Love on the Line - Deeanne Gist [93]
A sly grin lifted one side of the girl’s mouth. “I reckon that’s why he spent so much time comfortin’ her afterwards.”
Georgie choked.
“What’d you do with your penny?” Luke asked, chuckling.
“Got me some rock candy.”
He reached into his pocket. “Well, I can’t help but notice Miss Georgie’s about the only gal out here who doesn’t have a hat. Would you take this nickel over to the Plumage League’s booth and try the hat walk for her?”
Bettina tried to act nonchalant, but the spark in her eyes was unmistakable. “If ya want me to.”
“I’d very much appreciate it.”
Spinning, she raced to get in line. There’d been a steady stream of players all day. He figured the ladies had raised quite a bit of money for their cause.
“That was thoughtful of you, Luke.”
“She’s a good kid.” He guided her toward the booth. “I’m not sure she’s had anything to eat other than that rock candy, though.”
“Probably not.”
“Well, it’s almost suppertime. Why don’t we take her with us when we stop at the Ladies’ Restaurant booth?”
“That’d be lovely, though I can’t imagine her eating a whole meal. What if she and I shared?”
He nodded. “We’ll see.”
They walked in comfortable silence, feeling no need to fill in the gap. The smell of pig, flowers, food, and beer floated on the breeze, its breath ruffling the fringe on Georgie’s yoke. Children laughed, vendors hawked their wares, and mothers called for their little ones.
As Luke and Georgie neared the hat walk, she peeked up at him. “Does it bother you that I’m not wearing a hat?”
He lifted his brows. “Not at all. I was just using it as an excuse to let her play the game.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
“You don’t like hats?”
“I love hats.”
“Then, why didn’t you wear one?”
“They were burned up along with the rest.”
He stopped short. “What do you mean?”
“I guess the culprits couldn’t tell the difference between my hats and the contest entries. So they burned them all.”
Exhaling quickly through his teeth, he dragged a hand across his mouth. It never occurred to him her personal hats would be in with the others. “Were they stored in the same place?”
“No, no. Mine were in the corner by my wardrobe.” She shrugged. “I imagine to a man, a hatbox is a hatbox.”
He scoured his memory, vaguely remembering a set of hats in the spot she mentioned. But, as she said, he never gave it a thought. He hadn’t wanted to give Necker any reason to hurt her.
Sighing, he slid his hand down to hers. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” she whispered. “It takes me a long time to save for a hat.”
He looked at Bettina filing in for her turn at the game. “Come on. Maybe it’s your lucky day.”
Inside the roped-off area, twenty crate lids lay in a circle on the ground, each with a number painted on it. Females of all ages stood on a lid, along with one scowling baseball player from Texas A&M. He’d donned a cadet uniform and slicked down his hair, but Luke remembered his three-run homer, which gave A&M the victory.
A group of hecklers around the perimeter offered advice to their out-of-place teammate. Luke bit his cheek. Clearly, the boy had lost a dare of some kind.
When all were in position, a member of the Men’s Glee Club played “Old Heel Fly” on his banjo.
As long as the music played, the participants stepped from lid to lid. At the end of the chorus, the music stopped, the players stopped, and a number was drawn.
Standing on the eighteenth lid, Bettina searched the crowd until she found Luke and Georgie. Luke held up crossed fingers, and she responded in kind.
Mrs. Lee, the lawyer’s wife, drew a number from a decorated basket. “Four!”
The A&M cadet had already begun to leave the circle when he whipped his head around. His buddies howled, grabbing their stomachs and doubling over with laughter.
“Woo! You got you a winner this time, Mrs. Lee!” one of them shouted.
“Pick out a right purty one for Daniel, here. He’s especially fond o’ the ones with lots o’ ribbons.”
Smiling gamely, Mrs. Lee handed the cadet a hat that looked like a giant mushroom with braid, satin, and lace. The young man flushed with embarrassment until he took in