The events’ tent schedule featured live music by local bands, performances offered by the towns’ dance and music studios, and a community pet parade.
A community pet parade!
Added to that was an ax-throwing contest, a beer tasting from a local brewery, and several workshops, including foraging.We could offer that as well as guided hikes and a geocaching challenge!
The best part about it was the businesses in town who already offered these things could be brought in and offered further exposure.
Security fencing began at the front gate and extended around the perimeter of the entire festival, clearly delineating exactly where the festival ended, and the working farm began.
Ideas flooded my brain.It seemed I opened my phone every five minutes to tap out a note, a question, or an idea I might want to implement in my community outreach project.
It was at one such time, with Daire blocking the sun with his big body so I could see my screen, that his stomach growled.
Loudly.
I looked up at him and teased, “I guess you’re hungry?”
He smiled down at me, his eyes warm.“Well, it is four-thirty.”
“What!Four-thirty?”I slapped my hand over my face.“I’m so sorry, Daire!This was supposed to be lunch!”
“I’m not complaining, little one.But I think we should get you something to drink.Your cheeks are flushed pink.”
“I think that’s excitement,” I confessed, beaming at him.“But now that I think about it, I’m freaking starving.”
Putting his arm around my shoulders, he led me back to the food tent.“Have you decided what you want?”
“It’s more trying to eliminate what I don’t want.”
He squeezed me close to his side.“We’ll get ourselves a smorgasbord.Whatever we don’t finish, we’ll bring home.”
Hearing him say that reminded me of how desperately I wanted to share a home and build a family.
Daire was ticking all my boxes, but I could not fathom how I ticked any of his.Not yet convinced he wouldn’t run at the first sign of trouble, or when I gained ten pounds of extra weight, I held myself back.
And attempted to get us back on track.
“This was supposed to be a working lunch, so I guess we better get to it,” I said briskly, eying the spread on our picnic table.
“Let’s eat first and then we’ll talk business,” he suggested.
That was reasonable.“Mm, I can’t disagree with that.”
When I couldn’t swallow another bite, I sat back with my hand over my stomach and groaned.“I may have overdone it.”
Grinning, he teased, “Does that mean no ice cream?”
I frowned.I had a serious weakness for anything sweet, especially cake and ice cream.But knowing where we were, there were bound to be bear claws.
“Give me fifteen minutes.There’s a bear claw with cream cheese and cinnamon with my name on it.I’m sure of it.”
He chuckled.“You have a real sweet tooth.What’s your favorite dessert?”
“Birthday cake and ice cream.”
“What flavor?”
I shook my head.“Doesn’t matter.What matters is the icing to cake ratio.That’s what makes it the perfect dessert.”
