Always Dakota - Debbie Macomber [65]
“Have you ever seen Father Goose?” Sarah asked as the credits rolled and the music began.
Calla shook her head, implying that any one of these movies would be completely boring to a girl her age.
“It’s quite humorous.”
The opening scenes came on, and Calla watched the first couple of minutes. “This takes place during World War II?”
Sarah nodded.
“We’re reading about that in our history class. Did you know Hassie’s husband fought in the war?”
“Yes. So did other men from this area.”
“Hassie had a son who died in Vietnam, too. His name was Vaughn. She came to talk to us last Friday and brought pictures of him. I knew she was the one who put up flags at the cemetery every Veterans’ Day, but I never really understood why.”
Sarah was sure she’d mentioned Hassie’s son at one time or another. Perhaps not.
“She had photographs of him when he was in high school. He was a really good football player. He wasn’t bad-looking, either.”
“She doesn’t talk much about Vaughn anymore,” Sarah said. “I think she still finds it too painful.”
“Hassie told us how his girlfriend stayed in touch with her for years after Vaughn died, even after she married someone else and had children. She named one of her children after him—Thomas Vaughn. That has a nice sound, doesn’t it?”
Sarah nodded.
“When she left, Mrs. Sinclair talked about the effect war has on people,” Calla said quietly.
The Friday afternoon sessions at the high school had been a real hit with the community, for a number of reasons. Lindsay regularly invited people to come in and talk to her students—about their jobs or their family histories or their interests. Sarah had spoken herself and her father had, too, more than once. Almost everyone in the community had. Farmers, cattlemen, business owners. Everyday people. Lindsay was a master at convincing folks they had something beneficial to contribute. And in doing so, she’d helped foster the town’s new and growing sense of pride.
“Would you like some popcorn?” Calla asked.
Taken aback by the question, Sarah blinked. “Sure.”
“Me, too.” She put the VCR on Pause and walked out to the kitchen.
Calla was staying? Sarah could hardly believe it. Soon the popping of kernels could be heard from the microwave in the background, and the scent drifted through the house.
Calla returned a few minutes later with a small bowl for each. “Do you have a name picked out for the baby?”
“Not yet.” Both she and Dennis had gone around and around about names. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Me?”
“Sure, you might as well put in your two-cents’ worth,” Sarah said. “Everyone else has.”
Calla munched on her popcorn, seemingly deep in thought. “I’d suggest that if it’s a girl you name her after Grandma, but Jeb and Maddy beat you to the punch.”
“I thought of that already.”
“What about Denise? Isn’t that the female form of Dennis?” Calla asked with a sneer. “Doesn’t he want to name the baby after himself?”
Sarah ignored the sarcasm. “Denise…” she murmured, trying to come up with a middle name.
“Denise Sarah,” Calla threw out. “Might as well get your name in there, too.”
“What about a boy’s name?”
Calla mulled that over for a moment, then said, “I’ve always liked the name Joseph.”
Sarah wasn’t fooled. Calla was thinking about Joe Lammermann, who’d been her first love. She hadn’t mentioned him much lately, but Sarah knew her daughter still cared for Joe. Through the grapevine, Sarah had learned that Calla and Joe had both showed up at the Sweetheart Dance without dates and then spent most of the night dancing with each other. She’d also heard from her father that they’d gone out to the movies one evening last week.
“I’ve been dating Joe again—well, sort of dating him.” This information was offered casually.
“You always did have a soft spot in your heart for him.”
“A soft spot in my head, you mean,” Calla muttered. “I promised myself that if Joe ever asked me out again, I’d take real pleasure in rejecting him. Then he called to invite me to a movie and I couldn’t say yes fast enough. Sometimes I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she