3. Beth
Beth
“I’m so glad you decided to help!” Megan clapped her hands. “This is going to be so much fun!”
Looking at her, I shook my head.
“Ahem,” I said. “I don’t know how much I volunteered versus was ‘volun-told.’”
“Ah, same thing.” She shrugged. “You’re the one who said she wanted to meet people!”
Little did she know I was still floating from my dance with Johnny. Everywhere I turned, I was expecting to run into him, but after being here a few days, I had yet to meet him again.
Megan lived a few blocks outside of downtown, so we walked to the Community Center for the first planning meeting for the Blueberry Festival—the big end-of-summer party that brought people in from all over the state.
My family occasionally drove in to rent a booth, but it had been several years.
They would shut down the streets, and vendors would set up everywhere—food booths, drink stands, rides, a rock-climbing wall, the big bands around the area, and a giant parade.
This was the first year Megan was put in charge of the entire festival, but if she was nervous, she didn’t show it.
When we got to the center, it was already packed with locals, smiling, hugging, and shaking hands.
Megan greeted and chatted with a bunch of people I didn’t know.
Young and old, they were all here and ready to support the town.
It was an older building, and all the chairs were lined up like we were at a school assembly.
Megan made her way to the stage to talk with the mayor, and I tried to find a spot in the back corner where I wouldn’t be in the way.
I was about to sit down when my phone rang, and as I looked down, I saw my mom’s face. We’d been missing each other the last few days. Taking a quick look around me, I decided to step outside until we started.
“Mom?” I asked, plugging my other ear when I got outside.
It was tough to hear her because the rain had started. It was pouring. One minute, the sun was shining, and the next, there was a wall of water coming toward me.
I huddled under the awning that wrapped around the building, but I still felt the pelts of rain hitting my face as the storm approached and the clouds loomed.
“Hi Beth, sorry to bother you,” she said.
“You’re not bothering me. What’s going on?
” I wanted to make sure nothing had happened with Dad.
He had been off recently, and part of me was waiting for the other shoe to drop while I was away.
“I’m heading into a meeting shortly, but is everything okay?
” I wiped my forehead that my hair was plastered to at this point, and I could feel it dripping off my nose.
Wonderful.
“Nothing urgent. I shouldn’t have called.” She paused. “I’ll just talk to you later.”
“Mom!” I tried to catch her before she hung up. We had talked quite a bit since I had been gone, but only about the business. “What’s going on?”
“Well, now I just feel silly. I know you have somewhere to be. I just—I just miss you. I wanted to chat. I wanted to see how your day was.”
“I miss you too, Mom.” My heart sank. Especially after everything with my dad, my mom and I had become extremely close.
She had turned into one of my best friends over the last few years, and not talking everyday like we were used to felt weird.
“Things are good here. Getting settled in,” I continued.
“I’m actually outside the community center right now with Megan and going to help out with some festival stuff.
Should be fun. Remember the Blueberry Festival that we used to go to? ”
She laughed her throaty laugh, and it made me smile. “Yes! I remember that.”
I nodded as she continued. “You know…” She paused. “I’m so glad you went down there this summer. I think it’ll be good for you.” She paused again. “After everything. And I don’t want you to worry about your dad. I’ll work on him while you’re away.”
Mom knew about the changes I wanted to make with the farm—adding hayrides, party rentals, our own little festivals—and my excitement in taking the business to the next level.
About four years ago, my parents had offered me thirty percent of the business, saying it would go to me at some point anyway, and now that I was finally comfortable with it, I wanted to make it feel like mine.
My dad was more hesitant, but I couldn’t think about that.
For once in my life, I wanted to focus on what I wanted and what I could do for myself.
Right before I was supposed to go away to college—over ten years ago now—my dad had a sudden stroke that left him partially paralyzed for months.
Eventually, he’d regained all of his movement, but at the time, my mom had asked me to delay going to school.
I got into an Associate’s program, and the longer I stayed in Randall, the harder it was to leave.
Besides, the more I helped my parents expand the farm, the more I grew to love running a business.
It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was pretty darn close, and I’d take what I could get.
It was one of the reasons I was so excited about taking the classes and figuring out how to make Weber Farms my own.
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that.”
I paced as we talked, feeling lighter as I filled her in on the last couple days.
I was trying to shield myself, looking down at my shoes as I walked around, wanting to stay on with her and just have a chat, but also wanting to get inside.
I was freezing in just shorts and a t-shirt with the rain beating down on me.
I had just said goodbye when I hit a wall in front of me.
“Oof!” I said, putting my hands up on the wall, and quickly realizing that it wasn’t a wall at all, but Johnny, also soaked through his T-shirt, standing in front of me. My fingertips rubbed against the muscles of his abs, and I felt myself go hot despite the cold rain.
“Well, hello there,” he said, cocking his mouth up at me in a half-smile, his hands resting on my hips after I tried to bulldoze him over in my pacing.
As quickly as I’d run into him, I put my hands down and took a step back, gazing up at him.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking to see where I was going. I was just—” I started before cutting myself off and pointing to my phone.
He spoke at the same time, looking at me with a puzzled face for a split second before turning into a wide smile. “Beth? What are you doing here? I thought you were only in town for a few days.”
“Yeah, about that…” I looked down sheepishly. “I’m actually here for the summer. Taking some classes and working. I live with Megan—if you know her?” I asked him, catching myself rambling.
“Damn, you’re with the big guns then.” He chuckled, rubbing his jawline, not saying anything else but still holding a smile on his face.
“Guess I am. Told her I’d be here for moral support.
” I tried to be as aloof and nonchalant as he was, but I wasn’t sure if I was playing it off like that or not.
I couldn’t remember the last time I was attracted to a man like this.
As serious as Michael and I had been at one point in our lives, I couldn’t ever remember feeling this on fire around him.
“I know exactly how that is.” He stood there for a moment longer, looking to the door, then back at me. “You coming inside? Or are you staying out here in the elements?” He smiled, appearing not at all concerned about the rain drenching him on the walk here.
“I’ll be right in. Go ahead,” I said, as I tried to hide the blush creeping up my cheeks.
He quirked an eyebrow at me before taking off his coat and wrapping it around my shoulders. “Well, in that case, you don’t want to get too wet.” He looked over his shoulder as he walked into the center, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.
My heart pounded out of my chest seeing Johnny again.
I wasn’t in Port St. Clair to meet anyone, but I couldn’t help my imagination from running rampant thinking about the fun I could have with that man.
I couldn’t think about that now though, so I pulled myself together and walked into the meeting.
In the few minutes I’d been outside, the place had packed up. People lined the back walls, and all the seats were gone. Crap. I didn’t want to stand the entire time, but I guess I would be.
I locked eyes with Johnny and he gave a quick nod, calling me over to the other side of the room.
He wore that same backward cap he’d worn when we danced and looked so cool and collected sitting there, waiting for me.
I looked around, wondering if he was trying to get someone else’s attention, but it was me he was flagging down.
I traipsed through a couple rows to get over to the other side of the room, and when I finally reached him, I realized there was one seat left, and it was tucked in between him and an older woman who gave me a warm smile.
“Figured you might need a seat seeing as you were still outside when it was filling up.” Johnny nodded at me to take the spot next to him.
“Oh. Uh. Thanks,” I said.
I squeezed in between him and the woman, and with how the folding chairs sat, his entire outer thigh pressed up against mine. His leg was hot, prickling my skin in the best way, and I held my legs together, not wanting to touch him more than I needed to even though we were tightly packed.
“Okay, okay, everyone,” Megan said, knocking a gavel on the podium. “Everyone, take a seat. Let’s get started.”