Pretty as a Peach

by Sawyer Bennett

  Linnie releases me, and I look back to Darby. “Saw you two walk in here. Thought I would come by and say hello.”

  At that moment, Larkin comes in from the back and smiles at all of us. “Well, look at this crowd hanging out in my store this morning.”

  “We want to get a birthday cake ordered for Carlos. His thirty-seventh birthday is on Wednesday.”

  “And some chocolate chip cookies,” Linnie adds. Darby laughs as she puts her arms around her daughter to give her a squeeze.

  She looks to Larkin and nods, “And half a dozen chocolate chip cookies.”

  I step up to the counter and pull my wallet out, fishing out a twenty and handing it to Larkin. “The cookies are on me.”

  “Thank you kindly,” Darby says as she bats her eyes and lowers her chin coyly.

  I laugh in response and watch as Linnie rolls her eyes. Larkin fishes out the chocolate chip cookies, handing one across the counter to Linnie and putting the rest in a pink bag. She takes my money and gives me back my change.

  The tinkling bells over the door erupt, and we all turn to see Della Padgett walking in. She owns a bookstore beside Floyd’s hardware store. It’s called The Reader’s Nook, and I like to go there on occasion to buy the latest thriller that might be out.

  The first thing I notice about Della when she walks in is the extraordinarily huge smile on her face.

  “You clearly have some good news,” Larkin observes from behind the counter.

  Without any preamble, Della is holding out her hand and sticking it right in my face. I pull my head back so she doesn’t pop me on the nose, but she’s already spinning from me and sticking her hand up to Larkin’s face.

  Larkin gasps and takes Della’s hand in both of her own. I then realize she’s admiring a diamond ring Della is showing off.

  “Oh my God,” Larkin practically squeals. “Jason popped the question”

  Della nods her head furiously. “Just last night. We were at Clementine’s. He just got down on his knee and proposed to me right there in the middle of the restaurant.”

  Darby and I shoot a glance at each other, and she shrugs. Neither one of us saw that last night.

  As if she could read our silent exchange, Della turns and studies us. “I saw you two there having dinner. But you were so caught up in each other you didn’t even notice Jason proposing to me.”

  Darby’s face flushes red, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek not to laugh. But it’s true. The restaurant probably could have burned down around us, and I doubt Darby and I would have noticed.

  Darby steps up to Della, holding her hand out in a silent request to check out the engagement ring. Della is only too happy to comply and puts her plump hand in Darby’s. I have to admit, Jason didn’t skimp on the diamond. It’s big and flashy. But Jason’s got a good business. He owns the gas station here in Whynot, which also has a wine shop incorporated within that’s quite successful. He’s not hurting for money.

  “The ring is just beautiful,” Darby says as she admires the rock. “Oh, by the way… I’m Darby. That’s my daughter Linnie.”

  Della turns her hand so she and Darby are now shaking. “So very good to meet you. I’ve actually heard lots about the pretty peach farmer who moved into town.”

  She then shoots me a sly look and adds, “And you and Colt Mancinkus dating. Isn’t that just wonderful?”

  My eyes cut to Linnie to see her reaction to this very public proclamation that Darby and I are dating, though I’m not sure we are.

  Maybe we are.

  I don’t know.

  Linnie just stares back at me as she munches on her chocolate chip cookie. She even gives me a tiny smile in the form of one side of her mouth quirking upward.

  Darby had told me that she had talked to Linnie about us going out to dinner, and Linnie said she was fine with it. I’m guessing she really is fine with it.

  Della spins back toward Larkin and places the palms of her hand on the short counter where the cash register rests. “I just came in so I can put in the order for a wedding cake. We’re not going to do anything big. Probably just have Judge Bowe marry us at the courthouse and then a party at the train depot. Lots of tasty food. Of course, we’ll have the most wonderful wedding cake in the world done by my dear friend, Larkin Mancinkus.”

  Larkin starts shaking her head and holds her hands up, palms out toward Della. “I can’t do a wedding cake. I’ve never done a wedding cake.”

  “Well now’s your chance to try,” Della says matter-of-factly. “You’re so talented and creative. I know you can do a pretty cake for me.”

  Larkin keeps shaking her head and takes a step backward. “No way. I’m not going to be responsible for ruining a wedding.”

  This doesn’t surprise me. Larkin went out on a limb when she decided to open her bakery five years ago. But that’s about as far out on a limb as she has gone. She bakes the things she is comfortable with and knows she is very good at. People always find the same things here day in and day out. I’m not surprised she doesn’t feel comfortable doing a wedding cake.

  I step up to the case and rest my elbow on the top glass. “Larkin… give it a shot. You can practice. If you can’t do it, Della can find someone else.”

  Larkin shoots me a look that is a mixture of panic and loathing that I’m pushing her into this. My sweet sister doesn’t like leaving her comfort zone.

  Too bad.

  She needs to learn to live a little.

  “That’s a fantastic idea,” Della exclaims. She turns and starts for the door, calling over her shoulder, “I’m going to email you some ideas. A few pictures I was looking at last night.”

  And just like that, Della is gone, and Larkin is on the hook for a wedding cake.

  She turns and shoots me a sour look. “How could you do that to me, Colt?”

  I shrug and give her an innocent look. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

  Larkin huffs and glares.

  “Why don’t you give it a try, Larkin?” Darby asks her curiously. “I’ll come help you experiment. You can try your cakes out on me.”

  Larkin lets out a tiny huff of capitulation and says, “I guess it couldn’t hurt to try. I’ve got all the decorating equipment I would need.”

  The door to Sweet Cakes flies open, the bells chiming merrily. Della pokes her head back in and pins a stare on Larkin. “By the way, we’re looking at doing the weekend after next.”

  Larkin’s mouth drops open in disbelief.

  “Toodles,” Della calls out as she disappears, and the door swings shut.

  Larkin shoots another loathsome glare at me for getting her roped into this and then an apologetic look at Darby. “I hope you have some time soon because we’re going to have to start making cakes.”

  “I’m ready whenever you are. I mean, it’s not a chore to try out cakes.”

  “The bakery is closed tomorrow,” Larkin says. “I’ll just forgo dinner at Mama’s as I’ll probably be working on this all day.”

  “Do you have to do everything here or want to do it at my house?” Darby asks. “That way Linnie can entertain herself if she gets bored with us.”

  Larkin shakes her head. “I can bake the cakes here, and we can decorate at your house. How does that sound? I’ll just do several six-inch rounds to practice on.”

  “Awesome,” Darby says exuberantly. “And I’ll cook dinner for us if we run into the evening, although we might be full of cake.”

  I can’t help but smile over the fast friendship forming between my sister and Darby. Not only because Larkin has always been a bit of a loner because she works so much, but also because that means Darby is putting down additional roots here.

  Turning those pretty blue eyes my way, Darby offers, “If you can do without Sunday dinner at your mom’s, you’re more than welcome to come eat with us?”

  “Yeah, you can hang out with us all day to decorate cakes,” Larkin quips.

  I shake my head and nip that rig
ht in the bud. “No way. I do not decorate cakes.”

  “I don’t want to decorate cakes, either,” Linnie says. She turns hopeful eyes my way. “Think we could go ride horses together instead?”

  I laugh and ruffle the top of Linnie’s hair. She pulls away from me with a grimace.

  But I shoot her a wink and say, “Sounds like fun.”

  Then I turn to Darby and add, “And I’d be glad to join y’all for dinner.”

  “It’s a date then,” Darby says, but immediately flushes as she stammers, “Well, it’s not a date-date. Just that… well, you know.”

  I think it’s adorable she gets flustered talking about a date, and it brings something to mind. My hand shoots out and snatches her by the wrist. I look at Larkin and then to Linnie, making an apology as I drag Darby to the front door. “I need to steal your mother for a moment. Be right back.”

  I have a glimpse of Linnie biting down into her chocolate chip cookie, and I can hear Larkin snort as we step out onto the sidewalk.

  I turn to face Darby, and she’s looking at me with an expectant smile on her face. “What’s up?”

  “Well,” I say slyly as I step into her. “When I saw you from Floyd’s Hardware Emporium a little bit ago, I came over to see you with the idea in mind of asking you out on another date.”

  She sidles in a tiny bit closer and asks in a sweet voice, “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah,” I murmur. “Figure I can’t get to the first kiss without another date.”

  Darby gives a husky laugh even as her cheeks turn a little pink. “I would love to go out on another date with you, Colt.”

  “Well, that works out well for both of us then, doesn’t it?”

  She gives me a saucy wink in return before she opens the door to step back into Sweet Cakes. “That it does. And thanks for the cookies for Linnie by the way. See you tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Darby

  Jake and I crest the hill, and the gray Farrington barn comes into view. I had walked him out to show him the progress on the peach orchard. We decided to hoof it rather than use the Gator as it was a beautiful day and we had nothing but time.

  The goat pasture is on our left, and both Linnie and Laken are in there. Laken came out to trim the goat’s hooves today and asked Linnie if she wanted to learn how. I wasn’t all that surprised when she said she did. Linnie absolutely loves animals. While she doesn’t have any experience with them other than her horse, I don’t think she’s afraid to get her hands dirty with farm life. This makes me incredibly happy, of course.

  “So all the holes should be finished today,” I tell Jake as we walk toward the barn.

  I had hired a man with a backhoe and an auger attachment to dig all the holes for the rootstock trees. Because Jake has an endless supply of money and wants to operate at a loss, I made the decision to go ahead and purchase peach trees that had been nursery raised for two years. That would give us a bit of a head start on production.

  “They’re going to be delivered on Monday, and I have a crew of almost thirty who will be here to help.”

  Jake nods as we trudge along. He’s transformed from the polished Chicago businessman into a farmer himself. He’s got on a pair of faded jeans and work boots caked with soil and red clay. “How many trucks is it going to take to get them in?”

  “I think the guy said at least five full-sized flatbeds,” I say vaguely. The nursery owner had told me that information, but it wasn’t overly important, so I can’t quite remember. “He’s going to stagger the deliveries though throughout the day.

  I had to arrange for a few tractors with flatbed trailers to be ready for when the trees would arrive. The tractor-trailers hauling them in wouldn’t be able to turn off the highway into Farrington Farms. There is absolutely no way they’re going to make it over the farm road to where the orchard was located. So the crew of people would be here to unload the trees onto the tractor flatbeds, and we would drive them out to the orchard for unloading. It’s a labor-intensive process but again, Jake pretty much gave me an open checkbook and told me to do it the most efficient way possible.

  Oh, to have that type of money.

  “I am so darned impressed with you, Darby,” Jake murmurs as we walk side by side. “I can’t believe how fast you got this up and running.”

  “Thanks,” I say as I beam on the inside. “But I did a lot of the pre-work while I was still living in Illinois.”

  “Still, you have transitioned very seamlessly. I’m proud of you, sis.”

  A warm bubbling fills me up over his use of the word “sis”. Even though he and Kelly are no longer married, I still consider him to be my brother. It’s nice to know he feels the same about me.

  “How are things going with Mitch?” he asks me, the concern in his voice evident.

  I stumble over the unexpected question, and Jake latches onto my elbow until I steady. He chuckles and reprimands me, “Come on, Darby. You had to have known I’m going to keep my nose in your business.”

  I laugh, and he releases my elbow. “I know. We were just having such a nice talk and you had to bring him into it. It took me by surprise.”

  Jake laughs again, but then his expression sobers. “Seriously… how are things going?”

  I sigh and shrug at the same time. “It was rough when we first came here. Mitch kept using Linnie as a pawn to try to get me to go back to him. He kept her completely riled up and pissed off at me, but at least that doesn’t seem to be working anymore.”

  “But I sense there’s more to the story?” Jake asks. He’s always been a perceptive man.

  My eyes dart across the field to Linnie, who is helping to hold the goats while Laken works on them. “He’s still harassing me. Calls and nasty texts. Our attorneys have been battling things out, but he just won’t agree to anything. Then he demands things that just aren’t doable.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like his last demand was he would give me full custody if I would agree to bring Linnie to Illinois every other weekend. That’s just not feasible. I don’t have the time nor the money to do that.”

  Jake stops in his tracks suddenly and turns to face me. He crosses his arms over his chest, his expression turning very serious. “It sounds to me like he’s stalling. Trying to drag this out and maybe making it so difficult on you that you’ll just give in.”

  I look back to Linnie for a moment and then turn my attention to Jake’s observation. “I think you’re exactly right. I just don’t understand why he won’t give me up. I mean, come on, Jake… The guy has a mistress. Those needs are being seen to. He can marry somebody else to cook for him and clean his house. Why is he still focused on me?”

  Jake’s arms drop, and his hands come to my shoulders for a reassuring squeeze. “I suspect he thinks he still loves you. And let’s face it, the man always had horrible self-esteem along with an oddly inflated ego. One of the best things you ever did for him was pump up his ego on a daily basis.”

  I blink in surprise. “Excuse me?”

  Jake makes a clucking sound with his tongue. “Surely you knew that, Darby. You were a trophy wife for Mitch. You made him feel good about himself. I guarantee you he’s quite lost without the perfect little wife to run his household and make him feel all manly and such.”

  I cannot control the shudder that ripples up my spine because in that context, it just sounds extremely creepy Mitch would need that from me. Regardless, it doesn’t give me any insight on how to deal with him.

  “Listen,” he says to get my attention focused on him. “I don’t want you to have to stoop down to the games he’s playing. I think you need to let your attorney get very nasty with him. He was cheating on you and that gives you leverage in the divorce settlement.”

  “I know,” I tell him with frustration. “But there’s only so much I can afford to pay this attorney to do.”

  “Then let me clarify what I’m saying,” Jake says with a smirk. “I’m going to give you my checkbook. You have c
arte blanche to write any amount to your attorney that will get you to prevail in the divorce settlement. You tell your attorney you want it done quickly and without any mercy.”

  I can’t help it. I throw my head back and start laughing, then I double over and hold my stomach while I laugh even harder. I manage to look up through tears of mirth to find Jake glaring at me. It makes me laugh even more hysterically.

  Jake’s arms go back over his chest, and he waits out my amusement.

  When I’m done, he asks, “Why do you find that so funny?”

  “You are my former brother-in-law, Jake,” I say with a snort. “I’m not going to take your money to fund my divorce.”

  Jake’s face crumbles, and he looks hurt by my words. He gives a shake of his head and his tone is chiding. “Darby… I still consider you family. I thought you felt the same for me.”

  I start shaking my head and wagging my finger at him. “Oh no you don’t. You don’t get to pull that family crap on me just so I’ll use your money.”

  “Did you know I make almost seven million a year just in salary and stock options?” he asks me smoothly.

  I blink like an owl at him.

  “And did you know that my net worth is close to forty-two million?”

  I shake my head, my lips and tongue completely numb with shock.

  “You’re going to take my blank check and fund your divorce, Darby,” Jake says in a domineering tone. “I can afford it. And if you don’t do it, I’m going to fire you as the operations manager for Farrington Farms. Now you and Linnie are more than welcome to stay here rent free after I fire you, but you’re not going to have that nice little title of operations manager and you’re not gonna have any say so over this peach orchard. And then how will you finish your thesis? So you can call it bribery or you can call it strong-arming or whatever, but you’re going to do this. It will give me peace of mind because I still love you and Linnie very much.”

  I can do nothing but stare silently at my former brother-in-law who is very much like a real brother to me in every sense of the word. I open my mouth, but no words come out.