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Gretta couldn’t stop smiling.
FIVE
Main Street had undergone a complete transformation. In just a day, it’d become nearly unrecognizable. Vivian stuck close to Gretta, who led the way past numerous pop-up tents that were being used as vendor booths for selling all kinds of strawberry-related items.
Vivian wore an endless smile that she offered to everyone as she passed, checking out what each person was selling. There were chocolate-covered strawberries, deep-fried strawberries, strawberry dumplings, stuffed donuts, jams and jellies, handcrafted figurines, and of course, the pies that Gretta had made. She, Vivian, and Nash each pulled a child-sized red wagon behind them, lined with pies that had been placed with care into boxes with a label reading “From the Kitchen of Gretta.” Vivian had no idea there were so many ways to make a pie. Some had lattice tops, some solid, some with fancy rose patterns cut into them. Some were strawberry filled, others contained mixed berries, while some would simply be finished with a strawberry glaze—which could be purchased separately, as she had dozens of jars packed and ready for sale.
Vivian couldn’t believe the volume and quality of the wares available. Of course, she’d been to a festival before, but nothing like this. This was much more…down to earth, and the people were decidedly friendlier since they all knew one another. Heck, it was taking them forever to reach their tent because they couldn’t walk more than a few feet without someone approaching either Gretta or Nash to get or give an update on this or that.
Vivian was content with offering a polite hello or quick wave when acknowledged and then was on her way.
By the time they reached the stand that Gretta had been assigned, they were one of the last to set up. Nash was quick to unload the wagons, and Vivian did what she could to help, careful not to get in the way. Gretta was, as with any older person, calmer and slower, reminding them now and then to take their time. People would just have to wait.
And wait they did! Within the first hour, Vivian was already overwhelmed. She hadn’t gone into this thinking she’d be put to work, but the demand for Gretta’s pies and the filling was astonishing. Vivian simply tried her best to keep up, while Gretta maintained her steady pace, forcing everyone to move in time with her.
Unused to work, Vivian had reached her stress limit by the time afternoon rolled around, and her sweat-stained shirt and flat hair showed it.
“Looks like sales are going good,” Nash said as he strolled up to the table a while later and took a peek at what was left.
“Better than good,” Gretta beamed. “I’ll be out of stock by dinner, and I already have enough money to get the tractor fixed.”
“Nice! I’ll run by Charlie’s tomorrow morning and pick up the parts we need so we can get that done.”
“Don’t know what I’d do without ya.” Gretta reached across the table and patted Nash’s cheek affectionately with her weathered hand. “Where are ya headed about now?”
Nash cast a look around the grounds, checking out the various tents. “Well, I’ve had my fill of cakes and pies today, so I’ll stop by Nancy’s tent and grab a beer.”
“That’s perfect. Take our girl here with ya. She’s overdue for a break.”
Nash and Vivian both looked at the woman as if she’d lost her mind. “She doesn’t really look like a beer girl to me.”
“I don’t really like beer,” Vivian confirmed.
“Nancy makes an amazin’ strawberry-flavored wine cooler that’ll suit ya then,” Gretta decided and shooed them away. As much as Vivian wanted to protest, the way the woman shuffled after them and those shooing motions all said one thing: they didn’t have a choice.
Vivian would just ditch him as soon as they were out of eyesight.
“She’s a pushy old broad,” Nash muttered as they fell into step with one another.
“Seems like it,” Vivian said with a small laugh.
“She’s matchmaking, you know,” he informed her, not shocking Vivian one bit. She wasn’t born yesterday.
“I got that impression.”
“You did?” he asked, surprised.
“Yeah, it’s pretty obvious. But I’m not interested.”
“Me either,” he said with a scowl, then pushed his hands deep into his pants pockets. They wove their way through the crowds of people in silence for a minute, and then he said, sounding somewhat offended, “Why aren’t you interested?”
Glancing sideways at him, Vivian said, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I just got out of a marriage.” She paused then added, “And you have issues.”
Stopping dead in his tracks, Nash looked at her as if she was crazy. “I have issues? You’ve known me for all of a day, and you think I have issues?”
“I’ve seen enough toknowyou do,” she asserted.
“This is about the store thing,” he guessed, and she shrugged her confirmation. She didn’t have to spell it out for him. He knew what he’d done. He laughed. Laughed! “Lady, you can’t just walk into this town and assume you know how it works. You don’t know a damn thing.”
