Page 136 of The Last Second Chance
To Joey it was both a ridiculous and entirely enjoyable tradition in town. Forty-five years ago, the town’s library had faced a funding crisis and shutdown was imminent. The librarian at the time, Mrs. Manypenny, had somehow formed a bond with Blue Moon’s newest flower child residents, allowing them to sell crafts in the library’s basement, helping them with job applications, and pointing them toward the right resources for their many endeavors of the moment.
Mrs. Manypenny had helped Willa secure a loan to open Blue Moon Boots. She’d ordered beekeeping books when Elvira Eustace, then Elvira Sharpinski, wanted to start her own beekeeping enterprise. She’d arranged for guest speakers to address Blue Moon audiences on topics as vast and varied as raising growth hormone-free livestock, hydroponics, transcendental meditation, and what to do when you hadn’t paid income tax.
So when the library faced closure, the hippies decided to show their support of the library and Mrs. Manypenny in the way they knew best. They staged a sit-in at the library with the highlight being two young lovers, Sheldon and Lenore Fitzsimmons—Fitz’s parents— who handcuffed themselves to a shelving system of Nancy Drew books. The entire town showed up to see what all the fuss was about and someone started passing a hat. The five o’clock news did a brief clip on the protest and eleven hours after the sit-in started, the protestors had raised enough money to fund the library’s operating budget for another year.
The townspeople had so much fun they decided to do it again. And so every year since, they staged a sit-in for a different cause. And every year, the town chose a “lucky” couple to be handcuffed together as the Cuffed Lovers. Thankfully, the town had voted in favor of reducing the cuff time to two hours to better accommodate things like bathroom breaks.
This year, Furever Home Animal Rescue would be the recipient of the funds raised. The sit-in had outgrown its humble beginnings over the years. The library could no longer hold the crowds that invariably showed up, so the event was now hosted at the high school where booths, dancing, and food stands spilled over from the gymnasium into cafeteria and, in unseasonably warm years, the parking lot.
Joey had no intentions of attending this year’s sit-in. Not since everyone in town knew she and Jax had imploded yet again. And especially not since there was barely a whisper of their breakup on Facebook. The Beautification Committee was probably hoping to cuff Moon Beam Parker to Jax to finally set their diabolical and horribly misguided plan into action.
Unsure of what her feelings actually were, she’d yet to reach out to Jax after reading his screenplay. She felt a softening around the edges of her anger. And he’d continued to give her space, staying out of her way. She hated that she missed him. On her couch, in her stables, in her bed. His absence was noticeable and uncomfortable. Jax might live in Blue Moon, but it was as if he had vanished from her life again. And this time it was at her request.
Jax would be there at the sit-in, she was sure of it. And as much as she missed him, she still wasn’t ready to face him. She couldn’t be sure that she wouldn’t take out the metaphorical frying pan and bean him with it in front of witnesses. Nope. There was no way she was showing her face at the sit-in. At least, that’s what she thought until Mrs. Penskee of Furever Home called her personally to invite Joey and Waffles to be their special guests of honor. Well, Waffles would be the guest of honor; Joey would hold the guest of honor’s leash.
“It would be such great publicity for the rescue,” Mrs. Penskee had told her. “And you and Waffles are one of our happiest stories. It would mean the world to us if you’ll be there.”
Joey had grudgingly agreed and then ordered Waffles a fire hydrant print bowtie for him to wear for his big day. And since the dog was dressing up, Joey thought she should take a little extra care with her appearance. It had nothing to do with the fact that Jax would probably be there. She didn’t need to look extra good for him. She was doing this for herself. At least that’s what she told herself as she traced eyeliner over each lash line. She pulled part of her hair back from her face so her dark curls fell down her back and she chose a soft scoop neck sweater in a deep plum to go with her jeans and suede boots.
Armor in place, she gave a nod to her reflection in the mirror and marched out the door. At the high school, Waffles hopped out of the truck and pranced down the sidewalk with her as if he was walking the red carpet.
Several people called out greetings to her and Joey realized she’d been avoiding town for quite a while now. It was kind of nice to be back around people…as long as none of them brought up a certain Pierce’s name.
Gia and Summer flagged her down at the entrance.
“Hey! You came,” Gia said, leaning down to pat Waffles.
“Waffles, I’m going to say hello from up here,” Summer said, patting her belly. “I haven’t been near my own shoes in weeks so take a rain check on the petting.”
“Are you okay?” Joey asked. Summer looked exhausted and uncomfortable.
“As okay as eight-plus months pregnant with twins can be,” she said with a pained smile. “I’m here for the food and then I’m going home to work from my couch.”
“Where are the husbands?” Joey asked, hoping that the answer would be “on the farm with Jax.”
“Oh, they’re around here somewhere,” Gia said, waving at the crowd around them. “I assume they followed Jax and the kids to some kind of deep fried lard and sugar-by-the-ton stand.”
Great. There was the J word. Well, at least she looked good.
She and Waffles followed the girls inside the school’s gym where it looked like the entire town had congregated. The diehards dressed for the occasion in a rainbow of tie-dye, a sea of bellbottoms, and a mountain of fringe. There were retro Lennon sunglasses and faded bandanas everywhere.
Fran’s band was playing again, this time without Gia’s ex-husband, and Joey recognized nearly every couple on the dance floor. Games were set up carnival style all over the polished gym floor. A giant inflatable obstacle course took up half the basketball court and looked like it was raking in the bucks.
“Fitz, isn’t that just for kids?” Joey called out. Bill Fitzsimmons was finally in style. His strict adherence to sixties fashion worked for him one day of the year. He was wearing patched bellbottom jeans and a yellow, skintight Peace Love Music t-shirt. Both looked like original pieces, as was his scraggly rattail. Fitz was standing in line with a dozen kids under the age of seven. He was counting quarters in his hand.
“Grown-ups can play too,” he yelled back. “Besides, I need a rematch with the Delroy boys.” Two little blonde boys taunted him by sticking out their tongues.
They continued on, giving wide berth to the Higgenworth Communal Alternative Education Day Care stand that was selling what looked like hand woven leashes. A script handwritten sign listed the prices for the colorful “child safety tethers.”
Joey thought back to the annual daycare field trip to Pierce Acres and shivered. “There’s something wrong with those kids,” she whispered to Summer.
“Yeah, guess where these two aren’t going to daycare,” Summer whispered back.
There was no sign of Mrs. Penskee or the Pierce men in the gym so they followed the long hallway of lockers to the cafeteria.
“There’s Phoebe and Franklin with the kids,” Summer said, pointing to a fried cauliflower stand. Phoebe and Franklin were both sporting colored sunglasses and matching tie-dye.
Gia grimaced. “Well, at least it’s a vegetable. There’s the rest of them,” she said, pointing to the vegan eggroll stand.
