by R A Wallace
She needed to work in the garden. Since she used much of the produce to feed herself and her guests throughout the year, it was a rather sizable garden that required regular upkeep throughout the summer. At this point, the garden was just beginning to produce some swiss chard and other quick growing greens for her salads. Megan knew from experience that it wouldn’t be long before she’d need to begin freezing the swiss chard because the garden would produce more than she could eat fresh. She preferred swiss chard to spinach because it didn’t bolt as quickly.
No doubt Henry would follow along behind her as she worked. He usually did, scratching along behind her as she hoed. She watched him now as he worked his way across the barnyard, checking for bugs and whatever else interested a rooster. He was supposed to be penned in with the chickens but he somehow managed to escape each day.
Megan looked past her barnyard into the paddock. The sheep were contentedly munching on grass, the young lamb staying close to its mother. She was contemplating getting up to work in the garden when she heard a vehicle in the drive. She took Emma over to the kitchen door, set her back inside, then turned to see the local veterinarian near her paddock. He was watching the sheep but turned when Megan approached him.
Casey Adams smiled when he saw her. “I was hoping I’d catch you at home.”
Megan gave a return smile at the handsome man. A few years younger than Megan, the single thirty-two year old had black hair, gray eyes, and a smile that kept many of the Teaberry females hopeful.
“Casey, hello. Did I forget an appointment?”
“No, but I have a favor to ask so I thought I’d stop and check on your sheep to get in your good favor.” The dimples bracketing his mouth deepened.
“You take such good care of my animals, no additional buttering up is necessary. What can I do to help?” Megan watched Casey let himself into the paddock and slowly approach the sheep.
“I need a temporary home for two donkeys.”
“Really?” This wasn’t the first time Casey had asked her to take in animals temporarily. Megan tried to think of everything she’d ever read about donkeys. “Will I need different food for them?”
“They’ll be happy with the grass for now and they have access to your pond from both the paddock and the fields, though a mineral block would also be good. They shouldn’t really be too much trouble for you.” Casey bent to check out the new lamb.
“Are they having health issues?” Megan asked, watching Casey gently touching the lamb as he examined it. The mother stood by, watching, but was familiar with the vet.
“Well, one of them does have an injured leg but the owners decided they were too much work for their current lifestyle. The donkeys are miniatures, and they are cute, but the owners only have an acre of land and no easy way to get water to them. They’ve also discovered that they can’t just go on vacations like they used to, not without arranging for someone to donkey sit.”
Casey patted the lamb and walked back over to Megan, locking the gate behind him. “So. What do you think? Can you handle a pair of miniature donkeys for a bit until I find a permanent home for them? I’ll stop by often to check on them.”
Megan didn’t have to think long, especially when she considered what their alternative fate could be if she said no. “Of course, I’d be happy to.”
“Great! I just happen to have them with me.”
Casey flashed another grin before heading back to his truck. He was towing a horse trailer behind it and it didn’t take long for him to unload the donkeys and a mineral block. “I thought I should be prepared in case you said yes,” he joked.
Casey explained to Megan that the one donkey was healing nicely but it would be best if she didn’t get too much activity until he was certain it was healed completely. Together, they watched the donkeys get acclimated to their new space for a while before Casey had to leave for an appointment.
After working in the garden for a bit, Megan went inside to fix the dinner she’d promised for Dan. He arrived just as she was finishing in the kitchen. Over dinner, she told Dan about the upcoming baking contest, Lauren’s disappointment, and the donkeys. He immediately wanted to go out and see the donkeys.
“These are awesome,” Dan said with a huge grin on his face. “Do you know their names?”
Megan smiled at his enthusiasm. “Flora and Dora.”
The donkeys seemed intrigued with Dan and moved closer to the fence to smell him, trying to get their muzzles through the fence.
“So, they’re both females?” Dan asked, reaching through the fence to pet them both.
Megan nodded, watching the donkeys as she and Dan stood side-by-side, leaning against the railing of the fence. They both turned when they heard a vehicle approach. It wasn’t long before Tom Jenkins walked over to join them.
“I see you have some new friends,” Tom said after greeting Megan and Dan.
Megan explained the situation with the donkeys as she watched them. So far, they seemed to be more active than Casey was hoping for given the situation with Dora’s leg.
“So, what brings you by?” she asked.
Tom was a frequent visitor and often helped out on Megan’s farm with many things including the fruit orchard. They also had arrangements in place to use the resources each farm provided. She got some of her meat from his farm and he enjoyed a lot of the baked goods and preserves that Megan made. Although it wasn’t uncommon for him to be at her place, Megan got the feeling that this visit was a little different.
Tom didn’t respond for a moment. The three of them stood near the fence, quietly watching the donkeys.
Finally, Tom said, “It’s about Caro.”
“Oh?” Megan had wondered what had happened there.
Like Tom, Caro Delacroix was in her early sixties. She was a guest of Megan’s recently and Megan knew that the two of them had spent time together. But then Caro returned to her home in another state. Tom seemed a little quiet ever since.
“I was just wondering if you’d heard from her?” Tom asked as they heard a loud buzzing.
All three reached for their phones. Dan checked his then put it back into his pocket. Both Megan and Tom had text messages.
“Hey! Good news. Lauren just texted Caitlyn, Erica, and me to let us know she got her letter today after all. She’s been invited to compete in the baking contest. She said the letter had been misdirected somehow and had to be hand delivered by a neighbor.” Megan frowned, wondering what that meant, then glanced over at Tom.
A smile lit up his weathered face. “It’s Caro. She says she sold her other house and she’s moving to Teaberry.”
Chapter Four
Jessilyn Brewer parked on the street in front of the small Country French style home late Monday afternoon. She had been inside of it once already and liked the open floor plan. Although she didn’t know Caro Delacroix well, she hoped that the house would suit her. It was a rental, so the decision to take it wouldn’t be as momentous as purchasing a new home.
Jessilyn had reached the front door and was unlocking it when Barbara and Matthias Reynolds pulled up with Caro. She turned and smiled a greeting. As the Teaberry Town Events Coordinator, Jessilyn worked closely with Barbara in her role as town mayor. But she’d also come to really like Barbara and her new husband, Matthias. He was using a silver-headed cane, as he always did, though his posture was straight and Jessilyn had never seen him having difficulties getting around.
Jessilyn watched Caro carefully as she approached the house, trying to discern if she liked what she saw. Caro was smiling as she approached slowly, her intelligent blue eyes carefully checking out everything she saw. Still attractive in her sixties, Jessilyn thought that Caro must have been absolutely stunning in her youth.
“What do you think?” Jessilyn asked.
“It’s just beautiful. I couldn’t have done better myself. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to find a place for me,” Caro said, pressing her hands together in front of her chest, palms
touching.
“I think you’ll like the inside.” Jessilyn opened the door and backed away to let the others enter first.
“Oh, my! This is beautiful. I love the floor plan.” Caro slowly turned around. The entry way opened into the living area. There was a large stone fireplace on one wall that had been converted to gas. “I can see where my furniture will go already.”
“The kitchen is through here and you can get to the back yard from both the kitchen and the dining room.” Jessilyn toured the group through the house ending in the back yard. There was a nice deck on the back of the house. They stood there, looking at the yard together.
“This will be perfect,” Caro said. “Jessilyn, I just can’t thank you enough.”
“It was my pleasure.” Jessilyn checked the time on her phone. “I should get going soon. I need to finalize the list of judges for the baking contest.”
“How are things going with the plans for the baking contest?” Barbara asked.
“We’re all set with the location. The invitation letters went out to the participants. Jennifer Parker helped with the legal terminology for the applications and letters,” Jessilyn said, referring to a local lawyer. “We have the regional judges confirmed and they’re coming in at the end of the week. But we still need a few local judges.” Jessilyn frowned. She had been a little concerned about finding local judges.
“What all is entailed with being a judge?” Caro asked.
“Well, obviously we would want someone who likes food. We’d want them to be familiar with the types of foods that are being judged. There are standards to follow but I have those all written down,” Jessilyn said.
“I could probably manage to study a list of standards,” Caro said. “I certainly like food.”
“Me too,” Matthias added with a smile.
Jessilyn looked hopefully at Matthias and Caro. “Really? That would be so amazing.”
“That would give you two local judges. How many do you need?” Barbara asked.
Jessilyn’s shoulders slumped a little. “Ideally, three.”
Barbara thought for a moment. “How about Caitlyn Anderson? No one can eat more than she can.”
“True.” Jessilyn pictured the petite woman and smiled. “Great! I’ll get the standards to both of you and contact Caitlyn right away.”
“Let’s hope the contest will benefit the town as much as the analytics predicted,” Barbara said.
“I’m getting reports that rooms are booked in advance of the baking contest. The competition should bring in a good crowd for the weekend in terms of business to the town,” Jessilyn said confidently.
“Where are the out-of-town judges staying?” Matthias asked.
“I thought it would be best if they stayed with Megan at the bed and breakfast,” Jessilyn said. “That is one criteria for a judge. You can’t fraternize with any of the competitors during the competition. Having them with Megan rather than staying at the hotels with the competitors should help with that.”
“Have you spoken with Megan about the web pages for the baking contest?” Barbara asked.
“I was headed there next, but I’ll stop by to see Caitlyn first,” Jessilyn said.
She handed over the keys and took the short drive first to speak with Caitlyn at the florist shop where Caitlyn agreed to be a judge with enthusiasm. Then Jessilyn took the short trip out of town to Megan’s.
They spent about forty minutes together on Megan’s computer going over the web site plans including the photos that Megan would need to take during the competition. Jessilyn also explained about the judges not being allowed to fraternize with the contestants which meant that no contestants should be visiting Megan during the weekend of their stay.
“What about Caitlyn knowing Lauren?” Megan asked.
“It isn’t unusual for a judge to know some of the participants. However, the no fraternization rule will need to be followed for the duration of the competition. Also, if possible, we’ll have Caitlyn judging in a class or category that Lauren doesn’t enter,” Jessilyn explained before glancing at the time again. “This is it for me. I’m done for the day and heading home. I’ll let you know if there are any updates for the web site.”
Jessilyn changed quickly when she got home and walked through her back yard into her neighbor’s. Her six-year old son, Evan, and his best friend, Logan, were playing kickball. Her neighbor, Cindy Freeman, came outside when she saw Jessilyn through her kitchen window.
“He should be hungry. They’ve been at it all afternoon,” Cindy said with a smile.
Jessilyn turned to tell Evan it was time to go home and saw Seth standing in her back yard. “Hey, I didn’t know you were there.”
Jessilyn could feel Cindy’s curious look as she introduced the two of them, explaining that Seth had helped to watch Evan when Cindy had gone out of town recently for a family emergency. Cindy’s curious look then turned to Seth.
Evan said goodbye quickly to Logan and ran to his own yard to greet Seth. Jessilyn heard Evan’s excited voice and Seth’s low responses as she thanked Cindy and followed her son.
“Are you two interested in going fishing?” Seth asked.
“Well, we haven’t had dinner yet,” Jessilyn said hesitantly.
“I have a cooler in my car with some sandwiches from the Station Pub & Grill,” Seth said, watching Jessilyn closely. She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and frowned. “If you grab a hat and some sunglasses, you’ll be fine,” Seth said, trying to convince her.
She looked up with a smile and her eyes met his. “Bug spray?”
He grinned back at her. “That too.”
Chapter Five
Regis Slater read over the paperwork that he had received regarding the upcoming baking contest. He and his wife, Heather, had been involved in several contests over the years. When they were younger, they had competed themselves. That was before their first restaurant had taken off. They both started out in restaurants and had met in a kitchen, barely out of their teens. Regis smiled, thinking about it. Heather was a firecracker back then, too. They’d both gone on to become chefs. Now in their mid-forties, they owned a chain of restaurants and left the cooking duties at each location to the chefs they hired.
They spent their time in a managerial capacity, with Regis devoting more of his time to the business when it was required. Heather enjoyed focusing on their ever-expanding family. All four of their children were now grown and the two oldest had begun families of their own. It kept Regis and Heather busy, to say the least.
They still liked to stay involved in the field, however, and give back whenever they could. Acting as judges at a few contests each year helped with that. It also gave them another excuse to travel, something they enjoyed doing together.
Regis looked up from his desk in his home office when Heather entered the room carrying a spoon in one hand, her other hand cupped underneath it. “Taste this,” she demanded, looking at him over her reading glasses.
“What is it?” Regis asked suspiciously. It was a routine they’d practiced together for over two decades.
“Just try it,” Heather insisted as she always did. She touched the tip of the spoon to her lips then stuck the spoon in front of husband’s mouth.
Regis tasted. “Needs more butter.”
“Which the doctor says you can’t have. I’m trying to modify the recipe so it’s healthier for you.” Heather raised her eyebrows, waiting for his response.
“Needs more butter.” Regis grinned. Heather sighed. Regis pulled his wife onto his lap. “Okay, it’s good.”
Heather glanced over at the paperwork on his desk. “Are we all set for the weekend?”
Regis nodded. “Should be fun. We’re staying at a bed and breakfast with some of the other judges. I guess the owner tries to do a lot of her food farm-to-table.”
Heather raised her eyebrows again. “Your doctor might approve.”
***
Nigel Reese unlocked the front door of his h
ome, stepped into the entryway and saw his reflection in the mirror on the wall. At sixty-five, he had retired from his position at the magazine a year ago, but he still dressed as though he were going in to work each day.
It didn’t escape his notice that most felt he resembled a butler. He tended to agree with them. He was around five eleven and stood erect. He favored black slacks with a white shirt and he still wore a vest most days. What was left of his hair formed a halo around his ears and he kept it closely trimmed.
He had originally been the founder of the magazine whose audience enjoyed gourmet eating. He still penned articles for it periodically. He enjoyed traveling and often searched out new restaurants to try. His eyes caught the pile of mail he’d left on the stand under the mirror. Dropping his keys into the bowl on the stand, he picked the pile up and headed for the kitchen.
After pouring himself a chilled glass of wine, he took both the wine and the mail to his study. He sat at his desk in silence, opening the mail and discarding most of it. The last envelope was a little more interesting. It detailed the upcoming competition that he’d agreed to judge. He tended to do so at least once a year. He enjoyed the camaraderie among the judges and the interests they shared in all things related to food.
He glanced through the papers. Most of them were the typical information always sent out for such things. A brief summary of the rules, that sort of thing. Nigel noted that this paperwork was well written and appeared to have been guided by someone with legal knowledge. It was the last document that really caught his interest, however. It seemed the judges are to stay at a bed and breakfast with a farm-to-table theme. Nigel sat back in his chair. How very interesting, he thought.
***
Charlotte LaMonti lifted her hands into the air expressively and cried in exasperation, “Well, of course I’m going to go. Don’t be an idiot. What would they do without me?”