Chapter Ten

 

“Here you go, sweetie. Be careful now, it’s hot,” I said, handing a cup of cocoa to Mrs. Violet’s four-year-old grandson, Lewis.

“Thank you, Miss Ivy,” he said politely. “I wuv hot chocowate.”

Mrs. Violet patted his back as she accepted the cup of coffee I held out to her. “Thanks, Ivy. I heard you went to see Lucille.”

I put my hand on my hip in a display of frustration. “Boy, word travels fast around here.”

She shrugged. “You can’t get anything past anyone, you know that. Just like the cops being at the diner twice in so much as a week.”

I glanced around and leaned in. “Please, Mrs. Violet, I would prefer we don’t talk about this in public. The diner is safe and customers are safe. Yes, I’ve had a problem with one particular person lately, but the police are working on their angle. I don’t want to get everyone up in arms. There’s nothing to be afraid of at the diner.”

She stared at me intently for what seemed like forever. A rivulet of sweat ran down my back under the scrutiny and I wondered if she was going to shutter my business for good by opening her mouth about the problems at the diner.

She held up a hand. “I’ll make sure the word gets out there’s nothing going on at the diner. I would hate to see you lose business for something beyond your control. All the calls are after the diner is closed, so it must be someone not right in the head.”

I raised one eyebrow. “You could be a detective, Mrs. Violet,” I said, watching as her lips tipped up into a grin. It was a rare sight in Bells Pass when Mrs. Violet smiled.

“I do love a good mystery, Ivy. I’m sorry it’s happening to you, though. You have enough on your plate without worrying about a troublemaker. I’m sure the police will catch whoever it is.”

“Agreed,” I said. “I honestly think it’s someone who isn’t mentally stable and has episodes of delusion.”

She nodded saying mmmmhhmmmm for a few seconds. “Speaking of the mentally unstable, how was Lucille?”

I held up my finger while I passed out more coffee and cocoa. I was manning the booth alone until Melissa got back from the bathroom. By then it would be time for Shep to pick me up for the tree lighting. When everyone drifted away from the booth I turned my attention back to Mrs. Violet.

“She was the same, though she did open her eyes and say a few words to me,” I explained.

Mrs. Violet put her hand to her heart. “My heavens, you must be kidding. She hasn’t moved in two months.”

I shrugged. “I held her hand and told her I took over the diner per her request. I talked about a lot of things with her and as I stood to leave she opened her eyes. While she struggled, she managed to tell me I shouldn’t be like her and I should find love.”

Her smile grew and I wondered why on earth the woman walked around town with a frown all the time. “Well, I’ll be. Lucille is still in there.”

I nodded, a grin on my face as well. “Mrs. Violet, can I just say, I love your smile. I’ve never seen it before, but your eyes sparkle and your face lights up much like Lewis’s.”

She blushed and attempted to force the smile away, but it only grew larger. She brushed her hand at me. “Thank you, dear. Maybe I should smile more, but there hasn’t been a lot to smile about lately. With Alan’s accident, it’s been hard to be jovial, even around the holidays.”

“I can’t even pretend to imagine,” I whispered. “How is he?”

She smiled. “Surprisingly, he’s better. The doctors think he’ll eventually be able to attend rehab and while he’ll have to use oxygen for the rest of his life, he should be able to live relatively normal. He’ll never work again, though.”

I frowned. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Violet, I had no idea the toll this must be taking on you. The next time you’re too tired to cook, you come by the diner and I’ll send some meals home for you and Mr. Violet. It was truly a terrible day when he was hurt.”

She tentatively reached out and patted my hand. “I appreciate it, dear. Sometimes I get into the caretaker mode and forget about taking care of myself. The company is being wonderful, however, and making sure all of Alan’s needs are taken care of. We’re lucky in that respect.”

“That’s good to hear,” I said. “Not everyone is as fortunate when they’re hurt in the workplace.”

Mr. Violet was the foreman at the power plant one town over. There was a freak accident when two chemicals mixed together and exploded all over him. He had chemical burns on most of his face and arms, but the worst part was what it did to his lungs. The doctors didn’t think he’d survive the trauma to the lung tissue, but he’s slowly fought his way back to life. He’s home now, and working with therapy. I was pleased to hear he was doing better.

Lewis danced around near her, waiting to walk to the gazebo for the tree lighting. She took his hand and held it tightly. “I best be going. Thanks for the pep talk, Ivy. I needed it. Say, if you ever plan to see Lucille again, would you call me? I would love to go with you.”

I nodded happily. “I promised I would stop by tomorrow to tell her about the Winter Carnival. You’re welcome to come along. Maybe, if more people start visiting her, she’ll find some comfort in that.”

Mrs. Violet smiled again as Lewis tugged on her hand. “You might be right, Ivy. Call me tomorrow with a time and I’ll meet you there.”

I promised her I would and she allowed Lewis to drag her toward the gazebo. I checked my watch and it was seven forty-three, which meant Shep would be here any minute, but Melissa wasn’t back yet. I tidied the cups and pondered Mrs. Violet’s idea about Lucille. I wanted to take it one step further; maybe if more people visited Lucille she’d improve to the point she could go to therapy and come back from the stroke, but it seemed too much to hope for considering the condition she was in when I saw her.

“Sorry,” Melissa said puffing as she approached the booth. “Huge lines in there tonight. The carnival is definitely well attended.”

I motioned behind me at the coffee machines. “You’re not fooling. We’ve served gallons of coffee and hot cocoa. People are feeling festive and ready for the holidays. Are you sure you can handle the booth while I’m gone?”

She rolled her eyes skyward. “Ivy, everyone will be at the gazebo watching the tree lighting. No one will be here looking for coffee.”

I tapped my chin and then shook my finger at her. “You’re right, so why do you have to be here? Seems ridiculous to miss the tree lighting when no one will be here anyway. Let’s shutter the booth and put a sign up that we’ll reopen when the lighting is over.”

She put her hands together in the prayer pose. “Really? I don’t want to miss it, but I didn’t want to say anything and ruin your plans.”

“Let’s do it,” I said, motioning her toward the coffee machines. We programmed them to shut off after thirty minutes, in case we didn’t get back. “I don’t want to leave them on without any supervision for too long. If we get back and they’re off we will reset them and be ready to go again. The coffee and hot cocoa in the air pots are steaming hot, so we’ll have product ready when the lighting is over.”

I wrote out a sign on a piece of paper and we tugged the window closed before we left the booth. I stuck the note on the window and grinned with excitement.

“Shep is picking me up here any minute. You head over to the gazebo and I’ll see you there,” I told Melissa. “Get a good spot so you can see me light up the night.” I winked and she laughed, agreeing to head over while I waited. “There’s Shep now.” I pointed to the figure jogging toward me and she waved, heading off in the direction of the gigantic, floating mass of people moving toward the gazebo. It appeared the whole town came out tonight, which was great to see.

Shep jogged up and stopped, grabbing my shoulders and kissing my cheek. “Sorry I’m late. Last minute problem with the tree lights, but I got it fixed.”

He peered around me at the sign on the window. “I thought Melissa was going to man the booth?” he asked, as he tucked me under his arm and herded me along toward the gazebo. We stayed clear of the large group of people and took the path leading to the back of the structure. At least we wouldn’t get trapped in the crush of spectators.

“I was going to, but she made a good point. No one will be in need of coffee until after the tree lighting. I told her to go have fun. What’s the point of a carnival if you don’t get to enjoy some of it?”

He grinned and kissed my cheek again. “You make an excellent point, and you smell good enough to eat. Chocolate coffee is on the menu.”

I laughed freely. “Coffee and hot cocoa are on the menu, but I suppose the two together would be pretty darn good. There’s Mayor Tottle,” I said, pointing in front of me.

He was standing behind the gazebo, put together as always. He wore dress slacks, a turtleneck and a stylish green and red cardigan sweater. His hair was perfectly styled to look carefree and he had a sheet of paper in his hand and a smile on his face as he saw us approaching.

“Good evening, Ivy and Shep,” he said, shaking both of our hands. “I’m happy you could join me. Shep, I would like you on the stage with Ivy and me tonight.”

“Why?” Shep asked surprised. “I’m always behind the stage running the microphones and troubleshooting the tree lighting.”

He nodded and fiddled with the paper in his hand. “I know you do, but I asked Freddie to do it this year. I thought you might like to be with Ivy as we welcome her into the business community. The two of you have shared a lot together, and not all of it good. I imagine tonight might be something you’d like to add to the good pile.”

“How thoughtful of you, Mayor Tottle,” I said appreciatively. “Shepard has been my rock for almost twenty years. I would love to share tonight with him.”

Shep grinned wide at his boss. “Come to think of it, you’re right. I’m always focused on the job and sometimes I miss the bigger picture. Thanks for thinking of it,” he said, sticking his hand out again for the mayor to shake.

“Happy to,” he said, pumping his hand up and down. “Now, we better get up there before the townspeople start chanting.”

We laughed and climbed the stairs behind him. The gazebo was an iconic building in Bells Pass’s largest park. Made of wood and painted white, the traditional shape and structure fit perfectly with the shape and structure of our town. We had traditions we held dear to our hearts, and the tree lighting at the gazebo was one of them. In the summer, the gazebo was the place to be for weddings and family reunions. It offered shade from the sun, but the open sides allowed the breeze to flow through and cool you. The woods surrounding the back of the gazebo offered the perfect place to play hide-and-seek for the kids while their parents played horseshoes or gabbed at the table. It was truly the epitome of small town living and I can still remember the days Shep and I spent in the park playing games around the gazebo. I also remember every Christmas tree lighting since I was five. I was about to add a new and wonderful memory to the pile.

Everyone clapped excitedly, hooting and hollering when Mayor Tottle stepped up to the podium. He laid the sheet of paper on the wooden holder and waited for the crowd to settle. Shep and I stood to the side of him and I waved back at a few people who were waving from the crowd. Melissa was grinning wide as she was surrounded by kids, all of them clamoring for her to hold their hand. I always wondered why she wasted her time as a waitress. Don’t get me wrong; she’s a talented server, but wherever she goes, the kids gravitate to her. She’s always playing games or holding a baby when I turn around at work. If a mom is trying to eat, but a little one isn’t cooperating, Melissa will plunk the baby on her hip and go about her business while the parents eat. Maybe someday she’ll figure out what her true calling is, and I can tell you, it’s not waitressing.

“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Bells Pass Winter Carnival,” Mayor Tottle said excitedly, clapping his hands along with everyone else. “As you know, we’re here to light the tree, and this year, we have a special guest with us to do the honors. But, before we get to it, I would like to take a moment to introduce you all to the newest employee of the Public Works Department. As many of you know, George Dawson had to retire due to health reasons.” Everyone in the crowd murmured their prayers and many even made the sign of the cross while saying the traditional blessing. “With his retirement, we were left without a Public Works director.”

The crowd let out a collective boo and from the corner of my eye I saw Shep’s shoulders drop, and his chin fall to his chest. Damn Orlando Tottle for doing this here. What in the hell was he thinking? Shep is standing right here and he doesn’t even give him a heads up? I slipped my hand into his and squeezed it, but he didn’t squeeze back. I could feel the sadness and anger radiating from him. He turned to go, but I held his hand tightly, refusing to let him leave the stage and make a scene. Maybe he didn’t get the job, but no one knows he even applied for it. I rose up on my tiptoes and whispered the same in his ear. He nodded, resigned, but stayed put.

“The council and I had a tough decision to make and after much consideration we chose who we felt was the best candidate, not just for the job, but for the people of Bells Pass. This individual has a degree in civil engineering and while he’s young, he has the problem solving and quick-thinking abilities he will need in a job such as this one. In fact, he comes highly recommended by George Dawson as someone who can do the job, and do it right.” Shep’s head snapped up and his eyes sought mine, a glimmer of hope sparking in them.

He leaned into my ear. “George recommended me to the council,” he whispered. I didn’t say anything, but I smiled and squeezed his hand again.

“This young man addressed the council, and myself, in a way no other candidate ever has. Instead of selling himself for the job, he introduced us to his visions for the future of Bells Pass, highlighting problems we need to address now and in the future, the importance of staged improvements to the local infrastructure, and ways to run the department more efficiently. By the end of his presentation those of us in the boardroom could see he had the best interest of Bells Pass in his heart and his mind. You all know Shepard Lund as a member of the public works team, but tonight I wanted to share with all of you his promotion to Public Works Director. Shepard, would you come up here?”

He dropped my hand and gave me a grin lasting barely a second, but I pushed him toward the podium as the crowd hooted and chanted his name. Mayor Tottle shook his hand and then put his hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry I didn’t give you a heads up, Shep. We thought the people of Bells Pass would enjoy hearing the news for the first time here. I want to tell you there was no doubt in any of the council members minds you were the best man for the job. Thanks for sticking with us all these years and serving the community. We’ll discuss the specifics on Monday, but for tonight, congratulations on your promotion. I’m going to enjoy working with you and watching you continue to take care of Bells Pass the way you have the past ten years.”

Shep grinned and leaned into the microphone. “Thank you, Mayor Tottle, and thanks to all of you for being here. I look forward to serving you all as director and my door is always open. If you have any problems, I’ll be there to address them with you. Thank you.” Shep waved to the crowd and turned to leave the podium, but Mayor Tottle pointed at a guy on the ground, camera in his hand. Russ Cramer, the newspaper photographer, took pictures of Shep with the mayor, and then the mayor, Shep, and the council members who had come to the stage during the announcement. After only a few minutes they were finished and Shep left the podium in a daze, approaching me quickly. He grabbed me and kissed my lips, hugging me to him.

“We did it,” he whispered, as the mayor started his annual address to the city. “We made it,” he sighed in my ear.

“No, you did it, Shep. You made this happen. I’ve never been prouder of you than I am tonight. I’m impressed with your determination to serve our city even with the challenges your asthma presents. You’re incredibly special, Shepard James Lund. Keep being you,” I whispered. I attempted to convince myself my lips tingled from the cold and not his kiss, but it was a futile effort.

He held me, swinging me back and forth a few times before lowering me to the ground. I noticed Mrs. Violet’s gaze on us as a smile tipped her lips again. She caught me staring and winked, as though she knew my secret feelings for the man who always stood by my side.

Mayor Tottle finished his remarks and held his hands up to the crowd. “Who’s ready to light the tree?” The crowd clapped and went wild, waving their battery powered candles in the air. “Then it’s time to introduce Bells Pass’s newest business owner. She isn’t a newcomer to Bells Pass by any means, but when she took over Nightingale Diner last week, she officially became the first and likely last business owner of the year.”

He motioned me forward and gave me the podium to speak at. “Hello, everyone. I won’t say much, since we’re all anxious to see the tree light up, but I want to thank everyone for the support the past months as we’ve worked out the kinks at the diner. I’m privileged and excited to take over the diner for Lucille. Stop in for a cup of coffee and pie. You’ll find the pie will stay the same, but there will be some much-needed modernizing to the diner’s payment methods,” I said, waiting while the crowd hooted their appreciation. “I went to see Lucille the other day and while I sat with her, I began to think about the history of the diner. It’s extensive, and one thing we, as humans, always do is look to the future, and remember the past. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve decided I want to move the diner forward into the future, though you’re dreaming if you think I’m getting wi-fi, it’s not happening.” I shook my head while half the audience cheered and half of them groaned. “There’s one other thing I want to do, and it’s not to simply remember the past, but to incorporate the past. Over the next few weeks when you stop into the diner there will be a survey for customers to fill out concerning events you’d like to see brought back to the Nightingale Diner. Soda shop night, sock hop night, maybe even game night for families. I may own the diner now, but all of you are the ones who keep the doors open, and it’s my opinion it should be a place you want to come to for food and for fun.” The crowd exploded in applause and cheering while the kids jumped around Melissa like pogo sticks. I held up my hands. “On that note, let’s light this tree!”

The crowd continued their celebration as Mayor Tottle grabbed Shep by the arm and we all trotted down the steps to the front of the gazebo where the giant, thirty-five-foot tree stood proudly. The city works started grooming the tree in November, and then the lights were wound on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The rest of the year, the tree stood proudly, shading the gazebo and offering a home for birds all year round. The school kids loved making pine cone bird feeders, often covering them in peanut butter, and birdseed for the birds to peck at from January until spring. Tonight, there were no pinecones or birds. Only a dark, hulking tree waiting to display its glory for the whole town to see.

Mayor Tottle had accepted a portable microphone from Shep’s coworker and waited for the crowd to quiet before he spoke. “There are over sixty thousand lights on the tree this year, and a new tree topper I hope you’ll love. Considering the time and preparation it takes to ready the tree every year, I’ve invited the man who made it all happen as an honorary tree lighter. Shep & Ivy, we’re all waiting to see this beauty. Light it up!” he shouted.

Shep, clearly surprised, but nonplussed, grabbed my hand and set it on the red handle. “Light it up, baby,” he whispered and together we tugged the handle down.

In an instant, the whole park lit up like the Fourth of July as the bulbs burned brightly on the tree, sending a soft blue glow over the crowd. There was a collective ‘Ohhhhh’ as they noticed the tree topper. A gigantic bell sat on top of the mammoth tree, lit up in gold with a star in the center, an exact replica of the bell which stands before the courthouse.

“It’s beautiful, Shep,” I sighed, my head turned upward toward the top of the tree as the crowd clapped appreciatively.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he whispered, kissing my cheek as the crowd began to sing Silent Night.