Chapter Twenty-Two: Bears

Wednesday, July 6, 1910

Emily and Sarah were going to Lucille's Fashions for Women, across the alley from the Eagle Creek police station. They'd just prayed with Julius. He was very grateful for their attentiveness. They met up with Lynn, Audrey and Jan at the store. Audrey had bought one of Lucille's dresses and now resembled a young lady instead of a disheveled rodeo clown. They headed to the ball field. Along the way, Lynn asked, "Do you know this song?"

"Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou
Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she'd like to go
To see a show,
but Miss Kate said "No,
I'll tell you what you can do:"

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.

They laughed and skipped in anticipation of finding good seats on the bleachers.

"Oh look," Emily said with a lilt. "Tommy saved us an entire row."

"He sure did,"

Lynn slowed down. "But, he's sitting next to the fence and..." she took off running. "Ahh!"

Emily followed. "What?"

Sarah was clueless as Jan and Audrey scrambled past her.

Suddenly it occurred to Sarah that if Tommy was sitting next to the fence that meant only one girl could sit next to him and since he was technically "in play" and "fair" sitting next to him might lead to a diamond or possibly a home run.

Emily and Lynn struggled to maneuver through the growing crowd. Finally, Emily reached the bleacher row. Before she sat down she heard, "Hello beautiful!" She turned to look; it was Pete he was in the dugout.

"I'll hit a homer, just for you."

"Thanks," replied Emily and Sarah in unison. The best friends glared at each other.

Emily started to sit down. "Taken," said Lynn. Emily whimpered and sat next to Lynn.

Jan and Audrey soon followed. Sarah was the last to sit down.

Sarah leaned back. Emily leaned back. They each pointed at their hearts and said, "He used the word 'Beautiful.'" They popped back up and went about enjoying the pleasantries of the boy's game.

Audrey looked at a banner and cocked her head. "Does that say, the Quincy Eagles vs. the Eagle Creek Bears?"

Tommy nodded. "Quincy's idea of a joke. When the amateur league formed last summer, they chose the name Eagles."

After a benediction by Pastor Hubert Fry of the Eagle Creek Baptist Church, the first batter stepped up to the plate.

Tommy spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"Russell? Hey, Russell come sit up here."

Jan and Audrey were happy to have the opportunity to make a new male acquaintance. Sarah and Emily were less sure of the situation. Russell was not as dashing as Tommy, nor ruggedly handsome as Pete, but then again, he was nothing to sneeze at. She felt awkward around him because at the Christmas Ball in 1909, Emily had dared her to slow dance and then kiss him. Two seconds after the lip lock ended she realized that it was a horrendous mistake.

Russell had spent the past few months giving Sarah hopeful looks which she consistently, casually rebuffed.

Being around him was uncomfortable. His heart was a walking billboard of all of her failings.

Russell ran up the bleacher and plopped down between Jan and Audrey.

"Russell Stead."

"Audrey Livingston. This is Jan Johnson. We're from Helena."

"Never been there. Come to think about it, the furthest place west I've been is Outlook. So, is there a world outside of Sheridan County?"

Both laughed. Audrey flipped her hair. "Oh Russell, you are soooo funny."

Sarah made a gagging motion with her hand. Emily saw her and shrugged. Four of the five girls were now happily entertained by male acquaintances.

Sarah was profoundly indifferent to the game. When Pete got up to bat, she was only mildly amused.

Strike one.

Strike two.

He bunts it.

A quick dash towards first.

He never even got close.

During the seventh inning stretch, Pete signaled for Tommy to come down to the dug out. Sarah and Emily both found the move rather curious. They talked for a moment and then Tommy ran back up into the bleachers.

"Jan, Audrey, what time does your train leave?"

"Eight." Audrey replied.

He smiled. "Do you girls have plans for this afternoon?"

Sarah, Lynn and Emily took a collective deep breath. Jan was intrigued.

"No."

"Would you girls like to come over to my ranch and go horseback riding?"

Sarah, Lynn and Emily began to frantically shake their heads, no.

Audrey beamed. "That sounds like fun!"

Lynn was ready to breathe fire. Sarah and Emily were at a total loss for words.

"Russell you're coming too."

"Yeah sure!"

Sarah tried to keep from screaming.

"Pete said he wanted to spend time getting to know Jan and Audrey a little better."

Emily just sat their shaking.

Jan replied graciously, "Fa, fa, fa, feelings mutual."

Tommy signaled to Pete. He waved back.

Audrey was giddy. "This is so exciting: an entire afternoon with three cute boys."

Emily, Sarah and Lynn popped up off the bench. "We all three have to go to the bathroom."

The girls scrambled down the bleachers and across the practice field to the bathrooms. As soon as they got in Lynn shut the door and locked it.

She turned around. "Emily, I've just had the strangest dream."

"'Twas no dream, Lynn Watson. You have just stepped into the most complex love triangle in the history of romance. During the next few hours we will experience hitherto undiscovered caverns of resentful, catty behavior. Actually, I suppose it's a love… what? Pentagon?"

Lynn aped Audrey in a snooty aristocratic air. "This is so exciting: an entire afternoon with three cute boys."

Sarah gasped. "Three? Three? There's five of us!"

"Blah-blah-blah. What are we going to do?"

The girls paced around the empty bathroom like cornered mice.

Emily stopped. "I got it."

Lynn and Sarah huddled together.

Emily explained the plan.

Lynn smiled. "Flawless." Emily gave a devilish grin.

Sarah was unsure. "Um, wait, I… I don't think…."

"Do you want Jan and Audrey spooning with two men who should rightfully be ours?"

Sarah mumbled, "No. But, it's just…."

"It's a brilliant scheme! Bible gal and the tramp don't take our guys and we get to have a little fun."

Sarah desperately whispered, "Emily?"

Lynn smirked. "The vote was two to one and this washroom is a democracy."

They hurriedly went through the door. Sarah reluctantly followed.

When the girls returned Jan was happily conversing with Tommy and Audrey was being amused by Russell.

Lynn spoke for the group. "Tommy, dearest, we've decided that such a gathering is too small. You have thirty horses. With three boys and five girls, isn't that a little… out of balance?"

Tommy mulled it over. "I dunno, maybe."

Lynn said, "We need two more boys. Otherwise, well, you know how jealous women can be."

"Who do you have in mind?"

Lynn directed the question to Emily. "Jake! Let's have Jake come with us."

Tommy tilted his head. "Jake?"

"He's one of my favorites. Lynn's cousin is a precocious little scamp."

Jan and Audrey were confused and only mildly agreeable to the idea.

Emily smiled. "Four to five. Wow, this is a fun game. Sarah, who do you have in mind for a fifth?"

Sarah looked behind her. Henry Tyler was sitting on a bench, outside the boundaries of the park watching the game. He was forlorn, lost, friendless. Sarah did not know what to do.

Emily was making faces at her. "Come on! Come on! Do it!"

Sarah sighed. She mumbled, "Henry Tyler."

Russell chuckled, "What?"

Tommy practically cackled. "Henry Tyler? Are you daft? Do you want him to set fire to my ranch house or rustle my cattle? He's nuts. Do you know why he is banned from this park in the first place?"

Sarah was mute.

Emily said, "Oh, no. You've got it all wrong. Henry has the soul of a poet. All he needs is the right woman to come along and bridled him. That's why we insist that you take Jake AND Henry horseback riding, or, Jan and Audrey won't go."

Lynn smirked her agreement with her.

Jan was confused. Audrey was aghast. "Excuse me?"

Tommy was bewildered. "Look, I don't know why you think…."

Sarah bolted from her seat. She disappeared into the crowd.

Russell was the only one who took much of a mind to it. "Sarah? Sarah? Where's she's going?"

Emily, Lynn and Tommy continued their negotiations.

Jan and Audrey waited patiently for the humiliation to end.

Sarah returned a minute later, carrying a paper sack. Her face was covered in tears.

She walked up to Tommy and sat down in front of him. She reached out and held his hand.

"You… you are so handsome. I could… I dunno… I am falling in love with you with each passing minute. That being said, of the three of us, I am the one who least deserves to share your affections."

She wiped away some tears.

"I am so desperate sometimes for a man's validation that… that I'm willing to crush an innocent bystander or, or, or betray good friends like Jan or Audrey, just to… to win the game of love. And, when I think about that… it isn't funny or mischievous. It is revolting. It is putrid. It is vile. I am so utterly ashamed of myself that Tommy Grossman, please, remember this moment and keep it in mind if you ever ask yourself, 'Is Sarah Conrad worthy of… my friendship?' because sometimes… sometimes I'm not."

She collected her thoughts. Everyone was silent.

Sarah lifted up her head. She put a hand on Jan's hand.

"You've wanted to know what it was like to live the beliefs. Is God real or just a fanciful notion? You wanted to experience a fraction of the joy that comes from having a relationship with a father who will not disappoint or abandon you. So, Jan, I want you to spend the rest of the afternoon with Tommy Grossman, not because he is cute but because he has something in abundance that I and Emily and Lynn lack, he has… nobility."

Tommy gave a slight smile.

"Audrey, you're so new to this life. Russell Stead is not my pick for a boyfriend; however, he will treat you like a lady, with kindness and integrity. He will respect you… as a Christian woman. Please, spend time this afternoon getting to know Russell Stead and Pete Jackson. You will be a better person from the experience. Additionally, I want you to enjoy the remainder of your stay in Eagle Creek.

Lynn, Emily and I will not be joining you. I've got to go home and evaluate my priorities. Lynn and Emily have to go home and change."

Sarah turned around and opened the sack.

Emily and Lynn looked to each other. "No we don't."

When she spun back around, Sarah sprayed each of them with ketchup bottles.

"Yes… you do."

Jan and Audrey, Russell and Tommy burst out laughing.

Emily and Lynn tore through the crowd as the swiftly ran away from the park and down the street.

Sarah was still laughing when she handed Jan the bottle.

"Would you do the honors?"

"Eh, eh, eh, eh is the only way to get rid of you so I can be alone with…?" She made eyes at Tommy.

Sarah smiled. "It is."

Jan squirted Sarah with ketchup all over her hair and dress. The crowd cheered.

Sarah bowed. "Thank you, Jan."

Quincy got more men past home plate. Pete never again got up to bat.

And, the city of Helena, Montana, which did not field a team that day, won.