You know what I
love about July 4th? No, not the fireworks—I’ve never been a big
fan, unless it’s the big displays exploding overhead. My favorite memories are
of the picnics in the park, with the band in the shell and baseball games on
the field next door. Riding my bike through the park, listening to the laughter, meeting up with my friends… the community celebration is what I loved most about July 4th growing up.
In the old West,
the community would celebrate in a similar way. There’d be a band, speeches
from politicians and prominent citizens, maybe a basket auction to raise money
for a new school or a bell for the church steeple. There might be games for the
kids—and the adults—like sack races and horse races. And after the playing and
the speaking and the eating, the musicians would tune up for the dancing.
Yes, I think the
celebrations, even in the old West, were all about community and fun.
In WILD TEXAS
HEARTS, Wolf Richards returns to Civil just in time for the celebration in the
park. He joins the festivities, meets up with friends and sees a beautiful
woman he’s never met go dancing by in the arms of the town’s teacher. While he’s
wondering where his son and Lizzie are, the doctor takes the next dance with
the beauty—and Wolf finally realizes who he’s looking at.
Excerpt
from WILD TEXAS HEARTS
Wolf only paused long
enough to turn his horse over to Malcolm Douglas at the livery. Flipping an
extra two bits to the man to unsaddle and groom the gelding, he strode back
into the sunshine, knowing his horse would be well cared for.
He could hear the fiddlers
warming up by the time he joined the crowd at the schoolhouse. He greeted
friends as he made his way past the tables loaded down with baskets of food
waiting to be auctioned off, but he hadn’t yet spotted Cal or Lizzie.
“Richards! Over here.”
Wolf joined Harvard in the
shade of a big tree.
“I wondered when you’d
arrive. Cal has been watching for you since daybreak.”
“Pa! You made it.” Calvin
came running around the schoolhouse, loose shirttails fanning the hot afternoon
air behind him. Wolf snagged the flying body and spun his son in a circle,
hugging him close.
“I promised I’d be here,
didn’t I?”
“That’s what Miss Lizzie
said, that you gave your word and you’d keep it no matter what. And. You. Did!”
He huffed out the words as Wolf gave him another squeeze.
Wolf dropped Cal on his
feet and ruffled his hair. “I do my best, son. Happy birthday, Cal.” With a
flourish, he held out the new book he’d bartered from a cowboy at the last
trading post he’d visited.
“Thanks, Pa. I’ve never
read this one.”
“That’s why I got it for
you.” He ruffled his son’s hair.
“Miss Lizzie gave me
this.” He pulled a brightly painted toy from his pocket. “She whittled it and
painted it and everything.”
Wolf glanced around to see
if anyone was close enough to hear Cal’s slip. “That’s really nice, Cal. Where
is Mister Sutter? I haven’t seen him yet.”
Cal’s grin widened and he
nudged Harvard, as if the two shared a secret. “Oh, he’s around back, I
imagine.” Before Wolf could question him further, one of the other boys called
Cal back to their game of hoops.
“What was that all--”
“You haven’t seen the
decorations around the park, have you? Millicent and the celebration committee
have outdone themselves.” Harvard strolled away, ignoring Wolf’s question.
Something was definitely
going on.
The half-acre of flat,
open land behind the schoolhouse had been transformed. A large plank floor had
been assembled for the dancing, with a raised platform at one end currently
occupied by two men Wolf didn’t recognize, tuning their fiddles, Mr. Petersen
holding a long saw across his knees, and Sheriff Freeman, who always had the
job of calling the dances and controlling the raucous basket auction. The
entire area was edged with a railing made of freshly cut tree branches wrapped
in red, white, and blue bunting, befitting the day.
Wolf accepted the glass of
punch Audelia Mercer insisted he try and followed Harvard around the structure.
He spotted Calvin in the middle of a knot of boys, but he still couldn’t find
Lizzie. He wanted to see her, needed to know how she’d fared being in town
under Millicent’s watchful eye for a more than a month.
Folks took their places as
the fiddlers struck up a lively reel. Carruthers strutted by, his collar so
stiff he couldn’t turn his head to his partner, a lovely woman Wolf didn’t
recognize. The man looked dumbstruck with awe. Who would have thought the schoolmaster
would have snagged a woman in this little town? As the dance got underway, Wolf
watched the couple parade past, the woman watching her feet carefully as if she
wasn’t quite sure of her steps. Something about her seemed familiar, but he was
certain they’d never met.
“Who is that with
Carruthers?”
Harvard grinned at him.
“You know her.”
“I don’t. A man doesn’t
forget a woman that beautiful.”
Harvard threw back his
head and laughed like a braying mule. “This evening is going to be
entertaining.” He slapped Wolf on the shoulder. “Excuse me. This is my dance.”
As the music changed to a
waltz, Harvard relieved Carruthers of his partner, took the woman in his arms
and started moving. Her sunny yellow skirt flared as they turned and the
setting sun made her hair glimmering with all the colors of autumn. Just like
Lizzie’s. Where was the woman anyway?
As Wolf watched the
couple, something Harvard said made his dance partner laugh, and the sound hit
him like a punch to his gut.
That was
Lizzie!
See you next month!
Tracy
