The Stable Boy

by Stalter, Harmony

  “That is great. So, you pick pears while they are firm and apples when you begin to smell them.”

  “Yes, see you are already learning the tools of the trade.”

  “I will learn all there is to learn,” he said. “As long as you are my teacher, I think I will get the hang of it.”

  “I am sure you will. I do need to do some pear picking by the looks of these.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “Thanks, let’s get to it so we can go to town and drop them off as well as the finished files.”

  “Sounds good,” he said. We picked the pears that were at their firmest. The smell of them as we picked them was amazing.

  “Have you ever had a Concorde pear?”

  “No,” he said.

  “Try this one and tell me what you think,” I said.

  “This one is a little different than the pears I am used to,” he said. “There is a different flavor to it. It kind of tastes like it was hit with some vanilla.”

  “Exactly,” I said. “These pears are earthier in flavor with a hint of vanilla. Each pear is different in flavor. The Red and Green Anjou, although from the same family of pears, have different flavor profiles. It is the same with the Green and Red Bartlett.”

  “I didn’t know that. I thought a pear was a pear and they all tasted the same just had different skin color.”

  “No, it’s the same with apples. Some are tarter than others and some are perfect for just baking, while others lose flavor during the baking process.”

  “This is all good to know. I had no idea that there was so much to learn about apples and pears.”

  “Yes, there is a lot of information to know. When I am at the fall harvest and have the pears and apples for sale, you get all kinds of questions. People want to know all the information they can so they are able to pick the perfect fruit for their recipes.”

  “I will need to learn all that I can, if I am going to be there with you this year.”

  “Yes, you will. Pears are like apples, you can use them in all sorts of recipes, from breakfast to dinner or desserts.”

  “I have never had pears in anything, just eaten them like they are.”

  “I will have to make you something with pears in it. Do you like pancakes or waffles?”

  “Yes, I like both.”

  “I will make you almond pear cardamom pancakes in the morning.”

  “That sounds great,” he said as I put the last of the pears into the basket.

  “Good, let’s get these back to the house and into the back of the truck. I will keep a bushel of the Concorde pears at the house for cooking.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” he said. We got in the gator and drove back to the house. He put the baskets of pears into the truck while I went up stairs and gathered the files. We headed into town.

  “While we are at the market, I need to pick some things up. Do you need to get some stuff?”

  “Okay, yeah, I do need some stuff,” he said.

  “Okay, we can get it all done at once.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” he said, reaching over to brush my hair off of my shoulder. We pulled into the doctor’s office. I grabbed the files and went inside.

  “Good afternoon, Angelica,” I said walking through the door.

  “Hey, girlie,” she replied. “I see your stud is with you.”

  “We have shopping to do and he helped me pick the pears today,” I said, laughing at her.

  “Oh, I love your pears.”

  “Which do you want? I’ll give you some.”

  “Aw, no you will not. I will buy them from you.”

  “Okay, if that is really what you want to do. Which is your favorite?”

  “I love the Concorde.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I said. I went to the truck and pulled out a bushel of Concorde pears. I went back in and she handed me $15 for the bushel as well as my paycheck and the files for next week.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  “Yes, you will,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “I am going to guess someone wanted to purchase some pears in there,” said Josh as I got back in the truck.

  “Angelica,” I said. “She says hello.”

  “She seems to be nice,” he said.

  “She is,” I said. “Alison didn’t like her until Saturday. She always thought she was too uppity. I told her to give Angelica chance. They are more alike than she knew.”

  “That is a scary thought,” he said, laughing.

  “You’re telling me. I am the one who hangs out with the both of them,” I said, shaking my head. “It is like a competition to see which one can be raunchier.”

  “I can only imagine. I am kind of glad I wasn’t around the group on Saturday.”

  “Yeah, you didn’t want to hear those conversations. I know this Saturday when we are all hanging out it is going to be so much worse.”

  “Who is going to keep an eye on Alison’s tequila intake?”

  “That is generally my job, but Vanessa has volunteered to do it, if I want to actually drink more than one drink.”

  “Are you going to let her?”

  “I am not sure, yet. I don’t mind being the designated driver. I am also scared that if I drink too much the things I might say may be something I am not able to work my way out of.”

  “You’re afraid you may spill the beans about us,” he said with a smile.

  “Yes,” I said. “That can’t be revealed until we determine if you were able to survive the creepy house all alone.”

  “The creepy house,” he said. “I can’t believe you think your house is creepy.”

  “It is. Wait until you are there alone in the middle of the night. It gets weird.”

  “Okay, we will have to see,” he said as we pulled into the general store parking lot. We got out of the truck. The manager, Matthew Deabring, saw us pull up. He came out to greet us.

  “Hey there, Claire,” he said. “How are you doing and what do you have for me this week?”

  “I am doing great,” I said. “I have a few bushels of pears for you.”

  “Great, those ones that you brought in last week are all gone,” said Matthew. “People around here know a good product when they see it.”

  “That is always a good feeling,” I said. “The apples will be ready for picking in about a week or two. I will bring those in along with more pears when they are ready.”

  “Great, I am sure those will sell just as well. Let’s get these inside. How have you been, Josh?”

  “I am good, thank you for asking, Mr. Deabring. How are you?”

  “Doing great, are you working with Claire, now?”

  “Yes, I have been for a little over a week.”

  “Great, she is a wonderful person. I am sure she appreciates the help.”

  “I know she does. She was teaching me about the pears and apples today. It was all new to me. Grandpa never had any fruit trees. It was a welcomed learning experience.”

  “That is great. If anyone knows about pears and apples, it is her. She has mastered the art of growing them to perfection.”

  “It sure does sound like it. She has promised to make me almond pear cardamom pancakes for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

  “Now, I am just jealous,” he said grabbing a bushel from the back of the truck.

  “I have never had them,” Josh said.

  “She brought me some in when Agnes passed away,” Matthew said. “She made a dozen of them and I lived off of them for three days. You cannot just eat one.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” Josh said.

  “You’re welcome,” said Matthew with a smile. They unloaded the rest of the pears while I began shopping. Josh caught up with me.

  “Mr. Deabring said that your pancakes are addicting. He could not eat just one of them,” Josh said.

  “Well, I am glad he enjoyed them. It was so long ago, I am surprised he remembered them.”

 
; “Evidently, they made a very good impression. I can’t wait to taste them.”

  “You may not like them,” I said. “Not everyone is a fan.”

  “If you are cooking them, I am sure I will love them,” he whispered in my ear as Mrs. Constance walked passed. She was one of the oldest members of our town and a gossiper. If you heard any type of gossip, it normally started with her. We all knew it, but we let her speak what she wanted.

  “We will have to see,” I said. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Constance.”

  “Good afternoon, Claire,” she said. “How are you doing?”

  “I am doing well, thank you. How are you?”

  “I am okay. Did you happen to bring in anymore of your lovely pears?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I sure did.”

  “Oh good,” she said. “I need some for the bake off at the fall harvest.”

  “What are you going to be making this year?”

  “You will have to wait and see. It is a secret family recipe.”

  “I am sure it will be delicious as all your recipes are. If you want to wait to get some for the bake off until the week before, I can deliver some to you.”

  “That is sweet of you to offer, but I need them to be over ripe for this recipe.”

  “Ah, okay, well then, the ones here today should be prefect for your recipe.”

  “I know they will be,” she said. “How are you, young man?”

  “I am great, Mrs. Constance. I cannot wait for the fall harvest festival, so I can taste all your delicious creations,” he said with a wink.

  “Oh you,” she said with a giggle. “You are such a flatterer. I will make sure to save you the biggest pieces.”

  “I am looking forward to it,” he said.

  “You two have a great day. I am going to finish my shopping and pick up some of your delicious pears, Claire.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Constance. You have a wonderful day. We will see you soon,” I said.

  “Yes, you will,” she said, walking away.

  “Making impressions on women wherever you go,” I said with a smile.

  “I am just hoping that it stops whatever rumors she was planning on starting when she saw us.”

  “Ah, yes, she is the best gossiper in the town.”

  “Yes, she is,” he said. “She can be sweet as pie, but likes to talk.”

  “After being a part of the local newspaper for so long, I guess she still thinks of herself as an investigative reporter.”

  “Yeah, an investigator into other peoples business,” he said with a laugh.

  “So true,” I said. “Vanessa sped to my house about a month after John passed away because she told her that I was on the verge of committing suicide.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Yeah, because she saw me and I did not look like myself.”

  “Your husband just passed away. What were you supposed to look like?”

  “Prim and proper, like she was after her first husband passed away,” I said.

  “Well, you were not shopping for a new husband two days after your husband passed away,” he said.

  “I know,” I said. “It is ridiculous. I could not believe that she was remarried six months after her husband was in the ground. I could not ever fathom it. I am still devastated and John and I were not together as long as her and her first husband was.”

  “I heard that they were together for 50 years. No one in town would have ever thought of her getting married so quickly. Do you think she spreads rumors about other people, because she was stepping out on her husband?”

  “It is quite possible,” I said. “You never know. I don’t think any of us will ever know unless she confesses it on her death bed.”

  “That may happen, you never know,” he said shrugging his shoulders.

  “I somehow doubt she will ever confess to anything,” I said as I put the almond meal in the cart. Josh wrinkled his forehead at me. “What?”

  “Nothing,” he said.

  “It is for the pancakes,” I said.

  “I thought pancakes were made with pancake mix.”

  “Most are, but these are done differently.”

  “Ah, I don’t want you to go through a lot of trouble to make them.”

  “I won’t. These are easy to make.”

  “Okay, if you say so.”

  “You don’t worry about it,” I said as we walked up to the counter to check out.

  “I’m jealous,” said Matthew.

  “No reason to be,” I said. “I will be sure to make extra just for you.”

  “You are an angel, Claire.”

  “Only when she wants to be,” said Josh.

  “Now, look you, she will always be an angel to me,” said Matthew with a laugh.

  “You tell him, Mr. Deabring,” I said, smiling.

  “She is an angel. If it wasn’t for her, I would be starving.”

  “She is a great cook. I am glad to see you working for her. I think you may have entered her life at the perfect time.”

  “I hope so,” Josh said.

  “You did,” I said. “If it wasn’t for you, my farm would still be in disarray. Now, my pastures are mowed, the fence is fixed, and Beatrice had her calf.”

  “Beatrice had her calf?”

  “Yes, she did, thanks to Josh. She was breached, but he did the same thing John would have done. For that, I am thankful. He saved the life of the calf and Beatrice.”

  “Nice job, Josh.”

  “Thank you,” he said, face reddening.

  “Have you named the calf, yet?” asked Matthew.

  “I am allowing Josh to name her. He helped her, he gets to name her and she has taken a liking to him.”

  “She has?”

  “Yes, you should see her follow him around when he is outside. It is so cute,” I said, laughing as Josh’s face became a deeper red.

  “Aw, she likes you, Josh.”

  “I know, but for the life of me I cannot think of a name for her.”

  “You will. Just watch her for a few days; it will eventually come to you. It always did when I had the farm.”

  “I will do that,” he said. “I am hoping it happens soon.”

  “I am sure it will,” said Matthew. “Your total today is $50.67. Do you want me to take it out of what I owe you for the pears and give you the difference?”

  “That would be great,” I said.

  “Okay, then I will give you $99.33.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I will see you tomorrow with your pancakes.”

  “I am salivating thinking about them. I will be dreaming about them.”

  “Oh jeez, have a wonderful afternoon,” I said as I walked out the door.

  “You guys do the same,” he said, smiling. We got in the truck and Josh looked at me strange again.

  “What, now?” I said.

  “You paid for my stuff?”

  “So,” I said.

  “I could have paid for my own things,” he said.

  “Tell you what; you can pay next time, okay?”

  “I am just going to have to make it up to you later,” he said with a smirk.

  “Really, I can only imagine what you are thinking with that look on your face,” I said, smiling.

  “You will just have to wait and find out,” he said. The sun was starting to set. The orange, pink sky of the horizon was beautiful on our ride home. “Are you really going to be coming into town tomorrow to drop off Mr. Deabring’s pancakes?”

  “Yes, Alison and I are going shopping for Saturday night anyway, so I can drop them off on our way.”

  “Oh, well then, a girls day,” he said.

  “Yes, I am hoping not to be out too late, but we both know Alison well enough to know that she takes forever.”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “The fact that we are outfit shopping makes it worse.”

  “Oh no, that has to take longer.”

  “With her, yes it does,” I said. “I go into the stor
e find the first thing I like, try it on to make sure it fits and I am done. She has to walk the entire store, just to end up back at the first thing she saw and then try it on along with three of four other things before making a decision. Sometimes, we end up at five different stores before returning to the first one.”

  “I am so sorry,” he said with a laugh.

  “It’s okay. She is picky about what she wears when she goes out. She is like me, a jeans and t-shirt girl most of the time. It’s very rare that either of us get dressed up, so picking a nice outfit out is hard work for her. Mainly, because she hates everything she tries on.”

  “She shouldn’t be like that,” he said.

  “I know, but she is,” I said. “It’s called getting older. We don’t like how our bodies look, especially in dress clothes, since most are made a little boxy and do not accentuate the good parts we have left, only the bad.”

  “I think all your parts are good parts,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

  “You are just so wrong,” I said, shaking my head.

  “If I am so wrong, I never want to be right,” he said brushing my hair off my shoulder.

  “What am I going to do with you?” I said, laughing.

  “I can think of a few things,” he said with a smirk.

  “In one of those moods today, huh?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said as we pulled into the driveway. The unruly colt came to greet us.

  “I knew it was too good to be true,” I said.

  “I’ll get him back in the paddock and see what he broke,” Josh said a bit disappointed.

  “Okay, I’ll get the groceries and start dinner,” I said.

  “Buddy, I thought we talked about this?” I heard him say to the horse. I shook my head. I grabbed the first couple of bags and went into the house. I came back out to see Josh gathering up the rest of the bags.

  “Nothing is broken?”

  “No, I accidently left the gate opened a little and he pushed his way out. It doesn’t look like he went anywhere, though.”

  “No, he would have been long gone if he did, which is what he would have done before.”

  “Yes, he would have,” he said, following me back in the house. We unloaded the groceries. I tied my hair up and washed my hands. I felt his lips on the back of my neck. Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face him. Draping my arms around his neck, I kissed him. “I say we skip dinner and go right to dessert. We can always eat later when we come up for air.”