Page 7 of Sweet Redemption
Lila on the other hand, ignored Charlie and kept glancing my way, smiled and stuck the tip of her index finger into her mouth and bit the tip of her nail. “So Mark, how long are you staying in our wonderful little town? The VFW is hosting a dance. Want to go?”
I looked over at Lila, catching her adjusting her breasts. “I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning, as soon as Mike fixes my car. And I’m sorry, but I don’t dance.”
“Too bad. Our annual Valentine’s festival starts at noon and lasts until Sunday.”
I glanced at Charlie and then at Lila. “I don’t get it. Valentine’s Day was two months ago. And I don’t see anything remotely celebratory on display.”
“Do you mean Miss Librarian here hasn’t told you anything about our town’s history or what this event is all about?” Lila peeked back at Charlie and snickered. “Well, that’s a first.”
Charlie let out a small snort of disgust. “No Lila. Markus and I just met, right before you flounced up in your truck,” she said acidly. “And why are you driving like an old woman?”
Flounced?Librarian?I would have never guessed. I turned and eyed Charlie casually.
“Because I want to get to know Mark a little better,” Lila said with a wry smile. “So let’s tell this fine man about our small town.”
With an incredulous look to Lila, I turned to Charlie and asked, “Please, can you explain?” I wasn’t sure why I wanted to know the history of a town I would be forgetting once it was in my rearview mirror, but the way Charlie beamed when I asked was good enough reason.
Charlie bit her lower full lip. I stared at her mouth for a second, suddenly wanting a taste of it for myself. Then I leveled my eyes to hers. Blue, like the Caribbean Sea after it rained. They are bright, sharp, and I could see pride in them.
She hesitated for a bit before she spoke. “In 1830, Friedrick Eberstark and his family came to America from Germany, and had bought property in these parts. He and his wife, Helga had five daughters, all under the age of ten. They settled here and called it home. They barely spoke the language but got on well with others in these parts.
“He was what the people called a craftsman—a carpenter and an architect. The man was a genius. Anyway, three of his five daughters had reached the marrying age. But Friedrick had a hard time finding husbands for them. It was said that they were all comely.”
I hooted out in laughter. “Comely?”
“Yes. Comely.” Charlie shook her head and continued with excitement. “So with the help of his lovely wife, they had devised a celebration in their barn to lure men from other parts of the area and show off their daughters for marriage”
“Did it work?” I asked with a chuckle. “How old were the daughters?”
Charlie bit her lip again, but this time she smiled. “Actually no, it didn’t. From the historic references, Friedrick’s daughters ranged in ages of fifteen to twenty when the celebration had taken place.”
“So what happened to the daughters?” I asked earnestly.Not because of the story itself but the way Charlie told it. Lyrical and engaging.
“Friedrick’s friend Jakob Hitzig came over a few years later, and brought with him four sons. You can guess what had happened with his daughters, except for the youngest.” Charlie wiped the corner of her eyes. She too was laughing. The tinkling sounds of her laughter made my chest feel warm and I couldn’t stop smiling.
“So what happened to the fifth daughter?” Lila asked with a frown. Apparently, she didn’t think anything Charlie said was remotely funny.
Charlie lost some of her good humor. “The book said the third sister died from childbirth, along with the child. So the fifth sister took her dead sister’s place.”
“That explains about the town, but what about the festival?” I asked, puzzled at the odd story.
Charlie’s mouth quirked up in a wide smile that dug deep into my chest. “The celebrations Friedrick and Helga had for their daughters continued on for their grandchildren, and to this day we keep with the tradition.”
“So this still has nothing to do with Valentine’s day?”
“No, it doesn’t,” Charlie said with an infectious grin.
“Then why call it the Valentine’s Festival?” I was even more baffled.
“Because that is the name of our town, and Friedrick and Helga started the celebration during this time of the year, so it stuck. For some of us townsfolk, it’s another reason to come together and celebrate.” Charlie shrugged. “Others, to find love. So are you going to the dance?”
Jesus. She was so damned cute. “Are you going to be there?” I had to look away, before my dick called attention to itself, especially with Lila gawking at me. The last thing I needed was for her to take notice of the bulge in my pants.
“No, I don’t do dances,” Charlie said, clearing her throat.
“But I will,” Lila chimed in.
Neither Charlie nor I responded to her statement.
