For the first time that day, he allowed himself a brief grin.The way these people routinely protected her from predatory press, and now by busting out their weapons, well, he’d never seen anything like it.
He glanced at Sarah, petting another kid’s pig, and she looked up from under her big hat.She was amazing, and shewassuper.Not because of her modeling career.Because so many thought the world of her.
He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone with such innate goodness.Her heart was as big as Montana.
What a woman, he thought in admiration.Nobody would be allowed to harm a single hair on her head.
Anyone who tried ...he’d kill.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cleared of all traffic, the parade rolled down Main Street, with floats created by the Boy Scouts, The Shriners, The Elk’s Club.A Billing’s high school band marched by, banging out the National Anthem with hardly any wrong notes.Horses decorated in silver saddles pranced along the route, their riders giving the palm-up, side-to-side parade wave.
In the lead float, just a utility cart decorated like a giant rhubarb plant, with red stalks and green leaves covering everything except the steering wheel, Mayor Beekins was in his element.He grinned, shouted to people, waved a top hat.
Because the route wasn’t long and the parade had only a few floats, they made the circuit twice.Nobody minded.
Sarah and Milly watched it all from tree-shaded chairs Ben had found them.He used a long rope to close off the area, making it clear that no one should approach Sarah.The air was filled with the shrieks of delighted children and the smell of barbeque.
Ben kept on his feet, a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.She covered it with her own.He smiled down at her.
Her heart fluttered.She’d fallen deeply, irrevocably in love with him.There was no doubt he was a manfor the long haul.
Sarah didn’t know what it meant.How was she to reconcile a return to her New York modeling career, something she still didn’t want to do, and building a relationship with Ben?How could they develop what had begun when he lived two thousand miles away?
Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced herself to push the upsetting thoughts aside.Today was for celebrating the summer and the local people, not for fretting about the future.Ruthlessly, she thrust down the troubling thoughts.
A sudden commotion drew all their attention.Pushing through the crowd were several people just arriving at the festival.Sarah sighed.The press.Yancy and his crew.
Leading the charge, Yancy, the senior editor ofStarstruckMagazine, wore a suit covered with enormous orange hibiscus flowers.He sported a yellow fedora.His cameraman flanked him at one side and the man who’d braced Ben with his clipboard was on his left.Trailing were a few others, young men and tattooed girls.
Before they could get to the cordoned off area, Ben’s team closed in and barred their way.Franklin crossed his arms over his mighty chest and Yancy fell back.“I say.”He looked up at the big man.“Have you heard of freedom of the press?We only want a word with Sarah.”
Franklin didn’t speak.
“Dang.”Milly observed the small pack with their eager expressions, all fixed on Sarah.“They’re like locusts.”
