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“Sure you won’t come with me today?” I asked. “Alice won’t mind putting us both up for the night. You could help the men build some of the booths for us.”
Bryant shook his head. “I promised Crow and his brothers to show them a new hunting ground that I found last week. Then I need to speak with Flying Deer on...another matter.”
“Sounds mysterious.”
“And it will stay that way,” he warned teasingly.
“Fine, keep your secrets,” I said, working hard not to appear miffed by it. I was getting better at not making a fuss over what he hid from me. At least not a huge fuss. “I’ll make one pie for us to take home, too.”
“Make it two,” he said. “You’re getting much better at your cooking. I may just keep you on as wife awhile longer.”
“Oh, Mr. Bryant, you do flatter me so.”
Still, I quirked a smile, recalling his surprised delight at my last successful attempt.
“I’ll have Henry fill our shopping list and have it ready to go before we head home Sunday morning,” I added. “Oh! And don’t forget to leave some jerky out for Luka before you head to town tomorrow. Throw in a little of that hard biscuit too. He’s looking a little thin, so I want to add some fiber and calories into his diet.”
He hooded his eyes at me, one hand still on my leg. “If you keep feeding that wolf, he’ll keep coming back.”
“He’s my friend. Please do it.”
“Hmph.”
“Promise me, Bryant.”
“Don’t you trust me to do as you wish?”
“Not an inch. Promise me.”
He grumbled something in Gaelic, then said, “I promise to make certain your mangy beast is well fed before I leave for town. Happy now?”
“Overwhelmingly.” I leaned down and planted a luscious kiss on his lips as a reward. “See you tomorrow morning, mountain man.”
Bryant slapped Patty’s hindquarters, and we took off like a shot out of a cannon. With a rebel yell, I jumped over a fallen tree limb that made Bryant gasp and growl something else in Gaelic that I probably didn’t want to translate, then disappeared into the forest, laughing wickedly. I was becoming quite a horsewoman and thrilled to the freedom of galloping on my precious mare through the woods and down the grassy hillside and valley below.
From the rise, I could see main street in the valley below. Booths and banners were going up along the dirt road all centering around the newly built town square, the entire population busily pulling the festival together. I rode across the Silver River bridge and into the activity, Patty startling at the banging of hammers and furious energy surrounding.
As usual, I rode around to the rear of the general store, dismounted, then put my mare up in the barn, making sure she was comfortable and had plenty of hay.
After dropping my filled bags in the storeroom, I walked around to the front of the store and waved at Henry who was busy helping a customer, then headed up the stairs towards the wafting smell of steaming blackberries. I snatched an apron off the nail by the kitchen door and tied it around my waist.
“Smells delicious. Are you doing apple too?” I asked, seeing the bowl of green Granny Smiths on the counter.
“Those will be for the applesauce cake,” Alice said, spooning the gooey berry mixture into one of the open pie shells. “Measure and sift out the flour, would you?”
“Aye, captain,” I said with a smart salute.
“Once we’re done here with the baking, Thelma Morrison asked if we could help ready the table for the contest judges, then decorate a few of the booths, once the men finally get them built. Which should’ve been done two days ago, if you ask me, which they didn’t.”
It was early afternoon when the baking was finished to Alice’s satisfaction. We then tackled the next item on her lengthy task list, the judging table decorations set up near the post office and jail.
“Darn my scattered brain,” Alice said as we spread out the red checkered tablecloth. “I left the banner Henry made to tack in front of it.”
“No worries, I’ll run back and get it,” I said.
“You’re a dear. Bring some glass jars too. I’ll have little Pixie and Clover gather wildflowers for them tomorrow morning. They’ll make a nice touch.”
“On it.”
