A Pineville 4th of July: Pineville, #2

By Anne Fons

When firecracker Stephanie arrives in Pineville, the town sheriff finds her upbeat, talkative personality quirky at best and frustrating at the least.  When she wants to make a few small changes to the town's historic Independence Day celebration, he decides to stop the Milwaukee upstart by leading the other side.  Two people with strong wills, is there room for truce, or maybe even romance?

The fictional town of Pineville, Wisconsin is a place where holidays are celebrated with the festivity of years gone by, and where town gossip is as lively as the high school musical.  The people of Pineville care about one another, their town, and finding the joy in the little things in life.

Come on over to where the greetings are friendly, and there's always something to celebrate and love.

Welcome to Pineville!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne Fons Readers Group
• Release date: Jun 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393098881

Book preview

Chapter One

He clocked her at sixty -five, her head wildly bopping from side-to-side as if either having a seizure or doing her best to dance while driving.  What the -?  Joseph turned on the siren and pulled his cruiser into the traffic lane, foot heavy on the gas to catch her.

Stephanie heard the siren wailing.  She pulled over to the side of the road to let the squad pass her.  I wonder who he’s after, she said.

Surprised to see that he stopped behind her instead of passing, she rolled down her window and turned off the music in the car.

Joseph radioed the station to let them know his location.  He approached her car and leaned over toward the open window.  Ma’am, you seem to be having some driving issues, he said.

What kind of issues?  I thought I was driving just fine.  Was I speeding or something?  Is there something wrong with my car? she asked.

Joseph wondered if she might be on something.  The woman talked as fast as she drove.  Would you mind stepping out of the vehicle, ma’am? he said.

The sheriff noticed she stepped out of the car without problem, no balance issues or anything to indicate she was impaired.  He looked into her eyes to check her pupils for proper dilation.  All he saw was a questioning look.  Ma’am, I’d like to give you a breathalyzer test.  Do you have a problem with that?

Those eyes that a moment ago were questioning now looked as though she would like to give him a large piece of her mind.  Well, let it rip, Sister, he thought.  You won’t be the first one today.

No, I don’t have a problem with it.  I’m as sober as your favorite judge.  I do, however, think it’s a little over the top as you still haven’t told me why you stopped me in the first place.

Do you know how fast you were going? the sheriff asked.

Somewhere around fifty-five, I suppose.  That was the last speed limit sign that I saw.  I suppose I could have missed a sign.

Joseph took in the head full of spring-tight, dark auburn curls.  She had them tied back with a small scarf, which if it came undone, might release those curls to take on a life of their own, much like setting off a box of over-pressed, tightened spring toys.  The hair was as bouncy as that head bobbing routine he had noticed.

Are you ill? he asked.

No, I’m quite well, thank you, and eager to be on my way.  So, please tell me what you think I did.

If I search your car, will I find any drugs? he asked.

Oh, for Pete’s sake, no, you won’t find drugs.  No, you won’t find alcohol, and no, you won’t find eight clowns and a juggling act in the trunk, either.

You’ve got quite a mouth on you, young lady, the sheriff said.

Stephanie blew out a deep breath.  Look, I apologize, Officer, if I seemed rude.  That was not my intention.  I’ve just never been asked those kinds of questions before, and I was taken aback by them.

Joseph began writing out a ticket.  You can get back in your vehicle now.  However, I’ll need your license and registration.

Stephanie got back inside her car.  She took the license from her purse and reached into the glove compartment for her registration.

Do you have any medical conditions of which I should be aware, such as a head or neck impairment? he asked.

I told you.  I’m perfectly fine, she said.

Then what exactly were you doing with your head as you were driving?

Huh?  Stephanie thought for a moment.  Oh! she said as she finally figured out to what he was referring, I was singing!  I love to sing when I drive.  It makes the ride go faster.

So does speeding, Joseph said.  You were going ten miles over the limit.

That’s why you pulled me over!  I guess I didn’t notice.

I’m going to cite you for speeding and for inattentive driving.

Inattentive driving?  For what?  I always watch the road.  In fact, I rarely take my eyes off it, which is why I was speeding.

Excuse me?

I watch what is happening in front of me.  I don’t usually look at the speedometer or the mirrors and such, because I always want to know what’s coming.  I think citing me for inattentive driving would be like citing a mother for buying the next size up in her kids’ clothes.

Joseph shook his head.  This woman appeared to him a little off the center of the beam.  Uh, again?  I’m afraid I’m not quite following you there.

Well, a mom sees what’s ahead, that her kids are growing.  There’s no use buying clothes in the sizes they already outgrew.  They won’t fit.  She needs to plan for what’s coming next.  That’s what I do when I drive.  I watch to see what’s coming next.  I don’t give a lot of attention to things I’ve already passed or things that are already behind me.

Well, ma’am, you do have some interesting logic.  Frankly, it’s an excuse I haven’t heard before, and if nothing else, I will give you credit for that.  However, part of driving is keeping track of all those things, in front, to the sides, to the rear, and even the speed limit.  He took the license and registration from her.

Please stay here.  I’ll be right back, he said.

Ok, will do, Stephanie said.  She thought about turning the radio back on and singing while she waited, but figured under the circumstances, it was better not to do so.  She felt as though she was waiting for an eternity for this sheriff to get back to her.

Joseph took his time in the squad car finishing the ticket.  This woman was in too much of a hurry for her own good.  He walked back to Stephanie’s car.  Here you are, one ticket for speeding.  I dropped the inattentive driving.  However, should you be staying in the area, I’ve included a card giving you information on driving lessons in nearby towns.

Stephanie glared at him but said no more.  She was insulted at his insensitive comments regarding her driving skills, but he was the sheriff, and she knew she hadn’t looked at that speedometer as much as she should have.  She took the ticket and said through clenched teeth, I’ll watch my speed and my mirrors.

Joseph walked back to his car and looked again at all the details on the ticket.  He shook his head in disbelief.  Stephanie Lucille Cannady, Waukesha, Wisconsin, you are one interesting person.

Chapter Two

Stephanie was glad to be back on her way.  She wasn’t mad at the sheriff for pulling her over.  Although she didn’t have any accidents on her record, speeding tickets and honking horns she knew all too well.

She was irritated that the officer thought she had been drinking or doing drugs.  Anyone who knew Stephanie knew that a glass of wine with a holiday dinner or one beer at a baseball game was about it for her.  She was short and weighed in at a whopping one-hundred-ten pounds.  Anything more than one made her feel buzzed.

High-handed of him, I must say, she said to herself and raised her chin.  Why would someone automatically think that way?  Couldn’t have smelled anything more than a cheap cheeseburger and fries in this car.  I teach kindergarten and listen to Oldies!  Not exactly a wild woman, Officer Whatever-your-name-is!

She laughed a little at herself.  You’re almost there.  Get yourself in vacation mode, Stephanie.  Greeting your friend with a scowl and a chip on your shoulder won’t set things off to a good start.  It’s time to celebrate!

The turnoff for the local highway brought Stephanie to a large parking lot labeled, Pineville Diner and Campground.  She remembered her friend, Julia, telling her so many nice things about this place.  She did a quick mental debate as to whether or not to go inside or to simply keep going.  Curiosity, and the desire to be in a truly good mood when she arrived at her friend’s won the debate, and she went inside.

Country music playing from a juke box greeted her as she stepped inside the ample, yet homey, place.  Dark green booths, split log tables, and gingham curtains welcomed her almost as much as the waitress’s hello.

Hi there!  Grab a table wherever you want.  I’ll be right on over, she said.

Stephanie saw a cozy little spot toward the rear of the west side of the diner.  She loved to people watch, and this was a great vantage point for it.

Welcome, the waitress said.  The special of the day is meatloaf, and the soup is homemade chicken dumpling.  You need a menu?

I’ve heard the man that owns this place makes really good soup, Stephanie said.  I’ll have that and a soda, please.

Oh, you’ve heard about Don’s soups, have you?  Well, whoever told you about those were right.  I brag about my Donny’s soups every chance I get, and no one’s been disappointed yet.

Stephanie did a quick glance at the waitress’s name tag.  You’re Jeannie! she said.  I’ve heard about you, too!  My friend’s dating your son, Lucas.  I can’t wait to meet all of you.  Julia says such nice things.

I’m so glad to meet you, Jeannie said as she leaned over to give her a quick hug.  I am guessing you are Stephanie, Julia’s best friend from Milwaukee.

We’ve been best friends since we were very little girls.  Julia lived only a few doors away from me then.  Stephanie sighed.  Now, she lives here, and I live out closer to where I teach.  I’ve missed her.  We’ve never gone more than a couple of weeks without seeing each other before.  This time, it’s been a few months.  It seems like forever, and I worry about her.

Well, we’ve been taking good care of her out here, Jeannie said.  She’s quite a dear person.

She thinks the world of you, too, Stephanie said.  I am glad she is happy, even if that means I don’t get to see her as often as I would like.  I guess that’s part of life.

I’m surprised Julia didn’t tell us you were coming, Jeannie said.  Oh, well.  Maybe she told Lucas, and he forgot to tell us.  The men in my family don’t always communicate as well as they should.

She doesn’t know I’m coming.  She asked me, but I told her possibly later in the summer before school goes back into session.  Her brother and uncle arranged my coming now as a surprise for her.

You are going to stay through the 4th of July, aren’t you?  It’s the biggest party of the summer here, Jeannie said.

I might.  I promised her brother I would stay until his seventeenth birthday, and that’s July 1st.  I would love to stay beyond that, but I really want to make sure I am not interfering with anything Julia has already planned.  She tends to fret if she needs to change things.

Yes, that we know, said Jeannie.

When the waitress left the table, Stephanie pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to Jeremy, Julia’s brother.  I’m at the Pineville Diner right now.  Are we still ok for me to get to the house at 4?  Any change in the schedule?

A few minutes later, her phone vibrated.  Everything as planned.  You’re about 10-15 minutes away.  Park down the street in the school parking lot so she doesn’t see your car.  She usually gets in the door about 4:30.

She checked her watch.  It was two-forty-five.  She had plenty of time to enjoy her soup and get to her friend’s before four o’clock.

STEPHANIE TOOK IN ALL the people coming and going in the diner, in the parking lot, and on the nearby campgrounds.  It was nice to see the multigenerational families inside the restaurant, mixed with truckers, high-school age kids, and the occasional couple.  She smiled at the wet-haired kids in swimming suits and flip-flops with ice cream dripping from their chins and their cones.  She laughed to herself as they attempted to make their way across the parking area to their cabins or campsites before all they had left was a sticky mess.  She loved seeing the little campfires in the fire pits, the cozy wood cabins, and the occasional family trekking a tent to wherever they needed to pitch it.

She could see why Julia liked this place so much.  It was a throwback to years past, and in the best way possible.

She looked out the window and daydreamed until her phone timer went off alerting her that it was time to leave for Julia’s.  She quickly gathered her purse and headed for the cash register.  She saw Jeannie with her coffee pot in hand behind the counter.  Can I get the check from you, please? she asked.  I need to leave to make my surprise entrance.

Stephanie, just consider it a ‘welcome to Pineville’ present, the waitress said.

Oh, my goodness, thank you! Stephanie said.  I hope I see you again before I leave.

If nothing else, we will be at Jeremy’s birthday party.

That will be wonderful, said Stephanie.  Thank you again.  See you soon!

As Stephanie got into her car, she sat on the ticket she had been given earlier in the day.  Well, the soup was certainly a much nicer present than the first welcome I received here.  She stuck the ticket in the little compartment between the two front seats and started the car for Julia’s.

Chapter Three

The phone’s voice-activated map app directed Stephanie to her friend’s address.  She enjoyed every little sight along the way, from the farmland with cows grazing alongside the highway, to the mom-and-pop type businesses on Main Street.  After going west on Main for about a mile, the application’s canned voice told her to make a right onto Church Street.  Within a couple of blocks, she heard, You have arrived at your destination.

She slowed as she saw the old white clapboard building adjacent to Julia’s home.  It was a picture-perfect church for a small town from its narrow, stained-glass front windows to its simple, gold cross steeple.  She braked for only a moment to take in the sign, Pineville Community Church, Minister - Reverend Wilbur Plain, Church Secretary - Julia Garver.  There was more on the sign, but Stephanie had seen what she wanted for now.

The parsonage was directly next to the church on the north side of the property.  The pleasant-looking bungalow would be her home away from home for the next week or so.

She saw the school parking lot just beyond the church property at the end of the road.  She pulled into it and took a