Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
T he excitement in the county was palpable. You could feel it in the air. Two days before the event, strings of lights zigzagged their way around an area the size of several football fields. People assembled the bandstand riser and placed one hundred folding chairs in two split rows, on top of a portable dance floor. The first row was reserved for dignitaries, like the mayor and sheriff and committee members. Natalie had volunteered to help and was an official committee member, so she made sure she secured two seats for her parents, and three for Jeremy, Diana, and herself. She scrawled their names on the placeholders. The rest was first come, first seated, and everyone else was welcome to sit on the grass. A few people brought their own lawn chairs and marked their territory without fear of someone stealing them before the festival. It was the honor system. There were also a few off-duty police officers who volunteered to keep an eye on things. It wasn’t a big city, but it also had over ten thousand people living in the area.
* * *
Once again, Natalie was faced with the big challenge of what to wear. She engaged the assistance of Diana a few days before. “I know I’m doing this at the last minute, but I feel like I need to get something to wear for the Fourth. My first big outing, ya know? Want to come shopping with me?”
Diana was thrilled to have some girlfriend time and loved to shop. Even though it was her busy season, an hour diversion was welcomed.
It didn’t take long for the two to agree on a pale peach linen dress. It had a V-neck, short sleeves, and hit at the calf. It was casual but put together. Feminine but not frilly. A pair of low-wedge espadrilles and a straw tote rounded out the outfit. Perfect.
* * *
The Independence Day jamboree began at noon, with food trucks, contests, and music, featuring several local bands. The evening concert was scheduled to start at eight, with a big band playing many of the old standards. An area between the seats and riser was open for anyone who cared to dance.
Jeremy and Diana planned to bring the girls for a little afternoon fun. The evening was reserved for adults, and Diana had gotten a babysitter. Natalie agreed to catch up with them when they returned.
Sally entered her plum cake in the bake-off that started at four o’clock. After several attempts, she’d finally hit upon a recipe that was close to her grandmother’s.
It took no one by surprise when Sally won the ribbon for “Best Family Recipe,” with no crumb left in sight.
* * *
Natalie agreed to scoot home after the contest to pick up Robert and bring him to the evening festivities. Although he had come a long way in six weeks and was able to move about most of the time without his cane, Sally and Natalie convinced him that it would be better if he just came to the evening concert. Robert didn’t even want to bring his cane but, out of an abundance of caution, his doctor recommended he bring it, because it was a signal to the people around him to try not to bump into him.
Natalie pulled the car near the area where the band’s sound truck was parked. It would make it a much shorter walk for Robert. Diana, Jeremy, and Sally were standing near the seats, having an animated conversation, with gestures toward the ribbon pinned on her chest.
“Looks like your mother did it again.” Robert smiled proudly. “But did she save any for me?” He feigned a whine.
Sally reached into her small straw tote and presented Robert with a slice of the winning cake.
“You deserve this,” she said, as she handed him the mouthwatering delight.
Just then there was a small stir on the band riser, indicating that the entertainment music was about to begin. Sally, Robert, Diana, Jeremy, and Natalie took their seats.
An announcer walked onto the stage and did the usual, “May I have your attention please?” He went on to thank everyone who made the day possible, then introduced the band.
The sound of “Boogie Woogie,” reminiscent of the Tommy Dorsey band, got the crowd bouncing. Then came “In the Mood,” and it sounded as if it were the Glenn Miller Orchestra playing it. The band was really good, and a few couples took to the dance floor, dazzling the crowd with their version of a jitterbug. The next song was “Moonlight Serenade.” Then a female vocalist took the stage and began to sing “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love).”
Natalie was startled when someone tapped her on the shoulder and whispered, “They’re playing our song.”
Natalie stared into the eyes of Garrett Webster. She was flustered but stood gracefully, took his hand, and followed him to the dance floor. It was as if they had done it a hundred times before. He began to sing along. “Birds do it. Bees do it.”
Natalie placed her head against his shoulder and swayed with him. “Even educated fleas do it.”
He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, releasing a quiver up her spine. “Please accept my apology for my rude behavior the first time we, um, met. I should have stopped and said hello. Then, when I offered to buy you a drink at Clementine’s as a peace offering I thought that would break the ice, but I wasn’t sure you wanted anything to do with me. I figured I should just accept that, but when you presented us with that amazing website, you really spun my head around.”
Natalie was stunned. “And here we are,” she whispered.
He lifted her chin and brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. “Yes, here we are,” he said softly.
She sighed and melted deeper into his arms. “Life may not always be a bowl of cherries, but it can certainly be sweet as honey.”
Grandma Matilda’s Plum Cake
Ingredients
Streusel
1 cup flour ? cup sugar ⒈／⒋ teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons cold butter
Cake
2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 cup Greek yogurt 2⒈／⒉ cups flour 1 cup ground almonds 1⒈／⒉ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ⒈／⒋ teaspoon salt 2 pounds pitted plums, quartered
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 360.
2. Line a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
3. Make the streusel: Mix 1 cup flour, ? cup sugar, and ⒈／⒋ teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbs form. Chill until ready to use.
4. For the cake, cream the two sticks of butter with 1 cup sugar and 3 large eggs. Mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Slowly mix in the Greek yogurt. Once incorporated, slowly mix in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until batter is smooth.
5. Spread the batter in the cake pan. Place the plums on top, evenly spaced. Slightly press the plums into the batter. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Eat and enjoy!