Chapter Nine
Going over her list for her call to Declan’s friend Brooklyn, Alice glanced up as Garret came through the back door.
Though he was far from being a little boy, he had that same look a kid might have when he’s about to confess he’s the one who broke the neighbor’s window when he was supposed to be doing chores.
Lingering by the counter, his hesitant smile suggested he wanted something from her.
“Coffee?” she offered.
“Thanks, Mom.” He accepted the mug she handed him, taking a long sip before setting it down. “Do you remember how I told you the kids at school took a vote and decided they wanted this year’s dance to be a fifties styled event?”
She bobbed her head. “Didn’t someone watch an old musical with June Allyson or Jane Powell or something?”
Swallowing another sip, he nodded. “And I think Back to the Future too because they chose the name Enchantment Under the Sea.”
“How original.” She chuckled. “The dance is tomorrow night, right?”
“Right.” He heaved a deep sigh and Alice looked up, her list for Brooklyn nearly forgotten. “Just spit it out. What’s wrong?”
He picked up the mug again. “Since the dance is in the gymnasium, the kids can’t start decorating too early.”
“Makes sense.”
“And under normal circumstances, decorating would have been finished in plenty of time.”
Any fool would recognize that the non-normal circumstances were about to be explained.
“With the exception of the new girl in town, Mary Borden, and Jimmy Kendall, the rest of the planning and decorating committee are home with the same bug.”
“All of them?” That would be too much coincidence.
“All of them. Sunday after church, all the committee members got together to finalize the plans. Apparently, Mary and Jimmy are the only two with phenomenal constitutions because everyone else is sick as a dog.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that.” She really was. Putting all that work into planning the perfect dance and then to be stuck home sick and miss it all.
“Sorry enough to help?” He flashed a shaky smile. Oh, how at this moment he looked so like her mischievous little boy.
“Maybe. What do you need?”
“Everything.”
Her brows lifted and brain stopped computing. “Say again.”
“They haven’t done anything. I only found out an hour ago when Kate Hall called to tell me that she was coming down with something too and the ball was in my court.”
“So when was all this decorating supposed to have happened?”
“After school yesterday and today.”
The back door creaked, and hat in his hand, Clint came in, cleaning his boots on the heel scraper. “Mornin’”
“Morning, Clint.” Alice waved to the coffee pot. “Help yourself to a cup. We’ll be done here in a minute or two.”
Garret looked over at Clint, his brows buckled in thought. “You’re pretty good with wood.”
Coffee mug in hand, Clint turned to face him. “Sometimes. You need something fixed?”
“More like made.”
Clint nodded. “What did you have in mind?”
“A dance.”
Now the man looked from Garret to Alice and back, but didn’t say a word.
Since Garret was equally as silent as Clint, Alice spoke up. “Seems that there’s a school dance tomorrow and no decorations yet. The theme is Enchantment Under the Sea. I’ve been recruited to help and I’m guessing now you are too.”
Garret nodded and Clint just stared.
“If it’s asking too much…” Garret shook his head.
“Well,” Clint set the mug he’d yet to sip on the counter, “I suppose, if you tell me what you want, I can sure try.”
“That’s my man.”
Alice couldn’t agree with her son more. Seems Clint was making a habit of coming to the Sweet’s rescue.
Garret pushed to his feet. “I’m going to be late if I don’t get going.
The sooner you can get to the school the better.
Mary and Jimmy are being excused from classes, but I have no idea how much they’ll be able to get done.
I’m going to try and round up some more kids with a little artistic talent, but frankly, you’re my ace in the hole. ”
“I don’t know about that. But, thankfully, with Benny to handle things here, we’ll both be there as soon as we can.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Garret leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek. “You’re the best.”
Even though she knew he was just buttering her up, she giggled nonetheless. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
Her son waved at Clint and went out the front door.
Alice retrieved her list. “I called Declan this morning and he gave me Brooklyn’s number. I figure you should be here when I call in case he has any questions I can’t answer.”
“Makes sense,” Clint nodded.
Her phone rang, giving her a start. Looking down, the name made her smile. “Hey, Son.”
“Morning, Mom.” She could hear the smile in Kade’s voice. “Listen, I’m coming home next weekend and want to surprise Cassie.”
“She’ll like that.”
“Yeah, but I’m bringing a buddy with me.”
“Oh,”
“Since we’ve got a house full again, I thought I’d better make sure that was okay.”
“You know it is. I’m always happy to have our military’s finest. And I won’t say a word to Cassie.”
“Thanks, Mom. They’re calling me. I have to go. Love you.”
“Love you back.” Still smiling at the phone, she slipped it into her pocket. “All right. Let’s call Brooklyn.”
For a small town, the gym that serviced both the junior high and high school was pretty impressive.
To the opposite side of the large hall, the two kids hovered by a stack of poster board like they’d been told to build Rome with a glue stick.
Another kid wobbled on a ladder in a dangerous attempt to tape blue streamers in the corner of the gym.
Any minute now Clint expected to see the kid topple sideways taking the ladder, the streamers, and his dignity down with him.
And possibly breaking a bone along the way.
Alice came strolling in behind him, her gaze darting from one side of the ample space to the other.
When her gaze landed on the kid standing tip toe on the highest rung of the ladder, her brows dipped in a frown, her hand fisted on her hips, and her voice bellowed under the cavernous space.
“Martin Folsom, you get off that rickety ladder this minute.”
One of the things he’d found delightful about Honeysuckle, besides the quirky title of Corn Hole Capital of the state, when it came to small-town friendliness, it pretty much took the prize. Everyone knew everyone, but more importantly, everyone seemed to look out for each other as well.
“But,” the kid waved an end of the crepe streamer at the woman, “I’m almost done.”
“Correction.” Alice pointed a finger at him. “You are done.”
With a heavy sigh, the kid made it back down the ladder, the other two over by the posters having watched the exchange with surprising interest.
“So.” Alice smiled at all the kids now looking at her with gripping attention. “What is the plan?”
The three heads turned to face each other and Clint got the distinct impression that not a single one had a clue what they were supposed to be doing. Though it shouldn’t have been funny, he found himself biting the inside of his cheeks not to chuckle.
“Well,” the only girl, probably Mary, spoke up, “we’re supposed to be coloring waves on the poster to put on the walls, but Callie is the artist and she’s home sick.”
“I think I can help.” Alice nodded her head.
Clint had to blink. So the woman could run a ranch, a family, train dogs, and draw? Maybe some day he would stop being surprised by this lady.
“Where are the paint supplies?” Alice scanned the floor area where the two kids had been working.
“We hadn’t gotten that far. We were told we could use whatever supplies were in the art room.”
“All right. Who’s going to show me the way?”
Mary grinned enthusiastically. “Follow me.”
Taking in the few supplies that were scattered around, Clint’s gaze landed on a box overflowing with papers, and streamers, and what looked like cut out fish. Thinking through the theme, he lifted his eyes heavenward and studied the ceiling.
“In the movie they had seahorses, fish, and other fun glittery stuff hanging from the ceiling.” The kid, Jimmy, was staring up as he spoke. “We thought we could put some up on the walls, that would be kind of close.”
Clint nodded. Then pointed to the container of decorations. “Let’s see what we have to work with.”
The two rummaged through the container he’d seen and another off to the side. Most of the items were scattered on the floor now so they could take inventory when Alice and Mary came back.
Pushing a rolling cart overloaded with what he assumed were art supplies. Alice grinned at him. “Everything we could possibly want to transform this place.”
The way Jimmy, Mary and Martin glanced at each other, Clint was pretty sure that they weren’t convinced.
Alice must have noticed their reaction as well, because she turned to him and raised a single brow. She didn’t say a word, and yet, he was pretty sure he knew what she wanted.
He nodded ever so slightly. Yeah, he was full in. “Is there any spare wood in this place? Like plywood?”
Jimmy shrugged. “Maybe in the shop. They teach kids woodworking.”
“Then we’re going to start with some decent waves. Show me where the shop classes are and we’ll cut some real waves, create depth to hide that stage up there.”
The kid looked to where he’d pointed then back.
“And Martin,” she tipped her head toward the doorway, “go ask the custodian if he has a better ladder than that old wobbly thing.”
Martin nodded and took off running.
“Walk,” Alice shouted. “You’re no good to me if you break a leg or wind up in detention.” The kid instantly slowed but still scurried along.
“What do you want me to do?” Mary Borden stood eagerly awaiting instructions.
“We,” Alice linked elbows with the new to town teen, “are going to start creating the enchantment.”
By the time Clint returned to the gym with the cut-out sheets of wave-shaped plywood, Alice and Mary had already created a slew of sea creatures. Jimmy was up on a sturdy ladder hanging balloons painted like fish in every color imaginable.
A few hours later, Garret showed up with a few boxes of pizza and a six-pack of soda. Looking up as he walked, he let out a sharp whistle. “Wow.”
Clint had to admit, they’d accomplished more than he’d expected, or could have hoped.
“Good.” Alice stood from the makeshift table where she was sprinkling glitter on strips of seaweed they’d been taping to the wall, and stretched her back left then right. “You’re just in time to help with the streamers.”
Her son gave her a dip of his chin and a wide salute. Between bites of pizza and sips of cola the small group worked, laughed, and in the end, gave a sea of high fives.
“This looks pretty darn good for,” Alice looked down at her watch, “for only nine hours work. The paint on the waves will be fully dry by morning.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Sweet.” Mary turned around and offered her hand to Clint. “You too, Mr. Sweet.”
Jimmy and Martin’s jaws dropped, and their eyes bugged, but Alice and Garret seemed to take the confusion in stride. Clint, on the other hand, was struck dumb. What the heck was he supposed to say?
“Mary,” Garret waved to Clint, “this is our foreman, Clint Gibbons.”
“Oh,” the girl blushed, “sorry.”
“No worries.” Alice smiled at her. “Soon enough you’ll know everyone in town.” Alice leaned in conspiratorially, “And they’ll all know you.”
He wasn’t sure if she looked more flabbergasted at her mistaking him for a Sweet or the idea that everyone in town would know her business.
“Hey,” Martin looked up, “my mom is outside. She’s giving us all rides home.”
“Y’all run on. We’ll see you tomorrow night.” Garret waved at their backs. When they’d left the room, he turned to face his mother and Clint. “Since y’all are being so helpful, we’re short chaperones for tomorrow night.”
“I thought those days were behind me.” Alice chuckled.
Garret shrugged. “Please?”
His mom nodded. “I guess it won’t kill me.”
“Good.” He turned to face Clint. “And you?”
He turned to his boss. “If I can hitch a ride. Why not?”