Potager Plot

by Vikki Walton

  “Great. He’s off hiking the Appalachian Trail. So what can I help you with?”

  “I need some more Nighty-Night tea and some nettle tea. Also, some ashwagandha tincture.”

  “Got it.” Autumn went to a shelf and pulled down a bottle. “Anything else?”

  “Is Hope around?”

  “She is, but she’s with a patient. Between this shop and lots of new people moving into town seeking a doctor, she’s been really busy.”

  “That explains why I haven’t seen her over at the Brandywine Inn lately.” She paid for her items. “I’ll call her later, but you can tell her I stopped by. Kandi is cooking dinner tonight. I’m sure she’d love it if you joined us. There’s a new girl your age—Aly—who’ll be there.”

  “Sounds fun.” The bell on the door rang as a group of ladies came in. “What time?”

  “Six? And not to worry. Kandi’s been doing a lot of whole-food, plant-based meals.”

  Autumn moved from around the counter, and Anne spied her burgeoning belly.

  “Autumn, you’re expecting!”

  She beamed. “Yes, hence the reason I didn’t go on the hiking trip.”

  Anne reached over and hugged her. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. Now I’ll waddle over and help these ladies. See you at six?”

  “Great.” Anne watched as the young woman, heavy with child, toddled over to the shoppers. A touch of envy poked its head at the sight of flourishing motherhood but was quickly replaced with gratitude for her current circumstances.

  She stepped outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. One thing about spring was it always brought the excitement of new life. Anne spent some time browsing the bookstore before making her way home with the addition of a couple of new books. She rounded a corner and sat on a bench next to a bank of lilac bushes. They were coming into flower and Anne enjoyed the time bathing in the delightful scent. Footsteps crunched behind her, but a small utility building blocked her view.

  A woman’s voice drifted to her. “How much longer? You’ve got to tell her. Do something.”

  “Or what?” It was a man’s deep, harsh whisper. He said something else Anne couldn’t understand.

  The woman’s voice rose hysterically. “Or else.”

  “Quiet!”

  Anne’s brow furrowed as she listened. The woman’s voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Harsh hushed voices continued. At this point, if she moved, they’d know she was there. She remained still. Finally, the pair moved farther away.

  Anne stood up and dusted off her pants. She rounded the corner and saw Jennifer jogging across the street. Who had she been speaking with? Anne made her way toward the trailhead that would lead her to her house.

  A woman crouched next to the path, a camera in her hand. The woman rose and turned toward Anne. It was Kim. “Oh, you startled me! I was taking a picture of this flower for the yearly calendar our club puts out.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She looked around. “You’ve been here long?”

  Anne responded, “Just getting in a bit of shopping before heading home. You?”

  “No. I remembered this is a great time to get pictures here so thought I’d take a shot at it.”

  “Well, good to see you again. Need to get going. Bye.”

  “Bye.” Kim waved.

  Who had been arguing with the man—Jennifer or Kim? Who was the man? She had seen no one, and the voice was masked enough that it was hard to distinguish. More importantly, the words—you’ve got to do something or else—repeated in her mind.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kandi looked up from her mixing bowl as Anne entered the kitchen. “Perfect timing. Can you cut up items for the salad? It’s warm outside, so I figured we’d just do large buddha bowl type salads.”

  “Sounds good.” Anne stepped over to the sink, where she squirted soap on her hands. “Are you familiar with the members of the garden club?”

  “Sort of. Why?” She rubbed her cheek against a raised shoulder. “Why is it that as soon as your hands are busy, your nose or face itches?”

  Anne chuckled. “Yep. Not a clue.” She picked up a knife and sliced into a juicy, ripe red tomato on the cutting board. “So tell me about them. I stopped by Hope’s before I came home and on the way back, heard either Kim or Jennifer—not sure which—arguing with a man.”

  Kandi wiped her bangs off her forehead with her arm. “Who was it? Do you know?”

  “Nope. But she said, ‘you better do something or else’ to him.”

  “Yikes. So you don’t know if it was Jennifer or Kim?”

  “No. I saw both of them right after. I think it was probably Jennifer as I saw her jogging back across the street, but it could have been Kim, too. She acted weird and said she was photographing a flower for the group’s calendar.”

  “What’s weird about that?” Kandi grabbed an iron skillet from a pot rack and poured polenta batter in the pan.

  “It just seemed weird. For instance, she’s in the garden club, so she would know what flower it is. Yet, she didn’t say I’m photographing this columbine or whatever. It was more like it had just come to mind to use as her reason for being there.”

  Kandi responded, “Do you think she was following Jennifer and whoever she was meeting?” She set the pan on the stove and picked up a container holding tofu in marinade.

  “Is Stewart going to eat that?” Anne motioned to the tofu with a carrot she held.

  “Like, no way.” She laughed. “I’ve already made some grilled chicken, but I could see him sneaking off for a burger if he can get away with it.” She wiped her hands on a cloth before beginning the process of slicing the tofu into cubes and dropping them back into the marinade. “It’s really sad about Billie, isn’t it?”

  “What’s going on with her?”

  “Lung cancer. You know, I did, like, some reading on the emotional and physical connection and its supposedly related to grief. She thought she’d beat it, but it came back.”

  “And Ben’s her husband? He doesn’t seem very attentive to her.” Anne finished peeling the carrots and popped a slice in her mouth. “Here, these are ready to shred.”

  Kandi took the carrots from Anne. “He’s okay. I think he’s a typical guy because it affects him more than he acts.” She wiped her hands on a cloth and moved on to putting the carrots through the hopper of the food processor. “Can you slice up some red onion? It’s over there.”

  Anne shucked the onion out of its skin and sliced it into rings. She arranged the onions on a platter next to edamame. “I think some people just don’t know what to say or do in some circumstances like that, so they do nothing. Wait, Jennifer was pretty flirty with Ben. You don’t think—”

  “She’s flirty with pretty much every man. Wait, I take that back. Except her own husband.”

  “Um, Brian, right?”

  Kandi nodded, her earrings bobbing in motion with her head.

  “Yep. He’s pretty quiet but a nice guy. I don’t think he really wants to be there, but he’s a font of plant knowledge. Other than Mercy, he’s the one we turn to when we have issues in the garden.”

  “So, you’re a member of that group? I didn’t think you were.”

  “The main group. I’m not a member of their SIG.”

  “What’s that again?”

  “Special interest group.”

  “Oh, right. Mercy seems very attentive to Billie. Are they friends outside of the group?”

  “Oh yes, like, they’ve been best friends since who knows when. Billie really depends on Mercy. Funny thing is that Mercy can’t stand Ben. I don’t know what’s going on there, but she often says things that let you know he’s not one of her favorite people.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t like the way he treats Billie?”

  “Could be.” Kandi pulled some olives from a jar with a slotted spoon and placed them on the second platter. She pointed with the spoon. “There’s some yellow and red bell peppers in the fridge
. Could you slice those up next?”

  “Sure. Maybe Mercy feels Ben’s not doing enough for Billie.” Anne sliced the peppers into strips and put them with the other items.

  “But, you know, couples often act differently in public than they do in private.” Kandi slid the polenta into the heated oven.

  “True, but I think there’s something else. I think she believes he’s having an affair or something.”

  “Oh, wow. That’s horrible if true.”

  “Before you arrived, I heard Mercy and Ben talking before the meeting. She as much as said he better not do anything to hurt Billie. I didn’t realize who they were or what it meant at the time, but it makes more sense now.”

  Kandi shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I think you may be jumping to some constellations.”

  “You mean conclusions?”

  “Isn’t that what I said? Wait, no. Constellations.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  Kandi brushed her bangs back from her face. “Sure, it does. Constellations are stars, and they’re really far away. So you’re jumping to something that is really far out.”

  Anne burst out laughing. “I do not know how your mind works, but that one has to be your best yet.”

  “Why, thank you.” Kandi stuck out her tongue. “Anyway, it’s a mute point.”

  “Seriously? I can’t even—”

  Kandi made a face as Anne laughed. “Okay. Fine. I see what you’re doing now. I’m going to ‘mute’ you…hm, that makes me think. I don’t think it’s a moot point. What if Billie knows what’s going on?”

  “No, I don’t see it. Plus, I don’t see Ben as the kind of guy to have an affair.”

  “What else or who else could it have been then?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s see. That leaves James and Kim, I think.”

  Anne reached over and grabbed an olive, popping it in her mouth. “Are they a couple?”

  “Nope. James is there mainly because he’s a friend of Ben’s, and he helps out with building projects. As soon as Ben shows up, he is out of there. I don’t think he’s married, or if he is, his wife isn’t a part of the garden club. I don’t know much about Kim. I think she’s another friend of Billie’s.”

  Anne arranged the sliced peppers on the platter. “This is really pretty with all these bright colors. What kind of dressing do you have?”

  “I’ve made a poppyseed, a vinaigrette, ranch, and I’ll also have olive oil.”

  “That sounds great. Lots of good options. Let’s see, I feel like I’m missing someone who was there.”

  The front doorbell rang.

  “Ah, that’s probably Aly. That’s probably who you meant. To be honest, I think she may have a bit of a crush on Ben. She’s always positioning herself close to him when she can.”

  “She’s quite a bit younger than him. Do you think so?” Anne wiped her hands on a nearby dishcloth.

  “Who knows? Just, like, the vibe I get,” Kandi replied.

  She walked into the living room and Anne followed, admiring once again how Kandi had decorated the old Victorian house. Anne’s house across the street was similar in layout, but the décor was more sedate than Kandi’s style.

  Anne could see two faces through the leaded glass door. Autumn must have arrived at the same time.

  Kandi flung open the door and, like her usual exuberant self, gathered each up in a hug like she hadn’t seen them for months. “Come in! Come in. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Anne greeted the women with a more laid-back approach before Kandi escorted Aly into the kitchen.

  “Well, that was awkward,” Autumn said.

  “What? You’re not used to Kandi’s hugs by now?”

  “No, not that. As we were walking from our cars, Aly asked about my pregnancy and if I planned to keep the baby. I said, of course, but she noted that I wasn’t wearing a ring.” Autumn placed her hand in the small of her back. “I don’t feel I need to explain myself to anyone but there was something—I don’t know, that made me feel I needed to reassure her, so I told her that my hands had swollen, so I wasn’t wearing my ring.”

  “I agree. That is awkward. Did she seem satisfied with your answer?”

  “Yes, it was just strange.” She shrugged and touched her abdomen. “Ouch. Sometimes these kicks are something. Right?” Autumn put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, how thoughtless. I’m sorry. Kandi told me about you not being able to have a child and as she has no mother, you’d adopted each other. I apologize again at not thinking.”

  Anne shook her head. “No need to apologize. All things work to the good. Not saying I haven’t grieved that, but I’m thankful for Kandi and the others in my life.”

  Just then, a moppy-haired, gangly young teen swept in the front door.

  “Like this kid. Spencer, I think you know Autumn.”

  He nodded. “Hi. Good to see you.” Spencer addressed Anne. “Some kids are going out for pizza. Is it okay if I join them?”

  “School work all done?” Anne asked.

  “Yep. Plus, I got my notes on the drip irrigation I’m doing for the garden club. I’ve already got a couple of places. I’m saving up for a car.”

  Anne groaned. “Ugh, don’t even. I thought we discussed a bike first.”

  Autumn laughed. “It’s the age-old cry of every teenager.”

  “What’s that?” Spencer pushed his hair out of his eyes.

  “Freeeee…dom,” Anne and Autumn yelled.

  Kandi yelled from the kitchen. “What’s going on in there? Sounds like you all are having too much fun without us.”

  “Bye.” Spencer leaned over and gave Anne a peck on the cheek.

  “Be home by ten.”

  “Eleven?’ He gestured.

  “Ten-thirty.”

  “Done.” He waved at Autumn and bounded out the door.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s a foster kid. Is that right?”

  “Yes. Long story but as soon as Carson and I are married, we plan on adopting him.”

  Anne stopped as the words became a tangible reminder of how her life would soon be changing. For the time she’d been in Carolan Springs, Sheriff Carson had gone from being more of an adversary to a friend and then to love. Over Christmas, he’d asked her to marry him, and she’d quickly said yes, but truth be told, her feet weren’t just cold, they were down-right frozen. They’d agreed not to say anything to Spencer about adoption, but that hung over her head as well. If Anne decided against marriage, that might make it a bit harder to adopt Spencer, and he could go instead to live with Carson. Spencer was pretty settled in Anne’s house, so that would mean one more disruption in his life. She didn’t think she could face him if she did that to him.

  “Anne—”

  “Oh, sorry. Lost in thought. I’m ready to eat. How about you?” She linked arms with Autumn and led her into the kitchen, where Kandi was heaping the cooked tofu into a bowl next to a bowl of quinoa.

  “This looks yummy. I hope you didn’t do all this just for me.” Autumn waved toward the spread of food.

  “Of course I did.” Kandi winked.

  “Well, I love this type of meal where everyone can fix their salad the way they like.” Aly replied.

  Anne spoke to Kandi. “Stewart joining us?”

  Anne handed a plate to Autumn, who began filling her plate. Aly picked up a plate and waited behind her.

  Kandi shook her head. “Nope. He said to enjoy a girls’ gab fest. He went with some of his construction buddies out for dinner.”

  “Well, it sounds like we’ve got time to learn a bit about you, Aly.”

  The young woman gave a guarded smile. “Sure.”

  Just then, Anne’s phone beeped with a text message.

  Can you come over tomorrow to talk some more about the food forest in my backyard?

  Sure. What time?

  Say 10?

  Sounds good. Be there then.

  Anne tucked the phone back in her pocket. “That was Billie
. She wants to talk to me about the layout for the food forest in her back yard. Anne picked up a plate before continuing. I’m glad she decided to do this. It will be completed quicker, and we’re going to add in a lot of flowering plants she can enjoy now. I know that she wanted to have a big garden but with her health taking another downturn—”

  “Do you think she’s going to die soon?” Aly cut in.

  What a question. “None of us know. I’m not sure-”

  “I was just asking. I didn’t mean anything by it. Geez,” Aly responded.

  “Sometimes having a project or something to look forward to is very helpful, and even healing to a point.” Autumn lowered herself carefully into a seat at the table.

  “Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Aly sat across from Autumn.

  “None of us can say what the next day will bring. But many people have beaten cancer, so there’s always hope,” Autumn replied.

  “I just wish it would hurry up.” Aly speared some lettuce on her fork.

  Anne glanced over at Kandi, who made a ‘no clue what that means’ face. They were interrupted by the back door flying open and Hope bursting through the door. “Hello! Sorry I’m late. This has been an insane week.” Hope walked over and gave Kandi a hug before giving another one to Anne. She reached across the table and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Hope.”

  The young girl motioned to her mouth, where she was chewing.

  Hope laughed. “I’m like that server who always stops by to see how the food is right when your mouth is full so you can’t say anything. So, all good?”

  Aly nodded and continued chewing.

  Kandi said, “This is Aly. She moved here about, let’s see, four—”

  Aly shook her head and held up six fingers. She finished chewing and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Six months.”

  “Well, good to meet you. Now if you’ll allow me, I’m going to grab some of this yummy food, and then I’ll join you.” Hope turned to the display of food.

  Anne waited for Aly to finish drinking her iced tea “So, Aly, I think you said at the garden club meeting that you’d decided to come to Carolan Springs because of the opening at Sorcha’s bookstore.”.