A Seed Planted

by Cat FitzGerald

  Julia drew in a deep breath before responding, “What I think is that it will be a cold day in hell before I sell this farm to you.”

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  Marley sat staring at the wadded-up papers on the table. Julia had thrown them there, stomped upstairs, stomped down again, and left in her car. He felt deflated and insulted. And mad. Really mad. Miss High and Mighty had not even given him the courtesy of a hearing. Well, if that’s the way she wanted to do business, then fine. He would deal directly with the realtor and avoid any further contact with Julia Ready. With renewed determination, Marley smoothed out the contract papers and returned them to the envelope. When the sale sign went up, he would set quietly about his purpose, and the sooner that woman was gone, the better.

  Returning the envelope to his desk drawer, Marley changed clothes and went to the barn. Mule, the horse, needed water, and a few hay bales needed stacking. He was thankful for the physical exertion to relieve his anger and give him something else to focus on. After an hour or so, he grabbed the water jug he’d brought out with him and sat down for a break. Rubbing at the slight discomfort in his chest, he decided to stay in for dinner this evening. There was plenty of food, and since Julia had not returned, he assumed she would be eating elsewhere. An evening of peace and quiet would be nice. He’d certainly had none since Hurricane Julia blew in. Only a few weeks, and his whole world had turned upside down.

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  Julia drove around for what seemed like hours before heading into town. She’d driven by her old elementary and high schools. Except for a little upgrading of the exteriors, they looked pretty much the same. Sitting in the parking lot of South Georgia High, home of the Cougars, she forced away the lump in her throat. No need to go there, she thought. Let the past be. Leaving there, she made her way out to the cemetery, and this time, she gave the tears freedom. Kneeling at her grandmother’s grave, she poured out her pain. At least the parts she was willing to acknowledge.

  Unfortunately, Grandma Jean couldn’t help her anymore. She couldn’t help her figure out what was wrong with her, why she had no friends, no love in her life, not even a future she could envision. Her stomach growled, reminding her of the time. Julia wiped her face and returned to the car. She was suddenly starving but didn’t feel like grocery shopping. There was food at the house, but she did not want to chance running into Marley again if she could help it. She didn’t really understand why she’d been so angry at his proposal. It was a reasonable offer, but the thought of him owning her grandmother’s farm didn’t sit well with her. He just rubbed her the wrong way. She felt judged when he looked at her, and she knew he did not think well of her because she’d not come to visit. He didn’t understand, and it was none of his business anyway. There were too many painful memories associated with the farm, and she needed to make a clean break. If she sold it to Marley, she thought that wouldn’t happen. That she’d still be tied to it somehow.

  Julia stood up, brushed the dirt from her pants, took one last look around, knowing she’d probably never see it again. Sighing, she got in her car and headed to town. Pulling into a space in front of the diner, she was glad to see it wasn’t crowded. A little early for the prime dinner hour, Julia hoped she could get in and out quickly, although the thought of returning to the farm was not appealing either.

  She stepped out, locked the car then unlocked it. She’d gotten used to locking everything in the city but kept forgetting she was in the country now where nobody locked anything. She’d locked Marley out of the house twice already before he threatened to take her key away. She dared him to try, but she had taken it off her key ring to be safe.

  Julia walked up to the counter, seating herself on one of the red vinyl stools while she stared at the menu. It’s not like she didn’t know what they served, could recite it verbatim if necessary. She’d spent enough time here, before the incident with Ricky anyway. After that, she stopped coming.

  “What can I getcha?” Nancy’s perky voice snapped Julia out of her reverie. She looked into the wide, blue eyes that suddenly gleamed with recognition. “Hey, I know you. You’re JuJu Ready, aren’t you? Yeah, we used to ride the same bus for a while. My brother Robbie was in your class, remember him? Did you know he went to Vietnam and got himself killed?” Nancy took a quick breath before continuing, “He wasn’t the smartest kid around, but he sure was the best. Everybody liked him.” Her voice grew melancholy for a brief moment before she rambled on, “I miss him a lot. Maybe I could have done something, you know, if he’d been here to guide me.” Nancy looked at Julia with an expression that made her think of Bambi, the deer in that Disney movie.

  “Um, yes, maybe so,” Julia wasn’t sure which question, if any, she should answer, so she kept it short and non-specific. “Uh, could I get a cheeseburger basket, please, with a Coke?” Nancy didn’t move.

  “You’re out at the farm with Marley Westbrook, aren’t you?” Her expression had changed from wide-eyed vacancy to open curiosity.

  “It’s my farm now, my grandmother left it to me, and Marley Westbrook is a hired hand who will be leaving soon. I’m planning to sell the farm.” Julia mentally kicked herself for not calling the realtor this afternoon.

  “Really? Hmm, interesting,” was Nancy’s reply as she turned away and slapped Julia’s order slip onto the stainless steel counter that overlooked the kitchen. “He’s a catch, I can tell you that. Wouldn’t mind hooking him myself.” Nancy winked as she set the Coke down.

  “Um,” Julia spoke, “can I get that order to go, please?”

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  Julia sat in her car across the road from the farm to eat her now-cold dinner. At least, most of the ice had not melted in her drink, but she had chewed the straw to uselessness. She had parked away from the road, behind the place where her parents’ house once stood. If Marley happened to come by, he wouldn’t see her unless he looked directly at the spot. Of course, she didn’t know if he was in or out, but she planned to wait as long as she could before going back to the house. With that thought, she had a sudden urge to use the bathroom. It was six o’clock. If Marley was in, he could very well be in the kitchen having his own dinner. If he was out, she’d have plenty of time to get upstairs and settle in for the evening without crossing paths. Ugh. This is so frustrating, and I have to pee! Grrr! I’m going in. If he’s there, I’ll just ignore him and go straight upstairs.

  Resolved, Julia set aside the remnants of her meal and started the car. She was so focused on her mission to avoid Marley that she didn’t see the old farm truck rumbling down the highway to her right.

  Chapter 26

  July 1972

  Marley was walking up the back steps onto the porch when he heard a boom, the squeal of brakes, and the searing noise of metal being ripped apart. He shooed Coco through the screen door and took off running around the house and up the long drive. The silence was eerie following the horrendous sound of what must have been a terrible crash.

  As the road at the end of the drive came into view, Marley caught a glimpse of a truck on its side, bales of hay scattered everywhere. In the middle of the road was a small blue car, one he recognized all too well.

  “Julia!”

  The passenger side of the car was demolished, the grill of the truck still resting against it. Marley ran to the driver’s side, jerking the door handle. It was locked. He ran to the other side and crawled across the truck until he could reach through the shattered passenger window. Julia sat with her head slumped onto her chest, blood dripping from her forehead.

  “Julia, can you hear me? Julia?” No answer.

  Marley scrambled as best he could through the window to reach the handle of her door and unlock it. Julia moaned as he bumped against her.

  “Julia? Don’t try to move, okay? Just be still. I’m going to get you out.”

  She didn’t respond as he crawled into the bac
k seat and out the rear door. Quickly opening the driver’s door, he grimaced as Julia’s left arm fell awkwardly to her side. That’s broken, for sure. He saw the blood was coming from a gash on the left side of her head. Gingerly reaching over to unbuckle her seat belt, Marley reached underneath and lifted her out of the seat. She moaned again as he carried her to the soft shoulder and laid her in the grass. He took off his shirt and wiped her head and face before running back to check on the truck driver.

  Marley was surprised to see the man sitting on the other side of the road. He appeared dazed but, other than some superficial cuts to his face, mostly uninjured. Marley knelt beside him. “Hey, man, are you okay?” The guy, who appeared to be in his sixties, nodded and muttered, “She just pulled right in front of me. Right in front of me. I couldn’t stop in time!”

  “It’s okay, it’s okay. Not your fault. Are you all right here for a minute?” The man nodded again.

  Marley stopped to check on Julia again and was thankful to hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. He did not want to leave her alone in order to go back to the house and call the police. The car slowed, and Marley ran up to it as the driver lowered his window, asking, “What the heck happened? Is everybody okay?”

  “No,” Marley responded, “I need you to stay with the woman over there while I run back to the house and call for help.” Without waiting for a reply, Marley turned and took off up the drive, praying as he ran.

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  Marley dozed uncomfortably in a chair beside Julia’s bed. It was midnight, and she was sleeping. She had twenty stitches in her head, her left arm was badly broken, right ankle sprained, but her vitals were good, and there were no other serious injuries. She would have lots of bruising and be very sore for weeks to come. The doctor was keeping her sedated for now and told Marley not to expect any response until the morning. Miraculously, the truck driver had received only minor injuries, was treated in the emergency room and released.

  The sound of the door opening stirred Marley, and he sat up straight, concern etched on his face. The nurse whispered, “Don’t worry. This is just a routine check.” Her trained hands touched here and there, eyes reading numbers as she recorded information on a chart. She patted the blanket covering Julia’s legs and smiled at Marley as she spoke, “She’s going to be fine. Are you her husband?”

  “Uh, no. No, I’m a...uh, friend,” Marley stumbled as he tried to think of what he was to Julia.

  A nuisance, more like it. A thorn in her side.

  “She doesn’t have any family,” Marley explained.

  “Well, it’s good she has you.” The nurse smiled again as she turned to leave, closing the door softly.

  Julia might beg to differ.

  Marley stretched and stood up before moving to Julia’s bedside. She was not going to be happy about her hair. It had been necessary to shave the left side of her head from her ear to her temple. Maybe she can part it on the other side, Marley thought. Her face was swollen on that side, and he could see the bruises on her forehead and cheek. A cast covered her left arm from wrist to elbow. He realized with a start this would change things for the immediate future. Oh, man, now what?

  Chapter 27

  August 1972

  “You are not carrying me into the house!” Julia hissed. She was glaring at Marley from the passenger seat of his truck. The ankle injury forced her to rely on assistance. Something Julia Ready never did and she wasn’t starting now. She couldn’t use the crutches yet because of the cast on her arm and was furious at being so helpless.

  “And how do you plan on getting there then?” Marley retorted.

  Julia didn’t answer but glared at the house, as if it were a conspirator forcing her to bow to the enemy’s mercy.

  Marley tried again, softening his voice this time. “Look, I know you don’t like this. Neither do I, but you need help right now and since I’m the only one around, you need to let me do it.”

  Julia refused to meet his gaze, gritting her teeth against the tears that threatened. She drew in a deep breath before responding, “Fine.” Marley’s arms around her caused Julia to flinch so badly she nearly fell.

  “For God’s sake, can you just calm down? I’m not going to assault you, and I can’t carry you if you’re squirming!” Marley was struggling to not lose his temper. This was absolutely the most aggravating woman ever.

  Julia forced herself to be still. “Okay, sorry. I just...I don’t...never mind. Go ahead.”

  “If you want to go straight upstairs, I’ll carry you all the way and come back for your stuff, okay?”

  Julia’s instinct was to recoil, but she nodded instead. Marley lifted her with ease, and she did her best not to struggle. She was surprised at his strength, guessing it came from the farm work. She could feel the muscles in his arms and his heartbeat under the denim shirt. She clenched her eyes and refused to lean her head on his shoulder, forcing him to look around her as he moved forward.

  Reaching the master suite, Marley settled Julia on the bed and returned to the truck to retrieve her bag. He was also carrying a small bell which he sat on the nightstand.

  “Your grandmother would ring this when it was time to eat, so I thought you could use it if you need me for anything.”

  The sight of something so memorable nearly undid Julia. She could almost see Grandma Jean standing at the back door ringing that bell with all her might and hollering for her to come in for lunch. She heard Marley step quietly out of the room. Julia lay back on the bed, allowing the tears to run freely down the sides of her face, soaking the pillow.

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  Marley rocked slowly as he gazed out across the fields and thought about how Julia Ready felt in his arms. Her small but lithe body was like a frightened bird as he tried to hold her close so as not to drop her. She was stiff against him, but he could smell the fresh fragrance of her shampoo and the delicate scent of perfume or maybe body lotion. Vanilla. He’d not noticed it before. Of course, they had not been that close to each other prior to the accident. He shuddered at the memory of her in the mangled car, blood dripping from her head. Her face was still a bit swollen, and the bruises would be visible for another few weeks, but she was alive.

  Her arm and ankle would take the longest to heal, so he would be helping for a while. That thought made him feel warm inside.

  Lord, what is wrong with me? Why am I having these feelings about her? I don’t want to feel this way! Lord, I can’t feel this way. She doesn’t love you. It would never work. Ever. Please help me, please make these feelings go away.

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  Julia pushed herself into a sitting position on the side of the bed so she could see out the front window, but her mind was elsewhere. The memory of Marley’s arms around her, his smell, his strength, his gentleness, made her blush. She shook her head to clear it but to no avail. This was not good. Not good at all. She couldn’t stand him, so why was she feeling this way?

  It’s just the accident and the memories, that’s all. I’m not myself, not used to being helpless. It’s made me goofy, the pain medicine and everything. That’s it. I just need to get through this and get better so I can get on with my plans.

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  “Okay, fine, if you want to stink for the next few weeks, that’s up to you, but don’t expect me to hang around much. I’ll hold my nose when I deliver your food.” Marley stood at Julia’s bedroom door, arms crossed, feet planted.

  Julia glared at him, jaws clenched in frustration at her helplessness. She was in desperate need of a bath, and her hair was a tangled mess. Making do with a washcloth and one hand was coming to an end, but asking Marley for help was more than she could bring herself to do. Tears welled up, and she roughly brushed them away.

  Marley softened a bit, still bewildered at Julia’s stubbornness, but moved with pity for the situa
tion. It had been a challenging week for both of them. He opened his mouth to speak but, instead, stepped into the bathroom and turned on the warm water in the tub. Looking through the cabinets, he found washcloths and towels, placing one of each on a nearby stool. Bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bubble bath were already in place. He poured a capful of the bubble bath under the running water.

  Wordlessly, Marley stepped out of the bathroom and removed Julia’s pink terrycloth robe from the hook behind the door and draped it over a chair within easy reach.

  Julia watched silently.

  Checking the water level and temperature, he turned off the faucet and told Julia he would be back in a minute.

  Not knowing what to make of all this, she sat stoically on the side of the bed, listening to Marley’s rummaging downstairs.

  He returned carrying scissors, plastic wrap, and surgical tape from the bag that came home from the hospital. Approaching Julia, he held out the items and asked, “May I?”

  Julia nodded, and tears flowed as Marley wrapped her cast round and round with the plastic, carefully taping every other time to provide a waterproof covering. He finished off with a double loop of the tape at both ends of her cast. He laid everything aside and stood, holding his arm out. Julia stood without meeting his eyes, but allowed Marley to assist her to the bathroom where he gently lowered her to the chair, placed the small bell beside the tub, and quietly closed the door as he left.

  Chapter 28

  Several hours later

  Julia woke to the smell of something delicious. The ordeal of getting in and out of the tub, washing her hair and bathing with one hand sapped her completely. She was tempted to ring the bell for Marley to help her get back to bed, but after resting a few minutes, she managed to hobble there by herself, stopping only to down two aspirin to ease the throbbing in her ankle.

  She glanced at the clock, surprised to discover how long she slept. Sitting up, Julia unwrapped the damp towel from her head. She’d not bothered with her hair, too exhausted after her bath. Now, her pillow was also damp, and her hair mashed down on one side. Of course, since the accident, there was only one side of hair. Fuzz was beginning to grow over the scar left by the gash she’d received. Grabbing a comb from the bedside table, she flipped her hair over and made a new part. Fortunately, her hair was nice and thick, so she was able to effectively hide the baldness from anyone who wasn’t looking too closely.