Page 22 of Home to the Cowboy's Arms

Chapter Ten

“Well, look here…twoof my favorite customers. Must be looking for some of those blueberry pancakes I think about ready to come off the griddle. Am I right?” Tillie Newberry, owner of Tillie’s Café and Bakery, welcomed her latest customers as they took their preferred places in one of the front booths. It was a sunny Saturday morning and the bell above the front door was almost constantly ringing as more customers entered. Tillie’s was the place to begin your day as far as most people in Destiny’s River would attest.

“Right as always.” Tori smiled in greeting.

“And a glass of chocolate milk, too, if you please.”

“Miss Jillie Parker, you have grown another foot since I last saw you a week ago, I do believe.” The woman grinned at the child…all of six years old but often seeming to be going on sixteen in her behavior and level of youthful wisdom.

“I wish,” the child replied. “I want to be able to play basketball with my dad’s team but I’m too short.”

Tillie laughed. “You’ll get there, sweetie. Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. Enjoy these days.”

“That’s what my dad says and my aunt Tori.”

“And they are both very smart people. Look at your aunt here…the mayor of this town no less. And what will the mayor be having? Your usual? Two slices of crisp bacon, one egg scrambled hard and two of Delbert’s homemade sourdough biscuits…with country gravy, of course?”

“It’s Saturday and I’m spending part of it with my favorite niece here shopping so yes, I need a big breakfast for energy to keep up with her.”

“And a mug of coffee, too,” Tillie added. “I’ll get these orders in and be back with your drinks.”

“Are you excited about your concert tomorrow?”

The child nodded. “I guess so. Do you think we can find a pretty dress today? Maybe something for my hair, too?”

“I believe we’ll find all of that and more. You are making your solo debut and that requires an extra-special outfit as well.”

“I’m nervous. What if I forget my part?”

“You won’t forget. And being nervous is all part of a good performance. Once you get up there, with all your friends, and Mrs. Caspell, your director, it will feel perfect, and you just open your mouth and sing. Just like in all your rehearsals. The audience is made up of all the people you know and have known you for all your life. They are there to support you, too.”

The smile returned to the child’s face at the same time Tillie returned with their drink order.

“Are you going to come to the choir concert tomorrow afternoon?”

“I certainly am, Miss Jillie. I wouldn’t miss it. Because I hear a special young lady will be doing a solo and I certainly want to hear it.”

Tori sat back and sipped her coffee, watching the exchange between the two. She loved her niece something fierce. Matt’s child had grown up surrounded by so many good people there in Destiny. Jillie had been born after a difficult birth. A birth that had claimed her young mother’s life and left her brother a single dad with a newborn. Luckily, they had been blessed by a community that drew them into their hearts and surrounded them with help in whatever they needed. She had been the first one to christen the little girl with her nickname ofJilliebean…an offshoot of jellybean. As a baby, she had been so tiny, and Tori had joked she was no more than the size of a jellybean. She then became her little Jilliebean…a child she had given her heart to in an instant. Matt had evolved from the beginning into a great dad. She had done her best to step in to a surrogate mother role whenever needed. And today, they would be shopping for the perfect outfit for her first solo in a choir concert in the afternoon after church.

“Well, here we are, special delivery for Miss Jillie Parker, Destiny’s up-and-coming singing sensation.” The white-jacketed cook delivered their food to the table himself and with a flourish of hands, set the plates in front of them. “Eight silver-dollar-sized fluffy pancakes with extra blueberries in each because we treat our special customers right here at Tillie’s.” He gave a wink and headed back to his kitchen.

“Yes, we do,” Tillie agreed. “You ladies enjoy and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Twenty minutes later, with an excited Jillie leading the way, they exited onto the main street and began their shopping expedition. The third shop they entered, The Purple Lion, was the jackpot winner.

Three outfits into the search, the winner turned out to be a deep purple velvet jumper over a white silk blouse with puffy sleeves caught in at the wrist with cuffs and a large white bow at the collar. They added white tights. And the best part was a purple velvet hair bow and a pair of purple slip-ons in a shiny material. Jillie turned this way and that in front of the full-length mirror. Her big brown eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“It’s so soft and pretty,” she breathed. “Daddy will like it, too, don’t you think?”

“I think it’s perfect and your daddy may shed a tear or two when he sees how grown up his little girl looks all dressed up in such a pretty outfit.”

The smile dimmed a bit on the child’s face as she continued to look at her reflection in the mirror. She had grown quiet.

Tori stood and moved to stand behind her, hands on her shoulders as she caught her gaze in the mirror in front of them. “Where did that pretty smile go, Jilliebean?” she asked softly. “What’s up? And don’t say nothing.”

“It’s just…I just…do you think my dad will ever get married again?”

“Wow,” Tori said, meeting the somber gaze in the mirror. “So did something happen to put this question in your brain?”

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