Page 14 of The Party Line

How many sandwiches do three grown men need or even want for lunch?” I asked myself as I laid slices of bread on the counter and started to spread mayo on each piece. “No, that’s not right,” I whispered. I liked mustard on bologna but mayo on ham and cheese.

Running out and taking their orders, then coming back and making the sandwiches seemed like a lot of trouble. I didn’t know how Aunt Gracie did the job, and she wasn’t sitting on my shoulder whispering in my ear that day. I stared at the bread, but it didn’t have any answers, so I didn’t spread mustard or mayo on any of it.

I built a variety of sandwiches, put them on the largest cookie sheet I could find, and set the mayo and mustard off to the side. That way, the guys could use whichever one they wanted. I had done some relief waitress work for Madge when I was in high school, so I knew how to carry a tray. Still, it took two trips, but plenty of sandwiches, chips, chocolate chip cookies, and sweet tea was on the end of the table under the shelter by the time the grandfather clock in the foyer chimed twelve times.

“How’s business?” I asked when I brought out disposable cups and ice for the tea.

Connor reached for a sandwich. “It’s been steady—and thanks for not putting mayo on them. I like mustard better.”

“Me too,” Jasper added. “And where did the dog come from?”

“You are welcome, Connor.” I reached for a sandwich and squirted mustard on it. “And, Jasper, I found the dog in the middle of the road on the way home from Poteet last night.”

“Well, thank you for bringing her to me,” Jasper said as he slathered a little mayo on his ham-and-cheese sandwich. “I’ve wanted a dog for years, but Gracie was terrified of them. Didn’t matter if they were the size of a gigantic rat or as big as a small horse; she didn’t want them around. One year, when she was a little girl during strawberry-pickin’ season, a dog bit her on the leg, and ever since, she was afraid of all of them.”

Another piece of the puzzle that was Aunt Gracie’s life fell into place. Strange that I had always been so close to her and knew so little about her. I should probably start writing down the tidbits of information folks mentioned. Maybe then I would have a complete picture of the person who was the most influential in my life, other than my mother.

“So, what are you going to name him?” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I had actually thought the dog would be mine.

“I’m not naminghimanything, but I’m callingherSassy,” he answered.

“Why did you pick that name?” I asked.

“Gracie and I watchedThe Incredible Journeytogether decades ago, and then we watchedHomeward Bounda couple of dozen times through the years.”

“I watched that movie with Aunt Gracie when I was a little girl. One of the dogs was Chance, and the other one was ...” The name was right on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t remember it.

Connor finished the sentence for me. “Shadow.”

“You are right,” Jasper replied with a nod. “I thought about naming her that, but it was a boy’s name.”

“Sassy fits her right well,” Everett said. “She’ll make a good guard dog, and I loved both of those movies, too. Still gotHomeward Boundon a DVD but don’t watch it since my wife passed away. She always laughed so hard at the cat. Makes me sad to see it without her.”

“I got a sawed-off shotgun that’s good as a guard dog,” Jasper said between bites. “I want her to be a good pet, and she’s already showing signs of that. She wiggled all over when I came outside this morning and rolled over on her back for me to scratch her belly.”

Everett refilled his cup and took a sip. “She’ll be loved, no matter if she’s just a pet or a guard dog.”

Connor finished off his sandwich and picked up another one. “Miz Gracie sure spoiled us by bringing out food during harvest season. I didn’t think sandwiches could ever taste that good again, but they do today.”

“Well, with this season, you’ll have the full experience of both fall and spring,” Everett said. “I reckon we’ll be finished Friday at quittin’ time. There’ll be a few berries left, but between the bunch of us, we’ll get them picked before the cleanup crew gets here.”

“Then we wait six months and start all over again,” Jasper said with a sigh.

“You’ve got a new dog, so you have to live that long,” I told him. “Besides, we are planning a big party for you in November to celebrate your birthday.”

“Well, in that case”—he grinned—“I wouldn’t want to disappoint you or Sassy. She’d be sad if I died so soon after she came to live with me.”

“Aren’t you going to eat with us?” Connor asked.

“Of course she is. Gracie always ate with us, even after she leased the field to Everett’s daddy. Lila will keep up with the tradition, won’t you?”

I couldn’t say no to eating with them since I was starving—or, for that matter, tell him I had actually planned on Sassy being my dog? That was certainly not the name I had thought about for hours before coming up with either Ghost, since he reminded me of something eeriewith those blue eyes and white fur, or maybe Beau, just because I liked it. Then again, that was when he was a boy and not a girl.

“I’ve heard cars coming and going all morning,” I said. “How many folks do you figure have been out here already?”

Everett nodded toward a notepad where he had made marks for each person who’d come through the line to pay for the baskets of strawberries they picked. “By my count, fifty since we got here.”

“But this is the first day,” Jasper said. “We’ll see a big jump on Friday because everyone knows that is the last day we’ll be open for business.”

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