Chapter Twenty-seven
The crowd was already growing by the time Saxon and Gemma arrived at the rec center the next morning.
The large metal building looked more like a warehouse than a place for community gatherings. Some of the locals had tried to soften the giant tan structure by planting bushes and flowers around the foundation, but that had simply made the corrugated metal siding look even more plain by comparison.
Inside were a handful of rooms and one giant gymnasium/auditorium where kids played basketball and volleyball after school, and the older folks gathered for a few rounds of bingo. So far, more blood had been shed over the latter than the former.
Today the rec center had been converted into a carnival, complete with face painting, a cake walk, games of chance and skill, and a tiny kids' fishing hole with guaranteed prizes clipped to clothes pins on the end of cane poles. There was also an old-time photo booth with costumes, and balloon animals made by their very own Harold “Stick Toe” Burgess.
No one under sixty knew where he'd earned the moniker, and no one over sixty was talking. It was the town's only secret, kept for decades by an unspoken pact among gentlemen. And, apparently, a few ladies.
Saxon breathed in the cool morning air and peered up at the bright blue sky. The weather was perfect for the event, but that hadn't always been the case. Spring storms were frequent and powerful in these parts, which was why the festival was always held in and near the rec center so that there was a place to hide if a sudden pop-up thunderstorm appeared.
Gemma arranged baked goods on a table under a large canopy. Tickets—earned by playing carnival games—could be exchanged for the treats or small toys.
As she assembled a multi-tiered cupcake display, Saxon stood back and watched. Her slender fingers moved deftly, twisting and snapping the pieces into place with expert ease. She donned a pair of gloves before opening the first box of cupcakes to arrange them on the stand.
All around people bustled and chatted. The air smelled of coffee, sugar, and meat smoking nearby. Birds sang, cheerful greetings filled the air, along with a sense of childish excitement.
None of those delightful sounds or smells could compete with the sight of Gemma arranging her pastel confections.
Deep like didn't feel this way. He knew that.
Saxon was in love with her.
He'd never felt the emotion before, but he knew what it was. Mom always said he'd never question whether or not he was in love. He'd simply know, deep down, with absolute certainty. She was right. There was no question in his mind. No hesitation.
He loved Gemma, and she was still planning to leave.
He couldn't let it happen, and yet he already knew it would.
Saxon briefly thought about leaving Whisper Lake behind, but discarded the idea before it could even finish forming. Dad needed him. If Saxon didn't run the company, Dad would have to go back to work full time again. And then some.
After a lifetime of taking care of his family through hard work and sacrifice, Dad deserved a chance to retire and enjoy his life. Saxon couldn't—wouldn't—take that away from him.
Which left him where? In love with a woman who lived four hours away?
He knew he could do a long-distance relationship with her. It would be a sacrifice, but one he was willing to make. The problem was, for how long? A few months was fine, but a few years? More than that?
Reality doused him with a cold glass of water as he realized just how impossible the situation was.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mom's voice floated through the hum of conversation.
She was dressed in a pale green button-up blouse and white capris. The emerald earrings Dad had bought her for her fifty-fifth birthday winked in her ears. Her brown hair hung in smooth, shiny waves to her shoulders, only now starting to show silvery strands woven amongst the dark locks. Her blue eyes were narrowed with concern.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"You looked like someone broke your heart." She glanced over to where Gemma was working. "Based on the woman you were staring at, I hope that's not the case."
"My heart is fine," he said, though he could predict that might not be the case soon enough. "What are you doing here so early?"
"I promised to help set up the games. I'm on ring toss this year."
"Is Mason coming?"
Mom's mouth flattened. "After what happened with Diana, I doubt it."
"How did you find out?" Saxon sure as hell hadn't told her.
"A mother has her ways. That girl was never good enough for him. I'm glad I can finally tell him that, though I don't think he's in a place where he can appreciate anything even resembling I told you so. Poor man."
"I'm keeping in touch with him. He's tough."
"Which is your way of saying that I can leave him alone? Not a chance, mister. He's my son and I'm going to keep pestering him to come out of his shell and talk to me. He can only bury himself in work for so long." She shook her head. "If you talk to him, tell him that he can either come over and see me, or I'm going to start putting my nose in his business. A mother can only take so much when she knows her baby is suffering."
Mom's favorite pastime was putting her nose in her kids' business, so that wasn't likely to change whether or not Mason picked up the phone and called her.
"Is Dad here?" Saxon asked.
"He's in charge of the fishing game. Your cousin Daisy and Mark are helping him this year. They're inside, setting up now." She wagged a finger under his nose. "And don't think that all this change of subject has distracted me from what's going on with you."
That was Mom. Just when he thought he had her attention focused elsewhere, she turned her gaze right back on the one thing he didn't want her to see.
"I'm fine," he repeated.
She patted his chest. "Guard yourself well, son. That girl is beautiful, kind, smart and creative, but she's not a small-town girl. She'll never flourish here the way she needs to. Opportunities for careers in Whisper Lake…they're not what they are in the city."
Mom would know. She'd given up her dreams of becoming a transplant surgeon in order to be with Dad. She never regretted it or threw it in his face when she got mad, but there was still a little unsatisfied part of her that Saxon could see sometimes—like she wondered how her life would have been if she'd followed her career instead of her heart.
Saxon didn't want that for Gemma. She deserved to have a full, happy life, living out every dream and hope she'd ever had.
Those dreams couldn't come true in a little town like Whisper Lake.
"I'll be careful," he told Mom. "Don't worry about me. Mason is the one in pain."
"I have enough attention to spare for all my kids."
Saxon rolled his eyes, but grinned as he did it. "Gee, aren't we lucky."
***
Gemma finished laying out her goodies just as kids started trickling in, pulling on their parent's hands to get them to hurry. Most of them were so cute, she wanted to hug them, but she stayed at her post and did her part, letting their infectious laughter wash over her. By eleven, the three-block radius surrounding the rec center was buzzing with activity.
Kids on sugar highs squealed in delight as they ran from one activity to another. Tables filled with crafts and goods for sale had been set up under a large tent next to the rec center. Adults strolled the aisles, searching for that perfect handmade gift. Horseshoes and potato sack races were both a hit, and the lawn was soon filled with people. Half a block over, Flora's cook, Senior, wielded a long spatula over a grill filled with hot dogs and hamburgers. Flora and her staff were nearby, serving baked beans and potato salad.
Gemma and Saxon worked side-by-side to hand out treats to the kids who'd won tickets at the games. The afternoon flew by, and right around dusk, lights came on over an outdoor dance floor. A band from two towns over began to play, and people funneled to the area, drinks in hand. The young children went home, leaving the teens and adults to enjoy the rest of the evening alone.
"Quitting time," Saxon said and he folded up the tablecloth and set it under a stack of empty boxes. They'd given away every last cookie and cupcake, leaving only crumbs behind.
Thank goodness she'd made more than she thought she'd need. Another ten boxes of treats were at Aunt Beth's house, ready to go for the final day of the festival.
Saxon took Gemma's hand. "Let's dance."
He pulled her over to the dance floor and took her in his arms. A classic tune flowed from the stage, and within seconds, she was lost in the music and the man leading her around the floor.
Dancing with Saxon was like flying. She felt light and free, and could barely contain the laughter that bubbled up from her core. They were hot and sweaty, shoved in tight with a hundred other people enjoying the music, but she didn't care. To her, no one else existed. It was just her and Saxon inside a little cocoon of happiness.
She didn't know how she was going to live without this when she left Whisper Lake.
Before the dark thought could ruin her good time, she shoved it away and forced herself to live in the moment.
The song ended. Saxon led her from the floor to make room for others to join in the fun. A bar had been set up a few yards away. He bought both of them drinks and they settled on a bench overlooking the dance floor.
Gemma spied Aunt Beth sitting next to Cotton Cyrus. His arm was around her shoulders, and she was blushing like a schoolgirl. She tapped her toe to the music and swayed slightly back and forth. After a while, he stood, folded her walker, and led her to the edge of the dance floor. Their style was definitely old school, but Cotton had a firm enough hold on her that Gemma had no worries that he'd let her fall.
Within seconds, Aunt Beth seemed to forget she was stiff and unsteady on her feet, and was dancing like a woman half her age.
The two of them were sweet together, leaving Gemma to wonder why her aunt spent so much time alone when it was clear he had a thing for her.
Nearby, a young couple held hands as they laughed, their heads bent close. The woman looked familiar, but Gemma couldn't place her.
"Who's that?" she asked Saxon, nodding to the lovers.
"My cousin Daisy and Mark Cooper."
Gemma and Daisy had been friends when she was little, but rather than a scrawny tom boy, Daisy was now a stunningly beautiful woman, glowing in the arms of the man she clearly loved.
"I thought he and Janey were a couple."
Saxon's face fell. "Janey died the year before last."
Gemma was shocked. Janey had been so young. The same age as Gemma. They'd played together, and even spent one summer sewing crooked, clumsy clothes for each other's dolls. "What happened?"
"It was a freak accident. We thought grief over her death was going to take poor Mark with her, but Daisy there managed to bring him back to life. It's good seeing them both happy."
A lot had happened in Whisper Lake since Gemma had last had time for a visit. She wondered how much more life would happen before she could make time to come back. Maybe next time, it would be Saxon mooning over a woman, rather than Mark.
"See my brother?" Saxon asked, loud enough to be heard over the music. He pointed to a man who looked just like him, with a wide jaw, messy hair, and smile lines so deep she could see them from yards away. He was dancing with a woman older than Aunt Beth, with a line of three more women waiting for a turn with him.
"Is that Nate?" She remembered him as a gangly boy, but he was definitely all grown up now.
Saxon nodded his head. His eyes danced with amusement. "He's a real lady killer."
The woman Nate was with currently wore hot pink lipstick, which matched the bright kiss mark he sported on his neck. Her cheek was pressed against his muscular chest, and a look of rapture shaped her wrinkled face. Her hands inched their way down to his ass, but he kept moving them back up to his waist when they strayed too far south. The whole time, his indulgent smile never faltered.
"Does he ever dance with women his own age?" Gemma asked.
"No girl in town would dare steal him away from the ladies at bingo night. They're territorial as hell, and I wouldn't put it past them not to beat off the competition with a cane."
That image tickled her. "He seems to be enjoying himself, at least."
"Oh yeah. He's got a fascination with history, and loves hearing how life used to be from those who actually lived it."
"What does he do?" she asked.
"He renovated the old Moonlight Oasis Travel Lodge and runs it now. He also restores old houses. It's a hell of a thing to see one of the old Victorian painted ladies coming back to life under his touch."
"I bet every one of those painted ladies," she said, pointing at the gathering of retired women, "would like to come to life under his touch, too."
Saxon wrinkled his nose and laughed. "Eeew. And please repeat that when he's around sometime and make sure I'm within earshot. I'd love to see his face."
He acted like she was staying for a while—like there would be some magical time when she would be hanging out with his family, rather than working her ass off in a kitchen in St. Louis, trying to earn her next wrung on the ladder.
Reality stole some of the magic of the night and replaced it with cold, hard facts.
"None of that," he said as he ran a finger across her frown. "Tonight is for fun and celebration. The town will belong to the tourists all summer starting next weekend, but tonight, it's ours." He stood and held out his hand. "Dance with me, Gemma. Let's forget the world and just dance."
She took his hand. There was no other choice. His pull on her was too great, and even though she knew that she was walking a dangerous line between having fun and falling for a man she couldn't have, she had no choice but to put her hand in his.
He led her to the dance floor just as a slow tune began its sultry beat. They swayed together in perfect unity, holding on as tight as they could.
The dance would end. Tonight would be over. Gemma would leave this town and Saxon behind. But the memory of her body pressed against his, so warm and strong, would be with her forever.
***
Lulu clung to the shadows, watching Saxon dance with the outsider slut.
That should have been Lulu in his arms. They belonged together. Everyone knew it but him.
Mama had told her to be patient, that Gemma would leave and go back where she came from, but Lulu worried that the girl wouldn't leave soon enough.
What if Saxon fell in love with her? What if he moved away to be with her?
Lulu would die if that happened. She would curl up in a tiny ball and disintegrate if he wasn't in her life—if he wasn't hers.
She'd already picked her wedding gown and the flowers she would wear in her hair. She knew how many children they'd have and what each of their names would be. She'd even decided on a cute little cottage on Third Street that would be the perfect first home. Once the kids started coming, he'd build them something bigger—maybe a little out of town so that they could have some privacy away from their parents.
The dream was so bright and vivid, she knew she was seeing the future. She didn't understand why Saxon couldn't see it, too.
Patience, Mama advised. Your time will come.
Lulu hoped her mother was right, because if Saxon didn't realize that they were destined to be together soon, she was going to have to take drastic measures—ones Gemma and Aunt Beth really weren't going to like.