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Shining Stars and Mason Jars-Small Town Girl Book 2

By Jann Franklin

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Sometimes life throws you curveballs. I had the perfect life in Dallas, including the excitement that came with that big city. It kept my calendar full and exciting. Mike, my husband of seven years, and I wrangled our two boys in and out of our home through a constant circle of activities. Busy people are content, right?
One fateful evening, Mike delivered his earth-shattering news. "Jen, I've really got to talk to you. There's something on my mind I need to say, but I don't think you're going to like it."
My heart stopped, then started. This was it. My husband had traded me in on a younger, flatter model. As my brain calculated the assets to divide, Mike continued talking.
"Honey, I'm so unhappy. I hate my job and this house with the tiny backyard. Our life is suffocating me. I can't breathe."
Steady, Jen. You can handle the anvil Mike just placed upon your chest.
"There's a store for sale in my hometown, Big Ed's Parts 'n' More. Let's buy Big Ed's and move to Graisseville (pronounced Grace Ville). We'll get a house with some land, I'll run Big Ed's, you keep working from home, and our boys will have space to just run and be kids." Mike's smile was so big, it almost evicted his eyes and nose from the premises. Something told me that space wasn't just for the boys.
Move our family to Graisseville, Louisiana? Population 298? Umm…no thank you. My hometown in Arkansas gave me a distaste for all things small. Glancing back at my husband's brown puppy dog eyes, I hesitated. Were his eyes actually dancing? Sigh…
Was that my mother's voice? "Jen, marriage is about compromise. It's about putting your spouse first." Darn mothers!
"But Mike, do they have a coffee shop?" Coffee was essential in my household. Everyone knew to avoid me until two cups of coffee entered my system. Good strong coffee gave me the will to live.
Mike spoke words that, while not exactly lies, definitely were not on a first name basis with the truth. "Not that I know of, but Mom heard a rumor there might be one going in by the end of the year." To his credit, he followed up with a bribe, "And you can have all the gourmet coffee and creamers you want shipped to our new home. I promise!" To sweeten the deal, my mother-in-law guaranteed free babysitting, with three hours' notice. Within a few months, Mike and Jen Guidry became the newest residents of Graisseville. Henry, age five and James, age three, became the newest ones, not yet driving.
From over a million neighbors to under three hundred, I struggled in my fish out of water situation. But I didn't give up. After a few misses, I scored a home run. While registering Henry for kindergarten, I met Maggie Wheeler. That girl saved my life! Not only did she pull out a thermos and refill my cup, but she became my best friend. A few months later, she opened Maggie's Coffee Shop, making my life even better.
God puts you where you're needed. While Mike whipped Big Ed's into shape, I organized our church Living Nativity, found a backup beauty queen, and coordinated our village Mardi Gras parade. Along the way, I met Annelise Trahan and Amy Melancon, who became two of my dearest friends. Let's not forget the dog.
A young border-collie-looking dog with brown and white fur wandered onto our property and called it her home. Henry named her Sadie Two, and she delivered five puppies a few months later. My proverbial cup overflowed…with puppies!
Life wasn't a complete bed of roses, though. Graisseville suffered a major financial setback, thanks to our mayor, Ruby Bergeron. Ruby was not up to date on the ins and outs of social media. When the podcast Small Town Tales called offering to record an episode about our village, Ruby drained the village bank account to spruce up the town. She didn't realize a podcast was not the same as a TV show.
The village approved Ruby's plan because we trusted her, and we did not check her spending. Our mayor drained our village bank account to improve our downtown. The park sported workout equipment, a dog park, light fixtures, and more benches than you could shake a stick at. Let's not forget the free bicycles, corner bookstands, and public transportation. Ruby spent the remaining funds on a fifteen-foot projection screen and a village troubadour to host our Small Town Tales premiere. Once we discovered words, not video, immortalized our village, the residents called for Ruby's head on a platter. She resigned immediately, with five months remaining in her term. Our mayor pro tem Clay Terry became our mayor for the remaining five months.
Despite our quirky mayor leaving us in a bind, I'd grown to love our new hometown. A year ago, my small-town days were a childhood memory. But this was a life I never knew I wanted. I'd lost my bright lights but gained a yard bursting with lightning bugs. Now we faced our biggest problem: raising money to bring our village back into the black. As always, God had a plan.

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