Watermelon Days and Firefly Nights: Heartwarming Scenes from Small Town Life Read Online Free Page B

dispensers in the restrooms, handing out two- for-one coupons. Stuff like that.”
    “I see,” said the mayor. “I certainly wish her the best. You know, Daphne went to school with my baby brother. She was a cute little kid. It’s been hard to see the turn she’s taken. You and Lindell have been real good to her.”
    “Family’s family, and she’s the only sister we’ve got,” Windell said as he shrugged.
    “Is she going to church?”
    “No. She won’t set foot in the door.”
    “Too bad. It’d help if she would.”
    “I know it. But ever time I try to talk to her about it, she says she’s not interested. Claims there’s too many hypocrites in churches.”
    Mayor Tinker laughed. “She’s got that right. Ever church I know of is full of sinners. Too bad she doesn’t understand that’s the whole point. I’ll be praying for her.”
    “Appreciate it. Daphne is a good person. At least she never took drugs. We’re thankful for that. Maybe this time around she’ll give it a go.” Windell stood. “So—you think I’ll have any trouble getting that permit?”
    “No. None at all. I’ll call down to City Hall and let them know to expect you.”
    “Thanks, Mayor.” Windell had his hand on the door. “I almost forgot. Lindell and I are planning a big ribbon-cutting and grand opening. I’d be honored if you’d be the one to come down and do the cutting. I’ll even see to it that you get to take the first trip down my slide—at no cost, of course.”
    Mayor Tinker hated heights. Moving past the third step of a ladder made his feet hurt so bad that Faye Beth had to be the one to change the lightbulbs in the Chamber of Commerce restrooms. “Thank you, Windell. Kind of you to ask. I’ll take a look at my book. Faye Beth keeps me pretty busy, but I’ll do my best to be there. Have a good day, now.”

    W HEN P ASTOR J OSEPH T EDFORD of Chosen Vessel (Ella Louise’s only nondenominational church) heard of Daphne Minter’s impending arrival in town, when he learned of her problem— as it was delicately referred to at the monthly meeting of the Ministerial Alliance—he felt a stirring in his heart. When he heard of her reported disinterest in church attendance, he felt not discouraged but challenged. And a little bit afraid.
    So he began to pray.
    Which was a good thing.
    Daphne Minter (who, after a fifth divorce, decided to keep her maiden name to save herself a lot of future trouble), was released from the rehab hospital on her thirty-sixth birthday, one week before Halloween, which just happened to be her very favorite holiday.
    To celebrate their sister’s homecoming as well as her birthday, Lindell baked Daphne a coconut cake and Windell brought home some flowers—pink carnations with baby’s breath in a clear bud vase tied up with a variegated ribbon. They also went in together and got her some stationery and a bottle of cucumber-scented hand lotion, a fragrance choice that Windell questioned until the salesgirl told him that cucumber was among their most popular scents. “That and watermelon,” she said.
    Daphne liked her gifts. Despite the weirdness of the first night in her brothers’ house, and despite dealing with them watching her every move, enduring their unspoken desires, guarded expectations, and prayers that this time, please, she would be okay , her first night went well.
    Until the subject of Halloween came up.
    “What do you mean, you don’t celebrate Halloween?” Daphne asked. “No candy? No parties? You don’t even dress up?”
    No. They didn’t. But there was a nice community-wide Harvest Festival at their church. Food, fun, and fellow ship. Wouldn’t she like to go?
    Would there be costumes?
    Uh, no.
    Scary decorations?
    No again.
    Pumpkins?
    Why, yes! Always.
    Carved?
    Uh, sorry. No.
    She thought she would pass.
    Of course, just because her brothers held to crazy notions about Halloween being something bad didn’t mean that she had to go along. Hadn’t they said