A Flash Fiction 4th of July Story
Cora Smallwood fought to retain a ladylike expression as the mid-morning sun mixed with the drole voice of Mayor Blanders.
“And so, my good citizens of Denby, Texas.” The mayor clutched his lapel with one hand as the other wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The final words of the mayor’s Independence Day speech were lost to her as warm breath tickled her ear.
A male voice whispered, “If he drones on too long, we’ll all faint in this heat.”
She spun on the heel of her boots and all but collided with Billy Lancaster.
He jerked back, sending his hat toppling to reveal that mop of ginger hair. Though having it cut short after serving in the Army had created a far more flattering look than she remembered.
Her heart beat a strange pattern. “When did you come home?”
Billy’s lips moved, but a loud series of pops drowned out his answer.
The sheriff wandered in the direction of the disturbance, and two young boys scurried behind the livery stable.
“I remember those days.” Billy’s gaze followed the boys and the trailing sheriff. He chuckled. “They’ll get caught.”
“I suppose you would know about that, wouldn’t you?” Cora recalled a similar incident ten years ago.
“Summer of 1881.” His gaze pulled back to her. “I remember a pretty girl with a blonde braid and eyes like bluebonnets jumping straight into the air when the firecrackers went off.”
“You’ll also remember being scolded by Sheriff Gable.”
“I shoveled his horse stall for a month.” His green eyes danced. “Fond memories.”
She wanted to scowl at him, but her lips tugged up instead. Her leap into the air that day had to have been entertaining, but laughing about it so easily? What had happened to her while he’d been away?
Pearl Brickman sashayed toward them. “Billy, you’re home.”
As the banker’s daughter, she wore the latest fashions. Far outshining Cora’s best gingham.
Billy’s jaw ticked. “Arrived yesterday.”
Pearl batted her lashes. “Are you planning to attend the dance tonight?”
“I imagine.” He shot Cora a sort of pleading side glance.
Every unpleasant schoolhouse memory of Pearl flitted through her mind. The time she’d wrinkled her nose at Cora’s lunch of biscuits. The way Pearl had pointed at her worn boots and laughed. Not to mention the Christmas she’d all but stolen the part of the angel from her.
She’d not let her ruin the dance tonight, too.
Cora looped her arm through Billy’s and pasted on her biggest smile. “We’ll be attending.”
Pearl glared. “Do reserve me a dance, Billy.”
“I’ve already promised every dance to Cora.” Billy placed his other hand over hers. His eyes pleaded with her not to drop the farce she’d started.
“I see.” Pearl scanned the crowd. “I should rejoin my family. Good to see you back home.”
Before Billy said another word, she’d spun and walked away.
“If you’d like to dance with her, I won’t stop you.” All the times he’d worked so hard to dodge Pearl at recess came flooding back to Cora’s memory.
“I don’t want to dance with her.” He hadn’t removed his hand from hers yet, and the warmth sent a tingling sensation up her arm. “I want to dance with you. If you’ll let me?”
“I’d like that.”
Those pools of green sucked her in until she feared her knees would give out. The traitors. What was happening to her?
She couldn’t be stricken, but she had all the symptoms.
Love.
Her breathing weighed heavily in her chest. The crowd began to swim.
“Let me find you some shade.” One of his hands cupped her elbow as the other arm draped over her shoulders and wrapped her in comfort.
This couldn’t be right.
She’d sworn to being an independent woman. A woman with no interest in men or marriage. Just last week she’d told her older sister how she’d never be hitched to anyone. About how she wanted to run her own life.
But as Billy Lancaster cleared the way through the crowd for her and procured her a seat on the front porch of the general store under the awning, her feelings shifted in unexpected ways.
“Rest here. I’ll be right back.”
Her eyes followed his retreating figure. She’d not noticed before how broad his shoulders were or how he carried himself.
A sigh escaped her.
“Oh, you are bad off.” Her sister’s face moved into her line of sight as she bent close to her. “Bad indeed.”
Where had Ethel come from?
“It was the heat.” She smoothed her blue-checked skirt.
Her sister clucked her tongue. “It’s worse than I thought.”
“I’m not ill.”
“I didn’t say you were ill.” Ethel’s eyes twinkled like when she’d caught Cora sneaking into the cookie jar and planned to tell Mother.
She swallowed hard. How did she explain this away?
Billy stepped into view with two lemonade ices. “Cora overheated. I’ve brought her an ice.”
Compassion lined his face as he handed the treat to her, and their fingers brushed. He shifted toward her sister and held out his ice. “Would you like one?”
Sweet Billy. He had to be hot too. Yet, he’d offered his lemonade ice to her sister. There were so many sides to him she’d never seen before.
“No, thank you. I came to check on Cora.” Ethel slid her a look. “But I see she’s in capable hands.”
Cora let out a breath of relief when Ethel made her excuses and walked away.
Billy lowered himself to sit beside her chair.
How had she misunderstood him all those years?
Another string of fireworks popped in the distance, matching the feelings inside her.
She leaned over and pecked his cheek. “Thank you.”
He blushed as his eyes widened, then he grinned at her. “It was nothing.”
Oh, but it was something. More than she’d ever imagined.
And her life would never be the same.