February 22nd
8:50 a.m.
A good thirty minutes later, Rosemary slid onto the slick cushion of the Model T, clutching the precious Eaton's Shopping Catalogue to her chest as she settled in. It was earmarked precisely- including the last pieces of furniture they needed for the new house and a few of the necessary items they would need for the babies. Her hope was that, if she placed the order before the end of the month, that the items' arrival would coincide perfectly with the completion of their new house.
The door creaked open and Lee slid in next to her, his gloved hands already making their way onto the steering wheel and throttle level, respectively. They both tossed a look over to Harriet, who was fussing with a basket of supplies by the front door of the row house.
Lee took the moment of reprieve to study her face. "Everything okay?" He said with concern. This time, though, instead of letting it rub her emotions the wrong way, she smiled and nodded. She truly ought to be grateful for this good man of hers, even if he was a mite overprotective.
Harriet approached the car and handed Rosemary the basket before sliding into the row beside her.
"What's this?" Rosemary said gesturing to the basket in her lap, which was warm and emitting a wonderful smell of—
"Are those blueberry muffins?" Lee asked.
"Yes, and there are enough for one for the both of you." She quickly pulled the basket into her own lap, pushed aside the towel covering the basket, and took out two muffins before carefully covering it again.
"Mmm… it's good—" Lee already had taken a big bite out of the muffin.
Rosemary was just about the lift the muffin to her mouth when a puzzling thought hit her. "You did see that I already had lemon curd muffins in the cooler?"
Harriet nodded. "Oh yes. They were lovely. I will have to get your recipe—"
"So you just felt like whipping up an additional batch of muffins?" Rosemary questioned as Lee finished his last bite and shifted the car into first gear, causing the car to jolt forward.
Harriet held tightly onto the basket, but chose not to say a word. Something curious was going on here.
"I know you don't often bake… or cook for that matter," she glanced at the muffin in hand, "are you feeling alright?"
Harriet's cheek's flushed.
Now that she thought of it, Harriet had seemed out of sorts this past week— hopeful and excited the one moment and quite forlorn the next. Did she have some kind of curious ailment?
Harriet positioned her arms around the basket, almost protectively. "Can't a woman make a batch of muffins without her daughter questioning her motives?"
"Okay, yeah, sure. That's absolutely fine." Rosemary arched her eyebrows. This was most certainly not fine. Something strange was going on.
"It is perfectly fine." Lee chirped in, looking first at Harriet and then to her. "You know how much we are after her to make this her home, Rosie. If this is what she wanted to do, it is just fine with us. Right?"
"Yes. Yes it is." She said as pleasantly as she could, although suspicion wracked her brain. She must have been staring, for soon she felt Lee pat her on the knee, bringing her back to the moment. She looked back down at her muffin and took a bite. Whatever was going on here, she would get to the bottom of it. Before lunchtime if she could help it.
Before she had finished the whole muffin, they were pulling into town. Lee parked by his office and, ever the gentleman, opened the door for both the ladies. Town felt unusually full this morning, people bustling about.
"Looks like the nice warm air has coaxed business in town this morning. I better get into the office." Lee placed a quick kiss on her lips and then tipped his hat to Harriet. "Ladies," he said before jaunting inside.
Catalogue in hand, Rosemary started her walk to the mercantile, fully believing Harriet to be right behind her until she heard her call from across the street.
"I'm off to run a quick errand. I'll meet you at the mercantile shortly." She waved one hand, while the other hand still held onto her precious basket of muffins.
Rosemary waved back and then, just in the nick of time, stepped aside as Cody and Robert ran from the front of the mercantile, penny candy in hand.
"Excuse us, Mrs. Coulter. We're late to school!" Cody called out, waving a stick of candy her way.
She smiled. Children. They were always so full of life and energy. What she wouldn't give to have a bit of that this morning. She'd already drank her second cup of coffee to no avail. Hopefully there would be time for a bit of a catnap later, but for now, she had things to attend to. Most important things.
"Oh, Mr. Yost," she called out as she entered the shop. The mercantile, too, housed more customers this morning than usually.
Ned peeked at her through a shelf where he was busy tracking down an item for a customer. "I'll be right there, Rosemary."
She skirted around two or three customers, and went up to the front counter where helped herself to an order form from the clipboard behind the register. She would just start filling out the order form herself. She turned to the first earmarked page in her worn catalogue and began to fill out the order numbers when she felt prying eyes behind her.
"Oh no, no. You can't order that." Florence said motioning to the paper.
Rosemary turned around. "Good morning to you, too, Florence." She gave her nosy friend a small smile. "Would you mind enlightening me as to why you believe you can tell me which items I can or cannot order?" Okay, so her words had come out a bit more straight forward than planned. She'd blame it on the abundance of pregnancy hormones she seemed to have these days.
Florence blanched. "I am not at liberty to say." She snapped her mouth open, shut, and open again. "But I would advise you… no, in fact strongly admonish you not to place an order for—" she came closer and reached over Rosemary's shoulder to tap on the second item written in the order column.
"Florence, I do declare… you are acting quite strange." She looked her dear friend over. She was quite white, perhaps she was running a fever? What was it with everyone and their ailments this morning? Was it something in the air? She looked back to her order form. "If I want this to come on time, I must put an order in before the end of the month. Now, excuse me." She lifted her pencil and began to copy the next set of numbers into the order column.
She could feel Florence's flustered state from behind her, but to Florence's credit, she did not utter another word. Instead she shuffled around the store and returned a few moments later her arm linked with Molly's. Rosemary looked up. Whatever could they want now?
Molly wrung her hands together. "Good morning, Rosemary…"
"Good morning. Are you here to convince me not to place my order as well?"
She nodded sheepishly.
Rosemary rolled her eyes. "I don't know why in tarnation you two are so concerned about my order but—"
Molly leaned forward. "It would behoove you… not to order that item just as yet. Wait until the end of the month, things will be much clearer by then."
"Clearer? But I already know this is an item I'd like. Lee and I both—" Rosemary stopped mid sentence as something caught her eye from the corner of the window. She walked closer. "That's odd."
"I know us asking you to hold off on your purchase is odd but in time you will—"
"No, that's odd." She said pointing towards the dress shop across the street. "It almost looks like a run on the bank… but at the dress shop."
Florence and Molly peered out the window with her.
"What could that be?" Molly asked.
"I don't know, but I am going to go find out." Rosemary put her pencil down on the order form. "Mr. Yost, if you know what is good for you, I wouldn't move that form. I will be back to complete my sizeable order."
She shuffled to the door, with Molly and Florence right behind her, and they made their way across the street along with dozens of people. It seemed as if people were coming from simply everywhere. There were the Shockley's, whom she hadn't seen since last year, and Mrs. McCormick, amongst others. She made her way to the boardwalk, where Dottie was at the front of the store, her smile simply beaming. A man in serge red— could that be Jack?— was bent behind her, removing the pieces of wood that had boarded up the store for the last several weeks.
"Dottie? What is this?" She gestured to the crowd, and the dress shop. Then focused in on the red serge who was peeling away at the splintered wood. "Jack, is that you?"
"Oh Rosemary!" Dottie regarded her friend with a cheerful smile. "Jack has returned with such good news!"
Jack gave her a crooked smile as he gathered the loose screws and then stood. "That's right. Although I don't think it is good news to the extend you all are expecting." Jack addressed both her and the crowd that had gathered at the storefront.
"But I am happy to say that the threat of Fife to our town has ended."
"Oh?" Came the replies amongst mummers.
"I know what you all are hoping… that I led the criminal to prison in handcuffs, but my part of the action did not occur like that. I basically chased him out to the borders of our region towards the east division of the red coats who are waiting with great anticipation for Fife's arrest."
Rosemary clapped her hands together, along the rest of the Hope Valley citizens listening. "Oh that is wonderful!"
"That's right," Bill stepped on the boardwalk, half of a blueberry muffin in his hand. "Jack followed him near out to the county lines. Once he crossed over into the next region, he's in their Mountie's hands. And they are ready. I'd give him less than a week before his capture."
Rosemary focused in on the wonderful news, yet the muffin Bill held hadn't escaped her notice. Perhaps her mother had a rendezvous with he sheriff. She had noticed the romantic tension between them last week at the dance. Could the sheriff be responsible for her mother's curious ailment?
Bill waved his muffin in the air as he continued, "So we are declaring that the dress shop is fit and ready for business once again. The threat of Fife to this town has ended."
Applause broke out from the citizens of Hope Valley. Bill smiled and then took a big bite of his muffin.
"And Dottie…. She can return home?" Rosemary voiced the question.
Bill took a moment to swallow the mouthful. "And yes, our… Mrs. Ramsey may return to her home. Under one condition."
Dottie looked up expectantly.
"That she obtain a guard dog."
"A guard dog? In these parts?" Someone from the small crowd that had gathered called out.
"Yes," Bill squinted as he looked for the man who dared question his authority, "Guard dogs can be obtained in these parts. I have it on good authority that Hayden Dean will be bringing in a new litter sometime next week."
Dottie nodded. "Then I guess I will be the proud owner of a new dog."
"Guard dog." Bill said emphasizing the words. "And as all of your lawman," Bill looked at Dottie and then to the several people gathered, "I would like to remind you all that Jack and I, we are committed to keeping Hope Valley safe for all of us. And we'd hope all of you, including any visitors we have here," he gave his full attention to Harriet, who suddenly looked like she could swoon, "will continue to feel as if Hope Valley is a very safe, friendly place to call home."
Rosemary cocked an eyebrow. Yes, there was definitely something going on between those two. She would get to the bottom of it all but for now-
"Rosemary," Dottie motioned her to come up on the boardwalk next to her then spoke to the crowd, "And as the owners of your Hope Valley Dress shop, we would like to extend a special 'reopening' offer to all of our loyal customers… fifty-percent off any order!"
Rosemary about gagged on her tongue. Dottie was basically giving away their services!
"We will have a flyer printed, hopefully, by the end of the day announcing our prices. Now, if you would like to place your order, please come on in and fill out an order form." Dottie opened the door and led the troops in.
Rosemary followed her in and greeted the people as they entered the store, one by one. In between greetings, she caught sight of her mother in the street, talking to Bill, her hand resting lightly on his arm as she laughed at something he had just said. Yes, sirree, something was developing between the two of them. And quite oddly, Rosemary wasn't sure how to feel about it. Part of her was thrilled. What if her mother found a new lease on life, even a new love, and wanted to stay in Hope Valley and make this her home? Why, she would be welcomed with open arms. Especially when it came time for the babies to be born. But what if, the woman, like she had so many times before, promised something and then backed out? What if she was unable or unwilling to keep that promise? What if someone, like their upstanding lawman's heart got trampled in the mean time? Oh, sure Bill was a tough nut and would handle it, but… Would she? Was she willing to allow her good name to be soiled if her mother left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth before leaving town? Rosemary swallowed, her tongue thick. This opening her heart to both give and receive accept and love, was not for the faint of heart.
She tore her eyes from the twosome and greeted the next customer. She'd have to save those thoughts for another day, for now, she had plenty to keep her busy.