Perfect Summer by Bethany Lopez
Mitch
Iwhistled as I walked through the festival.
Dang, but that Hope was a sweetheart.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I thought of her rapid-fire way of talking or how much she reminded me of Faith when she was younger.
I’d honestly been really afraid of meeting Faith’s daughter. I thought there’d be resentment over Faith having been married and having a child with another man. That I’d see her and imagine what a child of ours would have looked like. But now that I knew Hope, there was no way I could wish her out of existence, or even imagine Faith without her.
Sure, I sometimes felt a pang in my heart when I looked at her, but that was all about my own regrets and had nothing to do with an innocent child.
“Mitch, you gonna be in the ax-throwing contest?” Grayson, the fire chief, called as I walked by their tent.
“You know it, Chief, you’re going down,” I yelled back with a wave.
“You wish, Collins.”
I simply shook my head and kept walking toward where Hattie and Hazel always set up.
“Morning, ladies,” I said as I approached. “Where do you need me?”
“Hi, Mitch,” Hazel replied, while Hattie said, “Morning.”
“You can start setting up for the hand-churning contest over there,” Hazel said, pointing to an empty table. “Some of the boys already helped us bring everything over; it’s right on the ground there.”
“You got it,” I assured them and moved to get started.
After I’d been working a few minutes, Hazel moved closer and whispered, “So … I hear there’s something brewing between you and Faith … Isn’t that sweet? First loves finding each other again.”
“I don’t know about all that, Hazel, but we are on friendly terms,” I said vaguely, hoping she’d drop it, but knowing in my heart she would not.
“That little girl of hers is darling. It’s a shame she doesn’t have a daddy. Every girl needs a father.”
I decided to keep my mouth shut on that one, but she persisted. “I hear Faith’s got a basket in the auction this year. Might be a good chance for you to get some alone time with her and rekindle that old flame. I’d hate to see one of the other young bucks beat you out and get that time. You never know when sparks are gonna fly.”
I made a noncommittal response, but damn if Hazel didn’t have me imagining Faith on a romantic picnic with Malcolm Wright or freakin’ Grayson for that matter. Two of Mason Creek’s most eligible bachelors.
“Food for thought,” Hazel added, before walking away with what could only be defined as a wicked grin.
Once I was finished helping the twins, I took a lap around the square, my free ice cream cone in hand, and checked out what was going on.
It was a little after lunch time, so the festival was in full swing, with music playing, picnic tables full of people finishing up their lunch, and kids shouting happily as they ran from booth to booth.
I stopped on the edge of the dance floor and noticed Hope dancing wildly to the upbeat song Tucker was singing. I chuckled as she spun in circles with her hands in the air, moving her body back and forth as she did. It was a move that would have had me breaking a hip but looked like second nature to her.
“My granddaughter is something else.”
I turned my head to see Faith’s mother, Grace, standing next to me, her eyes on Hope.
“She really is,” I agreed. “I’m sure you and Richard are really enjoying having her home.”
“Yes. It’s been wonderful having her and Faith back this last year. I’m hoping it’s permanent.”
That had me glancing back at her.
“Do you think it’s not?”
Grace shrugged and said slyly, “I hope so, but you never know. Now, if Faith were to fall in love and get married to someone who lives here as well, it would give us more of a guarantee.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked with a laugh. I’d always loved both Faith’s parents, but Grace held a special place in my heart. She’d always made me feel like family, and that hadn’t changed even after Faith moved to Chicago.
“Yup. Now, I’m going to go watch my granddaughter so Faith can get to the auction. You’d better get on too. Don’t want to miss it,” she said, giving me one final smile before moving across the dance floor to Hope.
Just then, I heard the announcement that the auction was about to start, so I turned and moved at a quick pace through the crowd toward the gazebo.
I entered the crowd gathered in the front and kept toward the back as the auction started. After a few other women, it was finally Faith’s turn, so I straightened up and got ready to jump into the bid.
Before I could even raise my hand, three other eligible men had already entered, including Malcolm and Grayson.
I knew it…
“Two-fifty,” I called out, finally finding my voice, and raising my hand.
Faith looked up and found me in the crowd, and I swear she looked pleased at my bid.
“Three hundred.”
“Three twenty-five.”
“Three fifty.”
Shit, I’d gotten distracted looking at Faith. Enough of this.
“One thousand,” I yelled, and I swear the entire crowd turned to look at me and I heard Faith gasp.
“One thousand going once, going twice, and sold to Mitch Collins.”