Friday, September 2, 1910
Sarah smiled as she approached the wagon at the park which would be off to River City in a few minutes. The kids on board were laughing at Boo's joke. Sarah didn't know the punch line but she was confident in Boos ability to entertain a crowd.
Ginger McPherson said, "Boo, you tell the craziest stories."
"Hi Sarah!"
"Hi Tommy" she said and then looked to her right and left. "Oh yeah, they're in Helena."
She sat next to him on the wagon.
"How's the bakery?"
Sarah rolled her eyes and pretended to gag with her tongue.
"That good?"
Sarah trilled her lips as she nodded.
"Heard from Emily and Lynn?"
Sarah handed Tommy a telegram. He began reading it.
As he read, Sarah scooted a little closer to him. She was enticed by the scent of his cologne.
She traced his form with her eyes. "Bay rum?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. It was either that or a delightful smell of unwashed horses."
Sarah giggled. She flipped her hair and said, "Oh Tommy, you're sooooooo funny."
Boo turned around. "They do that here too?"
Ginger said, "Sarah invented it."
"Nice earrings" said Tommy.
Sarah smiled as he touched them. "Reindeer?"
"Yeah, I know it's too early for Christmas jewelry but I…." she stopped when she saw Pete approaching.
Tommy whispered, "I never really noticed it but you have a slight auburn tint to your hair."
She could feel Tommy's breath on her neck.
"Hi Pete!" said Boo in a sing-songy voice.
Amelia and the other girls giggled.
Tommy looked up and smiled. "Yo! Pete!"
Pete jumped up on the wagon next to Sarah.
Sarah cringed. She'd often wished that she could have Tommy and Pete as boyfriends at the same time but now that prospect terrified her.
Pete turned to Tommy, "Have you thought any more about…?" He held up his finger., "Hold that thought."
He turned to Boo. "Who are you?"
The wagon roared with laughter.
Sarah played along with the chuckles as she noticed Tommy running one finger across the knuckles in her right hand. "Yeah, that's funny."
"Nice nails." Tommy casually remarked.
Pete turned back around. He said to Sarah. "So, what are we doing tonight?"
Sarah squeaked.
Tommy spoke up. "The River City Aces are playing Great Falls."
Pete started to slowly move his hand up Sarah's left arm as Tommy continued to trace one finger across the knuckles of her right hand.
"Sarah?"
"Blaah!"
Jake had a bewildered expression on his face. "Um, have you heard from Lynn and Emily?"
She sighed in great relief. "Jake, you have no idea how wonderful you are" as soon as the words left her mouth she realized that Jake was sitting with Kimberly Buchanan who likely took the compliment in a much more dramatic fashion then what was intended.
Sarah cringed and thought, "This is going flawlessly."
Tommy handed Jake the telegram.
Pete announced, "I miss them already!"
Sarah bit her lip.
Pete explained, "I want to hear if they met up with Audrey and Jan yet."
Tommy nodded. "I remember those two." He and Pete shared a distinctively male gesture with their faces.
Sarah felt as though she was about to lose her mind.
Pete nonchalantly placed his right hand in the small of her back.
"Henry?" said Boo.
Pete slipped his hand away.
"Are you coming with us to River City?"
He shook his head, no.
Tommy commented with seriousness, "He's not even allowed in the park."
"I'm on the sidewalk, Tommy Grossman, that's legal."
Tommy asked, "Whatcha doing with that wheelbarrow and shovel?"
Henry shrugged. "I got an idea."
Tommy said, "We're going to see the River City Aces playing the Great Falls Shooting Stars" as he subtly placed his hand on Sarah's right shoulder in the back unaware that Pete's hand was slowly move up from her back.
Henry smiled. "I'd like to hear how the night turns up."
Sarah mumbled, "You and me both."
Pete stealthfully blew Sarah as kiss.
Sarah leapt off the wagon. "Foot's asleep. Foot's asleep. Boy, oh, boy, I hate it when that happens."
She paced around for a minute trying to catch her breath hoping for some manner of divine intervention.
Russell Stead briskly walked by her carrying a catalog. "I got it." He jumped up on the wagon and sat between Tommy and Pete. "Page 18, see, 1911 Wildman Push Lever Crossbow."
The boys began studying the catalog.
"Isn't she a beauty?" asked Pete.
"Yeah. I gotta have her," replied Tommy.
Russell said, "Just about any of them would satisfy if you treated her right."
Pete said, "True, they're all more or less the same."
Tommy tipped his hat. "It all depends on how far you want to go."
Sarah threw her hands over her face attempting to maintain her composure as she reminded herself that the three young men were, in reality, discussing crossbows.
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy arrived. They stepped on to the drivers' bench. Gene Kennedy said, "Headin' out."
Sarah froze: unable to decide to sit next to Tommy or Pete.
"Hey, can you guys scoot down some?" asked Jake.
Russell hopped down. Pete scooted next to Tommy so they could look at the catalog together. Russell sat next to Pete.
Tommy was now against the cab part of the wagon.
Sarah hopped back on the wagon. She had never been so ecstatic to sit next to Russell.
She whispered, "You have no idea how thrilling it is to sit with you?" she hung her head low. "Crud."
"Really?" asked Russell in an optimistic tone.
Sarah whimpered, "Not another one!"
That night, Sarah, Shawna Noel and Ginger McPherson became close friends as they sat together and watched the ballgame. And after pretending to be supremely interested in the otherwise horrendously dull game, she considered becoming a stage actress.
Sarah was the first to get off of the wagon when it arrived back in Eagle Creek that evening.
And as she ran home and looked back on the evening her overwhelming discomfort and disappointment gave way to billowing laughter. Never before and never as much had she missed Emily and Lynn. She wondered if their adventures were as thrilling.
