Page 87 of Pity Parade

I’m not sure how our singles’ thing would fit into such an event. “That sounds nice, but what do you see us doing?”

She gets a glint in her eye that makes me kind of nervous. Then she says, “I thought we could have a singles’ float!”

“A float?” I want to know. “What would it even look like? We don’t have a lot of time to do something elaborate.”

“We’d do it to give the singles of Elk Lake a place to meet each other. All they’d have to do is stand on a flatbed that’s pulled by a truck and get to know each other.”

“You don’t think they’d consider that kind of embarrassing? I mean, would you have done something like that before you and Tim got together?”

She thinks for a minute before her expression falls. “Probably not.”

“So other people probably won’t want to either,” I tell her.

Waving her hands in front of herself, she says, “Okay, scrap that. But you should definitely be on a float advertising your matchmaking services. You’re a celebrity. People would love it! Then we could get all the singles in town to visit our singles’ tent at the fireworks display later that night.”

“You want me to just sit on a float and wave?” I’m rapidly losing interest.

“We could ask a few women and men to stand there with you and you could walk around talking to them like you were setting them up. You know, introduce them and they could playact that they fall in love.”

“I suppose that could be cute,” I tell her. Certainly less painful than what Tom has planned for me.

Paige claps her hands together. “It will! I’ll ask Tim if he knows any men who might be willing to do it.” She suddenly pretends to wield invisible pompoms. “We could ask Prim and Trent. They seem to be getting along well.”

“We should have an older couple, too,” I tell her. “I’m guessing half of Elk Lake’s single population are widows and widowers.”

“Great idea!” she says. “And just so you know, I would have definitely made use of a singles’ tent at the fireworks.”

“Now you’re making fireworks of your own,” I tease.

That comment gives Paige an idea. “We can have posters made that say, ‘Ready to make some fireworks of your own? Meet us at the first-annual Elk Lake Singles’ Tent on the Fourth!’”

“That’s a cute idea,” I tell her. “Let’s do it.”

We spend the rest of our luncheon deciding what to serve at our tent.

Paige says, “At our lemonade stand we can have a poster that says, ‘Turn your lemons into lemonade.’”

“Maybe Faith could make those Mexican wedding cookies and heart-shaped sugar cookies,” I suggest.

“Why hasn’t anyone ever thought of this before?” Paige asks excitedly. “This is going to be the best!”

“And we can ask Missy to print up discount cards that women can use in her store. It’ll be a whole theme.” The more we talk, the more optimistic I feel. Even if I don’t meet anyone, I love seeing people find each other.

By the time we’re done eating, Paige has signed on to have posters made, contact the local press, and talk to Missy and Faith. “What do you want me to do?” I ask.

“Go to the party store and buy cups, napkins, and plates. I’ll ask Tim if we can borrow tables and chairs from the club.”

“What about a tent?” I ask her.

“I know someone at city hall. Let me check and see if we can use one of their tents. That way they could set it up for us when they set their other ones up.”

By the time I’m walking out of the diner, I feel like I have something to keep me occupied for the next couple of weeks. And honestly, now that Heath is back in town, it’s a relief to have my attention focused anywhere but in his direction.

Heath Fox is not worthy of my time. I don’t care if I run into him everywhere I go. I will not see him, I will not talk to him, and I most definitely won’t listen to whatever lame excuse he tries to make for his bad behavior.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

HEATH

---