Free Clifton County Fireworks by Joannie Kay Page A

she
struggled to control it.
    “I expect you to remember that you are
a lady , Jennie Rose.  Stay away
from Johnny Tanner.  I’ve said all I’m going to say on the subject except
for this: if you cause another public scene with that boy, I’m going to leave
you to settle the damages yourself.  I won’t pay your way out of a mess
and send you east to live with your Aunt Caroline for two years so you won’t
have to face folks here.”
    “I am sorry to hear you are so ashamed
of me, Father!”   Jennie Rose stood
up and flipped her skirts as she walked from the room, her head held
high.  Her composure lasted only until she was positive he couldn’t see
her.  Then she ran upstairs to her bedroom and threw herself on her bed
and burst into tears. 
    Didn’t her
parent realize how much she’d missed him the last two years?  Missed her
home, her friends?  Missed living where she could go riding every day… and
put on a pair of pants without shocking every man, woman, and child within ten
miles?   Apparently
not.  And, why did her father
blame her for the trouble Johnny Tanner caused?   The man
embarrassed and humiliated her in front of the entire town.  Jennie Rose
felt her face turn a burning red as she remembered two years earlier at the
annual Fourth of July picnic…
     
    “Now listen up everyone,” the mayor
called out in his deep voice, “We have this pretty basket lunch up for bids,
and since the ribbon tied on the handle matches the one in Miss Jennie Rose’s
pretty red hair, I reckon we all know who the lovely lady is who will be
joining one of you lucky gents for the right bid.  Remember, the money
goes for a good cause, our new schoolhouse, so open up those wallets and start
the bidding at a dollar!”
    “Two bits.”   An older man called out. 
    Jennie Rose frowned just a tad. 
She wanted the handsome Johnny Tanner to buy her basket, and made sure to tell
him hers would have a blue ribbon tied to the handle.
    “We have a bid of two bits.”   The Mayor said. “Who will give me fifty
cents?”  Another man, who Jennie Rose didn’t know, offered the asked for
amount, and she was pleased when Adrian Murdock offered a dollar.  While
she didn’t want to have lunch with Adrian, the bank teller was preferable to
eating with a complete stranger.  To her surprise, the bidding continued,
but not one of the bids was from Johnny Tanner. 
    “We have a bid of four dollars for Miss
Jennie Rose’s basket, going once, twice, and…”
    “Ten dollars!”   Johnny Tanner’s voice carried across the
crowd of onlookers, who immediately gasped in shocked surprise, and then burst
into applause as they realized the generous bid would go a long way toward
helping with the new schoolhouse.
    “Sold to Johnny Tanner for the sum of
ten dollars!”   The Mayor rapped his
gavel before the young redhead could recant his bid.  “Thank you,
son.”   He said gratefully as Johnny
stepped forward to pay him for the lunch.  “Miss Jennie Rose, I hope you
put a whole pie in this basket!”   He
teased just a bit when she stepped forward to join Johnny.
    Johnny smiled at Jennie Rose and
offered her his arm, which she accepted with a smile of her own.  “Let’s
enjoy our lunch, Jennie Rose.”   He
said.  They walked off together and found a quiet spot under a tree, still
in sight of everyone else at the gathering, but one that was fairly private.
    “I thought you’d forgotten all about
bidding on my lunch basket.”   Jennie
Rose pouted just a bit.
    “ Nawww , I was
just letting the guys all have some fun.”   Johnny grinned boyishly, showing his
white teeth.  “You look right pretty today, Jennie Rose.”
    “Why, thank you.  Your Mama made
this dress for me.”   She said.
    “Ma is great.”   He said with pride.  “She hasn’t
had an easy time of it, but she’s worked hard to raise me and Jeremy since Pa
died.”
    “You work hard, too.”   Jennie Rose acknowledged.  He worked
at