Her Texas Hero (12 page)

His smile faded as he reached for her hand. “I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay. It's just that I haven't been in the water, not even in a pool, since that day. That's why my children don't know how to swim.”

Frowning, he said, “I would never have suggested teaching them how to swim if I had known. I truly am sorry.”

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Don't be. They should know how to swim. Especially with us having that pond at the back of the property. One I've warned them never to go near. So, if the offer still stands, I'd like for you to be the one to teach them. I trust you to keep my children safe.”

“That means a lot,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

“Audra!”

They turned to see Lizzie and an older woman, who Audra was certain she remembered seeing occasionally at Sunday services, walking toward them. Lizzie held a cardboard pie box in her hands, her entry for the bake-off, no doubt.

Releasing her hold on Carter's hand, she greeted her new friend with a smile. “Hello.”

“Lizzie,” Carter greeted with a nod.

“Hey, Carter,” she greeted and then turned her attention back to Audra. “So glad I caught you before you went into the judging tent. I wanted to introduce the two of you. Momma, this is Audra Marshall. Audra, my momma, Mrs. Parker.”

Her mother? Audra would never have guessed that. Her mother looked to be in her mid-to-late sixties. Grandmother maybe. Lizzie must have been one of those late-in-life babies.

“Rosalee,” Lizzie's mother insisted with a warm smile. “I've seen you at church, but I always have to rush out afterward to get home to my husband.”

“Daddy had a stroke a while back and doesn't get around as well as he used to,” Lizzie explained.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Audra replied, her heart going out to them.

“The good Lord never gives us more than we can handle,” Lizzie's mother said with a glance toward Carter. “James and I simply had to learn to live our lives a little differently than we had been. Anyway, it's so nice to finally have the chance to meet you.”

“Same here,” Audra said with a smile. Lizzie's mom was every bit as outgoing and friendly as her daughter. But they looked nothing alike. Rosalee looked Hispanic, while Lizzie had fair skin and light blue eyes with a light sprinkling of freckles across her smiling face. And her friend was tall and slender, whereas her mother couldn't be much over five feet and was more full-figured than her daughter.

Rosalee Parker's dark eyes shifted, coming to rest on the handsome cowboy beside Audra. “Afternoon, Carter.”

“Ma'am,” he said with a polite tip of his cowboy hat. “Looking as pretty as ever, I see.”

“Oh, you smooth-talking Cooper boys,” the older woman said, clicking her tongue, yet her smile widened at the compliment. “The single women in this town don't stand a chance.” Looking to Audra, she said with a teasing grin, “You'd best watch yourself around this young man or you'll find yourself swept right off your feet.”

Too late, she thought. She'd already been swept.

Lizzie's gaze settled on the basket hanging from Audra's hand and then she looked up at Audra. “You haven't checked in yet?”

Audra shook her head. “Not yet. We just got here.”

“Great. We can check in together.”

“While you girls do that,” her mother said, “I'm off to the quilt raffle booth the ladies' quilting club set up. I volunteered to sell raffle tickets during the bake-off and auction. Hope to hear one of you girls took home the blue ribbon today.” With a wave, she walked away.

“I'm headed over to watch the kids play with some pint-size goats,” Carter told them. “We'll be over when the judging begins.” Turning, he headed toward the petting zoo, where her children and Katie were kneeling by the fence to pet a little attention-seeking pygmy goat.

Audra watched him go, biting at her bottom lip.

“He's really good with kids,” Lizzie said as she moved to stand beside her.

“I know. And my kids adore him,” she said with a sigh.

Lizzie laughed. “You say that like it's a bad thing.”

“It is if they're hoping for more.” She turned to Lizzie. “Carter and I are friends. Good friends, but neither of us is looking for anything long-term.”

“So you'd refuse him if he had a change of heart and wanted more?”

When Audra hesitated in answering, Lizzie grinned. “I didn't think so. Now come on. Let's go check in. I need extra time to schmooze the judges. My pie crust browned a little too much while I was distracted by a class project I was working on.”

That had the smile returning to Audra's face as she walked with her friend to the judging tent.

“Hello, ladies,” the reverend greeted when they stepped into the oversize tent.

“Reverend,” they replied.

“Your spots are across from Mrs. Simms,” he said, pointing them in the direction of the far side of the open-sided tent. The covered space had been lined with a long row of folding tables on each side for contestants to place their entries on. A handful of men and women, no doubt judges for that day's competition, stood milling about with clipboards clutched to their chests as arriving entrants found their assigned space and began setting their pies out for display and tasting.

Audra recognized several of the women from church as they moved through the tent. She said her hellos and was introduced by Lizzie to the women she didn't know. Edna Clark, whose husband owned The Toy Box, the local toy store, and was on Braxton's town council. Lacy Miller, a woman who looked to be in her midthirties and worked for Doctor Timmons as his receptionist and billing clerk. The Cooper boys' beloved Millie, with her kind smile. And Verna Simms, who had been assigned a spot directly across the tent from hers and Lizzie's.

One by one, the other entrants arrived. Soon, pies lined the tables. Ones with fancy lattice crusts on top, some with fluffy meringue, others with sugary sweet fruit toppings.

A younger woman rushed into the tent in a near panic, drawing Audra's gaze that direction. Reverend Johns walked over to greet her, pointing her to an open spot not far from where the judging table sat.

“That's Autumn Myers,” Lizzie whispered as they lifted their pies from the protective nests they'd been stored in. “One half of Braxton's only set of identical twins. They went to high school with Logan.”

“She's very pretty.”

“They both are,” Lizzie agreed. “At least Summer was the last time I saw her. But they are identical twins, so you have to figure she'd still resemble her twin. Summer lit out of town several years ago, but no one ever said why.”

“That must be hard for her sister. Especially with them being twins and all.”

Lizzie nodded. “Never more evident than when Autumn started her own realty company here in town, one I guess they had both talked about doing someday. She called it Twin Season Realty.”

“I wish I would have gone through her rather than buy a house through an online auction.”

“Then you never would have had Carter come to your rescue,” her friend said with a grin.

“True.” The memory of that day had Audra smiling. Carter's being a part of her life, of her children's lives, had been such a blessing. One she thanked the Lord for every day.

A few more contestants arrived, filling up the remainder of the vacant spaces at the tables. Lizzie made a conscious effort to tell her a little about each and every entrant.

There were so many faces and names, but Audra was determined to remember them all. Everyone had been so kind and welcoming to her since moving to Braxton. If there had ever been any doubt in her choice to move to Braxton, like the first moment she'd laid eyes on the auction home she'd purchased, she had none now. She felt like she belonged.

Mrs. Simms walked over to join them. “Your pie looks delicious,” she said, eyeing Audra's entry.

“Thank you.” She glanced around. “They all look delicious.”

“Don't look at mine,” Lizzie said with a smile.

Mrs. Simms shushed her. “Your pie looks just fine, Lizzie.”

“If you like a firmer, darker crust,” she countered. “No question as to why I wait on tables at your place instead of preparing the dishes.”

“You're the best waitress in these parts,” the older woman replied. “I don't know what I would have done without you all these years. I dread the thought of losing you to some news station after you graduate.”

“At the rate I'm going, that day is still a long ways off,” Lizzie said with a sigh.

“Your attention please,” a thick-waisted woman in a parrot-green pantsuit announced in the microphone. “Everyone to your places. The judging is about to begin.”

“That's Mrs. Danner,” Mrs. Simms whispered. “She's a librarian at Braxton's public library. She's also this year's head judge.”

Audra nodded, recalling her conversation with the reverend's wife. “Rachel mentioned that.”

“Well, I'd best get back to my spot,” the older woman said. “May the best pie win,” she said with a smile before scurrying off.

* * *

“The judges will be making a walk-through to score the presentation of the entries,” Mrs. Danner continued, her voice ringing out from the two overhead speakers at the front of the tent. “Once they have done so with your pie, please cut five small slices and place them on the five dessert plates stacked up in front of you. The judges will be back by to sample and score your pies. Lastly, we'd like to thank you all for contributing to this year's fund-raiser.”

Audra couldn't contain her smile as she reached for the knife that had been placed next to the dessert plates and five plastic forks. “This is surprisingly nerve-wracking and fun all at the same time,” she told Lizzie as she cut into her salted caramel toasted pecan pie.

People began to gather at the openings at the sides of the tent, watching as the judges made their way along the contestants' tables, tasting their awaiting slices of pie.

Just as the judges moved to sample her entry, Audra caught sight of Carter and the kids standing among the gathering crowd, his brothers flanking them. Carter bent to lift up Lily, holding her in the crook of his arm so she could see past Mason and Katie, who were jumping up and down in front of him in barely contained excitement. His warm smile widened.

Audra returned the smile and then forced her attention back to the half circle of judges in front of her. Returning their forks to their plates and the plates to the table, they made notes on their clipboards and then moved on to Lizzie's entry.

There had been no change in their expression as they'd sampled her pie to know whether or not they liked her pie. Not even one little moan of delight. If they hadn't done the same thing with the other entrants' pies, Audra might have concluded they found her pie lacking.

Once the judging was complete, the five judges returned to their table at the front of the tent to tally up the contestants' scores. A few minutes later, Mrs. Danner stood, portable microphone in hand. “First, let me start by saying this wasn't an easy decision. The entries this year were all quite impressive. However, we had to narrow the field down and give recognition to the best of the best. So, without further ado, third place goes to Autumn Myers for her double-berry pie entry.”

The crowd broke into applause as Reverend Johns stepped forward to place a white 3rd Place ribbon in front of her pie.

“Second place,” Mrs. Danner said, “goes to a newcomer to our little town, Audra Marshall...” More clapping erupted.

Just past Mrs. Danner, the children's tiny shoulders sagged in disappointment.

“I would be remiss if I didn't make mention of Ms. Marshall's baking assistants,” the older woman continued with a smile as she read from the bright pink notecard she held in her hands. “Congratulations to Mason and Lily Marshall and Katie Cooper.” Her gaze sought them out in the crowd. “You talented little chefs can bake me a pie anytime.”

That last comment seemed to take the sting out of their not winning. The soft pouts that had moved over the children's faces when learning their pie wouldn't be taking home the blue ribbon had been immediately replaced with beaming grins.

Reverend Johns came forward to lay the bright red 2nd Place ribbon in front of Audra, and mouthed, Congrats,
before walking away.

“And the winner of this year's fund-raising competition—Braxton's twelfth annual pie bake-off—with her award winning apple-rhubarb crumb pie is Ms. Verna Simms.”

Lizzie gave a little squeal of happiness for her boss.

Mrs. Simms was presented a crisp blue ribbon for her win, which she immediately hugged to her chest, her face filled with emotion.

Not winning had never felt so good, Audra thought with a smile. The joy on the older woman's face warmed her heart immensely.

“Thank you once again to all our entrants for supporting our cause. Now if you will please box up the remainder of your pies in the bakery boxes that Mr. Halverstadt will be handing out, we will move on to the next part of our fund-raising campaign—the pie auction. This year's auction will be slightly different thanks to the generosity of Cooper Construction. Prefilled lunch baskets and picnic blankets have been donated this year and winning bidders get to enjoy not only your mouthwatering pies, but a lovely picnic lunch with the entrant whose pie they win at the auction.”

Audra looked to Lizzie questioningly. Carter hadn't mentioned anything to her about donating picnic baskets.

Lizzie shrugged. “This is the first I've heard of them auctioning off picnic lunches,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Sounds fun, though. Everyone usually just grabs something to eat from one of the food booths.”

A slightly balding man with a neatly trimmed, graying beard accepted the microphone from Mrs. Danner. “The good Lord has seen fit to bless us with a mighty fine day for a mighty fine cause. So open your wallets, ladies and gentlemen, and let the picnic lunch bidding begin.”