Doc showing up out of nowhere, asking Grace to dance, and then leaving with only an abrupt thank you. What was up with him?

Grace was still staring after Doc’s departing back when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around. Wrong shoulder.

“You always fall for it,” Alex’s voice said from the other side.

Grace turned around. “And you and everybody else always sneak up on me.”

Alex was wearing an orange dress with embroidered flowers, and the bright color matched her excited expression. Something must have changed since yesterday, because the bouncy, energetic Alex standing there now was far different from the listless, drooping Alex that had walked into the store yesterday.

“Guess what?” she asked.

“What?”

Alex looked around, dropping her voice. “Charlie asked me out!”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

“I know!” Alex bounced on her toes. “You don’t know how happy I am right now.”

“I can tell just by looking at you!” Grace said. “So what happened? Tell me about it!”

“Well, I was going through the food line,” Alex said, “and when I came to him, he asked if I could meet him outside in five minutes. So I waited five minutes out by the side door, and he came rushing out with his cooking apron still on. He wanted to ask me to go to the movies with him, and said he’d been waiting for a chance to ask me ever since I gave him those cookies, but it kept seeming like a bad time. So I said sure, I’d love to go to the movies with him.”

“Yay! Alex, I’m so happy for you!”

“I can hardly believe it.” Alex’s face glowed. “I thought he’d never ask!”

“Now aren’t you glad I convinced you to come?” Grace asked. “Otherwise, he still wouldn’t have had a chance to ask you.”

“Oh, you can rub it in,” Alex said. “Your cookie idea was a big success, and then you practically dragged me here tonight. You can have all the credit.”

Grace laughed. “Well, thanks.”

“Now I’ve got a question for you.” Alex folded her arms, a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Did I see you dancing with Doc?”

“Oh, good grief!” Grace should have known Alex the matchmaker was keeping an eye on her. “He came out of nowhere and asked me to dance. I couldn’t think of a reason to say no.”

“Uh-huh.” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Knock it off, Alex—that’s the whole story!”

“Well, I think you looked cute dancing.”

“Cute? Ha! I don’t know why in the world he asked me.”

“Maybe because he doesn’t think you’re as terrible as you think he is?”

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Grace said. “I hold to what I told you before. He and I would drive each other absolutely crazy.”

“I think that just means you’d have chemistry,” Alex said. “I’ve gotta go—Charlie’s almost done in the kitchen, and I said I would meet him.” She raced away.

Charlie and Alex would be wonderful together. They were both cheery and friendly and liked to cook and sing in the choir. Their personalities didn’t clash. Unlike Grace and Doc, whose personalities clashed horribly.

In the parking lot, Hannah and Doc were dancing together. They were doing a lot of spins and dips. Hannah was better at the foxtrot than Grace was.

Maybe Grace should see where her parents had gone. She headed toward the fire hall. On the way she ran into Dorothy.

“Hi, Grace. Having a good time?” Dorothy was carrying a big box—it looked like more lawn games. She must have gotten roped into helping. She got roped into everything.

“Yes—everything is really nice. The classic cars are so cool, and I love the oldies music. Can I help you carry that box?”

Smiling, Dorothy handed the box over. “Thanks. I didn’t realize it was going to be so heavy. It goes there by the cornhole.”

“Dorothy, do you ever get any rest?” Grace asked.

“I’ll sit down in a minute. I wasn’t working during the dinner—I got to spend time with your parents, remember? They seem chipper tonight.”

Grace set down the box in a spot that wasn’t in the way of the cornhole players. “They were really looking forward to this. By the way, have you seen them anywhere?”

“I think they’re over there somewhere.” Dorothy motioned to the far side of the parking lot, near the classic cars, where more chairs were set up. “I’m glad it worked out for the grocery store to supply tonight’s food. Your parents need all the business they can get, especially with that dollar store about to open this week.”

“Dollar store? Is that the new building down by the gas station?”

“Yes, that’s it—it’s going to be a dollar store.”

“You think that’ll hurt my parents’ business? It’s not a competing grocery store.”

Dorothy shook her head. “They’ll sell a lot of the same things at lower prices and undercut you,” she said. “People will start going there instead. It’s happening all over the place. A dollar store comes into a town and the local businesses—especially grocery stores—struggle. Didn’t your parents mention it?”

Grace shook her head. “They never said anything about it. I guess they must not be too worried.”

“Well, if they’re not, they should be,” Dorothy said. “I’ve heard of grocery stores that had to close down within a year of a dollar store coming in. Some places are changing their zoning laws to limit new dollar stores. Maple City prevented one from being built there, just a couple years ago. It’s too bad we weren’t able to do that here.”

“Wow.” If true, this wasn’t good. “I’d better talk to my parents. We definitely couldn’t afford to lose a lot of business to a dollar store or anything else.”

Dorothy nodded. “If you want me to help with any advertising, let me know.”

“Thanks a lot, Dorothy. You’re a good friend.”

Dorothy smiled. “Your parents have been good friends ever since they bought the store and moved in here. We’re all lucky to have them in Fraser’s Mill.”

Dorothy went toward the building, and Grace went to find her parents. This dollar store business worried her. She’d have to ask her parents about it.