Thanks so much to Rosallite, WindRush, Xleisa, and Guest for your reviews last chapter! Having some trouble with inspiration myself, your words of encouragement and excitement are so uplifting. I can't believe it's been so long since I last updated, and I sincerely apologize. Again. It's nothing new, but I'm swamped! Let's get this thing rolling.
And an extra special thanks to Accidentally The Whole Fanfic for his shit ton of catch up reviews, holy crap. Thanks, man! Your support and grammar catches have been a huge help. And you're hilarious. Always get a laugh from your comments. Rock on, bro.
You guys totally deserve tons to read after having to wait so long. And these chapters are so looooong lately. And I think they'll stay that way until the end. So I hope that helps! Thanks again for your patience with me!
Thanks for reading!
Chapter Twenty
The snow was already beginning to melt the further they drew away from Echo Town. As the cart made its way towards the beach on creaking wheels, the mountains sloped flatter, and the trees grew slimmer. The air wasn't so thin, and birds chirped in the leafy canopy above the path.
Mayor Thomas led the caravan on a cart of his own with a single brown horse pulling ahead of him. To the girls' surprise, he was travelling alone. He had assured them though that his little village was well-cared for.
"I've got a few steady heads to rely on when I take my duties on the road, haha! You girls will love Mineral Town, I assure you. It's the kindest burb on the coast!" He tipped his top hat proudly upon his brow, staring ahead at the bumpy, dirt road.
"Sounds exciting! I've never been this way before," Molly admitted from his side, sitting a little squashed on the tiny seat next to him. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, picking at her gloves. "My parents moved to Castanet when I was in my teens. I've always heard about all of the farming districts and outposts across the peninsula, but we never got a chance to see them all."
"That's a mighty shame," Thomas replied with a sad nod. Passing the reins off to one hand, he brightly tapped her knee. He gave her a beaming smile. "You'll have to bring them along with you next time! Everyone could use a little vacation every once in awhile. Tell 'em the mayor would welcome them himself!"
Molly chuckled at his kind offer, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. She let out a deep breath and was surprised that she couldn't see it in the crisp air. The temperature was already crawling above freezing in the late afternoon sunshine. "I'm afraid that's impossible. You're actually looking at a troupe of orphans. Kathy's the only one who's got a parent alive. Though the girls have their grandma."
Thomas paled considerably, awkwardly swallowing his regrettable words and fumbling for something to say. Orphans? All of them? It was a staggeringly grim thing for her to announce so casually. The mayor couldn't help but feel that was a terrible misfortune for a sizeable group of youngsters. People didn't just drop off like flies, so… could it have been—?
The cart hit a bump and shook the pair, jogging him back into the present. Molly beat him to the quick though and spoke first. She cheerily grinned his way. "But thank you! You're very kind!"
"Er – um, of course!" Mayor Thomas, desperate to change the subject, hastily passed the leather reins off to the girl. "Would you like to drive for a bit?"
"Really? Ooo, sure! This is so exciting!" Molly giggled as she happily accepted control, firmly gripping the lead between her hands and watching the road ahead with her teeth tugging her lip.
Phew… good thing she was easily distracted, he thought.
"Am I doing it right, Mayor Thomas?" Molly asked, pulling the reins the opposite direction the path was taking.
"Yes, you're doing just fine!" He praised. Thomas couldn't help but feel relieved now that the topic was cleared. He fanned himself with his top hat, slumping back in the seat and letting his mind wander to other matters.
Chase didn't know who woke up first, so he was still avoiding eye contact with Kathy. She hadn't poked any fun at him like usual, but instead of feeling in the clear, he felt like he was on the brink of an episode at any waking moment. Like she was torturing him with a time lapse before disaster.
His aching feet thumped against the dirt path as he led their horses beside her. It was a steady incline downhill, so it was an easy walk but a long one. A stick crunched under his boot as he chanced a glance Kathy's way. The blonde had her head turned the opposite direction, so all he saw was ponytail. She turned her chin slightly as she stared up at the snow melting from the trees, and Chase was surprised to see she looked… forlorn. It was a very somber expression with a faraway stare. What's she thinking about?
A mourning dove cooed from a pin oak off the path. As the carts passed, it spread its wings and flew by overhead. Kathy's eyes followed it until they landed on Chase observing her. A stitch formed in her brow as she glared at him in confusion. "What?"
"Erm…!" Chase snuggled his mouth behind his scarf, embarrassed at being caught watching her. Or even caring that something was bothering her. Since she was always such a nuisance… even if he had Kathy to thank to keep Molly from skipping town in a frenzy after finding out he'd been pining all these years for her in the way she ogled her Mikhail posters. A pang of irritation passed through him at the thought, but Chase didn't have time for petty jealousy at the moment. He grumbled as he focused on watching the back of Thomas' wagon. "S'nothing, alright? You're imagining things."
Kathy wrinkled her nose. "You were lookin' at me like I was milk a week past due. What's that face for?"
He pulled the sour look she described, irate with her persistence. Chase huffed. "Why are you asking about my face – what's with yours?"
"Chase! That is not a question you ask a lady!" Kathy's fist tightened on the horse's bridle as her lecture voice escaped her.
"That's not what I meant!" He snapped back. Chase looked away again with an eye roll. He paused before he admitted his concern. "You just look… sad."
Kathy's eyes bugged in surprise at his perceptiveness. She glued her eyes to her brown cowgirl boots, watching as she splashed through a squishy puddle of mud. The Arabian at her side snorted. "Well… besides… thanks."
"For what?" Chase nearly scoffed in disbelief. What had he ever done for her?
"I don't know," she lied with a light shrug, rolling her shoulders back. She suddenly wore her familiar smirk, her green eyes sparkling only just a bit dimmer than usual. "Quit making eyes at Molly, will ya? You can do that all you want when we get to the inn in Mineral Town."
Chase sputtered in anger, his face lighting up to the tips of his ears. "I knew you knew about last night!"
"Of course I knew she didn't sleep in my bed!" Kathy laughed, glad she wedged a turn in the conversation. She pointed at him. "Molly's a hugger when she sleeps. Drives me crazy if I stay over in the summer, but I bet you just loooooved that, didn't ya, snuggles?"
"You're such an ass…" Chase muttered, turning away as she continued to giggle to herself. He wished he never bothered.
Candace slowly batted her eyelids, parting her lips and feeling groggy. She passed her mitten across her face and sat up with a yawn.
"Morning, lazy bones," Luna hummed next to her, staring into a pocket mirror.
She felt overheated. Candace removed her beanie and tugged off her knit mittens, setting them down on the cart between the snare drum and kick stand. She unwove the scarf from around her neck, letting it hang loosely about her shoulders. "How long have I been asleep…?"
"Mm… not sure. Most of the afternoon," she answered. She passed the charcoal black stick over her cheek in a zigzag and frowned. Luna turned to face her sister. "What do you think? Which whisker is best?"
"Hm…" Candace rubbed her eyes and scooted forward to sit on her calves. She folded her hands in her lap as she examined the different streaks across Luna's face. One was wavy, one was crooked back and forth like a lightning bolt, one had a curl on the end, and the last was straight. "I… I think it looks best when it's just straight."
"I knew you'd say that," Luna half-sighed as she peered back into her compact.
Candace eyed Tucker who had been napping as well. He was up now that the girls were talking, and his tail was thumping expectantly as he watched Luna. Candace looked at the green forest around them in wonder. "It's much warmer here…"
"Mineral Town is on the southern coast," Luna snapped the mirror shut and capped the pen. She pursed her lips as she leaned back against Chase's acoustic guitar, slap shoddily cased in an afghan. Propping her arms behind her head, she sighed as she stared up at the blue sky. "That's how you know spring is here. Mineral Town gets it first."
"Oh…" Candace mumbled. She had no idea her sister was so knowledgeable about the areas in Castanet's immediate vicinity. Then again, if Luna was always vying for Gill's attention, there was no cap for fun facts. But Candace knew better to believe that old rumor. She turned around to face forward, careful not to snag her clothes against the wood. The path was taking a jarring turn up ahead in front of Mayor Thomas' cart, and his horse slowed as it scaled the uneven ground.
"You think Gramma misses us?" Luna suddenly asked, watching her sister's face.
Candace softly smiled. She shook her head. "I'm sure she does… She'll understand though. I'll call her when we get to the inn… okay?"
"No, I'll do it," Luna said with finality.
Feeling a little like a burden, Candace slouched slightly. Her downcast demeanor didn't last long though. She grabbed the side of the wagon and peered up ahead, dodging a low hanging branch. An excited smile stretched from ear to ear. "Luna! We're here!"
"At last!" Luna grumped. She didn't get up immediately and continued to stare at the placid blue sky above them.
"It's Mineral Town…" Candace gasped in awe. She didn't know as much as Luna about geography or lore, but Candace knew that Mineral Town was one of the oldest settlements in the land. It was so rich in history. She couldn't help but be excited to see it firsthand.
Luna scrunched her brow in annoyance as Candace leaned even further out for a better view. She rolled onto her side. "Gee, Candace, we'll get there in a few minutes. Hold your pants on – you're rocking the cart!"
Her yelling roused Tucker's instincts to help, and the Pyrenees hobbled across the bouncing wagon to her side. Luna squealed in disgust as he gave her a sloppy kiss, streaking her various whiskers.
"Eugh, gross! Stop!"
Kathy's clear laugh sounded up ahead as she looked back at the commotion and found Tucker attacking Luna. "Aw, looks like Tucker's good with cats."
"Here we are!" Thomas called from the front. "Welcome to Mineral Town!"
"Yay!" Molly clapped, having had to hand the reins back over to Thomas for the steep path. She could hear her heart pumping in her ears as she stared out across the landscape.
"Finally…" Chase mumbled, blowing at his loose bangs. The Appaloosa on his left gave him a friendly nicker that surprised him. He rubbed the gelding's warm nose and pushed him away as he went to bite his bobby pins. "Alright, alright! You're hungry; I get it. We're finally here."
Candace held her hands over her heart and sat back on her heels as the cart came around the cliff side. The road was wound about the last mountain at a precarious incline, leaving open a marvelous view of cobblestone roads, tall pines, and shingled rooftops. She took a deep breath and could just barely smell the salty ocean. Such a familiar smell. When she opened her eyes again, Candace found Luna at her side staring out at Mineral Town. "It smells like home."
After having fought off Molly's dog and cleared her face of any lingering traces of makeup, Luna had crawled to the edge to join her sister. She was surprised to see so many trees bunched around the streets, making the town houses look like polka dots amongst the thick greenery. Luna inhaled and past the strong scent of pine, there was the fishy water of the winter ocean. She slowly blinked and found Candace smiling back at her. She grinned. "Yeah… Yeah, it does."
The road took the travelers through a forest, and the first cabin they passed was a woodcutter's home. Patches of packing snow still gathered in the shade of the tall trees and over door awnings. Smoke rose from a piped chimney through the roof.
"Mm, I love that smell!" Luna announced, happily gulping in the surrounding air.
"Campfires?" Molly called back over her shoulder, wearing a curious expression. She never took Luna to be the campfire type, but she supposed she always roasted marshmallows with everyone during the summer festivals.
"Or is it wood chips? Sawdust? I like that smell," Kathy agreed. Now that everyone was shouting to hear each another, they were all having one noisy conversation in the otherwise serene woodland.
"It's carpenters," Chase loudly replied. It was his turn to wear a smug expression as he cast a pointed look Kathy's way. "She likes the smell of carpenters."
"You're asking for it, you kitchen wench!" Luna was seething, but his point was proven by the hue of her cheeks. She rolled up the sleeves of her coat in a threatening manner, but she didn't have any intimidating biceps that might make him back off.
The girls all laughed at her expense as they passed the building by. The roads were flatter; so well-worn after decades of travel. They crossed a wooden bridge where chunks of ice passed by in the river underneath. Farmland opened up as the closeness of the forest disappeared behind them.
"Up here is Yodel Ranch," Mayor Thomas pointed across Molly. She followed his hand and spotted a tall silo next to an impressive barn and farm house. "That's where we'll keep your horses. Old Barley owes me a favor. He'd be happy to help ya, haha!"
"Thank you! That's some favor…" Molly remarked. She nearly jumped in surprise when the whole wagon began to rumble below her as they left the dirt road and boarded the cobblestones. She smiled down at her feet, watching the road pass below her behind the horse's hooves.
Her eyes drifted as they passed the ranch, and she caught sight of something red. Molly did a double take and realized it was a little girl holding a pail of water. She couldn't have been more than six or seven. She quickly set it down once Molly made eye contact and retreated around the side of the barn with her little braids trailing after her.
"Ho, there!" Thomas took off his top hat and began waving it over his head. Molly squinted at a person waiting for them at the entrance to the plaza. He was a big, burly man in a wife beater under a bomber jacket with his arms crossed high on his chest. At first, she could have almost sworn she had spotted Owen in front of them, what with his girth-y build, until she realized the man was much older.
"'Ey, there, Mayor! Have a safe trip to Echo?" He called up to them with a wave in return. His buzz cut thoroughly squared off his head.
"Jolly good trip! Weather here at home is much nicer though; I can vouch for that after just escaping a blizzard," he let out a low whistle and tugged the reins. The horse came to a halt, and the girls stopped the wagon behind them.
"I see you've got some cargo!" The man let out a booming laugh, nodding to the party they were leading.
"Oop!" Molly hopped down from the seat she shared with Thomas and hit the ground a little rocky. Letting out a giggle to herself, she dusted off her pants and hurried around the cart to introduce her band. She bravely jutted a hand out to the man, having to crane her neck back. Gee, he's a lot taller down here! "Yes, sir! My name's Molly. Mayor Thomas hired our band to play for your town at New Year's!"
"Name's Zack! Nice to meetcha, little lady," Zack took her hand in a firm grip. His smile was friendly, and she couldn't help but feel like she could trust him immediately. A gentle giant. He looked over Molly's shoulder with a worried frown. "Ya wanna unload here, Mayor?"
Thomas was swinging down from the seat on his own, making quite the spectacle. He was a good head shorter than Molly, so the height difference made his journey down more cumbersome. With both arms across the seat, he kicked his legs in the air, holding himself up as he tested for the floor with the toe of his boot. He managed to steady himself and climb down, clapping his hands with finality. "Well! Yes, I'd like to. Might as well leave the old chuck wagon here for the night with the festivities beginning tomorrow. Oh! But I should run along and have a word with Doug about rooms for our guests!"
"We stopping here?" Kathy's voice startled Molly who had almost forgotten her friends were waiting for some feedback on what they were doing. Behind her, the sisters had clambered out of the wagon, and Chase had wrangled Tucker onto his leash.
"Right around the corner, we have our lovely, scenic inn. I'm sure you girls will find yourselves most comfortable there, but I'll have to give a hi-ho to Doug real quick," Thomas explained to her, gloved fingers pressed together as he spoke. "Otherwise, this is it! You'll be performing in this square come tomorrow evening. What happens until then is up to you. We have sight-seeing, an expansive beach, and even a library we're quite proud of!"
"What do you say?" Kathy eyed Molly for a decision.
Molly suspiciously watched as a pair of heads bobbed around the side of their wagon load of instruments, a sneaky smile forming on her lips. "Hm… I'll stay here with the cart, if that's okay. Should someone come with you to talk to Doug, Mr. Mayor?"
"I-I'd like to go!" Candace surprised them when she readily volunteered, her cheeks dusted pink with a shy hand held in the air.
"Oh, how lovely! I'm sure Doug couldn't say no to a pretty face like yours, haha!" Thomas took her hands in both of his own and shook them gratefully.
Luna gave her sister a look of disbelief as Candace stood attentively before the mayor. She rolled her eyes. "I'll stay behind with Molly, and we all know where this one's going."
Chase turned an offended scowl to Luna's thumb jabbing at him, but he couldn't deny she was right. He'd stick around wherever Molly happened to be. If anything, he could have argued that he wasn't simply being clingy, but that he felt very out of his element. He'd been on their lunch duty as the girls travelled, but he hadn't properly cooked in a kitchen in days, and they were detouring in a strange town. The unfamiliarity of it all was making him clam up. Lately, Chase was looking quieter than Candace.
"I think I'll hoof it with Candace," Kathy said, giving Molly a rough pat on the shoulder. She made a show of pointedly looking over her shoulder before leaning towards Molly's ear without whispering for subtlety. "You've got your hands full, kid."
"Hey!" Chase and Luna barked in objection together, only making Kathy's teasing cut deeper into their embarrassment.
Molly chuckled and gave Kathy a whap to her arm as they toddled off with Thomas. After giving instruction to hand the girls' horses over to Ol' Barley, the mayor left with Candace at his side, talking animatedly all the way. He spread his arms out to the trees lining the square, and Candace watched in rapt attention, her eyes wide in awe like she was genuinely star struck by his tourism spiel. Kathy trailed behind them with her hands in her pockets, scuffing the tip of her boot against the cobblestones.
"Well, ya heard Mayor Thomas!" Zack announced, making the three young people jump. He had easily unhitched the mayor's horse and went to free the other two to guide them back to the ranch they had passed. He nearly scared Chase stiff when he smacked his shoulder in passing. "'Ey, help me lead these geldings in, will ya? Let the ladies take a sit."
"Yes, sir!" Chase leapt into action to avoid further confrontation. He passed Tucker off to Molly and followed after the hulking man with his arms held close about him.
Zack gave him a perplexed look as he hurried to catch up with his massive stride. "You, uh… are a boy, right?"
"Of course I'm a boy!" Chase couldn't help but snap at the insult to his masculinity. He rubbed his nose and decided to prove himself by lifting up the hitch on his own, nearly staggering and sending it all backwards.
"Whoa! Careful now!" Zack jumped in to help him, and together they worked to get the horses off the cart.
Molly giggled on the sidelines, happy to see Chase acting more like himself even if it meant a bruise to his ego. She glanced at her side and found Luna all but puffing through her pouted lips.
"That was awfully sexist. I could have just as easily helped with the horses," she sniffed.
Molly could tell it wasn't so much what Zack had said but more that Luna was just in a bad mood in general. She couldn't very well blame her though. They'd been travelling all day, and it was nearing sundown. She gave her a playful nudge. "Aw, he didn't mean it like that. Besides, they seem to be a bit old-fashioned around here. Oh, poor Chase… You can still help if you want, you know."
"The point is lost!" Luna turned up her nose with a little sigh. She briskly walked to the stout, brick wall that lined the entirety of the square and sat upon it. Crossing her legs, she made herself comfortable and looked very much like someone waiting for their flat tire to be fixed on the side of the road.
Molly smirked but shook her head at her friend. Biting her lip, she looked again at the back of their cart and snuck around the side. Popping her head around to the back, she was disappointed to find it vacant. Tucker sniffed the ground at her feet, and Molly watched him in interest. She pat his head as she whispered to him. "You smell somebody, boy? Who is it?"
Tucker snorted. Snuffling across the ground, Tucker nearly cracked his head against the wagon as he shoved himself underneath. There was a squeak that most assuredly wasn't from him, and his tail started going haywire.
"Whoa, whoa!" Molly scolded, pulling her dog back. Once Tucker was out of the way, out scrambled two, disheveled children with terrified faces. The boy sprung out first, diving around to make way for his friend. The girl was the same one Molly had spied at the barn earlier, now crawling out from underneath her cart on all fours. "What are you guys doing under there? It could be dangerous!"
"I told you…" the little girl mumbled, mostly to herself as she wound about the side of the wagon to join her friend whose head was poking up curiously at Molly from over the side.
"Well, no harm done," Molly assured the kids, looking between their eyes with fondness for their sneakiness. She hummed happily to herself, quite proud she had spotted them, and she hadn't just been seeing things. Molly broke from her reverie when she noticed they were warily watching Tucker as he wiggled in excitement to meet them. She held his lead close and shook her head at the kids. "Oh, no, no, no – don't be afraid of Tucker! He doesn't bite. He's super friendly; I promise. Go ahead and say hello!"
The little boy gave the girl a skeptical look before emerging with his hand out. He slowly approached the Pyrenees, holding his palm forward with practice. Tucker sniffed it and gave it a lick, eliciting a smile from the boy as he gently pat the dog's head.
"See? Nobody's gonna bite," Molly smiled as the girl, too, came forward to give it a go.
As they both quietly scratched the content Tucker, the boy scrunched up his nose and sniffed. He squinted up at Molly. "Who are you guys?"
"I'm Molly," she introduced herself, putting a hand to her heart. She pointed back at Luna who now had her chin in her palm as she was slumped over in boredom. "That's my friend Luna over there. We're in a band."
"You can play guitar and stuff?" The boy was staring at their cart full of instruments instead of addressing her directly.
"We sure can!" Molly decided to go with the 'royal we' in lieu of telling them she herself couldn't play any instrument for squat. Unless they counted vocal chords, but she highly doubted it.
"Stu…" the girl whispered, tugging on the boy's coat hem. He swatted at her. This angered her, and she grabbed his arm. "We can't…!"
"Aw, shut up, May! They ain't strangers! Zack's talkin' to 'em!" Stu snapped rudely at the girl in his frustration. She shrunk slightly at his words, but they were both still huffy with one another.
Molly laughed it off with a wave. "Yeah, we've been introduced now, so we're not strangers anymore! But what do you say you go ask permission first, okay? Then if it's alright with some grown-ups, you guys can come right back, and I'll show you all of the stuff in the cart."
The bribe was a tempting one. The children looked between each other before Stu grabbed May's arm and tried to run off with her. "C'mon, May! Let's go ask Elli!"
"No, we should ask Grandpa!" May wrenched her arm free, pointing back towards her ranch. Zack and Chase had the horses ready to go and were walking across the square with them in the same direction.
"Yeah! Your grandpa would let us! Elli's always got her skirt in a twist," Stu agreed with a nod. The children took off across the square towards the guys, the boy calling back over his shoulder. "Wait right there, Molly!"
"I'll be here!" Molly waved them off with a bright grin. She watched as they bombarded her boyfriend, and May took the reins from him, leading the horse in his stead. She could hear Zack's voice from where she stood, telling Chase he was off the hook.
Chase let it happen and slumped his shoulders, stalking back over towards Molly. Tucker gave him a greeting sniff while he passed to go join Luna in her sour seat. But first he stopped dead in his tracks and spun on his heel. He marched back towards Molly without a word, unzipped his jacket all of the way and unwound the scarf from around his neck. He muttered something about 'save your throat' and 'don't need it anyways' as he sloppily tied it about her neck. He stomped over and sat a fair distance from Luna on the wall, crossing his arms in a similar manner.
"This doesn't look girly, Chase!" Molly said, leading Tucker over to them and already taking off the scarf.
"Keep it!" He retorted.
Molly just rolled her eyes and sat down beside him. The rock was cold, and she shivered as she propped up her knees. "Everyone's in such a bad mood today…"
"Your gender wasn't questioned," Chase grunted with a 'tch' spat in no particular direction.
Molly leaned towards Luna, waiting for her to look her way. She was busy fiddling with something on her wrist, but she felt Molly's eyes on her after a few moments. Luna gave her a standoffish look. "What?"
"You're so far away," Molly pouted. She patted the brick next to her. "Come oooon…"
"I'm just hungry," Luna shrugged, not making any motion to move. She looked to her left away from the pair, pretending to be interested in the buds dotting the branches over their heads.
Molly jutted out her lip, but her concern was genuine. With a little sigh, she gave up and kicked her legs down, spreading her palms out on either side of her. Tucker sat between her and Chase, watching the road where the kids disappeared.
"Hey."
Molly turned her head and found Chase him-hawing as he chewed his lip. He coughed into his fist. "This is a… an old town. Did you want to do some sight-seeing? Later, maybe?"
Luna made a barfing sound that Molly ignored. She felt her face grow warm at the prospect. He was asking her on a date! Like, a real date! Molly quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to!"
The trio could hear the thumping before they spotted it. Thinking it was their friends back from the inn, they checked the wrong way first until Molly guessed and found May and Stu running as fast as they could back across the square. May trailed slightly, having to sprint with her thick dress kicking up around her ankles, so Stu got to the wagon first. He launched himself against it, catching the end and leaning forward to come to a stop. Puffing and panting, he told the news to her first. "Her grandpa said okay! You promised!"
Her peers giving her weird looks, Molly smiled as she jumped up from her seat with a nod. She tossed the leash to Chase who scrambled to grab it before Tucker could get away from him. "That I did! Come on, let's check it out!"
Molly ran to the cart as May finally caught up and stopped beside Stu. The kids stood on either side of Molly as she bent over and pulled their luggage out of the way to get to the instruments. They craned their necks to see as she cleared the way.
"Ta-da!" She sang. May and Stu crowded their heads together, their feet hanging off of the ground as they propped themselves up on the cart to see.
Stu immediately reached, and with Molly's help, grabbed Kathy's guitar case. It was her old acoustic, and it was going about as unused as Chase's – making everyone wonder why they brought them in the first place. He opened the clasps, and Molly lifted the lid. Both of the kids took in a breath at the sight of the shiny, wooden polish.
"You guys can play these?" Stu asked, running his hand down the strings. It gave off a cacophony of messy vibrations.
"Yeah!" Molly nodded.
"All of these?" He leaned again and tapped the side of the bass drum. He rubbed his runny nose on his sleeve.
"Mhm!" She proudly affirmed again.
"At once?" Stu pried.
"Yes!" Molly told him excitedly.
"No!" He replied with the same enthusiasm, jumping up and down against the wagon.
She laughed and ruffled his cropped off dark hair. "You're pulling my leg, kid."
"Pastor Carter plays the organ," May informed, still keeping her distance from touching anything and wringing her hands. When she saw Molly looking at her, she lowered her eyes to her shoes.
"He sounds very talented," Molly said attentively.
Stu pushed the guitar case her way, lightly hitting her elbow. "Here! Can ya play us somethin?'"
Molly owlishly peered at it, wondering how she was going to dodge this one. "Hm, I don't know… We're going to play for everyone tomorrow – what if you wait and see us then?"
"Aw!" Stu whined, bouncing on the cart again.
"It's Mayor's orders!" Molly sadly shook her head and dramatically shrugged with her hands held out in surrender. With a heavy sigh, she went to rejoin her friends on the makeshift bench. "There's nothing I can do."
"But I wanna hear it now!" Stu followed her as she sat down. He completely ignored the presence of Luna and Chase as he jumped up and stood on top of the wall and looked down at Molly. "C'mon!"
"I-I wanna hear a song, too!" May piped up. She meandered her way over, giving Luna a wary glance as she gingerly took a seat next to Molly. She tucked her legs up underneath her warm skirt, kneeling a little uncomfortably against the bricks.
"Hm… I'll have to think about it," Molly decided with a finger to her chin and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She turned to May, always the person to gravitate to the quiet ones. "You're May, right?"
"Mhm…" May nodded with a little smile, glad she had picked it up.
"I'm Stu!" Stu volunteered, kicking around in the frozen mulch behind them. He jumped up to grab a tree branch, bowing it down as he hung off of it just a few inches from the ground.
"Aha, you guys sure are full of energy. What do you even do when it's so cold out?" She struck up conversation, trying to look between the two but finding it difficult to swivel her head back and forth quick enough.
May grumbled a little. "Well, we sit inside a lot… but I like to draw pictures."
"You do? You should bring some tomorrow – I love art," Molly smiled.
"Elli makes me read books," Stu called, swinging his legs up. He couldn't quite make it, so his leg awkwardly hung in the air as he tried to pull himself up on the thin branch.
"Elli's his big sister," May whispered to Molly like it was secret. Molly formed a little 'o' with her mouth in understanding.
"Well, I bet you can't wait for it to get warm, huh?" She prompted again.
"Yeah! Then we can do whatever we want!" Stu hollered a decibel too loud, sniffling his nose again.
"We can't do whatever we want! Pastor Carter has to be there, too," May corrected him with authority. "Plus also, we can't do anything dangerous. But we can play around church. That's when Pastor Carter sometimes plays organ for us."
"Sounds like fun!" She chuckled. Since they had kept to themselves, Molly indicated the aloof pair they were sitting between. "These are my friends in the band, so they know how all of those funny instruments work. What do you think, friends? Can we play them a song?"
"I think I see salvation," Luna said, hopping down and smoothing out her skirt. She carefully picked off a few wood chips clinging to her stockings before walking to meet up with the people rounding the corner.
Molly stuck out her tongue at her retreating back. She knew Luna wasn't very good around children, so her go-to maneuver was to avoid them. It wasn't a surprise, but Molly was still bummed she wasn't going to help give the kids a song. She looked down at May with a sad shrug of her shoulders. Molly didn't notice Chase watching her with interest.
"Can't you play us something, please?" May asked in her most polite voice, even folding her hands in her lap and everything.
"Hm… I don't know, you guys. I mostly just write the songs," Molly admitted, tapping her heels against the ground.
"If the mayor said you can't play anything until tomorrow, what if you played something new, so you can't get yelled at for spoiling?" Stu suggested, kicking his feet. His hands were preoccupied, so he had to sniffle double time.
Molly looked up at the sky, pursing her lips in thought. This kid sure knows how to get around loopholes. Reminds me of someone… she thought, her eyes skirting over to where Luna was now talking to Candace, Kathy, and Thomas."You want me to write you guys a song?"
May's eyes brightened in excitement. She clapped her mitten-ed fists together. "Yeah, make us a song!"
"Elli wouldn't believe it!" Stu chimed in, letting go of the branch. The action caused some of the melting snow to scatter down over Molly and May's heads, drizzling them in a light sprinkle of cold water.
Molly brushed off her sleeves and tucked her scarf closer into her coat collar. She hummed aloud in thought, finally sitting up straight with decision. Stu sat down on her opposite side, and both kids watched her in waiting. "Well… what do you guys want your song to be about?"
May and Stu exchanged a disbelieving smile. He was the first to answer, leaning towards Molly in delight. "Bugs! My song's gotta have bugs! I can catch any bug there is – and I have. I set traps and hide 'em where Elli'll find 'em—"
"Bugs…" Molly said doubtfully despite herself, interrupting what could have been hours of bug talk.
"Ice cream!" May joined in with her request, her eyes happily pinched shut. "I love ice cream!"
"A song about bugs and ice cream…" she said aloud, wondering how she got herself here. She let out a deep breath, eyes skipping between the trees across the plaza as she tried to form the words in her mind. She tried a melody in her head, whispered a bit of it with the kids straining to hear, and decided it would do the trick. "Alright! Let's try it out. I'm going to need help though, okay?"
"Okay! Yeah!" They chorused. Stu plopped down with his legs crossed, pulling his pants up over his scrawny, bare ankles. May mimicked Molly's posture, her hands hovering over her own lap.
"Just do this for me. Clap, clap, pat, pat. Got it?" Molly said, demonstrating her steady, four beat pattern. She did it a few times before May and Stu gave it a try. Two claps with their hands, two pats to their laps. She smiled when they had it down. "Great! Keep that up. Don't stop!"
May fumbled to remove her mittens and tried clapping again, this time clearer without the obstruction. Stu wiped his lip, throwing off the rhythm a bit, but they were in sync for the most part. Molly continued to clap and pat, thinking of where to begin. Since she was doing this for a couple of kids under ten, she couldn't help but feel a nursery rhyme melody tugging at the corners of her mind. Something simple and a little teasing.
She lightly sang:
"Hey, everybody, look at me
Got the boy of my dreams sittin' next to me
The sun's so bright
It's just my day
He smiles so nice
Takes my breath away…"
Though May appeared enthused, Stu was looking a bit doubtful. He was obviously waiting for his part to come up, but Molly was still working around that. She just focused on the rhythm and went for a limerick feeling, surprised she had gotten this far to begin with.
The scenery of Mineral Town was filling her mind, giving her more words to sing.
"Hey, everybody, look at me
I've got a broken fence and a pasture green
There's nothing more
That I could need
Than a patch of grassy land
And the boy of my dreams…"
Now in the swing of it, Molly found a chorus. An appropriate breeze swept by them and filled her with inspiration. May got distracted and had to focus on keeping up, mixing up her pats and claps.
"So, come on, wind
Won't you take me away
Back to the days
Where I used to play
There's crickets in the night
And the water's clean
Won't you take me back
To that piece of me?"
Molly mischievously eyed her musical companions as she got to the part they were waiting for. They were doing a great job thus far.
"Hey, everybody, look at me
Climb the rocky hill and the old oak tree
Nothing can beat
Sweet ice cream
And there ain't no bug
That's too fast for me!"
At the mention of ice cream, May laughed aloud. When Molly sang Stu's part, she dived him and gave his stomach a tickle, making the boy squeal in glee.
"So, come on, wind
Won't you take me away
Back to the days
Where I used to play
There's crickets in the night
And the water's clean
Won't you take me back
To that piece of me?"
Wrapping it up, Molly felt a little sorrowful as the song came to an end. Nostalgic. A little longing. Like this plea to the wind was coming from deep down within her own heart.
"Oh, take me back
Where I want to be…
Take me back
To the boy of my dreams…"
Molly gave her lap a final pat and finished. May and Stu applauded her, and she gave a mock bow. They were already jumping her to make more requests for songs about maple syrup and crayons and their favorite clubhouse they built out of sticks on the church grounds – Molly laughing all the while as she stubbornly stood by giving them only one song.
Chase was still vacantly staring at Molly, looking a little zoned. He didn't notice Kathy approaching him until she lightly pushed his shoulder, swaying him. He visibly jumped and gaped up at her in surprise. His slackened hold on Tucker's leash tightened again.
"I hope you wrote that down," she commented with a sly grin, beckoning her head towards the brunette.
He turned back to her, watching as Molly now had May's braids pinned to the top of her head with a finger, laughing about something Stu was jabbering about as he held his leg up behind him by the ankle. Molly really could make friends wherever she went. And apparently, songs, too. It was remarkable.
All Chase had to say in reply was: "I'm going to."
Doug's Bar & Inn turned out to be a hopping place. As the weather wasn't a blizzard and a major holiday was coming up, quite a few tourists were roaming about the place in wait for the festivities to take place in historic Mineral Town the following day.
Luckily for the girls and Chase, they were given a sizable room with three beds and a bath. Now that Molly and Chase weren't being sticklers about their relationship anymore, it was immediately decided amongst their friends that Kathy was getting her own bed, and if they had any arguments, they could promptly stuff it.
With all of their things dumped or unpacked depending on the owner, the group agreed to forfeit the chump change for a hefty dinner. A cute girl behind the counter promised them one of the 'daily specials' each if they'd find a seat and zipped back into the kitchen as her father served the crowds of people packing the tables.
Sitting at their own table in the corner, Molly pulled up an extra chair and took a seat between Chase and Candace. The pigtailed girl was looking quite reclusive again, so Molly gave her arm a poke. "Hey, you get to sight-see with Mayor Thomas today? Is that what took you guys so long?"
"Nah, we had to wait while they worked us into our room," Kathy answered for her, stretching her arms up over her head. She listlessly watched the kitchen door with Luna, both feeling a little out of it on their lack of a hot meal.
"Aw, at least we've got all day tomorrow!" Molly grinned happily. She gave Candace a more perceptive glance, tilting her head slightly. "You seem to really like it here."
"It's so… quiet," Candace smiled warmly. She looked about the room her back was to, giving a timid shrug. "Or, well, it was…"
"It is a quiet, little town… I like it, too," Molly said, propping her elbows up on the table and cradling her chin in her palms.
"Sorry about the wait, folks!" The ginger reappeared with a steaming tray positioned precariously over Luna's head. She began dishing out the plates to the crew circled around. Chase and Kathy moved the glasses of water and salt and pepper shakers to make room for the hot plates.
"No wait at all! Wow, you guys are fast!" Molly chirped, hungrily looking over her dinner and taking in a good whiff.
"Haha, it takes practice!" She replied with a chuckle. With the empty tray propped against her waist, she gave them a salute. "Just holler if you need somethin' – enjoy!"
"Thanks!" The girls politely chorused.
Molly rubbed her hands together in anticipation. She let out a happy sigh. "So! What is it?"
"I think it's chicken and dumplings," Chase reported, poking the grey mass with his fork. As a culinary artist, he couldn't say much for the presentation.
"Whatever it is, it's delicious," Luna said, already with her mouth full and chewing. She took a drink of cold water and focused on her dish, already nearing the finish line as her worried sister warned her to slow down lest she choke.
"Holy biscuits; you're right," Kathy held a hand over her lips as she spoke through her own mouthful.
Molly and Candace dug in, and Chase took a skeptical bite. It wasn't long before all five of them were raving over the chicken and dumplings and shoveling it down.
"Oh my God, what did they cook this in – the Holy Grail?" Chase stared down in flabbergasted fascination at the shapeless food.
"Right?!" Molly agreed, unable to say more as she stuffed her face.
"I might need seconds…" Candace mumbled between bites.
"Someone stop me before I lick my plate," Kathy warned – the threat all too real with the way she was staring at the leftover gravy.
The waitress reappeared to take their finished dishes, looking a little shocked to see that they had cleaned it up. "Wow, done already?"
"What is your name?" Molly lunged forward, taking up her hand before she could clear her place setting.
The girl was hesitant. "Uh… Ann?"
"Marry me," Chase declared his proposal.
"Hey, I was going to ask her first!" Molly griped at him.
Ann simply giggled as her hand was released. She twirled the end of her long, ponytail braid between her fingers as she looked over the group. "Gee, you guys must've really liked your dinner! Unless you do things differently back where you're from."
That got a laugh out of Kathy, but it was Luna's turn to step in. She folded her fingers beneath her chin, staring up at Ann with eyes full of reverence. "Look, I don't give compliments easy. That was the best meal I've ever had."
"Holy cow, you guys were hungry," Ann was taken aback a bit, feeling a little shyer at the copious praise.
"Seriously, how'd you learn to cook like that?" Chase asked, leaning forward curiously. Molly couldn't help but enjoy how happy he was, glad to be with him for the experience. "I'm a chef myself, so it's really great to have something blow me away like that."
"Ah…" Ann was at a loss for words. The place was still busy, so her duties were prickling at the back of her mind, but she gave him an honest answer. "I… Well, the recipe was my mama's. I'm glad you liked it so much."
"That's so special," Molly added, toning down her usual bubbliness to a simple, sweet smile. "You're very talented."
"Thank you!" Ann gasped out a laugh, holding her fingers to her quivering lips.
"And we are so coming back to Mineral Town," Luna decided for them all, lightening the mood as well.
The group laughed, and Ann got back on track. Her chest swelling with pride, she loaded her tray with their empty plates and gave them one last shot. "Would anyone like dessert tonight? The cheesecake is a house favorite!"
"Do you make it?" Kathy asked.
"Yup!" Ann proudly nodded.
"We'll take five!" Molly ordered like she was buying a round of beers, her hand in the air. No one argued her, and Ann went merrily back to the kitchen to fetch the cheesecake – another one of her mother's recipes.
By the time the girls were scaling the stairs, they were sluggish and filled to the brim. Exhausted after their long day, their only focus was sleep and getting it as soon as possible.
"I can't move…" Luna whined, being supported by Kathy as they made the last step.
"Carry me?" Molly held her arms out to Chase, using the same pathetic voice Luna was. Though she was tired and feeling drawn out like everyone else, she was glad her friends were all back in high spirits again. Or rather, they were high until they hit food coma.
"Carry me," he retorted, sore shoulders slumped as far as could be as he plodded up the wooden stairs. "I haven't eaten that much since my birthday."
"Oh, I remember that…" Candace reminisced. Though she had eaten the same amount as everyone else, she wasn't much worse for wear. Perhaps she was better at packing it away. "Molly insisted on making all of your favorite foods."
"Orange cake, orange cookies, orange pie, marmalade – you didn't eat anything orange after that for a month," Kathy chuckled at the dark time for him. Molly's intentions were in the right place, but she had failed miserably and had almost gotten the poor guy sick on his favorite flavor.
"Don't remind me," Chase held a hand over his mouth at the nauseous memory.
"Alright, alright, who's got the key?" Molly asked, pressing her head against the wall by the fourth door down.
"Oh, no!" Luna wailed, nearly falling out of Kathy's hold to the floor.
"What? You didn't lose the key, did you?" Chase asked, his panic waking him up.
"No, I didn't call Gramma! And the only phone's downstairs… ugh!" She groaned, throwing a hand over her eyes.
"I can call her, Luna," Candace insisted with a concerned frown.
"I'll go with you," she compromised with a huff sent to her bangs. Candace made her way back down the hall, and Luna wriggled away from Kathy. To the others, she said: "If I don't interrupt, they'll go on and on and on for hours. You'd never guess, but Candace is such a chatterbox with Gramma!"
"That's cute!" Molly cooed, holding her hands over her heart.
Luna rolled her eyes, waving them off. She whined a good deal again before charging down the stairs after her big sister, disappearing down the banister to the lit bar room.
Kathy pulled the key out of her pocket and fit it in the lock, giving it a turn. The door swung open, and Chase stepped in first. Tucker happily barked and licked his hands in hello, his own food bowl of dinner empty since they left.
"Hey," Molly stopped Kathy by the arm before she could go. Chase went to the bathroom with his pajamas and slammed the door, leaving the two in virtual privacy.
"What?" Kathy asked, suspiciously looking up and down the hall. She could tell Molly had something serious to say.
"If the only phone's downstairs, did you want to go with them and wait?" Molly asked, a confused wrinkle in her brow.
Kathy mirrored the look, only hers was more annoyed. "Huh? What for?"
Molly blinked, her expression loosening. "Well, don't you want to give Owen a call? Tell him where you are?"
The blonde let out an amused huff, looking a little baffled. She let go of the door knob and crossed her arms. "It's not like I have to report to him, Molly…"
"But… why? If we're going to be out of town for New Year's, you should let him know! He probably wanted to do something, and now you'll have to cancel…" Molly persisted, feeling increasingly guilty now that she was saying it out loud. When it came right down to it, the band was Molly's idea, so it was her fault that they were in Mineral Town in the first place. Despite everyone agreeing it was a good plan, she couldn't help but feel the brunt of the responsibility for the consequences. And the last thing Molly wanted to do was put a strain on Kathy's relationship when her best friend was there with her every step of the way, supporting her left and right when it came to Chase.
"He won't," Kathy rolled her eyes, growing testier. Molly's wishy-washy way of skirting the subject was pissing her off. Fiddling with her dangling earring, she suddenly paused.
"Well, you don't really know that unless you call him!" Molly cheerily deduced, taking up Kathy's arm by the wrist and playfully pulling her towards the stairs.
"No!" Kathy jerked her hand free like she had touched a hot stove. Molly's hurt expression made her hesitate, but she glared, clenching her fist. "I said I didn't want to, okay? So… just drop it."
"Kathy…?" Molly suspicions hit peak as she looked between her friend's troubled green eyes. Something was wrong. "Are you okay?"
"Just drop it!" She shouted. At a loss for where to go, Kathy decided the room wasn't an option anymore and stomped for the stairs. She took them down two at a time, flying out of sight into the happy atmosphere of the restaurant.
Molly looked after her friend in worry with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Kathy hadn't ever bottled anything up from her. Not that she thought. But then again… she kept Chase's secret all of these years. What else was she hiding?
She wanted more than anything to go after her and get to the bottom of things, but for the first time… Molly knew Kathy needed space away from her. And she was feeling hurt anyways, so that's what she would give her. Deciding to keep the confrontation to herself for Kathy's sake, Molly steeled her nerves and entered their room, leaving the door slightly ajar.