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long passed. These people were serious about their parading!
    The music drifted as the parade disappeared around the corner, and the locals started peeling back from the curb. Some gymnast in an animal costume went bouncing by, cartwheeling and carrying a sign that said HAPPY DAY Y’ALL! on it.
    She wasn’t sure if it was the parade, getting out of going back to her hometown, or the possibility that she might really get off the Advice from Van assignment making her feel so good, but whatever it was, she wasn’t about to question it.
    Savannah maneuvered between the people who had stalled to talk and catch up, then waited to cross the street with the others as cars filed out of a church parking lot.
    To the mechanic’s credit, he was right; there was a significant amount of traffic once the barricades were pulled back. Of course, now she wasn’t in as big of a hurry.
    First things first: she checked the text to her aunt and cousin. Aunt Cathy had responded with just a simple FINE , which was never fine at all, but then maybe that was just one more reason to be happy she wasn’t going home. Home. Just thinking about it was enough to make the bear claw do a somersault inside her gut. Winnie had sent back a selfie of her in her gown. She really did look beautiful.
    Savannah tucked the phone into her purse. “Excuse me, ma’am,” she said to a woman walking down the street, holding the hand of a small boy. “Is there a hotel in town?”
    “Well, there was, but it closed down a few months ago. But the Markham B and B is right up the block there.” The woman pointed in the opposite direction of the gas station. “It’s much nicer, anyway.”
    “Thank you.” Staying at a bed-and-breakfast wouldn’t be so bad. Although if she got right down to work, she could probably get her research done and knock out the article in a few hours. She could do that from the diner. Then she could just go home and relax. Whoever said a vacation had to be away from home?
    But since she was here, it wouldn’t hurt to check out the B and B. It didn’t take but a few minutes’ walk before she spotted the hand-painted wooden sign swinging from chains in front of a huge Victorian.
    Savannah pushed the old wrought-iron gate open. It creaked and closed behind her with a loud clang, but no one came outside. As she walked up the sidewalk to the front porch, she noticed an older gentleman in a rocking chair.
    “Excuse me, sir?”
    He flew to an upright position. “Right here.” Then he settled his gaze on her. “Hello. Can I help you?”
    “I was hoping to rent a room.”
    “You could, but my wife isn’t here right now. I’m Mr. Markham.”
    “Nice to meet you. Is there a room available?”
    “I think so. Fifty dollars a night. But it’s two hundred dollars a week, so you may as well stay the whole week, if you ask me. That includes your breakfast.” He rocked forward. “And the bed, of course.”
    “Internet connection?”
    He rolled his eyes, sending his bushy eyebrows on what looked like a caterpillar race across his forehead. “No. Although my daughter says you can piggyback on the wireless signal over at the library from here, if you know what any of that means.”
    “Good to know.”
    “Only TV is down here in the living room, but my wife probably has some suggestions for you. She knows everything around here. Everyone is up at the park for the big concert. Why aren’t you over there, come to think of it?”
    “I’m not from around here. What concert?”
    “Cody Tuggle and some other loud guitar-playing guy. Dustin something. Anyway, big celebration here in town today because of the Derby. Lady that owns the horse is moving to Adams Grove.”
    “I saw the horse. He’s a beauty.” The old man didn’t flinch, not a blink, not a wiggle. Could he even hear her? “In the parade,” she added a little louder.
    “Yep. That’s the one.”
    “Kind of a celebrity for y’all, huh?”
    “I guess. Hell, country stars,