*
Within twenty minutes we were all loaded up in the deputy’s Bowman County patrol car and headed to Redwater Falls to get the non-ordered cake and assorted party goods.
"So, Deputy Max," I said, rather chummily since we’d progressed to a first-name basis during our chat about how we were--and were not--going to spend the next few hours. Picking up a birthday cake and party favors didn’t rate real high on his list of things to do, but it did rank well above listening to the two of us explain and complain until his shift was over. I leaned up toward the cage separating me from the deputy and my mother, who was riding shotgun. Yes, she’s become rather fond of both the seating arrangement and the terminology. "Do you know where that cake place is, the one with the big sign out front? I think it’s on a road that starts with a K or a C. ‘Cakes by Carlene’ or something like that. You know the one?"
Deputy Max nodded perceptively. "It’s called ‘Pastries and Parties’ now. Got a cake for my little granddaughter there just last week."
Oops.
"They make real good cakes, but I don’t think they’re open on Sundays."
"They’re not," Lucille said, sending me a quick "Oh, give it up" glance over her shoulder. "We’ll just go to the United out on the highway, they’ll have something that will work."
"Great idea," I muttered, fooling no one. Mother knew I hadn’t ordered a cake or taken care of any party details. In my defense, I hadn’t wanted to go to the grand opening of the falls; my mother had made me go to. I figured she was regretting that decision almost as much as I was at the moment.
We all piled out of the white Chevy Caprice with the word "SHERIFF" emblazoned on its sides and scurried into the super-sized United grocery store. Deputy Max kept his hand on his gun as we marched toward the entrance and it was kind of a show-stopper. People stopped in their tracks and stared. It’s pretty hard to speak with your mouth hanging open, but "Why is an armed deputy herding two smirking women into the grocery store?" seemed a good guess at their thoughts.
Mother either didn’t notice the stares from customers and staff, or she was just enjoying them in her own way (my vote), as she led her troops into battle. Once we had filed past the check stands, Lucille cut left and made a beeline for the bakery department in the far back corner. I moseyed along behind, and by the time I caught up with her she had already picked out the biggest sheet cake in the store--and she was darned pleased that the roses happened to be purple.
I valiantly took charge and asked the bakery lady to fancy it up with the standard wording. She did and I took it in my arms, cradling it like a pillow with the royal crown. "Well, this worked out just great," I said, smiling at Deputy Max, then at Mother. "Let’s grab the rest of the stuff and get going."
"Now, just a minute, Jolene." Mother wagged a cautionary nail in my direction. "I was thinking that not everybody might like that plain old white sheet cake, and that we really ought to have something else because we just don’t know who all will be there."
I knew I wasn’t going to get off so very quickly or easily, but it had been a nice try. "Fine. There’s a carrot cake right over there. You like that, don’t you?"
She stepped over a few feet and nabbed a round carrot cake from the refrigerated case, along with some kind of triple chocolate thing, then paused in front of a twenty-four pack of neon pink and green cupcakes. "These might be handy to have."
"Three cakes will probably be enough." For a small army. "We’ll have the ice cream from the Dairy Queen too, remember."
"Yes, that’s right."
She said the words, but she was still looking at the cakes and would be grabbing another one if I didn’t work fast. "Okay, that leaves paper plates, cups, napkins, and balloons." And we’re done. "Which way do we go for those?"
She’d popped her head up at the
Within twenty minutes we were all loaded up in the deputy’s Bowman County patrol car and headed to Redwater Falls to get the non-ordered cake and assorted party goods.
"So, Deputy Max," I said, rather chummily since we’d progressed to a first-name basis during our chat about how we were--and were not--going to spend the next few hours. Picking up a birthday cake and party favors didn’t rate real high on his list of things to do, but it did rank well above listening to the two of us explain and complain until his shift was over. I leaned up toward the cage separating me from the deputy and my mother, who was riding shotgun. Yes, she’s become rather fond of both the seating arrangement and the terminology. "Do you know where that cake place is, the one with the big sign out front? I think it’s on a road that starts with a K or a C. ‘Cakes by Carlene’ or something like that. You know the one?"
Deputy Max nodded perceptively. "It’s called ‘Pastries and Parties’ now. Got a cake for my little granddaughter there just last week."
Oops.
"They make real good cakes, but I don’t think they’re open on Sundays."
"They’re not," Lucille said, sending me a quick "Oh, give it up" glance over her shoulder. "We’ll just go to the United out on the highway, they’ll have something that will work."
"Great idea," I muttered, fooling no one. Mother knew I hadn’t ordered a cake or taken care of any party details. In my defense, I hadn’t wanted to go to the grand opening of the falls; my mother had made me go to. I figured she was regretting that decision almost as much as I was at the moment.
We all piled out of the white Chevy Caprice with the word "SHERIFF" emblazoned on its sides and scurried into the super-sized United grocery store. Deputy Max kept his hand on his gun as we marched toward the entrance and it was kind of a show-stopper. People stopped in their tracks and stared. It’s pretty hard to speak with your mouth hanging open, but "Why is an armed deputy herding two smirking women into the grocery store?" seemed a good guess at their thoughts.
Mother either didn’t notice the stares from customers and staff, or she was just enjoying them in her own way (my vote), as she led her troops into battle. Once we had filed past the check stands, Lucille cut left and made a beeline for the bakery department in the far back corner. I moseyed along behind, and by the time I caught up with her she had already picked out the biggest sheet cake in the store--and she was darned pleased that the roses happened to be purple.
I valiantly took charge and asked the bakery lady to fancy it up with the standard wording. She did and I took it in my arms, cradling it like a pillow with the royal crown. "Well, this worked out just great," I said, smiling at Deputy Max, then at Mother. "Let’s grab the rest of the stuff and get going."
"Now, just a minute, Jolene." Mother wagged a cautionary nail in my direction. "I was thinking that not everybody might like that plain old white sheet cake, and that we really ought to have something else because we just don’t know who all will be there."
I knew I wasn’t going to get off so very quickly or easily, but it had been a nice try. "Fine. There’s a carrot cake right over there. You like that, don’t you?"
She stepped over a few feet and nabbed a round carrot cake from the refrigerated case, along with some kind of triple chocolate thing, then paused in front of a twenty-four pack of neon pink and green cupcakes. "These might be handy to have."
"Three cakes will probably be enough." For a small army. "We’ll have the ice cream from the Dairy Queen too, remember."
"Yes, that’s right."
She said the words, but she was still looking at the cakes and would be grabbing another one if I didn’t work fast. "Okay, that leaves paper plates, cups, napkins, and balloons." And we’re done. "Which way do we go for those?"
She’d popped her head up at the
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