When her Uncle Cedric walked up to her and gave her a hug she felt like she was finally home, even though they had a half hour drive by freeway to her farm.
Uncle Cedric was a little taller than Jade and tan as a berry. He was strong as an ox, even though he was sixty-five. His skills with wood and pipes and machines had saved Jade a fortune. “So was Frisco as soggy in August as usual?”
“It was very pleasant, for a change. The wind was soft and cool and the fog stayed out over the bay most of the time. Any excitement here?”
“Not unless you call Henry leaving you three phone messages an excitement. Best thing was Tilly’s peach pie. May the good Lord save me, that woman’s a menace in the kitchen. She keeps this up and I won’t be able to button my jeans.”
Jade grinned back at him. “You never change, you vain thing, and you love to gloat. Just make sure you’re the one who finishes that pie. I don’t need the grief of finding a new wardrobe. I suppose Henry was pouting.”
Cedric nodded and frowned. “Don’t know what you see in that boy. He’s about as inspiring as a bucket of scrub water. I’m sorry to say it but it’s true.”
“I know it. It’s time for me to say my good-byes. He was just somebody to talk to who doesn’t work for me and doesn’t get social security.”
“Don’t toss him on my account.”
“I’m not.”
Cedric pulled around a truck and returned to the outside lane. “Does this mean you met somebody besides that fat head Charley Lee?”
“Uncle, stop picking on Lee. He never picks on you.” Jade chuckled in spite of her scolding.
“That’s because I’m such a sterling character. Does this mean I get to meet somebody new and interesting?”
Jade sighed. “I don’t know. He’s an artist of sorts, as well as an inventor of safety equipment, and he never has any money. But he didn’t try to borrow any and he is one exciting man.”
“Two out of three isn’t bad, these days. What’s so exciting about him?”
“He’s a glass blower and the safety equipment he designs and sells is to protect glass blowers and other sculptors who use ovens for their sculptures. He’s really passionate about what he’s doing and he’s a very principled man. He also has those sexy Asian eyes like Lee.”
“Jade, you’re smarter than that. Those guys have no principles when it comes to women. You know that. They just love them and leave them like they do in Asia.”
“How do you know so much about life in Asia?”
“I read books. You think I only read woodcraft magazines but I read lots of stuff.”
“Well, Uncle, I wasn’t even aware of this side of you. You mean you’ve been buying books on the sly and they aren’t even pornographic?”
“Not all of them. Besides, I read all yours and some of them are awful boring. Especially the business stuff about law suits and product laws. How do you stand that stuff?”
“Those are the textbooks from the business law classes I took. You have to protect yourself these days, Uncle. It’s a jungle out there.”
When they pulled onto the graveled road into Agate Farm, Jade sighed her satisfaction at being home. She wanted to see Matt again but she wondered if she were going to be the one who seemed to disappear. Mishap and her farm were where her heart was. She had never forgotten her summers with her grandfather on this farm when it was four times as large as what she owned. It had been twenty acres then and he always had a milk cow, a steer being fed for the table, and a horse to fetch the cow for milking. There were even a few chickens who used the barn for their nests and a place of refuge at night. The horse, Ebenezer, was pretty old now but Jade didn’t have the heart to put him down. He still gave a few joyful bucks every Spring and nickered any time the neighbor children rode by on their mares. Except for a pair of French geese and a black cat named Slick the rest of the livestock was gone.
A couple of barks of joy, when they drove into the yard, reminded Jade of her devoted collie, Glory. Her coat was entirely gold colored and Jade had her sleep on the porch for fear someone would try to steal her. Her menagerie called out to her in one way or another when Jade stepped down from the old pickup.
“Welcome home, Jade. I’ve got fresh coffee and a piece of peach pie waiting for you. Picked them yesterday, just for the occasion.” Tilly Anderson, her housekeeper and laundress, waved at her from the kitchen door. She was a petite woman with her gray hair pulled back into a neat French roll.
After she dropped her things in her master bedroom, Jade settled in the kitchen with Cedric and Tilly. “It’s a good thing I skipped lunch on the plane. I knew you’d tempt me with something like this.” Jade smiled at Tilly. She saw her uncle and Tilly exchange glances. It pleased her that they were fond of each other. Her uncle had been lonely after his wife had died. Even though Tilly insisted on living in the gardener’s cottage behind the house Jade was aware that Cedric often visited her in the evening. Neither one of them seemed inclined to marriage and Jade never inquired into their relationship. Now, if only she had someone she could count on, life would be perfect.
Jade glanced at the stack of messages beside her place at the table. “I guess I’d better get back to these people. I suppose some of these messages are from Jack and Velma.”
“There’s one from Velma but the rest are from Henry or that nasty boss of his. I’ll be glad when he goes south for the winter. I don’t like that man.” Tilly looked very disapproving.
“What on earth is Al complaining about now?” Jade felt irritation fill her throat. She pulled the messages off the clipboard and glanced at the ones from Henry’s boss, Alfred Winks. He was a tycoon from Texas who owned the largest ranch in the area and only used it for vacations during the summer.
A ball of anger rolled up into Jade’s throat and made it hard to breathe. “That old goat! He wants me to have dinner with him again and he knows how that makes Henry feel. How many times does a woman have to say no to that man? It’s a good thing I’ve decided to set Henry free of me.” Jade tossed the messages in the waste basket and scribbled a note to herself to call Henry.
“That explains why Henry sounded so worried on the phone. Beats me why he gets jealous when he never seems to try to take you anywhere but Juani’s or here. Every time you guys go somewhere else it seems like your idea.” Her uncle shook his head and finished his pie.
“That should make it easier for him to get over me. I’m not worried. Alice is still chasing him after all these years. Poor woman.” Jade washed her plate and put it in the dish drainer. “I guess I’d better go see what Velma needs.” She thanked Tilly for the pie and went to her home office.
“What’s up, Velma?”
“Welcome back, Boss. Jack says the forklift needs a new power supply and the price has gone up at the Power House.” Her company receptionist sounded as confident and jovial as ever.
“Up by how much?”
“Five percent.”
“Order it. We’re not going to do better at Lewis’ and we’ll get it on time. Anything else?” Jade scribbled some more notes for next day tasks and finished her coffee.
“Nothing that can’t wait. See you in the morning.”
“Right.”
When Henry drove into the yard his shiny pickup looked like he had waxed it. Jade smiled to herself. Her uncle resented Henry for his spotless pickup and clothes. Henry always looked like a professional stylist did his curly blond hair. Jade often thought of messing it up just for the fun of it but Henry would probably be hurt or insulted. Whatever was she doing with such a vain hunk who never had an original thought? The time had come to do something about it.
Henry gave her a shy kiss when Jade met him out in the yard. “I don’t suppose Tilly made one of her famous pies.”
“Of course. But before you go in and finish it off, we need to talk.”
Henry looked embarrassed and dug his shiny boot toe into the dirt. “I know Al’s bugging you to have dinner with him again. I promise I
won’t complain this time. I know it’s not your idea.”
“Henry, you shouldn’t have to put up with this. If I were you I’d find me another job.”
“But nobody needs a ranch foreman around here but Al. The next closest place is over by Roseburg and I’ve got to watch my gas money. Of course, you could come visit me. I have to make sure I can have female company is all.”
“Henry, you haven’t had much of my company here and I own this place. Let’s face it. We just don’t have anything going outside of a little shared loneliness. I think this is the last time that I’ll be seeing you except when we pass each other on the road.”
Henry’s face fell. “Jade, I really care about you. Don’t let old Al bother you. He’ll be going back to Texas in a couple months and then he won’t bother us anymore.”
“He’s not going to bother me at all. I sent him my usual insulting message, by fax this time. I’m thinking of seeing another guy and I don’t want to waste any more of your time. Now why don’t you come in for your piece of pie and then we’ll say our good-byes.”
Jade hated to inflict a pouting Henry on Tilly and Cedric but they hardly seemed to notice. They talked about local gossip and politics as if Henry were really interested in either of those subjects. By the time he left Jade felt sorry for him.
After she saw him to his pickup she returned to the kitchen and looked at the two people she considered family. “What was that all about?”
“We thought we’d do our part to get Henry out of your hair by being as boring as possible.”
“Cedric Watson! That’s a terrible thing to say. I give you the benefit of what I learned from Bertha Trimble and you call me boring.”
“I didn’t say you were boring. I said I was trying to be as boring as possible. It probably didn’t help any way. I think he comes over for your pie and would sit through a sermon to get it.”
“You’re implying that he didn’t come to see Jade. That’s not kind.” Tilly sounded disgusted but there was a twinkle in her eyes.
“Suits me, Tilly. We have plenty to do without entertaining someone who doesn’t contribute anything. After I take my walk I’ll take the calls in my office. I’ve got planning to do. I’ll grab a snack for dinner at my desk.”
Jade looked around her yard to see if any unusual animal was showing itself. She saw the geese enjoying the pond west of the house and decided to make that her first stop. “At least I can walk as I please around here.” She never had to worry about some villain sneaking up on her with Glory by her side and the geese ever on the alert. They often followed behind her when she walked.
She loved the way the oak trees and a big old apple tree formed the back drop behind the water while the lazy creek ambled its way from the roadside ditch to drop down a short jumble of rocks into the pond. The narrow rivulet which flowed out of the pond was used to water the vegetable garden behind the house. Cedric’s tomatoes, carrots and cabbages made wonderful salads and soups and the berries, melons, and squashes made Jade’s favorite desserts. She usually left the pies to Cedric and his friends.
Jade passed by another beloved apple tree and picked an early red beauty. It was her favorite, a Jonathan. She preferred them fresh picked and hand washed right off the tree. The tangy sweet ones suited her best. After drying it on her work shirt she savored the puckery fruit and wandered up the footpath to the highest mound on the property. It gave her a view of the next ranch which now belonged to Alfred Winks, Henry’s boss. It was a big sprawling place with ample pasture for the six horses which got fat on it.
The fancy new two story house was at the other end of the ranch, near the freeway. That was the only thing she liked about it. If she had known he was going to be so obnoxious she would never have sold him fifteen of her acres to add to it. All the same, she was glad it added more space between her house and his. She turned her back on it and looked back at her house and inhaled deeply. Sweet peas. She loved Tilly’s sweet peas. She always planted them all around her little cottage by the garden.
As she followed the path to the garden she spotted a beautiful tomato and a tender little cabbage. Cedric always scolded her for picking the cabbages too early so she tucked a tissue around it. After coming around the east end of the house she tasted the sweet aroma of the Mr. Lincoln rose and cut a stem with a huge bud in the first stage of opening. She was pleased to see Cedric and Tilly watching their favorite TV show when she slipped in the kitchen door.
After putting the rose bud in a small vase, she washed her treasures and cut them up for a salad, adding tuna, fresh green pepper, a few slices of cucumber, and some sprinkles of garlic oil. A second trip to the kitchen netted some dark rye bread and a glass of iced tea. Settling in at her desk for phone calls and planning she felt a contentment she had missed in San Francisco. Jade sighed. “I’m getting worse every year. I hate cities.”
She stopped when she thought of Matt Dixon’s hot eyes and vibrant body. He walked like a leopard, a predatory male, yet she’d never met a man who seemed more considerate, more aware of her as a woman. At the same time he never seemed bothered by her directness and stubbornness. “Give him time, girl. Give him time.” Maybe she didn’t hate San Francisco after all.
Jade made duty calls to a couple of customers and checked the message bank at her office at the company site. By nine o’clock she was getting groggy and decided it was time for a shower and some sleep. She loved first light but she had found it hard to get enough sleep the last couple of nights. “That’s what I get for letting Winks get to my temper. No more scheming of ways to get him to leave me alone. I’m bushed. If I have to, I’ll get a restraining order against him and that’s it.”
She yawned, stretched, fed Slick and Glory, and headed for her bathroom. The living room and kitchen were quiet and dark.
When she stepped out of the shower to dry off, her cell phone jingled the first bar to September Morn. “Jade, here.”
“Now what has you all pissed at me, Jade Holloway?” It was the hard sarcastic voice of Alfred Winks.
“I don’t want to go out with you, have dinner with you or hang out with you. Accept it and leave me alone, Al.”
He snorted. “I don’t hang out with anybody let alone some snippy type like you. I just have a business proposition for you. You are a business woman, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am and no, I don’t want to do business with you. Good night.”
Jade sighed with immense satisfaction. It was the first time she had had the last word with him. “Tonight that man will not rob me of my sleep.”
She started to turn her cell phone to the take messages mode and then thought of Matt. “Well, if Winks calls once more Matt will have to leave me a message.”
The next morning she realized she had fallen asleep the minute her head hit the pillow. “Good. This is progress. I’m not letting men disturb my sleep.” Still, she wished Matt had called. She wasn’t sure she would feel like tracking him down in San Francisco if she didn’t hear from him. Jade pulled his business card out of her purse and looked at it. She did have his cell phone number and his address. “Well, maybe I’ll call tomorrow night.” She shrugged and moisturized her skin before donning black jeans, boots, and a silky pearl gray pullover with long sleeves.
When she pulled into the lot at her company building she felt like herself again. It still thrilled her when she saw her company sign over the shipping/receiving door. It said Favorite Specialties, Inc. She had started with six products which had enjoyed steady popularity for at least a decade before becoming scarce due to reduced demand. They were simply no longer in fashion. Hush Puppies, Bruce golf shirts, Rodeo boots, Husky driving gloves, Australian sheepherder hats, and Magnolia organdy hats had gone in and out of fashion a second time after Jade began her mail order line with them. But her customers had stayed with her once they ordered twice from her. Other companies jumped on the wagon, according to competing ads, but they did not seem to affect Jade’s customer list.
&nb
sp; Now she had a catalog with almost a hundred items and her customer base kept growing. It did not grow fast. All Jade cared was that it grew.
She always unlocked the front door when she came to work. If Wolf Adams, her shipping and receiving manager, arrived first, he would open up the receiving area but he never paid any attention to the few customers who might come out to the site in person. This surprised Jade because he was very handsome and many members of the Klamath tribe were quite outgoing. She simply shrugged and left him to his ways.
Half an hour after she had settled into her office she heard the bell-like voice of Velma Stark talking to someone out in the tiny reception area. It was probably Jack Cooper since they lived together and often used the same car.
“And what makes you so sure about that? You men! You’re so sure that if some woman doesn’t fall into a dead faint at your fatal charm then she’s got to be over the hill or not right in the head. Honestly!” There was a tap on the door before it opened to let a bright eyed little woman with a Kewpie doll face swing in with a mug of hot coffee and place it on Jade’s desk. “Morning, boss. How was your trip?”
“Good, actually. How was it here?”
“Oh, I’m great. I don’t know about Jack though. His team lost. You know how he gets when one of his teams messes up.” Velma’s big brown eyes blinked at her as if she were expecting something. “So, does this mean you met someone?”
“Oh, I met a couple of people. One was Chinese and she has her own shop. Sells music CDs, wind chimes, stuff like that. Nice gal.”
Jade Page 3