Page 24 of Stealing Kisses

Teddy chuckled at the two friends, as different in personality as night and day, but both adorable and passionate about showing off the masterpieces displayed throughout the church’s large fellowship hall, vast sanctuary, and wide corridors.

“What happens when you outgrow the church?”

A shadow of sadness fell over both ladies’ faces, putting Teddy on high alert.

“It used to be much bigger,” Judge Roberts said with a deep frown.

“And it will be again,” Miss Sadie added, patting her friend’s shoulder in encouragement.

They explained that in the past the town had hosted festivals and events like the quilt show at the city park, but a terribleexplosion the year before had destroyed the recreation center. The devastation left the community without a building large enough to house the number of quilts they had accepted in the contest before the tragedy.

Miss Sadie and Judge Roberts stood close together, even wrapping an arm around one another for support. They both wiped tears from their eyes by the end of their story.

“I’m sorry for bringing up bad memories,” Teddy said.

“Tough times produce tough people,” Judge Roberts said, dismissing his apology. “Takes more than a gang of thugs to destroy this town.”

“Hardships and challenges are part of every story, animportantpart of our history,” Miss Sadie said, pinning Teddy with an uncanny look of omniscient power. “There’s not a single one of us who’s not been affectedand strengthenedby the struggles we’ve been through.”

Teddy nodded in agreement, finished folding the ladder, and helped hide the tools and supplies they’d been using in the church kitchen, where they’d be out of sight during the show. He said his goodbyes and made his way out of town on County Road 214, heading toward O’Casey Farm.

As he drove, Miss Sadie’s nugget of wisdom rattled around in his thoughts. Had she seen into Teddy’s history, or was she hinting at someone else’s story?

Baylin’s perhaps?

Judge Roberts had dropped cryptic messages under her breath on multiple occasions throughout the afternoon, always when Miss Sadie couldn’t hear…things like,Quilts won’t be the only competition at this Valentine’s Day festival,and …town’s in for an entertaining weekend, I reckon.

She’d scared him a bit with her response when Miss Sadie had asked if Baylin knew who Teddy was…who hereallywas. It hadn’t occurred to him that Baylindidn’tknow. Even if shedidn’t follow baseball, she had Internet service at the farm and had surely searched his name for a minimal background check.

But when he said as much to Miss Sadie, Judge Roberts cackled —cackled— at Teddy before declaring,This oughta be good,and continued laughing as she walked away looking the happiest she’d been all day.

Teddy left out that part of the story when he returned to the farmhouse, eager to tell Baylin about his time in town. He found her in the kitchen, right where he’d left her hours earlier. She kept right on working while he recapped his day.

“They’re always a hoot,” she laughed, shaking her head at the women’s antics. “There’s a tribe of ladies in Green Hills that run the place. As you can imagine, those two lead the pack.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second! They’re pretty great,” he said.

“The best,” Baylin agreed. “They’ve taught me so much.”

“About quilting?”

“About life.”

When she didn’t expound, Teddy thought it best to switch gears. Miss Sadie’s declaration hit a little too close to home, and Teddy didn’t want his conversation with Baylin to take a turn toward anything sad or dark.

“What’s the plan for the seven thousand cookies you baked while I was gone?” he teased.

“Only six hundred eighty-four. The last thirty-six are in the ovens.”

“Sixty dozen… That’s a lot of cookies!”

“Only ten dozen more than I made last year, and I sold out on the first day of the festival. This year, I’m making more and adding frosting?—”

“To a third of them,” Teddy interrupted, reminding Baylin of his idea she’d agreed to earlier.

“To a third of them,” Baylin acquiesced. “That way I can charge more without disappointing anyone.”

“I can’t imagine you ever disappointing anyone.”

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