“That would be great,” Liam agreed. “He seems like a nice guy, and everyone on the committee likes him. Fox Hollow has plenty of civic pride, but it takes a lot of people to pull off all the events that everyone enjoys so much.”
Justin knew that firsthand. He contributed to special event funding as a local small business owner, raffled off seaplane tours for charity, and helped decorate some of the haunted houses and Christmas displays. He enjoyed the community aspect of working with his neighbors and figured that volunteering got him off his couch and out of the house.
Justin taxied to the dock and pulled up alongside, jumping out to secure the plane and giving Liam a hand to climb down. “That was fun. Thanks for going with me,” Justin said.
“I’m always happy to go on side quests if I don’t have something else going on,” Liam replied. “Speaking of which, we need to set another date to get together and play more of the new game. I don’t want to forget everything from the last campaign!”
“I’m up for it,” Justin agreed. “And if you find anything else interesting about the mine or the ski resort, please let me know. I can pass it on to Scott for his project, and at this point, I’m nosy enough to be interested.”
“Will do.” Liam gave a jaunty salute in parting.
Justin ran his post-flight check and refueled theDolly Jean. He finished some paperwork, checked his schedule for the next day, and decided to opt for an early dinner at Bear Necessities. Enough of his friends and neighbors were seated at tables to prove he wasn’t the only one hungry for an early meal.
“Hey, Justin!” Valerie from the Halloween event committee waved him over to her table. “I was going to come looking for you. Thanks for making it easy for me.”
He pulled up a chair and barely spared a glance at the menu. Justin ate there often enough that he knew his favorites, and tonight the sweet-and-sour meatballs with homemade cheesy shells sounded like it would hit the spot.
“What’s up? How are the Halloween plans coming?” Justin asked as the server brought him a glass of water and took his order.
Valerie had a piece of pie in front of her, so either she had skipped the meal or had already finished.
“There’s a lot to do, but we’ve got all hands on deck, so it’s coming along well.” Valerie was well-known for her tireless energy, enthusiasm, and community spirit. That made it easy for her to rally the townsfolk to help with events that brightened the long winter days and helped keep neighbors engaged with one another.
“Great to hear.” Justin took a sip of water. “I’ve been working on the pumpkin people we talked about at the last meeting,” he told her. “I’m painting the heads first, and then I’ll put together the bodies once I have a feel for their personality.”
The fantastical creatures were Halloween scarecrows with painted faces and straw-stuffed bodies. Some would hang from a stand to show motion, while others would be sturdier and able to stand like mannequins.
Valerie grinned. “I love that!”
The pumpkin people were part of an indoor maze designed to be weatherproof. Fox Hollow offered the use of a maintenance barn that could be spared for a couple of weeks, and that meant the maze wasn’t dependent on good weather for ticketholders to experience the spooky attraction.
“I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” Valerie said. “I think the maze will be one of our biggest hits this year.”
“I hope so. I’m having fun,” Justin replied.
“Scott seems to be enjoying volunteering,” Valerie added with a sly smile. “He’s been a helpful addition to the committee, and he has good ideas. I know he can’t be here to do as much hands-on work as some of the rest of us, but it’s good to get fresh insights. I love our repeat volunteers, but it’s also nice to get suggestions based on what’s been done elsewhere.”
Her praise warmed Justin’s heart. He loved hearing that Scott made a good impression on other people in Fox Hollow,and Scott’s willingness to volunteer encouraged Justin’s hope that his boyfriend would go through with moving to join him.
“He says he enjoys getting to know people,” Justin reported. “Now we just have to get him moved up here.”
Valerie gave him a knowing look. “I don’t really think he’s going to take much convincing, but relocating is complicated. I doubt he’ll stay away long.”
She stayed to chat while he ate, talking about everything from the forecast to how well the local high school football team was doing this season.
Justin promised to email her photos when he had the first few scarecrows finished and pocketed his change as he waited for a cup of coffee to go. Valerie stepped away just as Sheriff Torben Armel entered, and spotting the lawman gave Justin an idea.
Sheriff Armel resembled his inner bear. He was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick head full of brown hair. Although Armel could also take after his bear in temperament, he was known for being fair and honest.
“Sheriff, can I ask you a quick question?”
Armel stopped and nodded, giving Justin a quizzical look. “Sure. But if it’s about permits for the parade?—”
Justin shook his head. “Nothing that practical. I was wondering if you’d heard anything about reopening the old mine.”
The sheriff’s eyes narrowed for a moment, clearly surprised by the topic. “Where did that come from?”
“I’d heard it had been sold and when I flew up that way today and saw activity—a new building, modern equipment, and vehicles. I thought you might have heard something.”
