Page 22 of A Whim and a Prayer

Grinning, Charity slapped the table with both palms causing Lizzie to jump. “Well now, I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you?”

“Wait …” Lizzie raised a palm with a hint of worry. “If it has anything to do with Mitch, we don’t want to hear it.”

“Nope.” Grabbing the plate, she made a beeline for the cookie jar to replenish it, piling more on top. “I’m going to break my diet.”

Faith’s smile slid sideways. “I thought you already had.”

“Oh, honey,” Charity said as she clunked the cookie plate on the table, snatching one before sashaying to the refrigerator for the milk. Shoving half the cookie in her mouth, she allowed a tiny moan of pleasure before tossing a wink over her shoulder with chipmunk cheeks. “Sinsche when do I do anythin’ haf-way?”

Chapter Fourteen

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Beck, I need you …” Winnie pleaded, giving it her best shot to convince him to do something she knew he didn’t want to do.

He rolled his eyes, mouth tight as he leaned against the back wall of Cathedral High’s spacious drama room with its own makeshift stage, thick arms bulging with tension as he crossed them stiffly over his chest. “No, Winnie, you need one of them, not me,” he said, giving a nod toward the twenty or so guys chatting with girls and each other before the second planning meeting. “I told you from the very beginning that I would do anything you need me to do—crew, props, scenery, lighting, whatever. Good grief, I’ll even post and mail flyers or work a stupid concession stand, but I will not act, and that’s final.”

Her tone edged toward pitiful as she cast a mournful look at the other prospects in the room. “But the role of Buffalo Bill Cody calls for a tall, powerfully built man, Beck, who’s larger than life, and you’re the only one who fills the bill. And you were so good as the lead in your senior play.” She reinforced her plea with a gentle massage of his arm.

His jaw sagged. “That was five bloomin’ years ago, Dennehy, and I only did it then because Mrs. Albright practically got down on her hands and knees and begged after her lead broke his leg two weeks out.” Air blustered through his lips. “And all because I was stupid enough to listen to you and volunteer as assistant stage manager, who just happened to know all the lines.”

A smile tickled at the edge of her mouth, threatening her doleful appeal. She tried to thwart it with a chew of her lip. “Well, I guess he took that old theatrical expression a tad too seriously, huh?”

An uncommon scowl marred his face, underscoring just how much he hated the limelight. “It’s not funny. I swear the woman actually broke down and cried.”

Blinking hard several times, Winnie put her acting skills to work with a sudden film of tears. “I can break down and cry too …”

The edge of his mouth crooked. “Fine, I’ll lend you my handkerchief, kiddo, but nothing else.”

Dropping the act, she leaned back like him, a mirror image of the mule beside her with arms in a tight fold as she surveyed the male potential in the room. A pout pursed on her lips. “Everybody knows Buffalo Bill Cody was a big, brawny brute of a man, brimming with bravado.”

“Yeah, well I think I saw your guy out in the hall, mopping the floor, so you might want to catch him before he clocks out.”

She jabbed him with her elbow just as Mrs. C blew her whistle.

Winnie pushed off the wall and picked up her satchel and purse, slinging both over her shoulder as she teased Beck with a threatening look. “You’re off the hook for now, Campbell, but don’t think it will last.”

“It never does.” His mouth zagged to the right. “I’m stubborn, Dennehy, not stupid.”

“All right, everyone, let’s get this meeting started, shall we?” Standing at a podium on the improvised stage, Mrs. C waved Winnie and Abby forward with a smile while she addressed her audience. “Thank you, everyone, for your prompt and dedicated attendance to this very important meeting for the BCAS fundraiser play. She gave a nod to Abby as she mounted the steps with Winnie right behind. “We’ll start with Abby reading the minutes from the last meeting followed by the announcement for assigned roles in the play. Abby?” Mrs. C extended her hand to the podium and took one of the three seats set up on the stage, right next to Winnie.

Retrieving her notes from her portfolio, Abby delivered a bright smile. “Hello, everyone. Our first meeting was a week ago Thursday and here are the minutes: Mrs. Cullen provided all information and schedules in a packet for everyone, and those who were not in attendance can pick up theirs from me at the end of this meeting. She also advised that the play we’ll be performing is Annie, Get Your Gun in honor of Irving Berlin’s production, which just opened on Broadway this year, making it the perfect choice for our fundraiser since it should be a huge draw.”

Offering a smile of approval, Abby continued on, finger tracing down the page for each point. “Mrs. C explained that she was privileged to see the pre-Broadway tryout at the Schubert Theatre here in Boston earlier this year since”—she paused for effect—“Boston is one of the most important pre-Broadway tryout cities in the world.”

Index and middle fingers to her mouth, Winnie blew a deafening whistle just like Beck had taught her, breaking out in applause as everyone laughed and joined in.

Tossing a backward grin to her cousin, Abby continued. “Thank you, Winifred. Our production will take place at The New England Home for Little Wanderers on South Huntington on November 2nd at 8:00 p.m. It follows a special fundraising dinner at the Roseland-State Ballroom a few blocks away, which is being handled by the administrative offices of The Children’s Aid Society.”