by Jodi Vaughn
“You’re a smart one. Already imprinted my voice on your brain. Good for you, girl. Hey, if Elizabeth kicks you out, can you come over here and answer my phone like that when my ungrateful niece finally calls?”
Elizabeth had made it to the living room and was shaking her head. She held out her hand and Heather gave her the phone. “It’s Agnes.”
“I know. I could hear her all the way into the kitchen.”
“Good morning, Agnes.” Elizabeth talked while Heather went and gathered the rest of her clothes. She found the tennis shoes by the bedside table. She gathered a pair of socks and some underwear for Elizabeth. She laid them on the bed and then went back into the kitchen.
Elizabeth was rubbing her head as Agnes prattled on. Heather went into the kitchen and straightened things up before working on the pile of papers on the table and counter. She quickly made two piles. One of bills and important letters and one of junk mail. She found the broom in the pantry and swept up the kitchen floor. She dug out her notebook and pen from her backpack and quickly made a to-do list.
She would assist Elizabeth to get dressed and then help her out to the flower field to check on her flowers. She found a sheet of exercises that Elizabeth was to do on her days when physical therapy didn’t come. She looked it over and decided they would do the exercises after they got in from the field. She’d fix lunch and if she had time, run to town for groceries.
She got up and checked under the sink and the pantry, jotting down items she would need. She spotted a worn cookbook on the counter and took it back to the kitchen table.
She opened the worn and colored pages. Her fingers found a pot roast recipe.
“That is my favorite cookbook.” Elizabeth eased into the kitchen.
Heather stood up quickly. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Sit.” Elizabeth waved her back down. “Since my kids have left, I’ve not been cooking much. Perhaps look through it and find some recipes you like and we will make them.”
She opened the cookbook. “What’s your favorite recipe?”
“Fried chicken.” She tapped her fingers to the cookbook. “Page 87. That’s the best chicken recipe I’ve ever tried. Do you like fried chicken?”
“Yes. But I usually get it from KFC.”
“This is better.” Elizabeth smiled. She turned the cookbook where she could see. She thumbed through the casserole section and pointed out some recipes for Heather to try.
Heather quickly jotted down a grocery list of ingredients.
“I’ve noticed you need some cleaning items. I made a list while you were talking to Ms. Agnes.” She slid the list over to Elizabeth. “Are these what you normally use? If not, I can substitute them.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I’m sure what you have down is good enough. After we see to the flowers, then I’ll let you run into town for groceries and supplies. I’ll go shower and get dressed.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, I can manage.” She eased toward the bedroom and shut the door.
Chapter 5
Grayson pulled up to Harland Creek Farm and killed the engine. He noticed an unfamiliar car parked in the drive with Georgia tags.
He knew Elizabeth’s children didn’t live in Georgia.
He got out of his truck and took the steps two at a time to the front door.
He knocked on the door and a young woman opened the door.
She was in her early twenties, with long blond hair and blue eyes. She wore jeans that were a size too big and an oversized T-shirt.
“Can I help you?” She eyed him suspiciously and didn’t invite him in.
“I’m here to see Ms. Elizabeth.” He looked over her shoulder. It was easy enough to do since he towered over her.
“Can I ask who is calling?” She lifted her chin defiantly.
He chuckled. “No.” He pushed past her and stepped inside the foyer.
“Excuse me. I didn’t invite you in.” She fisted her hands at her sides.
“Lady, I haven’t been invited inside in years.”
“I’ll call the police.” She glared at him.
“Good. The chief’s name is Cooper. Tell him he owes me fifty dollars from our poker night.” He stepped inside the living room.
“You have some nerve barging in here like you own the place.” She got into his space and glared.
“Grayson, what’s going on in here?” Elizabeth stepped into the living room using the aid of a walker.
He smiled. “Ms. Elizabeth. I’m just getting acquainted with your new…” He looked back at the young woman, unsure exactly who she was.
“Grayson McCade, this is Heather Smith. She’s answered the ad in the paper for a caregiver. Someone to help until I get back on my feet.”
“Sure you didn’t advertise for a bodyguard?” He spoke under his breath so only Heather could hear.
Heather looked at Ms. Elizabeth. “You know him?”
“Yes, of course. Grayson has a farm next to mine. And his sister, Olivia, owns the florist shop in town. She buys a lot of my flowers and helps me ship to other florists they know in other parts of Mississippi.” Ms. Elizabeth gave him a grateful smile.
“You’re looking well, Ms. Elizabeth. You’ll be dancing in no time.” He smiled.
She barked out a laugh and swatted him on the arm. “You know I never dance.”
He let his gaze slide over to Heather, who was watching him carefully.
“You got here just in time, Grayson. I was about to take Heather out to the flower fields so I could see what needs to be done.”
“Perfect. I’ll bring the four-wheeler around.”
“I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to hop on that. At least for a while. I was going to walk.”
“Are you sure you want me to come, Ms. Elizabeth? I could stay here and clean up a bit while Grayson takes you down to the flowers.”
He noticed Heather didn’t bother looking at him. Who was this girl? And why did Elizabeth hire her so fast? He would have thought she would have chosen someone older, someone stronger.
Something about Heather didn’t add up.
“I need you to go with me. Grayson won’t be here every day. Just for picking up flowers. I need you so I can tell you what to do.”
Heather’s face fell.
Was she going to ransack the house while Elizabeth was out in the field?
Something told him to keep his eye on her.
“How are you managing the stairs?” Grayson asked.
“The doctor told me no stairs. But I’m tempted to climb them anyway. You know my sewing room is upstairs.” She laughed and her eyes sparkled.
“Don’t be going against the doctor’s orders.” He let her out the front door first. And then he held the door open for Heather.
She stepped outside but looked none too pleased at having to be in his company.
Too bad. He had a lot of respect for Ms. Elizabeth, and he wasn’t going to just let some stranger try to rip her off.
“Why don’t you hold on to me.” Heather put one arm around Ms. Elizabeth’s waist to assist her.
The older woman gave her a grateful smile.
“Here, let me help,” Grayson offered.
“No, it’s best if I can help her. That’s why I am here.” Heather scaled him with a look. “If you want to help, bring her walker outside.”
He bristled but went inside to retrieve the walker.
“Thank you, Grayson, but Heather is right. She’ll be here until I’m fully recovered so it’s best for her to help when she can.” She took the steps one at a time. Once they got to the bottom, she grabbed the walker with both hands.
They walked slowly to the fields. The dew was still on the ground and Grayson noticed that Heather kept her gaze averted. Even though Ms. Elizabeth was walking well with the walker, Heather hovered near her.
“I didn’t know you planted so many tulips. And look how well they’re doing. And I see your gladiolus is starting to come up for summer.” Grayson stop
ped on the other side of the gate leading into the field of flowers.
“I just had to get the right conditions to have such a good crop of tulips. I’m pleased they turned out so well. I’ll add more varieties in the fall.” She pointed toward the field. “I had some requests from a few florists in Jackson and Memphis. Seems like gladiolus are going to be a big request for weddings. So I added more white and peach varieties along with the usual colors.” Ms. Elizabeth looked on her field and smiled.
Grayson heard the soft inhale from Heather. He cut his eyes over in her direction.
She’d been so focused on watching the ground for anything that might trip Ms. Elizabeth that she’d not been looking at the fields.
Her mouth dropped and her eyes widened slightly. “You grew all these?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Sure did.” The pride was evident in her voice. “Even when they said there was no way tulips would grow in Mississippi weather.”
“I had no idea flowers grew like this. There are so many. Almost as far as the eye can see.”
“You thought they grew them in a grocery store?” Grayson cocked his head.
She blinked and looked over at him. She remembered she obviously didn’t think much of him and glared.
“I need to see what the roses are doing on the other end. I had Justin come water them, but he knows nothing about flowers.”
“Who’s Justin?” Heather asked.
“He is Grayson’s farmhand.” Elizabeth stopped at the fence.
“Justin knows cows, not flowers,” Grayson added. “I’ll get the four-wheeler and drive down there and report back. I’ll take pictures for you with my phone.”
“Wait.” Ms. Elizabeth touched Heather on the arm. “Go with him.”
“Me?” Heather cringed.
Not the usual reaction he got from a woman.
“Yes, you. I need you to go with him. Grayson will show you where the irrigation switch is and how to turn it on and off. He’ll also tell you about the different flowers and how to inspect them.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll stay right here. If you’re going to take care of me while I’m recovering, you’re going to have to help me with the flowers. Unless you’re not up for it…” Ms. Elizabeth cocked her head.
“Yes. I’m up for it,” Heather said a little too quickly.
Grayson narrowed his eyes. He didn’t trust the woman.
“Perfect. Now run along and I’ll wait right here.”
“I’ll be right back with the four-wheeler.” Grayson jogged back to the barn. When he pulled up to the older lady, he pulled the fold-up chair off the back of the four-wheeler.
“I thought you might like to sit in case it takes us a while.” Grayson unfolded the chair and placed it by the fence.
“Thank you, Grayson.” She gave him a weary smile.
“You ready?” Grayson turned to Heather.
“I am.” She lifted her chin in a defiant stance.
He hopped on the four-wheeler and waited for her to get behind him.
Her gaze skittered from him to the small seat where she was expected to sit. She wiped her hands on her jeans and tried to get on behind him without actually touching him.
When she sat, she tried to sit as far back from him as possible.
He snorted. It was going to be a bumpy ride from where she was perched. But that was her problem, not his.
He started the engine and turned the handles in the direction into the field. He started slow as he drove through the large pathway and examined the multitude of colorful flowers.
He turned down the dirt path between the rows of gladiolus. Their spikey little heads were pushing through the soil.
He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “These are gladiolus.”
“So they don’t bloom in the spring.” She pulled out a small notebook and pencil nub out of her jeans.
He frowned as she made a note. “They bloom in the summer. These are the white ones; these are pink and red, and those over there are peach. Farther down are the yellow and orange ones.”
She nodded and scribbled a note.
“How often do I water them?”
“Depends on the forecast. We’ve been having a dry spell for a couple of weeks, so Justin has come over and turned on the irrigation system for Ms. Elizabeth.”
“How long do I water for? And how will I know if when it rains it will be enough?” She tugged on her bottom lip.
“The irrigation system is on a timer. Ms. Elizabeth will tell you if you need to water or not. All you do is turn the water on. I’ll show you where that is when we finish looking at the flowers.”
“That sounds easy enough.” She made another note in her notebook.
“Let’s go look at the roses.” He gunned the engine and she jerked back and grabbed the back of his shirt to hold on.
She mumbled something under her breath, and he guessed it wasn’t anything too nice.
“Sorry,” he said over his shoulder. It had been a while since he’d ridden a four-wheeler with a passenger.
He turned down a different dirt row and stopped when he came to the first row of red roses.
He hopped off and stared at her.
“Well?” He didn’t bother keeping the impatient tone out of his voice.
“Well, what?”
“You need to get off and inspect the roses. She’s going to want a report when we get back. She’s very concerned about her flowers. She doesn’t need them to fail.”
Heather scrambled off the four-wheeler and stood, her chin lifted.
He narrowed his eyes at her. She didn’t look like any caregiver he’d ever seen.
“You don’t look very old. I can’t imagine you have had much experience on being a caregiver.”
“I’m older than I look.” She narrowed her eyes.
“And that would be?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m twenty-two.” She matched his glare. “And how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-six. Thanks for asking. And how long have you been in this line of work?” He cocked his head.
“Mr. McCade, why are you so interested in my life? Don’t you have enough to keep you busy with cows?”
He smirked. “Are you refusing to answer my question?”
“Less than a year. I’ve been a caretaker less than a year.” She skated his question and walked down the long row of thorny rose bushes with no flowers. “There aren’t any roses blooming. Is something wrong with them?” She scribbled on her pad.
“No. Roses won’t bloom until summer.”
“What about fertilizer? Is there any special care for roses?”
“Yes. But don’t bother writing anything down. Ms. Elizabeth already has a printout taped to her kitchen door. She keeps a detailed schedule on watering, fertilizer, and harvesting.”
“I see.” She pressed her lips together and shoved the pad and pencil back in her jeans pocket.
Grayson walked behind her as she examined the flowers.
He ran his finger across a leaf. “The majority of the roses are red. She also has long-stemmed yellow and white and pink as well.”
“It’s April. So she didn’t have any for Valentine’s Day?” She frowned.
She was quick. He had to give her that.
“No. She’s hoping to put in a greenhouse. That way she can grow throughout the year. Even when weather is bad. Come on, we need to check the tulips.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her full lips.
Something stirred in his chest. He shook his head. She may be pretty but pretty wasn’t always nice. He knew that from experience.
Chapter 6
Heather couldn’t stop staring at all the tulips.
She’d never seen so much vibrant color in her life.
She’d always been surrounded by grays and blacks. Now she was standing in the midst of a rainbow.
“These will need to be harvested.” Grayson propped his hands on his hips. “Everyone
wants tulips as soon as spring arrives.”
“Does your sister…”
“Olivia.”
“Does Olivia sell all of these in her shop? Driving in, I noticed Harland Creek was a pretty small town.”
“What it lacks in numbers, it makes up for in character.”
She bristled at his response. She could read people. It was a trait that had gotten her through foster homes all her life.
It was perfectly clear to her. Grayson McCade didn’t care for her.
He pulled out his cell phone. “The answer to your question is no.”
“No, what?”
“No. My sister doesn’t sell all of these tulips. But she has contacts in Jackson and Memphis that will.” He sent a text.
“So how do I harvest?” She waited for an answer.
“You won’t be doing anything.” He turned on his booted heel. “You’re here to take care of Elizabeth.”
“I can do both. Take care of her and the farm.” She struggled to keep up with his long stride. Her tennis shoe sank into a muddy spot and she had to stop long enough to pull it out.
He turned around and looked at her foot. “You’re going to need to wear rubber boots when you are out here.”
“I don’t have any.” She swallowed hard. She was doing so good until he showed up and began to point out how useless she was.
If he would just go and leave her alone to figure things out on her own.
He glared and headed back to the four-wheeler. By the time she reached him, he had already started the quad.
“And don’t get your mud everywhere,” he groused.
No sooner had she climbed on than he started off. She jerked backward and had to cling to him to set herself right.
They reached Elizabeth and she quickly climbed off.
“How are things looking?” Elizabeth was leaning against the gate.
“Good. The tulips need to be picked… er… harvested. If you can tell me how I can start on that right away.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Easy, easy. First things first. Olivia will reach out to her contacts and figure out who needs what. Then we will reserve a cooler truck so we can have some place to hold them as well as transport them. That will take a couple of days.”