Chapter 28
Juliet
Tuesday is Family Fun Day. With school out for Fall Break, the place is overrun with kids of all ages, and with the sunshine out in full force, most of the activities are held outside.
I move between the carnival games and the kids’ crafting stations, making sure everyone has all they need to pull off each activity without a hitch.
Rosie’s running around here somewhere, no doubt sending her brother to solve more tech issues while she jumps from event to event without solving anything completely, but I have to hand it to her—the festival has been a hit so far.
As I make my rounds near the corn husk doll crafting station—tables set up with dried husks, swaths of plaid fabric, calico ribbon, and twine—my eyes once more wander to where Archer mans the pony rides.
A few teenagers help him as they lead the horses around the makeshift fenced area.
He talks to the little boy he leads around the circle, then pauses near the fenceline for the mother to take a photo of her child.
When the few rounds are completed, he helps the boy dismount, then squats down to his level to offer him a high five.
My heart might just burst.
Before, I was head-over-heels for Archer because of his swoony looks and cowboy vibes. Now, it’s so much more. He would make the best husband—the best dad. And that’s coming from someone who had the best dad.
Am I ready to no longer be the center of my own dad’s universe and to have someone else as mine?
My heart twinges at the thought. Whoever Dad chooses, the time of it just being the two of us is swiftly coming to a close.
A few hours pass by, and I wander from the Witch Hat Ring Toss to the Donuts on a String, then back to the Corn Husk Dolls. Archer catches my eye a few times, tipping his hat to me in his usual manner. My body seems to think it’s running a marathon, my heart racing each time I see him.
By the time the pony rides are scheduled to end, there’s still a line of twenty kids or so. A few of the teenagers leave, but Archer stays.
I want to go help, but Rosie finds me with her typical frenzied look.
“What’s wrong?” I ask calmly.
She shakes her head, her blonde hair sticking out of its ponytail. “I can’t find your dad. He’s late for the dunk tank. No one’s seen him anywhere.”
I glance around as if I’m going to magically spot him. “Have you checked Town Hall?”
“Yeah. No one’s seen him for hours.”
“I’ll give him a call. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. He’s not usually late to things.”
Dad doesn’t pick up or respond to my texts. I leave a still-worried Rosie and make the rounds, stopping a few people to ask if they’ve seen him, moving on to the next after each, “No, sorry” I receive.
I pass by the face painting and the carnival games with still no sign of him, then discover the Ednas at the fall wreath crafting station in the church.
If anyone knows where the mayor of Autumn Ridge is, it’s them.
“Hey, ladies,” I say. “Any chance you’ve seen my dad running around here?”
“As a matter of fact,” Edna B. begins, “we saw him heading into the first aid tent about a quarter of an hour ago.”
“I wonder what he could be doing in there,” Edna G. says, her thin fingers stretched over her lips before she pushes her glasses farther up her nose.
I want to roll my eyes at their lack of inconspicuousness, but I nod in gratitude before attempting to leave.
“Juliet?” Edna B. calls out, her dark hair curled to the nines. “I just have to ask. How is it being back in Autumn Ridge? Especially on the, well, dating front?”
Edna G.’s eyes sparkle, her yellow-white hair curled to match her best friend’s.
I know whatever I say to these women will be spread all over town in a matter of minutes, so I choose my words carefully.
“Oh, you know me, ladies,” I say.
Truth is, they don’t. But their eyes widen all the same as they wait for me to say something more, like, “I don’t have much time to date,” or “I’m dating everyone within a forty-mile radius.”
Instead, I say nothing else, wink, then sprint away before they ask for more. I can almost feel their disappointment, but I ignore it, darting toward the First Aid tent nearby.
Each day, a nurse has taken charge of the tent. Today, it just so happens that nurse is Sharon Price.
I enter the oversized tent and scout the space. A few beds and chairs are propped up, a small refrigerator runs in the corner of the space, hooked up to a generator, and tables are organized with lollipops, blister kits, bandages, antiseptic wipes, and cold packs.
One woman sits in a nearby chair with her leg elevated, while an older gentleman lays on the pop-up bed with a cool pack over his forehead. Sharon stands over him, a look of care across her features.
But there’s no sign of Dad.
Sharon turns to face me, a pleasant expression across her stunning features. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a loose pony, curled and wavy. Despite being close to Dad’s age, she has very few wrinkles. Clearly, this nurse knows how to take care of herself.
“Hi,” she greets, stepping away from her patient for a moment. “Can I help you?”
Not now, she can’t. “I was wondering if you’ve seen the mayor around.”
She doesn’t flinch. “He was in here about a half hour ago. Brought in someone who’d suffered a burn but left shortly after.”
Dang.
“You’re Juliet, right?” she asks, her eyes warming as I nod. “Maven’s told me about you. She said how much of a help you’ve been with the festival this year.”
That was nice of her. “Well, it’s the least I could do after how many years I’ve enjoyed it not volunteering,” I joke. “You must be loving having your daughter back in town.”
Her features soften. “Very much. And my son and granddaughter, too.”
That’s right. I’d forgotten Carson Price and his daughter had moved back recently, as well.
I still have to make an appointment to see him at his dental office.
Between the last dentist who made me cry as a kid with his painful shots and terrible bedside manner, I’m sure I would far prefer Dr. Price—although staring into a face that handsome sounds like a trial of its own.
“You’ve got a full house, then,” I say. “Must be wonderful to have them back with you.”
“It truly is. I’m sure your dad feels the same about you.”
Does she know how Dad feels because he’s told her personally? Or does she speak only as an understanding mother?
“I hope so,” I say. “Thanks for your help. If you see him again, can you send him to the dunk tank?”
“Sure thing.”
I deliver one last departing wave, then dip from the tent and speed back to the dunk tank.
Rosie’s still pacing back and forth, chewing on her thumbnail. Her face lights with hope when she sees me. “Did you find him?”
I shake my head, and her features fall.
“He’s probably hung up with some mayoral stuff,” I say with a grimace. “But it’s okay if the dunk tank is a little late, right?”
Rosie looks at me like I’m crazy. “What? No. There’s already a huge line of people waiting to dunk him. This is the crowd favorite every year. You know that.”
She’s right, but I don’t have another idea.
Until a tall shadow appears beside me. I look over as Archer stands at my side, having finally finished with the pony rides.
“Afternoon, ladies,” he greets.
A slow grin slides across my face. “Rosie, I think I have just the solution.”