curse of the alpha - episode 03 & 04 Read Online Free Page B

raised money to bring in and house exchange students from a nearby urban community, visited older people in the hospital, attended the boring (and not-so-boring) council meetings, and found the hidden skills and talents of their working sisters and urged them to give back what and when they could.
    Without a doubt, indomitable women like Mrs. Cortez had been making Tarker’s Mills
    what it was since it was incorporated in the 1800s. Anyone who thought of these women as “stay at home moms” was delusional.
    Every year Mrs. Cortez used to convince Ainsley’s mother to run the annual plant sale to benefit the town improvement plan. Ainsley’s mom never did refuse her, though every time she swore it was too much work on top of the hardware store and that she wouldn’t do it again.
    Finally, one year at about the time when her mom started dreading Eva’s visit asking
    for her help, Ainsley’s had asked her mom why she didn’t just say no. Sylvia Connor had looked horrified.
    “When I had the flu and couldn’t take you to baseball for a week, who took you? Did
    Eva say ‘no’ when town council said they couldn’t fund the new fire engine unless she raised another $5,000 for the improvement plan? That woman has never driven her car
    five feet without another woman’s child in it, or made a meal for her own family without doubling it and taking a dish to the teachers’ luncheon or to some shut-in. How am I
    supposed to look her in the eye and tell her no?”
    Of course none of them could think of an answer to that. So Sylvia grumbled her way
    through another spring of making vast spreadsheets and carting tiny plants to the
    Tarker’s Mills town center to be sorted and sold. Mrs. Cortez made sure Sylvia had a
    steady stream of volunteer teenagers to assist her and Mrs. Cortez personally knocked on the doors of everyone she could think of, hinting that their front yards could use a little color and that it would be a shame to go to the Home Depot for flowers when Sylvia
    Connor was working so hard to bring in really nice plants and to help the firefighters.
    Naturally, everyone came out and bought plants and had a fantastic time. Ainsley
    remembered the spring of the fire truck. She and some of the kids had made a booth and sold lemonade to the attendees to help raise money as well. It was terrific fun and they ended the day dizzy with cold sweet lemonade and laughing hysterically.
    And wouldn’t you just know, that summer when the new fire truck was in the 4th of
    July parade, Eva Cortez told everyone in town that Ainsley’s mom had personally saved the volunteer firefighters’ new engine with her heroic offer to run the plant sale.
    It was easy to say that a few of the families could have easily just written a couple of checks for the fire engine with the same result and less hassle. But Mrs. Cortez knew instinctively that plant sales and their like are a way for neighbors to meet and for everyone to feel they have had a part in something important.
    She always said good things came when the whole village worked together.
    Ainsley was so busy reminiscing and laughing at Mrs. Cortez’s observations about a
    few choice residents of Tarker’s Mills, that she was disappointed to realize there were no more cucumbers.
    C H A P T E R
    8
    Dinner was an amazing experience.
    As Grace’s grandmother served her a plate, Ainsley tried to unravel the mystery of the entree. There were familiar smells, but somehow she couldn’t place the dish.
    “This smells delicious,” Ainsley said. “Can you tell me about it?”
    “This is a special dish to honor my granddaughter’s heritage.” Grace’s grandmother
    beamed with pride. “These are steamed Chinese dumplings stuffed with carnitas in an
    ancho chili sauce.”
    “Thank you, Abuela,” Grace said quietly.
    “Wow, fusion cooking,” Ainsley said with all the enthusiasm she could muster.
    She tried a bite, expecting the worst.
    It was delicious – spicy and soft, savory