Page 48 of Whisk Me Away
“Tomorrow," I heard Karis call from behind me.
As I entered the meeting room, the air was charged with the anticipation of the upcoming Spring Fling. As the Sheriff, it was my responsibility to ensure that the event went smoothly and that the safety of our community was maintained throughout. The officers were gathered around the table, their expressions serious and focused, ready to hear my instructions.
"Glad to see everyone here," I greeted them, projecting a sense of authority tempered with warmth. "As you know, the Spring Fling is right around the corner, and it's our job to keep the town safe during the festivities.”
Randle raised his hand, "Uh, Sheriff, there’s some white stuff on your forehead,” he barely managed to hold back his snicker.
I quickly wiped at my forehead with the back of my hand. Randle was the only one who knew I was just at Whisk Me Away with Karis because I asked him to hold down the fort for a few hours, and he wouldn't let me go until I told him why.Jerk.
I moved forward before anyone else had time to jump in and ask any questions.
"There will be booths set up from local shops, an Easter egg hunt for the kids, and food vendors. It's going to be a busy day, and we need to be prepared for anything.”
After laying out the event's details, I moved on to the crucial task of assigning rotations. "Dawn, I need you to coordinate with the event organizers to establish a perimeter and ensure crowd control. Randle, you'll be in charge of patrolling the area during the egg hunt. Grab a few of the guys to help you with making sure everything stays safe and orderly. And Rick, I need you to oversee the traffic flow and parking arrangements to prevent any congestion. I'm assuming most of the town will walk, but just in case, we've decided parking will be in the high school parking lot. Everyone else will be roaming the event, offering assistance if needed. Any questions?”
The minute the question left my mouth, I regretted it.
"Yeah, Sheriff, I have a question. Why did you have flour on your forehead?" Rick asked, failing to hide the smirk tugging at his lips.
I rolled my eyes. "Get back to work," I called, striding into my office and shutting the door.
CHAPTER 33
KARIS
The whole town looked forward to the Spring Fling every year. It was a big event where we all came together and had fun. There were booths selling stuff from local shops, food stands with yummy snacks, and an Easter egg hunt for the kids. What made the Spring Fling awesome was that it brought everyone together. You saw people you hadn't seen in ages, made new friends, and just had a good time.
This year felt extra special for me because I was setting up a booth for the first time. Being able to share my baking with the community—it was a dream come true.
On the one hand, I was very excited, but there was also a pit in my stomach. A sudden wave of grief threatened to overwhelm me. I used to come to the Spring Fling with Mom and Eden. We had so many memories of walking arm in arm, shopping, enjoying food, and laughing about the current topic of gossip the knitting circle was talking about. My mom always told me I'd have a booth here one day. She’d believed I would open my own bakery here in town even when I didn't see it. It just hurt so much that she wasn't here to see that statement become a reality.
Eden must have known how hard today was going to be because she offered to help me man the booth all day so Aspen could spend it taking Hunter around. It was the first time they would be experiencing our cute little event, and we all really wanted them to enjoy it.
We both wore bright pink t-shirts with the Whisk Me Away logo plastered across the front. I paired my shirt with a pair of blue jeans with some rips in the knees and strappy sandals. I tied my hair half up with a silk bow pinned across the small ponytail. I wanted my hair out of my face while I worked but still wanted it to look somewhat put together.
"Is this good over here?" Eden asked as she set up the long picnic table under the bright pink pop-up tent I custom-ordered.
"That's perfect,” I gave Eden a bright smile, hoping it reached my eyes. I really want to be happy today, but I couldn’t help the war of emotions happening inside me.
My smile must not have been as convincing as I thought it was because Eden walked over to me. I was organizing the baked goods I prepackaged this morning before leaving the shop. When she was within arms' reach, she wrapped me up in a tight embrace.
"Mom would be so proud of you,” she whispered in my ear as we clung to each other.
I'm sure we looked like a bunch of weirdos, but at this moment, I couldn't care less. This hug from my sister was everything my heart needed.
"Thank you,” I choked out, trying to hold back the sob that was working its way up my throat.
Eden gave my shoulders one more big squeeze before pushing back. "No crying today. Mom would want us to be happy."
I gave Eden a watery smile before wiping away the stray tears rolling down my cheeks. That's the thing about grief. It came in waves. There were moments when it felt so thick, wrapping itself around my heart, making it hard to breathe, and other times when it was just a faint presence in the back of my mind. It never really went away altogether, but it wasn’t always crippling. I didn’t know if I’d ever get used to it.
"What's left to do?" Eden clasped her hands in front of her, looking around the booth we set up.
"We need to set up the stands and put out the baskets before laying out all the baked goods. I also got a few mini chalkboard signs we can use to display the prices of each item,” I responded, digging through the boxes I packed with everything we needed for today.
Eden and I spent the next thirty minutes ensuring my booth was perfect. When we were done, I moved around the table double checking everything was ready.
I was surprised by the arm that wrapped around my waist. Before I knew it, I was being pulled into a strong, warm embrace. The minute his arm went around my body, I knew it was Brant. I could smell his signature scent.