“What’s wrong with both?” Melissa asked.

“Hot damn,” Sully said. “They need to get this show on the road so we can go home.”

“I’m good with now,” Melissa said. “Good thing we parked on the street.”

“Definitely a good thing,” Sully said.

They walked out of the parking lot hand in hand.

* * *

On the other side of the crowd, Peanut and Ruby were visiting with Lovey. She’d closed Granny’s up early so all her employees could attend.

“How are the repairs going on your house?” Ruby asked.

“I’d say they’re more than two-thirds of the way finished. I love staying in your house, Sister, but it will be good to get home,” Lovey said.

“Something to look forward to,” Peanut added, and then sidestepped around two little boys who were running amok. “I’ll bet their parents have no idea where they are.”

Ruby pointed. “There comes a couple with worried looks on their faces.”

“They went thataway!” Peanut yelled.

The man gave him a grateful glance and took off running.

A young woman passed between Peanut and his line of sight—a red-haired stranger in hiking gear, with a large backpack on her back. She was eating one cookie and carrying another, likely thinking how she’d lucked into some free food, and he didn’t give her another thought.

* * *

Vesta and Vera Conklin were at the back of the parking lot, hanging out with Mabel Jean, who was the nail tech at the salon. The air was beginning to feel cooler, which spurred a discussion of the annual Fall Festival at the school gymnasium.

“Are you girls going in costume?” Mabel Jean asked.

“Of course. That’s part of the fun,” Vera said. “Are you?”

“If I can figure out how to make it, I want to go as a big bottle of red sparkle nail polish.”

“How fun!” Vesta said.

“What are you two going to be this year?” Mabel Jean asked.

“Sherlock Holmes and Watson,” Vesta said.

Mabel Jean laughed. “I can’t wait to see.”

And then on cue, someone inside the store turned on the lights, and both the store and the crown lit up.

The crowd oohed and ahhed in unison, not unlike the gasps of delight when the Fourth of July fireworks at the park began. Cell phones came out and began flashing all over the parking lot as people began taking pictures before beginning to disperse.

The checkers were getting overtime pay for staying past the normal closing time, and when the crowd began to disperse, quite a few turned into customers and went inside. It was almost 11:00 p.m. when the last customer left.

Wilson Turner, who’d been the manager for the Piggly Wiggly, was still the manager but with a raise in pay.

As soon as the last till was turned in for the night and the night deposit was ready to go, he turned off all but the night-lights inside the Crown and locked up on his way out.