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They cleared their table then made their way outside and joined the crowd of people lining up for the parade.
They stopped at the truck to get Gladys and Cooper. The windows were down, and the two dogs leaned their heads out the passenger side, happily greeting everyone who passed by. Kaylee put their leashes on as Luke offered them each a dry pancake and a paper cup full of water. They gobbled up the flap jacks and slopped water from the cups.
Kaylee was struck again by how close-knit they all were. Everyone in the community seemed to know Cooper by name. A few even knew Gladys’s name, and the corgi ate up all the attention of extra pets and chin scratches.
Luke found an empty spot just as the parade was starting, and he and Kaylee stood at the curb with the dogs at their feet as they watched the local Color Guard march by with the American flag and the state of Montana flag perched on their hips. Four abreast, the soldiers marched in unison, rows of metals adorning the chests of their dress blues.
Taking off his hat, Luke pressed it to his chest as they walked by. Across the street and down a little, Kaylee spotted Bear standing at the front edge of the alley. She swallowed as she watched him stand tall and raise his hand to his forehead in a salute, holding perfectly still as the flags held by the soldiers marched by.
A police car and firetruck were next in the procession, both vehicles intermittently flashing their lights and giving quick blitzes to their sirens. Firemen leaned out the windows of an old-fashioned firetruck and tossed candy to the kids lining the street. Decked out in their school colors of blue and yellow, the Bartlett High marching band filled the air with music as they trooped by.
After several floats and the Shriners driving tiny cars went by, Kaylee could finally see a group of kids on bicycles coming up the street. She tapped Luke’s arm then leaned forward to search for Emma. “Here come the kids.” Spotting her, Kaylee waved her arms. “There she is.”
Emma sat up tall in the seat, a brand-new purple helmet perched on her head, a yellow and white daisy sticker stuck to the side. Pink and white streamers were woven through the spokes of her tires. She waved back, and the smile of joy on her face made the clandestine effort of contributing to the purchase of the bike totally worth it.
Kaylee laughed as she leaned into Luke’s shoulder, raising her voice over the din of the parade noise. “She looks so happy.”
Luke grinned at her. “She’s not the only one. You look like you’re about to bust with happiness.”
“I am.” She wrapped her arms around herself as if to keep all the good happy feelings from escaping. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a fun day.
The fun continued through the morning and the afternoon as Kaylee and Luke went from the parade to the spaghetti luncheon the local bank put on to wandering the craft show and trade demonstrations.
“I’ve never been to anything like this,” Kaylee said as she and Luke headed back to the farm to change for the evening’s festivities. “I’ve had the best time. The glassblowing demonstration was my favorite. No, actually I loved the Dress Your Pig contest the most. Oh, I just loved it all.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Although I probably should have passed up that last corn dog.”
Luke chuckled. “You’re gonna want to find some more room because we’ve still got the town barbeque tonight then they have more food vendors at the street dance.”
She groaned as she adjusted the still full bag of kettle corn nestled against the bag of crafts she’d purchased. “I’ll try to rally.” Gladys was sprawled on the seat between them, her head and front paws slumped across Kaylee’s lap, but she lifted her nose at the rustle of plastic. Cooper was already asleep on the floor of the truck. “I think we wore these two out.”
Luke nodded as he pulled up to the house and cut the engine. “I could use one of those naps too.” He glanced at his watch then offered her a smile. “We’ve got a few hours before we have to be back, if you want to grab a few winks.”
She shook her head. “I could use a little couch time and a cold glass of tea, but I’m too wired to nap. My brain is buzzing with story ideas and notes, and I’m dying to jot it all down.” She nodded to one of the bags in the seat. “I bought another cute notebook this afternoon because I’ve practically filled up the first one I brought.”
His happy smile fell. “Oh yeah. Sometimes I forget you’re only here to do research for your books.”
“That’s not the only thing…” she started to say, but Luke had already gotten out of the truck.
