Genny could hear the noise outside as the guests were gathering for the barbecue. She looked out her open window and saw two long tables set up under the trees with an older couple sitting on the end and over to the side was the grill. Dr. Foster was standing over the grill with Sheriff Biggs and two other men she didn't recognize. Beth Foster came into view heading toward the tables with five other women, each carrying a bowl of food or pitcher. The Foster's five kids were running around with seven more kids. It looked like they were playing tag. They were all running from someone who was just coming into sight. It was an adult. He caught up to one of the kids and roared lifting him high into the air spinning around. The little boy let out a loud scream.

"Billy! Take it easy!"

"Oh come on Penny. It's not like I'd drop him." He put the boy back down and turned around. Looking up, he saw Genny standing in her window. He stroked one of his hands through his brown hair as he smiled shyly. He had rugged good looks even with the six o'clock shadow he was starting to show off. Genny smiled back. Then she saw Beth turn towards Billy. She followed his gaze up to the window.

“Ah Genny! Come on down, everyone is here and dinner's almost ready," she yelled up to her.

"I'll be right down." She closed the curtains and peeking through saw Billy talking to Beth. Beth smiled and glanced back up to the window, put her arm around Billy and started walking him to the long tables. Genny finished brushing her hair and put in the new hair clip that matched her new summer dress.

She had been out buying some new things when she met Ma Parker. Thinking about her made her remember what she had said about Joey and Billy. Well, she never would jump to conclusions about people she had never met and wasn't going to start now. She would find out exactly what sort of man Billy was, and then decide for herself if he was such a "bad apple."

Genny left her room, reveling in the fact that she did not have to lock the door to believe her things were safe. She went down the back stairs that went directly into the back yard where the barbeque was set up.

Beth Foster came up to her and taking her hand led her around the adult’s table where most everyone was sitting already, men on one side and women on the other. She started at the far end with the old sheriff, Jake Sr. and Thelma Carlson. Then came the Crowley’s, Deputy Bob and Penny. Next were Jake and Thelma’s son, Deputy Jake Jr. and his wife Susan. Joey, Billy’s younger brother, and his wife Carrie who was very obviously pregnant were next. In the middle were two empty seats which Beth pointed as belonging to Billy and Genny. To be seated on her other side was Deputy Carl and Anne Foster, and then the Sheriff, Frank Biggs and his wife Betty. At the end Beth would be sitting with her husband, Dr. Charley.

One of the boys came up to Beth. “Ma, why do I have to sit at the kids table? I’m almost thirteen.” He said indignantly.

“There isn’t enough room honey, now go and get the rest of the kids, their hot dogs are done.”

The boy frowned and stalked off to do as his mother told him. He sat at the table sulking until one of the younger boys brandished his hot dog like a sword and challenged him to a duel. The table erupted with laughter.

"Well, that's the entire law enforcement for our town." Beth said as they stood at the end of the table. "I hope no one tries to rob the store." She laughed when Genny looked up to her room concerned. "Nothing to worry about dear, there aren't really any trouble makers in the town."

"So, eh, where's Billy's wife? I noticed that all the couples are sitting across from each other."

"Billy's wife? Oh no, he's not married."

"Oh, I figured that since his little brother was married, he might be too."

"No, Joey and Carrie have been courting since they were little. Billy's always been a bit shy, but he'd be a great catch." Beth winked at Genny and Genny couldn't help but laugh.

By then Dr. Charley and Billy had come back with the rest of the meat and buns. Dr. Charley brought his platter over to his side of the table and Billy took his on the other side and they both started passing out the plates of food. Genny walked back to her seat and waited for her plate to get to her. When the men finished passing out plates they returned to their seats and joined the others who had started eating. The food was very good and tasted different then any barbeque that Genny had been to before in the city. She guessed that the atmosphere contributed greatly to the flavor. Carrie, Joey, Jake Jr. and Susan kept asking her about college and the places she'd lived, why she came to such a small town, and how she liked living here so far.

She noticed that Billy was looking at her every few minutes when he didn't think she was paying attention. Sometimes he would look away asking for some more coleslaw or something else to drink, and sometimes he wouldn't bother to hide the fact that he was looking at her. After most everyone was done eating and the others seemed to be locked in their own conversations she asked, smiling.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Well," he started. "I guess it's cause we don't get to many new folk around, especially pretty ones." he smiled back at her, charmingly. Genny couldn't help but giggle. "What'd I say?"

"Oh, no. It wasn't you. I guess she was right after a fashion, you could charm the coils off a snake if you wanted," she replied still giggling.

"I don't know if that should be taken as a compliment or an insult. Who's been telling you things about me?"

"Oh, just Ma Parker. I met her at the restaurant this afternoon." Genny smiled even bigger.

“Really now? What else did she say about me?”

"She also told me that you tried to burn down the school house once," she said daring him to deny it.

"Well, I... well, I suppose you could look at it that way. I was a bit of a trouble maker when I was growin’ up. One morning, I think I was about thirteen, Jake Sr. caught me trying to light a smoke behind the schoolhouse. This was when he was Sheriff and my pa was a Deputy. Well, he startled me and I dropped the match. Burned a little of the grass and the paint at the bottom of the school house, nothing serious. Well the old guy hauled me into the jail to teach me a lesson." Billy laughed. "I had to spend the next four hours sharing a cell with Old Man Lou, who had a habit of drinking a little too much whiskey and running down the street chasing after imaginary outlaws in his underclothes."

"You’re joking!"

"Nope, I had to spend the next week repainting the school house too."

"No, I meant about Old Man Lou."

"Huh?"

Genny giggled harder.

"Oh, man!"

The next instant, Billy was on his feet holding his glass of ade in the air.

"I want to make a toast. To our new school teacher and friend. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say that we are very happy that you came and hope that you will stay, for a long time." He said the last with another charming smile as the table clinked their glasses together. Then all the kids came rushing at the table and pulled Genny away and to the yard where they started running around playing.

A few of the folks started cleaning up the tables and some of the others sat around talking. Billy sat and watched the kids and Genny play. He liked how the beams from the setting sun shined in her light brown hair. She saw him watching them and grabbing a couple of kids, whispered something in their ears and then the three of them charged over to him. Yanking him to his feet they pulled him into the fray. After a little while, Genny managed to get herself out of the games and plopped down at one of the tables.

"Quitin' already?" Billy called to her just before two of the boys tackled him around the legs from behind and brought him to the ground. Genny couldn't help but laugh. Billy got up laughing and told the boys to go on without him. He strode over to the table and took a seat next to Genny.

"Now who's quitting?" Genny said still smiling.

"Hey now, I'm just taking a break. Thought I'd keep you company." Billy leaned back against the table.

"A likely story.”

“No, really. I thought maybe no one had told you about all the fine folks gathered here.”

“Well, I’ve gleaned a little from conversation, but you can go ahead and fill in the blanks.”

“I think I will,” he said grinning.

“Well, Carrie there is my little brother’s wife, and that is their first kid, she’s bout 7 months along I think. Joey’s real proud and I don’t blame him. Carrie’s been helping out in the store during the summer and will probably go back after the baby is born. Jake Sr. was sheriff before Frank and we kept him on as a sign of respect, also to keep him from getting too bored. Thelma helps manage the store and restaurant during the school year. Jake Jr. is Thelma and Jake Sr.’s son. His folks call him Junior all the time and he just hates it so we just call him JJ. Susan, his wife, also helps out at the store. Penny, Bob’s wife, runs the Post Office. Carl was Charley's brother and is the fifth and final deputy. Frank’s been Sheriff for bout 5 or 6 years now. His wife Betty helps out in the restaurant during the school year. And you know Beth runs the school and Dr. Charley is the town doc.”

“So who are the owners of all these kids? I picked up a few but they just don’t sit still long enough.”

“Well, it’s easy enough. I’m sure you’ve met Beth’s five kids, the three girls there and those two boys, youngest is five and the eldest is twelve. Bob and Penny have those three kids, two boys and a girl, Jake Jr. and Susan’s are those two girls. Carl and Anne have those two boys that tackled me.”

Genny laughed at the two boys who happened to be making gross faces at the girls. “Those two are definitely gong to be trouble. How am I ever going to keep all of them straight? I’ve never taught before, only during my internships and I only had to deal with 5-10 students."

“Oh, I know you’ll catch on.” He smiled his charming smile again and she thought about Ma Parker again.

“Well maybe you can tell me something else now. I'm supposed to go over and have dinner with the Parkers tomorrow night,--" Billy snorted.

"What? Don't you like the Parkers?" she asked.

"Well, I guess they're okay. I mean if you don't mind talking really slow and if you don't expect much by way of conversation."

"Ma Parker seemed to be talkative."

"I wasn't talking about Ma Parker. The boys are, well, kinda dumb. I'm not trying to be mean or anything. They never went to school with us and they were both our age when they came to town, so they could have."

"How long ago?"

"How long ago did they come here? Oh I'd say maybe fifteen years give or take. Most of us didn't even realize they moved in until Mr. Parker started getting sicker. Mr. Parker would call his grocery order up to the store and the boys would come down and pick up the stuff. Sometimes Ma Parker would come down too but she usually stayed with Mr. Parker."

"They never came to town to play or eat at the restaurant?"

"Not that I ever heard of. After Mr. Parker died, Ma Parker would come up once in a while and do some shopping of her own, sometimes she brought her boys with but they usually didn't wander very far from her. I remember the younger one always having a dumbstruck look on his face, like he wasn’t all there. Oh well, they usually don't cross most of our minds from one minute to the next. We are nice and friendly when we do see 'em though which isn’t that often."

"That's a shame. I would've hated growing up so close to a nice town like this with so many kids my age and never having a single friend."

"I suppose. I was too busy causing trouble to notice. It's probably a good thing they didn't join my circle of pals 'cause all that would do is get them in trouble." Billy laughed.

Genny laughed also. "I think Ma Parker was right. You are trouble, I can tell."

"Now you don't know that for sure. Only one way to see how much trouble I am."

"And how is that?" she replied eyeing him suspiciously.

"Have dinner with me, day after tomorrow. I want to hear how dinner with the Parker's turned out anyway."

"Well, all right. I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Then I'll meet you down in the restaurant, 'bout 6:30. I'm not officially off duty till then and I'd rather not get interrupted by a crime wave." He gave her another charming smile and she laughed.

"Sounds fine."

"Well, I better get going. I'm supposed to be watching the station tonight. Gets a mite boring sometimes but it's a living. See you later."

Genny smiled as she watched him walk out to the street and towards the station.

To be continued...