went with May’s suggestion, doing a practice squeeze, then I held each of my figures, one at a time, over the spot I wanted to place it, applied a dab of glue there, and set it in place. Some people struggled a little; others were quicker draws with their glue guns. Erin and Pinky were both more adept than I was. Erin did crafts with her class, and Pinky was a bit of an artist with her baking.
“So we’ll see how the snow is coming along.” May looked at the clear glass pan, and we all followed suit. It seemed the snow making was a success. “When you are ready, the next steps work together. You’ll put a thin line of glue around the outside edge of the base, then we’ll add the snow-filled water to your globes and attach the base to the bottom of the globe. And I have more supplies if any of you want to make two. You can just reimburse me the extra amount.”
Mark returned after his phone call, and when he noticed that Archie was doing his best to help some of the women, he joined in. I was too involved in my own project to pay much attention to how the others were doing, so I thought it was nice the men were lending a hand.
May moved from one student to the next, using a small measuring cup to dip the snowy solution from the pan to pour into our globes. Each person held a globe in one hand and its base in the other. Then after May filled her globe, she put the base in place. When they were all filled and attached, May instructed us to do a final sealing bead of glue where the base met the globe.
Not only had we all survived the class without incident, but we’d produced some wonderful products. I admired what the other crafters had come up with. The teenage girl had assembled a miniature train of three cars on tracks chugging past a group of trees as a gift for her brother. One church lady had placed a single silver, leafless tree with its branches reaching heavenward on her base. It was stunning in its beautiful simplicity. I could have happily put any number of them up for sale on the shop’s display shelves. The class had gone along without a hitch, despite my concerns. But had I known what was about to happen, I would have tried to stop it before it started.
M ost of the attendees had left by nine o’clock, and the rest of us were swallowing the last of our treats and putting away the supplies. Pam and Lauren thanked us then headed to the door. May called out to their backs, “You’re welcome, ladies. You know, Pam, you seem like a nice person. Don’t let Jerrell ruin the rest of your life, as he’s sure to do if you stay with him.”
Pam and Lauren both turned on a dime. Everyone’s eyebrows shot up, including mine.
Erin’s face paled. “Jerrell? As in Jerrell Powers? That Jerrell?”
Lauren reached over and laid her hand on her sister’s arm. “That’s why I’m really in Brooks Landing. To get my sister away from him,” she blurted out.
“What’s your connection to Jerrell?” Pam asked.
“He’s my ex-husband.”
Archie mumbled first to himself, then out loud, “Lordy, Lordy.”
“Did you come to Brooks Landing to teach the class, or was it so you could check up on Jerrell?” Pam asked.
May’s head went back like she was avoiding a punch and her face drew taut. “I didn’t know where he was, and haven’t seen him in forever—except today, that is—and I was more than shocked. I wasn’t going to let him wreck this class. I had a say in that much at least. Not like when I couldn’t control what he did. He ruined my daughter’s life.” She paused for a breath. “And mine.”
Erin turned to Pam. “How about you? You and your sister sat with me at the same table and didn’t say anything. You know who I am, don’t you?”
Pam shrugged. “I thought it was you then knew for sure when you introduced yourself.”
Erin pointed her finger at Pam. “For Pete’s sake. And worse yet, you’re in cahoots with Jerrell Powers. You’re harboring a fugitive.”
Pam’s lips