And the greatest of these is Love

Chapter 34

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While the pie-eating contest was going on, several of the other games were also occupying some of the younger crowd. There were so many races that the children were running to their parents for more pennies!

This year, Jackie and Linda were in charge of the games and luckily, they had helpers. Each lady that volunteered was assigned a specific game to host. Darlene was in charge of the ring toss. Ned had saved some empty coke bottles that were used sitting on top of an upside-down crate. Kevin had some rope rings that worked perfectly to encircle the bottles. The line was long, but it went fast. Every child who got all three bottles roped, went over by Jake Taylor who made them an animal balloon. That was the best thing as far as the children were concerned.

Violet and Ruth Taylor were enjoying watching Jake create giraffes, elephants, and monkeys for the children. They were delighted and studied as he made them to see how he did it. After a while, Violet took Ruth over to watch the races and as they walked, Ruth got to talk more with others. She was glad to bump into Elizabeth at the wheelbarrow race.

Uncle Tom had promised to take Jack to the race, but Jack was just too little to be a wheelbarrow! So, he borrowed a real wheelbarrow that was used to haul stuff to the various games and put Jack in it. They zigzagged all around and LJ was laughing hysterically. However, it caught the eye of other little ones who wanted to do the same, so it didn't last long. Not wanting to create a problem for their parents, Tom wisely told Jack that they would go to the other games.

As they walked, Ruth told Elizabeth how much she enjoyed her studies and was excited to take her test to finally get her long overdue diploma. Once she was done with her studies, she would look for a job. Being a housekeeper for the Riemanns in Hamilton she thought that kind of domestic work would be something she might look for. So, she asked Elizabeth what she thought.

"Well, I don't know of anyone who could afford a housekeeper here in Hope Valley, but I do know that Rosemary Coulter moved the Valley Voice Newspaper office to her home. Once school starts up again, Opal won't be able to babysit for little Grace, her daughter. Maybe she can use a nanny," Elizabeth suggested.

"A nanny? Oh, that would be wonderful!" Ruth was excited, "Violet, can you help me?"

Elizabeth smiled, "Don't worry Ruth, Rosemary is a very nice woman. I'd be more than happy to help make the suggestion to Rosemary the next time I see her. In fact, I'll be seeing her tomorrow at Church. If you're there, just let me know."

The next game where Kaye was running the bucket toss game, Jack ran up to it and this time Will Malone went up with him giving him a penny. Jack had three buckets and this time he got a ball in each one! He did so much better than the ring toss so he asked to play again.

Will pulled out another penny out of his pocket and held it in his hand. "Sure, Jack go ahead."

Jack was thrilled that he did it a second time. "Momma, look I got all three agai!"

Elizabeth clapped and Uncle Tom swept him back up on his shoulders. Let's go by Mr. Taylor and get you a balloon animal.

Will held out his arm for Elizabeth and she put her arm through his. It seemed like it was the natural thing for them both. When Tom looked behind him and saw the two, he ran ahead with Jack to the balloon booth. He still wasn't sure if his brother would like Will, but he knew he couldn't fight it. Elizabeth and Jack seemed to like Will and that was what mattered, even if he didn't like it.

Over at the three-legged race Benjamin and his father, Bob were struggling to stay upright. Marie was cheering them on following alongside from the sideline.

Karen and Harper were there too. They walked over holding hands, but Marie didn't say a word. She knew Karen was experiencing puppy love, but it concerned both her and Karen's father. They were worried that Karen was too young to just see Harper. Harper had graduated when Robert did but had stayed in town to work the printing press and distribution of the Valley Voice. So, he was always around and that was a little too much she and Bob thought. They had hoped that Karen would enjoy the company of the other boys still in school, but Karen complained that they were too immature. Marie and Bob knew Harper was a good young man, so they just let it be, for now.

"Go Benjie, Go!" Karen shouted clapping.

"That's it, you can do it!" Harper cheered.

They did their best and came in second which was well deserved! Bob was out of breath but happy and Benjamin jumped up and hugged his dad. "I'm so glad you are my dad!"

Bob beamed, looked over at Marie, and answered, "and I'm so glad you're my son!"

Carole was in charge of the egg in the spoon relay race, and was just going to start a new race, so just for fun Harper went to one end of the race while Karen stood at the beginning. Next to Karen was Allie with Robert at the end next to Harper. The girls had to gingerly carry the egg in the spoon down to the end where they handed off their spoons to the boys. It was Robert vs Harper and they both wanted to naturally show off for the girls so they both started to walk faster and faster then they gave it their all and ran the last little sprint. When they got back to the starting point they barely made it but collided at the end! The eggs went flying up and hit both of the boys right in their faces! Karen and Allie bent down in laughter while the boys were wiping off their faces with towels Carole handed them.

The last game was the water balloon toss that Sherri was busy handling. It was a perfect time for the two couples to join in together and the girls couldn't wait to give the boys a big hit of water to clean off their egg-soaked faces.

Over at the pie-eating contest, Teresa announced that both Rick and Jesse won! It was a tie! There sat all the men with cherry and apple pie filling stuck on their faces. They all looked so silly as they grinned up at their families. It was a sight to behold and they had to hold those goofy looks for Carson who was walking around taking photos. Everything was so much fun that it was a great day. Everyone was going to come back later for leftovers and enjoy the dance. The night was just beginning!

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As Nathan got up from the table and was wiping his face off from the remaining cherries, he laughed at Bill who was just a mess with his face and hair still red from his pie. Molly too was having fun teasing him, so he stood up and ran after her. When he grabbed her he kissed her and smeared his face all over hers. Thinking she was going to be mad, she surprised him and kissed him hard right back in front of everyone! Rosaleen was in shock!

"Mother!" Rosaleen scolded.

When Molly finally pulled away, she too was all red from cherries and no one could hardly tell where her red hair started from the cherry mess.

She looked at Rosaleen and laughed, "What dear?"

Bill loved seeing his wife relax and have fun. Lee snuck up behind Bill and put a water balloon in his hand. When Bill felt it, he smiled as big as he could, walked up to Molly, and put his arm around her. He gave her another kiss and then he brought his other hand around and smacked her face with the water balloon!

"Oh, you!" Molly stood there gasping with her hair and face dripping wet. Rosaleen burst out laughing. Teresa handed Molly a towel to wipe off. As she wiped her face Bill and she burst out laughing together.

"I guess you'll want to go home and clean up?" Bill asked.

"You think?" Molly grinned.

The two of them walked away to head for home. Bill called out, "Lee, please check on any leftovers with Lucianna and see that they are ready to serve in about an hour, all right?"

Lee shook his head acknowledging his partner and asked Rosemary to take little Grace so he could grab Paul and run over to Billees.

Nathan and Walter joined their family and they all held up their hands letting them both know, no one wanted any kisses from them! Luckily, Dee had a cup of water so she dipped their towels in it and finished wiping off her husband and brother's faces. Bertie, Ted, Dorothy, George, nor Walter, were at Hope Valley's Family Festival last year, so they got a kick out of the contest.

Robert and Roberta laughed at their Uncle Walter and Uncle Nathan. Roberta asked, "Why didn't they get in trouble for doing that Mama?"

Allie was enjoying seeing her dad getting in the spirit of the day, even though he was the town hero, he never let a fun opportunity pass him by. That's what she loved so much about him.

Katie gave her dad a hard time, "Dad, why didn't you even try to win the contest? You were much too reserved!"

Ned just smiled, "I like to enjoy my dessert, honey!"

Flo's daughter, Debra, was tickled to watch, but she had her eye on Tom Thornton and not Ned. She was secretly hoping he'd be at the dance later that night. She and Katie were going to be there with the Hopefuls who were hosting the dance after the dinner of leftovers.

Flo's son, Paul, and his girlfriend were enjoying themselves so much as Paul was getting a lot of attention getting reacquainted with his old friends, and introducing his girlfriend, Darcy Murphy. The guys congratulated Paul when they eyed Darcy. Darcy was Irish through and through with strawberry blond hair, green eyes, and lots of freckles. Catching the attention of the unattached males Paul quickly put a stop to that.

Lucia Moretti, being a reporter, was walking around interviewing the folks and talking to Carson about the photographs he was taking so she could write up a very descriptive fun article for the Valley Voice. When the pie-eating contest was going on she was feverishly taking notes and noticed that Ben Carmon was watching her between bites. When the contest was over, she went up to him for an interview, and he was smiling from ear to ear. Lucia tried not to burst out laughing at how silly he looked but was quickly surprised after he wiped his face as to how attractive he was. It's funny, she thought, why she hadn't noticed that before. At their first interview in the bank, he just seemed like a regular young man but quiet. Now, she saw him relaxed and having fun, and that made a difference.

She asked him, "Do you have a minute, Ben, to talk to me about the contest?"

Ben was ready, without a doubt, and they quickly walked over to the bench by the pond. "Is this all right?" he asked politely.

"It's perfect," Lucia answered.

As she began to talk, he noticed her warm brown eyes and long dark hair of her Italian heritage. Her face had a tinge of olive color which made her features completely Mediterranean and they drew him in. He thought to himself, why he hadn't noticed that about her before.

In a few minutes, the Queen and King called for everyone's attention.

"May we have your attention please?" James asked. As the crowd stopped what they were doing and gathered around, he continued. "It looks like we have all had a wonderful day here and everyone seems happy and content. That's what we like to see here in our town! The good news is, there are some leftovers over at Billees from our meal earlier and desserts from over at Minnie's all being warmed up and ready for your pleasure, so please help yourself."

Fiona then announced, "Whether you eat over at Billees or go home to eat, we will end our celebration today with a dance tonight. As always, the children are invited to join in until 10:00, and then from 10:00 to midnight, we will continue for adults only. We hope to see you there!"

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As the sun was slowly going down behind the mountains, there was a soft glow in the sky and dusk was starting to settle in Hope Valley. The young men from the Hopefuls had offered to help take down the games and dunk tank to store in the livery for another year. The big red fire pumper was parked in the livery too.

There weren't too many horses boarded anymore since automobiles were the main mode of transportation now. Gunther's horse, Sandy and Andy's horse, Dakota, and Bill's horse, Hero were still boarded there, as was Elizabeth's horse from her Jack, Sargent. The rest of the horses were in stables at their owners' homes or at the Peterson horse farm. Lots of the local farmers were using gasoline-fueled tractors, plows, and other farm equipment, but a few raised horses for pleasure.

Over at the Peterson horse farm, Lisa and Lana were getting ready for the Festival Dance. Their parents were going too, but just for a few hours. Not Lisa and Lana, they planned on being there with their group the whole night and help clean up after. Lisa had money to buy a new dress as she was employed full-time at Dr. Scholls. Lana however, while home from nursing school, was only working part-time helping with inventory and paperwork with Violet, giving Molly a chance to be home more. She decided to be more practical and see if she could find a new blouse or skirt to go with what she already had.

"Lana, why are you wearing your old blouse? Don't you want to look gorgeous for Trevor?" Lisa questioned her sister.

"Sure, I do. But, I have a new skirt, and mom's lending me one of her necklaces. So, I feel that's good enough!"

"No Lana, 'good enough' is never enough! You deserve a special dress, you've worked so hard studying. Look through my closet and pick out something else," Lisa suggested.

"I'm fine!" Lana answered, "Now let me fix your hair and then you can do mine."

The young men were sharing row houses with each other and fighting over who was going to bathe first.

"You should've brought a bar of soap to the dunk tank before we dumped out the water," Mark laughed.

"Hey, that's a great idea, too bad you didn't think of that earlier," Matthew chided.

Trevor had won the coin toss and cleaned up first, which worked out best as he was picking up Lana. The rest of the guys were going by themselves but had certain ladies in mind to dance with.

Gunther and Andy let his mother wash up first. She was still clean from her earlier bath that morning, but she did need to put on lipstick and powder her nose. She was out after touching up her hair and then the boys took turns.

"Boys, I'm going over to the Grants home tonight to sit with Emily and Archie. In fact, Bertie and Ted Grant are coming along too. We all like to play cards and just visit. So you two have fun tonight, but remember your manners!" Hannah reminded them.

She kissed Gunther on the cheek and smiled warmly at Andy, "Are your parents staying at Billees, Andy?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be seeing them over there," Andy replied.

"Oh, Nathan is here to pick me up. I certainly hope your parents can sleep with that dance going on, Andy," she mumbled as she left to go to the Grants.

Over at Billees, Mr. and Mrs. Scholl had freshened up and were getting dressed for the dance. Having lived in Hamilton their wardrobes were filled with elegant clothing. Fiona had them over earlier to her house for a glass of sherry so she could tidy up Ruth Scholl's hair for her. Now, the couple looked splendid.

"I must say, Ruth, you look quite lovely in your gown tonight. Especially being the mother of the King!" Robert chuckled with love.

Robert picked up Allie just about the time Nathan arrived with Hannah. As the two parked side by side, Nathan nodded at Robert as he walked over to open the door for Hannah.

Robert greeted them both outside and Hannah complimented Robert as to how nice he looked. He was holding a small rose and she winked at him.

Inside, Bertie and Ted were already there chatting away with Emily and Archie. Dee was walking down the stairs and caught Nathan's eye. She was indeed a beautiful woman, especially when she was pregnant. Her face glowed, her hair was thick and flowing, her curves were full, and she had a radiant smile. How was he so lucky, he thought which quickly turned into a whistle. Their parents laughed and it made them happy to see their children now such a lovely couple.

Looking over at all their family she thanked them again for staying home and listening for Christopher. "I just put him down for the night. He should be asleep now. If anything happens, just telephone Billees and we'll be right home," Dee informed them.

"Go, now you two, don't worry," Bertie assured as she blew them a kiss.

Allie was already downstairs with Robert and getting ready to leave too. Robert gave Allie her rose and she thanked him and put it in a clear bud vase. Saying goodnight to her grandparents, and Hannah, they all told her in unison to have fun, but be good!

Brook and Carl, William and Elsa, Jake, Violet, and Ruth had never been to a dance at Hope Valley before, so they were excited to see what kind of dance they would be hosting.

Brook was just now going out after her emergency surgery after losing her baby, so she was nervous, but her husband Carl, was a gem. He told her how pretty she looked with her hair braided and pinned up and that the soft rose- colored dress she had was simple but a perfect color. He was proud to bring his wife to the dance.

Elsa was excited too. She was as far along in her pregnancy as Dee and had that wonderful pregnant glow about her too. Her long white-blond hair was curly and falling down her blue gown which made her ice-blue eyes pop. Big Will was strong and handsome with the same Scandinavian features as his wife, making them a striking couple.

Jake being a Prince of the Royal Court wore a spiffy suit that Ruth had bought him and Violet a Princess, a new dress in the color of her name, from the money that the Riemanns had mailed her. It was just a small way to thank them for letting her stay in Hope Valley with them. Ruth herself had a new dress too and all three were anxious and ready to have fun.

Christy and Rick, the other Prince and Princess were going to go to the dance with Clara and Jesse. The two couples were always together so, Jesse and Clara became like family with both the parents of Christy and Rick. Little Timi Anne had her own built-in babysitters with Grandpa and Grandma O'Neil, and Alicia Lipinski was a good backup babysitter when Opal couldn't watch little Michael for the Flynn's. Tonight, was one of those times as Opal was planning on going to the dance.

Yes, the whole town was still jumping with excitement and it promised to be a fabulous evening ahead for the folks!