Page 1 of Small Town Prince Charming

Chapter One

Tracey Baker stepped back and admired the display of batik blouses. “Not too shabby.” She’d chosen the colors according to her whim and rather liked the final intricate result. The colors shimmered. The blue, purple and red reminded her of a sunset.

She folded her arms. Of all the things she’d done in her life, opening the clothing shop and assisting in the costume department for the Blakes Creek Little Theatre were her crowning achievements. Leaving Blakes Creek allowed her to spread her wings and explore what she wanted from life, but it did little for her romantic prospects.

“Hey, I like those.” Eileen, her sales assistant, elbowed her. “Are those your latest creations?”

“Sure are. Like them?”

“I do.” Eileen touched the silky fabric. “The colors pop. By the way, the girls are over at the theatre and ready for their fitting today. Should be the final one. Cindy’s bringing Dave up to finish the sets. I guess they’ve got Dave and Ryan working overtime to get done under the deadline. I told them you’d be over in a few moments to work on those costumes, so Derek could see them under the lights.”

“Right.” She’d forgotten about the fittings. The girls of the dance troupe needed their costumes for the recital on Friday and the women in the chorus line needed the final fittings on theirs for the production of Cousins Kazam. If she didn’t get going, she’d be late. “Will you add the prices to the garments? I’ve already created the stickers, and you could arrange the jewelry to go with the blouses. I haven’t gotten that far.”

“Sure.” Eileen picked up the sheet of tags. “How was your weekend?”

“Good?” She spent most of it working on the blouses. “Yours? How is Jim?” She collected her phone and sewing bag from behind the counter. “Did they figure out what’s wrong with his gall bladder?”

“Stones. He goes back to the Clinic in two days for a recheck. They gave him meds to dissolve the stones, but the doctor wants to monitor how well it’s going.” Eileen shook her head. “Then there was the funeral. My daughter’s dog passed on Saturday, so the grandkids wanted a funeral for him on the farm.”

Tracey hugged Eileen and listened to her stories. She loved hearing about the goings on in town and Eileen’s family. Everyone knew everyone else, and many of the people in town were related. Few details went unnoticed. “I hope Jim feels better, and I’m sorry to hear about the dog.”

“They’ll get another. They need a dog at the house, and my daughter doesn’t like not having a dog. She’s a pet person.” Eileen waved. “Get going. You don’t want to be late.”

“No, I don’t.” She waved, then left the shop in Eileen’s capable hands. She trusted her friend to keep the shop going. The store wasn’t large, but Blakes Creek folks seemed to like her clothes and jewelry. Prom time proved to be a boon for her. She loved outfitting the girls for the event and creating custom cufflinks for the boys. Her favorite jewelry had been for the lesbian couple who’d won prom royalty last spring. She loved the rainbow design the girls had chosen.

She tucked her phone into her back pocket and held onto her bag as she strode across the alley to the rear of the theatre. Like Blakes Creek, the theatre building was ornate yet simple. The streets were orderly, and the buildings richly decorated with hundred-year-old facades. The owners of the buildings took great pride in keeping the homey, yet clean feel for the town. The marquee on the theatre had to be at least fifty years old but looked new. She loved to gaze at the pink and blue neon surrounding the sign. The colors glittered on the street when it rained.

When she strode along the hallway situated behind the stage, she nearly collided with Mary.

“Tracey.” Mary waved her arms. “The girls are ready, but it’s a mess. They’re lined up and in their costumes. You need to do the tucks and final adjustments, but Derek is on a tear. Dave and Cindy have the sets ready for his appraisal, and he’s running Ryan ragged.”

“Whoa.” She held up both hands. “I’m not in charge of the sets, so sadly, whatever Derek said is what goes.” She wasn’t a fan of the director. Derek Kraus believed he owned the theatre scene in Blakes Creek. He’d left town for a year after he graduated and worked in the Cleveland theatre scene, but he came back under a bit of suspicion. He claimed he had more acting credits than anyone could find performances for, and his directing style left a lot to be desired, but she refused to argue with him or the patrons who’d given him the contract to direct this year.

Besides, even if she argued with him, he’d never listen.

He hadn’t listened to her when they’d dated for that month in high school. He knew how she should perform and argued when she interpreted the character her own way. Once she and Derek split, he claimed she’d slept around on him. How could she? They’d only dated for a month and never slept together. Plus, they’d been sixteen!

Unfortunately, he was the director for the season, and she had no choice but to deal with him.

“Derek says the chorus girls need more glitz.” Mary clasped her hands together. “Maybe a little more?”

“A little more might be fine,” she said, echoing Mary. “I need to see the dance troupe first. They will have fewer adjustments.”

“In the rehearsal room.” Mary tucked her blond curls behind her ears. “Don’t take too long. I’ve already been chewed out twice. My goodness, he’s in a mood.”

“When is Derek not in a mood?” She patted Mary’s shoulder. “If he has to wait a few minutes, he’ll live. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Thank you,” Mary said as Tracey left.

Tracey shook her head. This was the kind of action she liked—the hustle of the production and the excitement of the performance. She strode into the rehearsal room. The girls, ages seven to fourteen, lined up for the fittings. “Hi, ladies.”

Donnah, the troupe leader, clapped her hands. She’d been in charge of Donnah’s Dancers for thirty years. Tracey once tried out for the group, but quickly realized her twelve-year-old self wasn’t coordinated enough for dancing.

“Girls, I need you all to line up. This shouldn’t take long. Once you’re done and Miss Tracey says you can go, I want you on the other side of the room practicing for the recital. We’ve got lots of sloppiness that needs tightened up.” Donnah applauded again. “I want this show to sparkle.”

Tracey knelt in front of the first dancer and checked the fit of her costume. Most of the girls looked fine and wouldn’t need adjustments. A couple wouldn’t need anything more than a pin or quick tuck.

Then there was Erin. “What happened here?” Tracey crinkled her nose. “I know I did your fitting. Why is your costume so tight? It’s two sizes too small. You can’t have grown that much in a week. Did you accidentally put on the wrong costume? Are you sure this is yours?”

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