by Tonya Kappes
“I’m fine.” I opened the back door of the cruiser. Pepper jumped out and bounced toward the cabin. “I fell asleep at Pet Palace and Spencer was kind enough to give us a ride home.”
Spencer had walked around to the back of the cruiser where he unhitched my bike. Patrick walked back to give him a hand and once it was free, Patrick walked it up to the porch.
“I was worried sick when you didn’t answer your phone so I rushed over.” He looked between my mother and me. “At first glance I thought it was you that was waiting on the porch.”
“Surprise.” Mom did spirit hands in front of her body. “I’m guessing I’m the last person you expected to see on your porch.”
“Where are my manners?” I was so shocked to see my mom that my brain had melted into mush. “You obviously already know Patrick.”
“Your fiancé.” She gave a cross look at Spencer.
“This is Spencer Shepard, the sheriff in Honey Springs.” I gestured between the two. “Spencer, this here is Penny Bloom, my mother.”
The two exchanged pleasantries.
“Did you know your mom was coming?” Patrick asked.
“No clue.” I let out an exhausted sigh and opened my door. Pepper bolted in and immediately curled up in his dog bed next to the wood fireplace.
The cabin was pretty much an open floor plan. The right side was a small kitchen with open shelving; the left side of the cabin was a family room with a couple of comfy couches, wood fireplace, and a small TV. The bedroom was in the room on the left side of the small hallway and a bathroom on the right. My laundry room was in a closet in the bathroom and the washer and dryer were the stackable kind. There was a loft upstairs that had a murphy bed, but I mainly used it for storage.
Over the past ten years of doing the adulthood thing, I’d accumulated some stuff that I wasn’t prepared to get rid of. Mainly law books, some photos, and a few things from my childhood. All of which my mother didn’t really participate in.
“Of all the people who would come to Honey Springs, I’d have never guessed you,” I said when she walked into the cabin.
Not that I really minded my mother being there, it was that she didn’t like Honey Springs. When I was a child and my dad would even start to talk about my annual summer trip, my mother would go off the rail on how Aunt Maxi was nothing but a loon and there was no sense in me staying with her. It was the only time I ever heard my parents fight. And it was always about Honey Springs.
“I thought you were off on some grand adventure with what’s his name.” I could feel my patience thinning with the unneeded stress that Mom seemed to bring on me.
“I was off on a grand adventure.” She rocked back on her heels and kept an eye on me. “But I missed my daughter. I called you several times, which you didn’t answer and so I had to resort to calling your aunt Maxi.”
“Really?” I walked around the cabin and tidied up what was already tidy. It kept me busy. “Because she never said a word.”
“Of course she didn’t. She always wanted you for herself. She was the one that told me about you and my soon-to-be son-in-law.” Her shoulders did a shimmy-shake. “I can’t wait to go dress shopping with you for your dress and, of course, one for the mother of the bride.”
“Whoa.” I looked at the time. “We don’t have a date set and no dress shopping. I’m going to bed. Four-thirty comes awfully early.”
Patrick seemed to be taking it all in. He’d known about my mother and how we had a strained relationship. It wasn’t like I didn’t talk about her. I’m pretty sure every summer I cried leaving Honey Springs because I didn’t want to go home. Not that my mother and I didn’t get along, we did. We just didn’t have that mother-daughter relationship that most of my friends had.
“I’m glad you’re okay. And I can tell you’ve had your fill.” Patrick eased the tension with a sweet kiss and a big bear hug. “We can talk in the morning.”
His hand slid down my arm and clasped his fingers around mine. We walked outside and stood on the porch, looking out into the black night. The bullfrogs croaked in the distance, the crickets happily played their song and the hum of a fishing boat echoed from Lake Honey Springs.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in the morning,” I assured him.
When I went back inside, Mom must’ve been worn out. It looked like she’d sat down on the couch and went to rest her eyes, but passed out cold instead.
The next morning the alarm went off at the right time. Four-thirty a.m. Mom was fast asleep. She was a deep sleeper so I knew I could make a little noise and not wake her up. Pepper and I did our best to be quiet. There was no way I wanted to get into why she was really here. I mean really here. The bike ride to the coffeehouse was exactly the fresh breath I needed to get my morning started.
“I heard there was a scuffle down at the Farmer’s Market yesterday,” Bunny asked when we had a second to catch our breath after the lunch rush.
Tank and Pepper were snuggled up on Pepper’s bed Patrick had gotten for him from Walk In The Bark Pet Boutique a few doors down. They’d been loved on so much from the crowd in the coffeehouse from breakfast to lunch, they were exhausted.
On most days, the lunchtime crowds stroll in for a dessert and coffee treat or they are on their lunch break and need a cake or some sort of sweet treat for their home. For those customers looking for more than to satisfy their sweet tooth, I make a couple baked casseroles or quiches each day.
Today was Kentucky hot brown day and by the time the lunch rush was over, there was only a four-inch square left of the fifteen hot browns I’d made.
“You did?” I scooped the leftover piece and put it on a plate, sliding it across the kitchen prep island for Bunny to enjoy.
I poured myself a cup of coffee. It’d been so busy this morning that I’d not been able to finish a cup and I needed it.
Pepper got out of his bed and walked over. His nose stuck up in the air curious to see if I was making him some treats. I’d already made a big batch over the weekend that would last the entire week of four-legged customers that came in with their two-legged owners. Every Sunday The Bean Hive was closed half of a day. I spent the closed time preparing all the baked goods for the week and that included the animal treats.
I flipped the lid on Pepper’s jar of treats that sat on the counter and tossed him a special treat. He took it back to his bed and savored every morsel.
“I also heard you dissolved it.” She licked her lips before she put a big forkful in her mouth.
“Oh no,” I gasped and looked at the bag of apples that I’d completely forgotten to pay for. “I didn’t pay Fred for my apples.”
“Because you were talking Louise off her rocker?” She smiled knowing she’d had me and that I was about to spill my guts.
I dragged the bag over to the counter and lined up the granny smith apples. According to the clock, I could make and bake a few dozen of my delicious apple honey crisps. Fred Hill would have to forgive me and accept my apology along with my payment if I took him some crisp cookies made with his freshly picked apples.
“You’ve got a funny look in your eye,” Bunny muttered with the last bite of the hot brown in her mouth.
“I’m going to take Fred Hill some of my apple honey crisps, pay for my apples, and then I’ll tell you about the little mishap at the market,” I chewed on my words but didn’t delay.
The stems of the apples needed to be plucked and the apples needed to be cleaned and cut to make perfectly sized apple chunks.
“Do you think you can manage out front while I get to baking?” I asked and threw a clean apron over my head and tied it snuggly around my waist.
“Take your own sweet time.” Bunny walked over to the dishwasher, putting her dish in. “I’ve got nothing to do but help you. I’ll be sure to get Tank out for a walk too.”
“You are the best, Bunny,” I said.
I quickly cut and peeled five of the a
pples, tossed them in lemon juice and set them aside so I could get the rest of the ingredients ready and mixed. After I’d made the special oatmeal cookie cups and formed them in the cupcake pan, I filled each one with the apple filling, and stuck them in the oven.
Over the next thirty minutes I peeled, chopped, mixed and filled all the cupcake pans I had and stuck them on the baking rack in the refrigerator. There were a couple sugar cookies and mini blueberry muffins I pulled out to make room for all of the apple crisp pans. I stuck those in the oven and knew when I left to take Fred the treat and his money I’d be able to leave Bunny with enough stock to get her through until closing time.
The sweet and savory aroma of the apple crisp floated in the air, making my mouth water. The edges of the oatmeal cookie were golden brown and the center apple filling bubbled a little, a sure sign the cookie was cooked perfectly.
With the kitchen cleaned and the coffeehouse restocked for the rest of the day’s customers, Pepper and I biked back to the cabin. Pepper was careful not to crush Mr. Hill’s treat that was in the basket next to him.
“Mom,” I called when I walked into the house to grab my car keys that were sitting in a basket on my kitchen counter.
When she didn’t answer, I looked around, figuring she’d taken a walk to the lake. It was turning out to be a beautiful early summer day. Perfect weather for a nice walk or even a light hike along the shore.
“Ready, Pepper?” I didn’t have to worry about grabbing a leash for Pepper. He was so good at commands and sticking close to my side. I was very fortunate.
Pepper’s back legs were planted on the seat and his front paws were on the door handle with his nose pressed up against the glass. I hit the automatic window button. He stuck his head out and shook his head in the breeze as the wind whipped in his bushy grey brows and mustache. I never knew the joy a dog could bring until I’d gone to Pet Palace with Louise and he’d stolen my heart.
Thinking of Louise, I’d decided to give her a quick call and let her know I’d be there in an hour or so. Hopefully by the time I was done visiting with Fred, I’d have a few answers as to why she was so mad at him and be able to help her get over it when I went to see her.
“Call Pet Palace,” I spoke to the built-in phone program in my car.
The phone rang and rang until the answering machine finally picked up. That struck me as strange. I’d never known her to leave the front desk un-manned. I left her a quick message reminding her of how I told her I was going to stop by.
Hill’s Orchard, along with most of the farms, was on the complete opposite side of Honey Springs. The only way to get there was taking the old, curvy, uneven roads that could stand to have new pavement laid. Many of the farmers groaned how much this was needed at the council meetings and could use any extra money for the job, but the Beautification Committee took the money with the council’s approval and that’s how the revitalization of the boardwalk happened. Without that, The Bean Hive would’ve never been a dream come true of mine.
In fact, Hill’s Orchard wasn’t too far from Pet Palace. It might be an early night, I happily sighed thinking I’d be able to stop by and pay Patrick a surprise visit. Since the nights were getting longer and the sun stayed out until around nine p.m., Pepper and I might get in a nice porch sitting night with him and Sassy.
I rolled down all the windows and let the air flow through the open car windows; the fresh air helped me clear out my head with how I’d hurt Patrick.
It wasn’t like anything was going to change between us. We were going to date and do things that each other liked. Though I wasn’t sure I’d get him on a bicycle.
The warm air flowed through the car. I flipped on the radio to listen to some great old country. Dolly Parton was belting out how much she loved you and I sang along. Pepper howled, his nose up in the air, his ears pinned back on his head from the wind. The sunlight danced along with the music through the spaces of the leaves as my car drove underneath the canopy where they lined both sides.
After the third hairpin curve, there was a fork in the road. I had to stop every single time to remember Fred’s directions from the first time I had to come to the orchard. “At the fork in the road remember the tine is the right time.” It made no sense what-so-ever, but made perfect sense at the same time. Tine meaning fork in the road and right was the direction.
I veered right and when I got to the old weathered barn wood sign that said Hill’s Orchard in bright red letters, I turned in. Fred took really good care of his land. The apple trees were on the right, the grapevines were on the left as far as the eye could see. I’d not tried any but I’d heard that his wife made the best preserves in all of Kentucky. I’m sure I’d be able to incorporate them into an amazing donut. My mind went into that weird baking mode where it miraculously came up with different concoctions to bake and try. My mind and my car came to an abrupt stop when I saw Louise’s car parked next to the small market building.
“What is she doing here?” I threw the car in park and jumped out, but not before Pepper leapt over me and beat me to the punch.
I grabbed my phone and quickly texted Patrick.
Me: Beautiful day. Pepper and I are at the orchard. I thought we’d stop by after.
Pepper looked at me.
“I know,” I grumbled. “We were going to surprise him, but I’m feeling awfully bad about us not being able to talk about our situation.”
Pepper pawed at me.
“Thanks, buddy.” I ran my hand over his wiry hair. Patrick hadn’t texted me back. “Let’s go.”
I opened the door. Pepper couldn’t wait. He leapt across me and pranced around smelling anything he could. Though not too far from me.
The sun was beating down and the glare from the metal building made me see spots. I put my hand over my brow to get a look around and see if I saw Fred & Louise. Fred’s farmhouse had a nice long porch on the front and his rockers were empty. They weren’t there.
Fred’s dairy farm was behind the house. I’d yet to get a tour, but I really wanted one. I’d also been using his heavy cream in most of my baking and cooking. Getting the real deal sometimes just made a recipe.
I reached in my car and grabbed my money along with the apple crisp cookies.
“Let’s go find them,” I said to Pepper. “Please God, don’t let them have killed one another.”
The shop door was open, so I walked right on in. Pepper went ahead of me and took liberty to smell all the new fun smells a working farm had to offer.
“Fred! Louise!” I called hoping they were in here.
When I didn’t see anyone, I turned to head back outside.
Pepper had gone back outside. His bark alarmed me because he rarely barked. I ran out hoping he’d not gotten into it with a cow or bull. A big veterinarian bill wouldn’t be at the top of my list if I could help it.
“Pepper, come,” I called right before he took off into the apple orchard. “Pepper, no!”
Pepper kept on going. I ran after him and stopped at the second row of trees. Down the row a little I saw Louise. She was as still as a statue.
“Whoohooo! Louise,” I hollered relieved to have found her. She didn’t turn around so I started to walk down the row when I noticed she was standing over something. “Louise?” I asked getting a little closer. “Is everything okay?”
She turned around, clearing my line of vision.
“Does it look like it’s okay?” she asked, a bloody knife in her hand with drops of blood dripping on the dead body of Fred Hill.
Six
Spencer was standing over Mr. Hill’s body, helping Doc Hafler get the body on the stretcher
to take him to the morgue. Doc Hafler had been the town’s physician as far back as I could remember. He treated me every summer for poison ivy. He was also the Honey Springs County Coroner.
“This orchard is closed down until further notice.” Spencer did a come-here finger motion to another officer. “I need you to get a sign up on the entran
ce of the orchard saying it’s closed until further notice.”
The officer nodded and scurried off. Spencer’s eyes caught mine.
Louise and I used one of the apple trees as a barrier between Mr. Hill’s body and us. Spencer had asked us to step aside and not go anywhere because he wanted to talk to us. Pepper knew to stay close to me.
“What in the world is going on?” an older man asked with a toothpick stuck in his teeth. It bounced up and down when he talked. “Is that Fred?”
The man had on a pair of overalls and a John Deere cap propped on the top of his head with the bill deeply creased. He was a burly man that stood six foot two. He took the toothpick out of his mouth.
Pepper walked over to the man and smelled his shoes.
“It is.” Louise rubbed the back of her neck. “I came out here and found him.”
“You found him?” The man frowned.
“Yes,” Louise whispered, barely audible over the squeak of the wheels of the stretcher.
“Who might you be?” the man asked me, wasting no time. He shuffled his shoe toward Pepper. I scowled.
“I’m Roxanne Bloom.” I offered a thin smile. “That’s my dog, Pepper.”
“The coffee girl?” His brows drew together and looked down at Pepper. “I’ve heard about your shop. I’m not much of a fancy coffee drinker. I like mine black and simple.”
“Just exactly how I like mine,” I said. I patted my leg and Pepper came over. I gave him a good scratch on the side of his neck before he sat down at my feet. “You should come down and we’ll have a cup together. On the house.”
He stuck the toothpick back in his mouth. His eyes drew down to my hands where I was still carrying the apple crisps.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.” I lifted my hands and peeled back the tin foil I’d pinched around the plate of the crisps, offering him and Louise one.
“I’m so sorry.” Louise stopped her stare from watching Doc push the stretcher down the row of apple trees and to the ambulance. She shook her head. “Where are my manners? TJ Holmes, Roxy Bloom.” She sucked in a deep breath. “TJ is Fred’s neighbor.”