finally Holly Jean selected a bright yellow fabric with daisies and black-eyed Susans splashed all over it. “This one reminds me of Hickory Hollow,” she said. “But can you really make me a dress like the one I drew, Aunt Kate?” Holding up her sketch, she said, “See, it has puffed sleeves, a round neck, darts at the waist, and a real full skirt.”
“Piece of cake!” her great-aunt retorted. “Piece of cake with icing on it. Okay, I’ll pick this blue one with tiny roses all over it for me. Jake always was partial to roses, you know. Now let’s get to work!”
Aunt Kate laid out the fabric on Granny Nanny’s bed and started snipping away. Then, hot as it was, she pulled Granny Nanny’s prized Singer sewing machine out to the porch—even with her bad knee and all! The sewing machine’s wood drawers and metal head shone in the bright sunlight. Bringing out a kitchen chair to sit on, she was soon sewing away—her feet pumping up and down on the wide metal treadle that powered the machine, while its needle zoomed across the cloth.
“Well,” Granny declared, “I better git some lunch on afore the afternoon’s teetotally gone. Then gotta figure out what vittles to take to the big party Saturday. Maybe some pickled beets or fried chicken or chocolate pie—or all of them!” And off she scurried to the kitchen.
Holly Jean jumped up. “I’ll help you!” And off she scurried too.
What a week! The heat never let up—but neither did the all the work that had to be done. There were beans, tomatoes and ears of sweet corn to be picked, potatoes to be hoed, all the farm animals to be fed, milked and petted, Domino and the other barn kittens to try to befriend, and bucket after bucket of water to be drawn by hand from Granny’s well for scrubbing, laundry and baths—not to mention all of Granny’s cooking and baking, and Aunt Kate’s sewing and fitting and sewing some more. Even Holly Jean got in on the act as Aunt Kate showed her how to hem the skirts with dainty, hard-to-see stitches. Finally both dresses were ready.
When Holly Jean tried hers on, she squealed with delight and gave her great-aunt a big hug. The yellow-flowered dress sparkled like a summer day. Why, it looked as if it came straight from the newest Sears catalog, or even from one of the big department stores back in Cincinnati. “I love it! Oh, Aunt Kate, you did it! How can I ever thank you?”
Her great-aunt hugged her back. “My pleasure, child, my pleasure!”
Was Saturday never going to get here? Holly Jean wanted the party to start right then! And then, almost before she knew it, it did!
As soon as breakfast was over that Saturday morning, Granny Nanny started in on her last-minute cooking. Holly Jean and Aunt Kate hurried out to the barn to milk old Star and feed all the animals, including the barn cats and kittens. Little Domino even rubbed against Holly Jean’s ankle and purred! But he still wouldn’t let her touch him.
Then came the mad rush for everyone to get bathed, dressed, and hair done just right. Holly Jean’s new yellow dress was absolutely perfect! So was Aunt Kate’s. She had even sewn a new bonnet for herself to match her new blue dress. Whee!
Finally, they packed up all the yummy food Granny Nanny and Aunt Kate were bringing to the potluck. Everything smelled so good Holly Jean was ready to eat lunch right then!
In fact, she felt so good she was ready to bubble over. Oh, I just love parties! Thank You, dear God, for bringing Moon’s father back home to him and his mother after all those years! They’ll be so happy, and I’m so happy too!
Then she remembered that her own Papa Joe was still far away in the Army. Maybe he’d be gone for years too. Suddenly she didn’t feel happy anymore. Not fair, God! I want my papa home too!
But as quickly as she thought the words, she was ashamed. Instead, she sent God a quick prayer, asking Him to forgive her and keep both Papa Joe and Uncle Tom’s son, Cousin Willie, safe in this awful war.
Suddenly, a strange sound came from around the bend where the little dirt road emerged from the forest.
“Must be Tom’s pickup already!” Granny Nanny shouted. “Okay, gals, I’ll need you to help me carry all these vittles out to the truck!”
But instead of a motor, they heard horses, wheels, and a loud, “Yee-haw!”
What in the world was THAT?
Chapter 3
“Here They Come!”
By now Bear was barking wildly.
And then they saw it—a very old, but polished-like-new, buggy for two with an elegant leather top, drawn by two gorgeous horses. The driver was none other than Pastor Jake himself! But what a change! Instead of the old, much-patched work shirt and overalls he wore during the week, he now wore a very proper, glistening-black, preacher-man’s suit, and on this blistering hot day! He even sported a black hat and tie! But best of all, he wore a smile from ear to ear.
“Whoa!” he called, as he reined in his mounts. “Hey, folks!” he shouted. “See what Brother Max ’n me found ’way back in Max’s old barn—Pa’s carriage—the one me and sweet Miss Kate was going to ride in to that pie social so long ago—the night Pa’s barns burnt down. Remember, Kate?”
Then he leapt right down from the carriage seat and bowed grandly to Holly Jean’s great-aunt.
Granny Nanny laughed. “Why, Pastor Jake! You did that as spry as a spring chicken!”
“Well, Miss Kate,” he said, “guess I done kept you waitin’ over 40 years now. Ain’t meaning to keep you waitin’ one second more! Me ’n Max done cleaned up the old buggy, and he loaned me some horses, so now I’m fired up and itchin’ to go. Ready to come along with me to welcome Daisy’s man home?”
“Reckon so,” she replied primly. “Thankee very much for asking.” Holly Jean’s great-aunt fairly glowed, and so did her new blue print dress.
Their pastor placed Aunt Kate’s basket of food in the carriage, then helped her up. Not that he needed to; she practically jumped up to the seat herself—bad knees and all! And her smile was even broader than Pastor Jake’s!
“See you folks up at Max’s!” she gushed.
Then he cracked the whip, the horses whinnied, and off they trotted.
Holly Jean turned to her grandmother. “Well, now, wasn’t that something, Granny?” She stopped in alarm. “Oh, dear! Are you crying?”
Granny Nanny was both grinning and sniffling at the same time. “Never you mind, girl. Listen, that motor I hear must be Tom’s truck for real. Just you and me now. Ready to go?”
A moment later Uncle Tom’s old pickup rumbled up in front of the cabin—with half of Morgan Mills in the back, it seemed! Everyone was laughing, waving, and holding baskets of food for the big potluck.
“Howdy, folks!” Aunt Tillie called from the open pickup bed. “Would you believe Tom here closed his store down today for this trip—on a Saturday, no less! First time in 15 years! He’s going back there to open it, of course, after he drops us all off.”
Grinning, her burly husband stepped out of the cab. “Not afore I hug Daisy’s husband, though,” he retorted. “And not afore I take my ma, Holly Jean and Aunt Kate and—”
Looking
