Incomplete Delusion...

Hello friends,


Have you read this novel?  It is doing very well on Amazon, so I wanted to share an excerpt with you to give you a tiny taste of its exciting content.

The next stop was to the Department of Motor Vehicles. This process was slightly more lengthy, but she was again greeted by a smiling, efficient clerk. So far, so good! A definite bounce in her step, Sarah left the DMV and crossed the street to the Braden General Store. There were not big-box stores in Braden and it seemed the General Store was the place to go to buy groceries.

The sign on the building said it all. From the crumbling mortar and chipping paint, to the antique, circa 1930s Texaco round gas pumps - which had clearly been out of commission
for a few decades - the store had to be just about as old as the town itself. One look at the owners as she stepped inside and her theory was proved correct. This was clearly a ma and pa outfit, complete with a soda fountain sporting a full-service counter and vinyl-covered stools on the far side of the store. After only a second’s hesitation, Sarah decided this was as good a time as any to jump in with both feet and calmly - at least she hoped she appeared calm - put her best foot forward and sauntered over to the nearest stool and sat, placing her purse on the stool to her left.

At this time in the afternoon, she was the only customer at the soda counter waiting to be served. "Hi hon. What’ll you have?" A smiling woman in her mid-forties was waiting for Sarah’s order. "A chocolate milkshake, please," Sarah replied, making a great effort to appear nonchalant and relaxed, while inside, she was beginning to rethink the wisdom of taking such a big step so soon.

"I’ll get it to you in two shakes, no pun intended!" came her smiling response. As there were no other customers around, Sarah decided to push the envelope and ask the woman a couple of questions about Braden.

"I’m new to Braden and was wondering if you’d mind answering a few questions?"

"Sure, not a problem. You know what they say about bartenders and waitresses, they’re better than any map you’ll ever lay your hands on."

"Hmmm," Sarah smiled, "I thought the saying went along the lines that bartenders knew everyone’s secrets."

"Well, I do, but I’ll have to wait till I know you better before I share them!"

"Good to know." Sarah smiled in return, quite comfortable with the other woman. "First off, my name is Sarah Crawford. I bought the old Cooper cabin up on Clyde Lane a little while ago. This is my first real trip to Braden and I thought I’d take the opportunity to get some things done and meet a few new people."

"Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m Bernice. The owners of this five-star establishment are Claire and John Upton. Down to earth folk, good people to know. Anything you need that they don’t stock, you just let ‘em know and they’ll order it in for you. They can usually get it in within two to three days. The store is open every day save for Mondays. If there’s something you absolutely need and this place is closed, you can always make the drive to Clarkston; its’ a thirty-five-minute drive, or thereabouts. I work here most days myself. I sometimes feel like I’m part of the furniture, if you know what I mean." This was said tongue-in-cheek and Sarah gave a small laugh, feeling quite a bit more relaxed than when she’d first sat down.

Sarah was just opening her mouth to enquire about the local Food Bank when a tiny bell above the door jingled and a tall - make that very tall - Sheriff walked in. He came straight over to the counter and sat two stools away from Sarah, staring at her, clearly curious about a newcomer.

With a knowing grin on her face, Bernice said, "Hi, Sheriff. Coffee break time, huh? Want your regular or are you feeling adventurous today?"

"Just a coffee, please, Bernice." He smiled at the waitress, then turned slowly toward Sarah and nodded. Sarah smiled back, and forgot to breathe. She had vowed to never feel attracted to a man ever again, but this man would be easy to fall for, were she so inclined, which she definitely was not.

He was, she supposed, what one would call a ‘real’ man, from the tips of his salt and pepper hair down to the soles of his black regulation leather boots. In the two seconds it took her to acknowledge him, she was able to take in his large shoulders, trim waist and very big, very strong-looking hands. His eyes were simply a bonus. Two steel-blue orbs stared back at her quite unabashedly, she realized.

"Alright, Sheriff, no need to scare the young lady, now. This here is Sarah. She bought the old Cooper cabin and is in town today to try and get the lay of the land." Bernice handed the Sheriff his coffee along with a small bowl of creamers.

"Welcome to Braden, Miss --" Could he be any more obvious, Sam thought, wanting to kick himself. Though he honestly was attempting to be genuinely polite, he had to admit he wouldn’t mind finding out whether this beautiful lady was spoken for. Of course, it was all in the call of duty. He definitely was not on the market for a girlfriend.

"It’s Crawford. Sarah Crawford." I arrived in town three weeks ago, but moved into the cabin last week. I’ve spent several days scrubbing the place from top to bottom and was beginning to go a bit stir crazy, so I decided to visit Braden and to catch up on a few things which needed my attention, like updating my driver’s licence information.

"Good idea, Miss Crawford. Nice to make your acquaintance. My name is Sam Smith. I moved here four years ago myself and have been Sheriff of this growing metropolis for just over three years now. And just so you know, I wouldn’t change that for the world. Braden is a great town to grow old in, for sure."

Inexplicably, Sarah felt her face heat up. What had come over her? She never blushed! Perhaps it was a bit warm in this place. The owners probably had not turned the heat off yet. That must be it, she thought, and returned her focus to Bernice and the Sheriff, who were discussing an upcoming spring festival or some such thing. She jumped a little when she realized they had addressed her.

"Oh, I’m sorry, my mind was elsewhere. What did you say?"

Bernice explained, "We were just telling you about the spring festival we have in town here every year. Kind of gets folks outdoors for a bit; gets the blood pumping, you know? Winters are so long, it’s nice to get out and see your neighbours, have a few drinks, some laughs and maybe even cut a rug if the band’s any good."

"Cut a rug? I’m afraid I’m not quite familiar with that ..."

Sam quickly let her off the hook. "Dancing. It means dancing, Sarah."

"Oh, oh, I see. Sounds like fun."

Returning her attention to her chocolate milkshake as though it was the most intriguing item in the room, Sarah seemed at a loss for words just then. She need not worry, though, as Bernice was quick on the uptake and the awkward moment soon passed. "You know, Sarah, I think that would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet some of the folks here in Braden. Don’t you think so, Sam?"

"Sure. I’ll be on duty on the day of the festival, but I’ll be free in the evening and would be happy to introduce you around. Is there a Mr. Crawford as well, Sarah? Or any little Crawfords, for that matter?"

Oh, he sure was smooth, alright. "No, there is not. And no little Crawfords either, Sheriff. It’s just me, myself and I."

"Well, as I said, I’d be happy to take you around to meet the locals. I’ll be done work by five, so I should be there by six. I’ll keep an eye out for you. Who knows, we might even get to cut a rug!" The three of them laughed at this, then just like that, silence prevailed once more at the soda counter.

Just as Sarah was beginning to fear she might grace them with another glow-in-the-dark blush, Bernice spoke up. "What was it you wanted to ask me, sweetie? Anything I can’t answer, I’m sure the Sheriff can add his two cents."

"Right. I was wondering if there’s a food bank in town. I used to volunteer back home and would like to do the same here, if at all possible. Or I’d be open to volunteering elsewhere if there was a need."

Bernice wiped the counter for about the tenth time and said, "Our food bank is very small, but I’m sure they’d appreciate the help. You’ll find it in the basement of the pharmacy down the street. They have their own entrance at the side of the building; you can’t miss it. They’re open twice a week, but I think the volunteers also work on off days. The guy who runs it is called Jim. Nice enough fella. If you leave your number with me, I’d be happy to have him give you a call if you’d like."

"Thanks, but I’d rather stop by and meet him in person. On what days are they open?" Sarah was not about to start leaving her phone number with people she had only just met. Surely, that would not be wise.

The Sheriff spoke up before Bernice had time to open her mouth. "They’re open to the needy just about every Tuesday and Friday, but of course that depends mostly on their inventory. No food, the doors don’t open. And that seems to happen way too often, if you ask me. Actually, if you’re interested, they’re having a food drive this coming Saturday afternoon in the parking lot down at the church. I’m sure they’d appreciate an extra set of hands. I’ll be there - unofficially - so why don’t you drop by and meet Jim and the other volunteers?"

In an effort to stall for time so that she could have a second to think, Sarah took a sip of her milkshake then cleared her throat and replied, "You know, that’s actually a good idea, Sheriff. I’m an old hand at these food drives by now, so maybe I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. Thanks for the information."

Feeling it was just about time to make her exit, Sarah stood and excused herself, stating she had a bit of grocery shopping to do before heading home. She thanked both Bernice and the Sheriff, and headed to the food aisles as fast as her two wobbly legs would carry her.


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