Home to Sparrow Lake (Harlequin Heartwarming) (23 page)

EPILOGUE

O
N
THE
FOURTH
OF
J
ULY
, Kristen picked up her sister and the twins to take them to the Sparrow Lake parade, along with a couple of lawn chairs for the adults and a blanket for the children. She smiled as she passed some stock trailers lined up in an empty lot, transportation for the cows that would be trotting down Main Street later on.

“There really are cows,” she muttered, half to herself.

“Yes, and there will be cheese, too,” said Heather. “People on the floats throw little wrapped wheels of cheese, along with candy, to the kids as they pass by.” Then Heather indicated a crosswalk. “Turn here. Let’s head for the corner near the ice cream shop where there’ll be shade.”

“Ice cream?” piped up Addison hopefully from the back of the car.

“No ice cream today, honey,” Heather told her. “You’re going to collect candy and stuff when the floats go by.” She held up a large pink shopping bag. “You can put it in this.”

“Candy. Yum,” said Addison, with Taylor chiming in.

Kristen raised her brows at the size of the bag. “That much?”

“As many pieces as their little hands can scrabble up. I don’t let them eat it all, though, at least not today. They’d get sick.”

As Kristen slowed and pulled into a parking spot, Heather asked, “Are you meeting Alex afterward?” Her tone was mischievous, ripe with meaning.

Kristen grinned at her. “Of course.”

At the moment, Alex was busy overseeing the parade and clearing its route down Main Street. He’d asked her if she wanted to accompany him, but they’d decided she ought to view the parade from a spectator’s viewpoint, at least the first time.

Soon they trooped out of the car carrying the chairs, blanket and a cooler with drinks. Taylor and Addison ran ahead, shrieking when they saw some of their playmates from camp.

As they set up the chairs in a shady area, more spectators arrived. The sounds of the high school band tuning up could be heard from a few streets away.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Heather told Kristen after they’d sat down and settled Taylor and Addison on the blanket in front of them.

Kristen knew her sister meant “here” as in Sparrow Lake, not just for the parade. How many more parades would she be seeing? Kristen wondered happily. She looked forward to them, along with the change of seasons and other minutiae of small-town life...as long as Alex completed the pictures in her mind.

“I’m glad to be here, too.” She decided to broach the topic she’d been thinking about for a few days. “You know, we’re getting quite a few orders online now.”

“We sure are.” Though this time Heather didn’t sound tense about it.

“I think the online business will continue to increase. The craft bus tour is set to stop at Sew Fine in August. They’ll be back once a month through December.”

“Uh-huh.”

Then Kristen put forth her idea. “I think we could use an online manager
and
an on-site manager.”

“Oh?”

“The online manager can work at her own home, set her own hours....”

“If you’re talking about me, I’ll be happy to do the online stuff, but I don’t have to be called a manager.”

“Well, I don’t want to usurp your role,” Kristen said, not wanting to push her sister aside.

“Usurp all you want,” Heather told her. “I don’t even care if I cut back my hours. I’ll be happy to have some time for classes. There’s a great internship I heard about that’ll be available next summer.”

Heather went on about what she’d be doing, quickly explaining the basics of something called sustainable landscaping. Kristen didn’t understand all of it but realized how enthusiastic her sister was. Heather hadn’t sounded this happy since Kristen moved back to Sparrow Lake.

“But enough about all that.” Heather reached over and patted her arm. “Thanks for being so thoughtful.”

With a trill of trumpets and the thud of bass drums, the high school band marched around the corner up the street.

“The parade is beginning,” said Heather, grabbing Addison and Taylor who’d jumped to their feet. “Sit down, girls. Let them come to us.”

Led by the parade marshal in a convertible, the band came down the street to a chorus of cheers. Following were floats, mostly simple and created by those who were affiliated with the stores and clubs and organizations that had entered them. Among the group was the Sparrow Lake Community House. The float featured crepe-paper streamers, posters and some of the community house staff waving to the crowd. A couple of teenagers—Brian and Andy—walked alongside the vehicle and threw wrapped candy to the crowd.

“Yay, Brian!” yelled Heather.

He responded by smiling, then throwing some candy nearly at the twins’ feet. Heather let the girls jump up, screaming and grabbing.

“Here, Mommy,” said Taylor, returning to throw a fistful of candy into the pink bag.

“More!” said Addison, adding several pieces.

Kristen enjoyed the scene, though she was waiting anxiously to see what the Sew Fine float looked like. She’d had to leave the night before while the crew had been putting on the final touches.

“Nice,” said Heather when their store’s trailer came into view.

The float was beautiful, decked out with a bright patchwork of crepe paper in different colors. Painted wooden letters glittering with sequins spelled out the name of the store. A rainbow of quilts were draped over wooden supports in the center. One of them was the blue-themed true love quilt, which was now finished. Kristen loved it and the idea that the quilting circle had made it for her and Alex. Gloria and Shara sat near the quilts, waving and throwing out candy in little packets. They had all done a terrific job and could be proud of themselves.

“How come you’re not on there?” Heather asked.

“I wanted to observe. I’ll participate another time.”

More floats from local businesses came by. Candy flew through the air and the twins caught more than their share. They filled the pink bag with lollipops and bubble gum and other types of candy.

Next came the farm equipment—brand-new tractors and combines so large they towered over some of the buildings. A group of local stock-car racers dressed as clowns brought up the rear, weaving back and forth across the street and joking with the crowd.

Then the cows trotted down the street, a sea of black and white because most were Holsteins. The animals wore brightly colored halters and some sported beads and bells and even hats. One large cow was decked out in a feathery red boa. All had caretakers leading or accompanying them, while other people walked amid the herd carrying baskets from which they scooped tiny wrapped wheels of cheese to throw to the crowd. Kristen grinned when she saw the cow with the boa being led by Matt Stapleton. Alex said the boy had taken a shine to the animal he’d sprayed with purple stars. He’d gotten to know the cow pretty well after washing her multiple times to get rid of the markings. Matt waved to her.

Finally, as the last of the cows passed by, a street-cleaning crew made its way at the end of the parade. At the same time, a police cruiser appeared in the nearby side street.

Excited at seeing Alex, Kristen got to her feet.

“Go ahead,” Heather told her. “I’ll get Brian to help me with these chairs and stuff.”

Kristen needed no more urging. “See you later.”

Then she ran to join Alex.

He stopped the cruiser and opened the passenger door. She’d hardly had time to climb inside before he reached over and pulled her closer for a quick kiss.

“What did you think?”

Kristen grinned at him. “That Sparrow Lake has some really wonderful things Chicago just can’t beat.”

Starting with Police Chief Alex Novak.

* * *

S
ITTING
WITH
J
OHN
across the street from her beautiful nieces, Margaret smiled with pleasure. She was so proud of her family. And so happy that Kristen had decided to stay in Sparrow Lake.

“Things worked out well, didn’t they?” said John as they saw Kristen get into the cruiser to drive off with Alex.

Margaret had a feeling he meant their own burgeoning relationship as well as Alex and Kristen’s. “Things certainly did work out. With Kristen running Sew Fine, and the rest of my family working there, I can trust the business will continue into the future.” Something she’d hoped for, and not just for the money it would make.

“So you’re retired. What are you going to do?”

“Oh, teach a class now and then. Sew. Paint. Maybe lead a slightly more laid-back life.”

And maybe do a little matchmaking for Heather if she could. Heather and her twins could use a man in their lives, though Margaret wasn’t going to mention that to John.

“Hmm, laid-back, huh? Maybe you’ll have time for a cruise.”

“A cruise?” She perked up at the suggestion. “You mean on one of those big ships?”

“No. I was thinking a smaller type of boat. The kind two or three people can handle.”

“You bought another boat?” Margaret had already realized that John had plenty of extra funds to play with, having been a successful businessman before moving to Sparrow Lake. “Like the one you had in Chicago?”

“Not yet. Besides, I’m at a new place in life. I’m starting over. I think one of those yachts with all the electronic thingamajigs might do the trick.” He asked, “Are you interested?”

“Of course!” said Margaret, beaming at him. She might be retired, but she considered it a new phase in her life. She would never be too old for adventures. “Starting over is an art that everyone should embrace.”

* * * * *

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ISBN: 9781460316252

Copyright © 2013 by Patricia Pinianski and Linda Sweeney

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