Page 56 of Lilly's Little Labor Day

“Thank you all for coming and happy Labor Day from me and the Rawhide Ranch!”

Everyone applauded and cheered.

Well, everyone except Lilly. She was nervously scanning the assembled crowd for any sign of Betty.

Still nothing.

“In honor of this holiday, I thought it would be nice for my Little, Sadie, to present some things she’s learned at school. She and her classmates recently ended their summer break and the first thing their teachers had them do was learn about this very important holiday. Sadie,” he looked to his wife, sweeping his hand at the microphone, and then stepping aside as she took her place.

Her brown pigtails swayed as she reached up to lower the mic. She cleared her throat and then began.

“Labor Day is celebrated each year to honor the contributions of the women and men who have worked hard to build this nation. It was declared a federal holiday all the way back in 1894. It is always celebrated on the first Monday of September. Our neighbors to the north in Canada celebrate their version of the holiday then, too. And while the meteorological beginning of autumn doesn’t come for several more weeks, most people consider Labor Day to be the start of fall.”

She went on to present more of the report. Lilly only half listened. She was proud of Sadie for all the work she’d done, but it was more important to find Betty. The only problem was Betty didn’t seem to be anywhere around.

“Thank you, angel. Daddy is very proud of you,” Master Derek said, kissing her before taking his place back at the mic. “We are almost ready to eat, folks, but first, we have a qualifying round for the sack races. And it looks like our racers are already ready to—”

“What about us, Daddy?” Sadie asked.

He chuckled along with the rest of the crowd.

“Yes, sweetie, we’ll get in our sack in just a second. If all racers could make their way to the starting line, we’ll kick off in a few…”

“There she is!” Lilly said aloud.

Edward looked puzzled. “Who?” he asked quietly.

“Uh, no one,” Lilly said.

Behind a thick, nearby tree, Betty smiled and waved devilishly before flashing Lilly a thumbs-up. Lilly waved her hands, mouthing “No” but when Betty only tilted her head and looked puzzled, Lilly knew her friend didn’t understand.

Master Derek had left the stage and was now in position—his feet in a large potato sack—with his Little in there, too. Someone else had taken his place and said, “On your mark! Get set! Take off in five, four, three, two…”

The first explosion came just as he said, “One.”

All hell broke loose.

Chapter 27

The roar was deafening.

Red, white, and blue sparks rained down, showering the grounds.

People were in a panic, trying to help each other as they all moved away.

The racers had a hard time since their feet were in the sacks. One couple went down, hitting the racers next to them, and then they all fell like dominos, one right after the other. People hollered. Littles screamed. Some cried. Others laughed.

It was sheer pandemonium.

Finally, the fireworks ended. The acrid tang of smoke hung heavy in the air. When it cleared enough for folks to see, a banner hung from a tree that read COMPLIMENTS OF LITTLE LILLY.

“Lilly!” Edward said.

“Oh boy,” she said. “So, uh, I bet that’s another Lilly. Isn’t that crazy?”

He shook his head.

Master Derek was now up and had assessed the damage. The fireworks had been close but set up with enough skill to where they were far enough away—and controlled enough—not to hurt anyone.

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