Robin and the Red Crow

Chapter Twenty-One - Autumn Barn Dance

The Adel courthouse stood out vibrantly against the night sky, the town square bustling with more people than Robin had expected. He had no idea Adel had so many residents, let alone that so many would attend a barn dance. The event was held in the courthouse ballroom, where lively music mingled with laughter and chatter. As they entered, all eyes briefly turned to the three of them before slowly resuming their conversations, though some lingered a bit longer on Robin than he was comfortable with. Feeling self-conscious, he hesitated before removing his coat.

"Hey, Jo!" a boy Robin recognized from the shop shouted over the din as he rushed over to them. Other boys followed, with a few girls trailing behind them. Robin wondered if these were the girlfriends they had boasted about in the shop.

"Gee, Jo, that dress is swell," one of the girls said, pushing her way to the front. "I've always wanted a vest like that." She reached out to touch Jo's dress, but Jo quickly swatted her hand away.

"It can be yours for the right price," Jo said cheekily, taking off her coat and handing it to Robin. "I could see about a friend's discount, but that's only for my best friends. So, don't go telling everyone." She pulled a card from her pocket and gave Holly a sly wink before handing it to the girl.

Holly had given Robin and Jo a stack of business cards to hand out if anyone asked about their outfits. Each card offered a small discount if they came to the shop in the next week with the card in hand. Robin was impressed that Jo had already managed to distribute one within seconds of arriving.

The other girls stepped forward eagerly, hoping for cards, prompting Jo to step back. "Whoa, I only have a few of these, so I should probably hang on to them a bit longer. I want to make sure they get into the right hands. Let's go get some food," she said, leading the entourage away.

"If she doesn't become a great sorceress, she'll definitely be a great businesswoman," Holly observed, watching them go. "Some years, I think she single-handedly keeps me in business."

Robin chuckled and adjusted the coats in his arms. "Can I take yours as well?"

"Oh, right, just a second," Holly said, unclasping the jeweled cape draped over her coat. She handed him her coat and re-clasped the bejeweled cape over her dress.

She also quickly removed the bonnet she was wearing to give to him, revealing a headband with a similar web pattern to her cape, adorned with beaded strands that wove into her braided updo.

She looked like a thing of magic and fantasy, which he guessed she was, in more ways than he could possibly imagine.

He watched her as she adjusted the cape and tidied the strands of hair that had come loose.

She noticed him watching her, and her eyes widened. "What's the matter? Did my hair come undone?" she asked in horror, frantically patting her hair to find the culprit.

"No, it's just that..." Robin reached out to stop her from searching. Borrowing her words from earlier, he said, "You are the most lovely woman in all of Adel. I thought it before, but now I'm sure."

Holly froze, processing his words. "Ah," she said awkwardly, shifting her focus back to her cape. "Thank you, Robin."

Robin was a bit taken aback by what he had said, too. He had only meant to tease her, throwing her earlier words back at her. But had he been teasing? It wasn't as if he didn't mean it.

He laughed and shook his head. "Sorry... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll go put the coats away."

Robin walked over to the coat room, glancing back at Holly. She was still fiddling with her cape, but now she had a shy grin as she worked. Robin couldn't help but smile.