“I’m sure you’ll like those handkerchiefs,” the older woman was saying as she handed over the brown paper package. He reached the stall just as the girl was accepting a small package from the middle-aged woman in the booth. All Joe knew for sure was that he couldn’t take his own eyes off the girl, and that he had to meet her.Ĭrossing the grass of the small field that was hosting the bazaar, Joe hurried toward the girl, afraid she would disappear in the crowd before he could meet her. Joe couldn’t see the girl’s eyes, but somehow he knew they were green – two bright emeralds set in a small, oval face.
Or perhaps it was the warm smile she directed to the woman in the stall. Maybe it was the way the sun glinted off her auburn hair, giving it the look of burnished copper. Joe wasn’t sure what attracted her to him. Dressed in a pale green dress that accented her slim figure, the girl was reaching into her purse, searching for some coins to pay for a purchase. The fireworks at the church bazaar weren’t scheduled until later that evening, but for Joe Cartwright, the sparks started flying the minute he saw the girl standing near a stall.
The theme of the convention was friendship, and that theme is reflected in this story. Author’s note: This story was originally published in the 2000 Bonanza Convention anthology.
