Fried Pickles and the Fuzz Read Free Page A

wrist and pulled her curly red hair up into a messy ponytail .
    â€œI’m doing the best I can.” Heather stared into the saucepan of potatoes . It was getting close to time for the parade to start , but she needed to take care of the Gus situation. M ost everyone in town had pitched in to help care for him , but he held a special place in her heart , and she was the one that everyone in town looked to her to solve his special problem . She only wished that she had the space right now for him to come and live with her. It would make things a lot easier. “In the morning , I’ll run down to the hardware store and see if he can stay with Arthur for a couple days. Just until I can get another appointment with C arl at the bank . For tonight , Billy will just have to do his best to keep him home .”
    Beth Ann nodded. “No problem. I’ll tell Billy to put a lock on the door tonight. We’ll see if that keeps him from getting into mischief. I’d better run. It’s about that time , and I want a good spot this year . Last year I got stuck behind Mr. and Mrs. Oldham , and I think they must have had fried cabbage for lunch because the smells those two were letting go were strong enough to peel paint off the water tower. ” She giggl ed as she sashayed toward the kitchen door. “I’ll save you a spot.”
    Heather stopped whipping the spuds , and turned toward her retreating friend . “ Thanks. You’re a doll. ”
    â€œMmm - hmm.” Beth Ann glanced back over her shoulder and raised a single crimson brow. “But remember, you’d better snatch that man up before somebody else does. ” Giving a sassy wink , she pushed through the swinging door and left Heather staring after her.
    With a shake of her head, Heather turned back to the stove and the potatoes. Okay, fine, it was really nice that Bronson waited until right at closing time to come in. It made the visits seem intimate. Private. Something special for just the two of them.
    Their nightly conversations seemed to cover nearly every subject from the daily grind to favorite movies and funny memories. They had gotten to know each other pretty well in the two months he had been in town. Not that she would claim to be the only person in the county he had personal conversations with, but as far as she knew , he didn’t really socialize much. He had mentioned a guy s’ night with the county livestock officer a couple weeks ago , but other than that , she wasn’t sure if she could recall a single instance of him talking about hanging out with anyone.
    Maybe she was special.
    Then again , maybe she was delusional. Seeing what she wanted to be there rather than what actually was.
    She shook her head again . No matter how much she wanted to take her friend ’ s advice, Heather just wasn’t the type of gal to make the first move. Never had been. Not in ma tters of the heart anyway. Yes, she would flirt to an extent and drop a hint or two, but she preferred to leave it up to the man to do the asking. Assuming that Bronson even had any interest in her other than her cooking.
    â€œI’m heading out.” Erma poked her head into the kitchen. “Gotta get a good spot. You coming?”
    â€œNo, that’s alright. You go on. I still have a few things to do but I’ll catch up .” Heather quickly finished up the prep, covered everything , and headed out of the café.
    Main Street was hopping. The entire square was an undulating sea of residents, visitors , and county locals who had halted their day to make the trip into town for the yearly parade.
    Bright balloons and colorful streamers danced in the breeze from stop signs and light poles on both sides of the road. Snack vendors set up their portable stands in strategic locations around the square , offering everything from cotton candy to grilled corn on the cob and shaved ice. The gazebo in the center of the square was adorned