“Levi took the hat from me,” Laney complained with a frown.
“Did not, we both grabbed it.”
“I had it first, and then you yanked it from my hand.”
Analyzing the situation, Noel studied their faces.“I know who made it up the stairs first,” she announced glaring at Levi.“Did Laney have it to begin with?”
“Maybe,” he answered, “but she dropped it and I got it then.”
“You two are a team,” Noel reminded them.“You need to help each other rather than work against the other.”
“I did.I picked up the hat for her.”
“Wouldn’t a team player hand it back?”Noel asked.
Levi shrugged his shoulders.
“How about you hand it to Laney now,” Noel recommended, “and, Laney, you can put it on my head like I did yours.”
“I get to crown you like a queen?”Laney asked as the corners of her lips swiftly turned upward.
“Yes,” Noel replied.
Levi handed it over with a slight hesitance, and Laney beamed as she slid it onto Noel’s hair causing it to curl out more than before.
“You three get together for a picture,” Mrs.Madelyn suggested while pulling her phone from the enormous purse draped across her forearm.
Standing behind the little red wagons staged for a photo shoot, each kiddo wrapped an arm around Noel while Mrs.Madelyn snapped several pictures.Then Noel talked her into getting into a shot, and Noel held out the phone and took a selfie of the whole gang.
After Noel twisted the lock, the four of them walked down the sidewalk with the kids in charge of the wagons.Noel and Mrs.Madelyn played the role of the caboose in case anything fell out since Levi and Laney knew the best route to the feast as well as anyone.They played on these streets nearly every day after school and during the summers; the two roamed Beaufort like pirates once did.Nowadays it was a safe town, low in crime, and high on the phraseit takes a village.The one rule the children must abide by was staying together at all times.They also kept high-powered walkie-talkies to report back to Noel and to allow her to check in on them.
When they entered the grassy lawn between two buildings where the community Thanksgiving feast took place each year, a large circus-style tent covered a slew of chairs and tables for dining, and a few buffet bars occupied the far corner.Although the sun shone brightly, a regular breeze blew through the trees that dotted the park-like area.
Noel instantly spotted a cluster of volunteers with familiar faces who quickly made their way with Thanksgiving greetings, hugs, and outstretched arms.She loved and appreciated all of these folks—or at least most of them—but she wondered when the extra emotional support for the poor, pitiful widow and children would end.
4
The mayor led the charge.Alongside him several city council members broke free from helping the restaurant owners.The employees set out dishes being carted in from various directions.Police officers and firefighters, who were bringing in the last chairs, greeted Levi and Laney with fist bumps and smiles.The two knew most of the first responders by name and vice versa.
“Let us help you,” the mayor offered after the lengthy pleasantries subsided.
“The kids are excited about wheeling the carts to the dessert table and unloading all the goodies, but you all are welcome to join us for the pie guessing game,” Noel stated, turning her attention to the mayor’s wife.
The woman’s face bubbled at the thought of the tradition.“Yes, let’s do,” she agreed.
The farmers’ market manager pointed Noel to the dessert table, and nearly everyone gathered around to ooh and aah.
Cornucopias decorated the tables, and Noel was glad to see dark tablecloths in case one of the kids or anyone else spilled food.Once they set out all the pies, the crowd of inquiring minds waited for the mayor’s wife to begin.
“Oh heavens, you all brought lots of unique pies this year,” she observed.The mayor stood beside his bride with bulging eyes.The two were regular customers, and Noel was almost certain the enthusiastic woman tasted every dessert ever made at the shop.The most informally formal person Noel ever met went on to point at each pie as she carefully thought and then called out the name: “Apple, pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, butternut squash, lemon, chocolate silk, cranberry, coconut, and French silk.”
Those were all the ones she guessed correctly, Noel confirmed, and after several guesses at the remaining pies, she gave up.
“What’s that one?”the mayor asked, pointing.
“Maple syrup pie,” Noel answered.
The mayor rubbed his oversized belly.“You all stay away from this pie,” he warned the onlookers with a heavy grin.“It has my name written all over it.”
