“Is that so? Is that what you do? Know all the facts before you make a decision to do something?”
“Yes, and don’t pretend you don’t. You would not have the job you have if you didn’t do your homework. It is what most rational thinking people do—plan ahead, control what is within your power. So much in life is not.”
“Okay,” he said, his laughter fading away. “I am careful in some things, but not in everything. There are some things you can’t control, Katrina. Life is weird that way.”
“Okay, Mr. Philosopher, how about I walk over and you can ride your motorcycle. The gardens are only ten or fifteen minutes away,” she said, starting to get miffed.
“That’s okay, I’ll walk with you.”
“It doesn’t matter to me either way,” she said, starting to walk away. He reached for her hand, which she not so subtly kept close to her body.
“No, wait. Let me close the garage. I’ll be back in two seconds, okay? Don’t leave.” He walked into his garage and closed it. A few seconds later, he exited his front door, locking it behind him.
“Let’s go,” he said, joining her on the sidewalk. They walked in silence most of the way. Katrina didn’t feel like talking; her mind was occupied combing through their earlier conversation. He’d laughed at her facts. What was so wrong with being cautious in life? She knew the upheaval life could bring. Come on, Katrina, you had great parents. They were people you could depend on. That was, of course, true, but they’d died. How about Uncle C and Colburn? Once she came into their lives, they had looked after her, and would continue to do so, she was sure of that.
“You okay?” he asked, breaking into her quiet. She seemed lost in thought now, tense.
“I’m fine,” she answered.
They arrived at the gardens five minutes later. He stopped and waited while she pulled out her copy of the design. She was a bottle of surprises, he thought, and wondered again how he could have imagined her boring. She kept so much of herself hidden, and what a hoot she was with all those facts. A regular Jeopardy contestant. He could understand someone Googling information, maybe, but to be able to pull it out like they’d been talking about the weather was something else entirely.
They started their tour at the beginning of the gardens, walking through them, marking the spots within the garden where changes would be made. She verified his plans with what would actually be accomplished here on the ground, checking the design against the planting schedule to make sure they reconciled the plants on the design with the actual site. It took about thirty minutes to walk through everything; she taking notes, following along behind him.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” he said.
“Let me show you the equipment shed, tools, and pottery sheds,” she said, walking out through the flower garden toward the back of the property. “I didn’t show you this area. You’ve seen the small one, the sheds we use near the composting section, but the main ones are located in the back,” she said, waving back to people working who’d called out her name as she and Will made their way through the gardens.
They walked about twenty more yards, stopping in front of two sheds. Actually they were more like small buildings than sheds, one larger than the other. Katrina opened the door to the equipment building, the smaller one, which was remarkable with three backhoes and an army of other tools all lined up and neatly arranged.
“Impressive,” Will said. She closed the door and walked over to the potting building, which was almost twice the size of the equipment building, and walked in. Counter space ran along the walls of this room, with two huge sinks along the back wall. A massive battle-worn oak table sat in the middle of the building. Pots of every shape and size were tucked under the counters, and tools lined the walls.
“We’re fortunate to have gotten equipment over and above most neighborhoods,” she said.
“It seems so. Thank you for the added tour,” he said, standing in the middle of the room, next to the table.
“You’re welcome,” she said, looking around, noticing now that they were the only ones here. She turned back to find his eyes locked on her.
“What?” she asked, not knowing what to make of this new Will. There was more than simple teasing in his eyes, making her nervous, fidgety.
“Nothing, I’m just admiring a pretty woman who knows and loves her dirt and who will be working with me, helping me to win a major competition for our ‘hood. Thanks again,” he said, laughing.
“I know the first time is tough for most gardeners, but I believe you’ll be the exception. Again, your backyard is beautiful. And you know more than you let on,” she said.
“And I passed that work test. And without the equipment which would have made the job soooo much easier,” he said, smiling.
She laughed. “You figured that out.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“We have a strong tradition of winning in this neighborhood, and I’ll do my part to see that it continues,” she added.
“For the good of the country, then?” he said, smiling at her, holding out his hand for a fist bump.
“For the good of the country,” she said, walking over to meet his fist with her own and smiling back at him.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said, and they left the shed, making their way back to the front of the gardens. She put the designs back into her backpack and they walked home. She listened as he talked more about what he wanted to tackle in September with the volunteers. They arrived back at his home and stopped.
“So we’ll meet again in the morning?” he asked.
“Yes. How about I drive? We can leave at eight, if that’s not too early for you.”
“Nope, that works. I’ll knock on your door a little before eight,” he said.
“Okay, see you then,” she said, walking away.
He let her take about four steps before calling her name. She turned and stopped, looking at him questioningly.
“Good night, Katrina. I had a good time tonight. Thanks for going out with me,” he said.
She made a face at him and turned and resumed walking home. She took about two steps before turning back around, slowing down, but continuing to walk backwards.
“You’re welcome,” she said, giving him a shy smile before turning around once again.
***
Later on that night, Katrina called Colburn, as he managed most of the plant pricing at Abernathy and Co.
“Hey, Kit Kat, what can I do for you?” he said, using another one of his nicknames for her.
“Nothing. I was just calling to let you know that I am coming over in the morning.”
“You wasted a phone call just to tell me that?” he asked in his usual gruff manner.
“No, Will is coming with me.”
“Will? Who’s Will?” he asked.
“You know, the guy who is leading the competition for my neighborhood this year.”
“I remember him, the Japanese kid with the gardens you don’t like.”
Katrina sighed. “I like them now; remember, we’re working together now. I called to tell you that we’re stopping by tomorrow and that he’ll need some help with pricing,” she said.
“Why would you waste your time calling to tell me that? I’ll help him; you didn’t need to waste a dime calling to tell me that.”
Katrina sighed again, loudly. “Colburn. Enough. Just work with him, okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I work with him?” he asked, fighting to not allow the smile on his face to show through the phone. He loved teasing his goddaughter.
“Okay, I’ll see you and Uncle C tomorrow.”
“We’ll be here, same as always,” he said by way of goodbye, hanging up.
Colburn laughed.
“Who was that?” Charles asked.
“Katrina, calling to inform us that she will be bringing Will by tomorrow.”
“Oh,” Charles said, smiling. “Well, our little girl is finally bringing someone ho
me to meet the parents. I didn’t think this day would come.”
Colburn looked over at him and started to laugh, and Charles joined in.
“Well, I am going to give him the once-over, see if he passes muster. If not, I can run him off if need be,” Coburn said, laughing, but serious, too.
***
Ten minutes before eight the next morning, Will stood outside Katrina’s door waiting for her to answer. Katrina had hemmed and hawed all morning, dithering, having recently purchased a few shorts and shirts that fit her better. She had a pair of them on now. She had given up her glasses, too, and wore her contacts practically all the time now. She refused to consider what that meant. So should she change or not? Out with the old, in with the new. She had dressed in the new, only to change back into the old, then back in with the new, which was where she was now. The doorbell rang, bringing a halt to all that changing. What happened to not being interested?
She opened the door and stood before Will. She was dressed in jeans shorts, the skinny kind that followed the curve of her body before stopping just above her knee. And, wonders of wonders, she wore a T-shirt that clung tightly to her upper body. Maybe wearing clothes that fit wasn’t such a good idea after all. Not being able to see her body had its benefits; lately it had been all he’d thought about. If she kept this up, he would spend all his time just staring at her.
“Hey, you’re early. Come in. I need to grab my keys and backpack and we’ll be ready to go,” she said, pretending not to notice the flash of desire in his eyes. She stood back to let him in, and then leading him through her home, bending over to pick up her keys and backpack from the ottoman along the way.
Her home was spotless, same as the time he’d delivered her home. He followed her, noting the way her bottom moved in those shorts. He had locked in on that part of her anatomy and ran smack into her back when she stopped at her garage door, bringing him in direct contact with the part he’d admired so much. It worked for him, too, an unobtrusive way to cop a feel.
“Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he said. She looked back at him, her eyes squinting in their appraisal of his comment, seeking the truth. She opened the door.
If he had any question before, he knew it now—he was in love. He appreciated the neatness of Katrina’s garage, which almost but not quite rivaled his. The walls here held every imaginable gardening tool, organized by type; saws were side by side on the wall from large to small in size, followed by shovels, hoes, forks, and rakes. You name it, he’d bet it was somewhere in this garage. She was a regular home-and-garden store. She probably had something to do with the sheds at the gardens being so well organized. A girl after his own heart.
“I like the way you organize,” he said, smiling as she did the same. She backed her little electric car out of the garage and pulled onto the street.
“Abernathy and Co. is not that far from here,” she said, looking over at him. “I saw you there once,” she added, watching him search his brain for when.
“Me? When?” he asked, surprised and bothered that he hadn’t remembered.
“During the holidays; actually, a couple of days after Christmas. You were looking for some tool, I don’t remember what,” she said.
“I don’t remember,” he said, looking at her intently.
“It’s okay. Sometimes I’m not very noticeable,” she said, smiling.
He was quiet, not sure how to respond to that. “You are noticeable when you want to be,” he said, pausing. “I remember the night of the party, I noticed. I remember you in your workout attire. Noticed you that day, too, and I remember your expression as you stood in my backyard. Those things I noticed and remember quite vividly.”
“Oh.” She was now the one speechless. “Anyway,” she said, wanting to change the subject, searching her brain for something interesting to talk about and coming up empty.
“So you never met your birth parents or their families?” he asked, watching her drive. She was a careful driver, going the speed limit, stopping at the yellow lights.
She shook her head.
“How about you?” she asked.
“There are four of us; three girls, one boy,” he said.
“Where are you from originally?”
“San Francisco. Two of my sisters, my grandfather, and my mother live there now.”
“That’s only two sisters accounted for,” she said.
“My oldest sister lives here in town.”
“Where is here?” Katrina asked, pulling into a large parking area and parking near the main gate.
“Willow Mountain,” he said, getting out of her car, looking around. He had been impressed with the place on his first visit here and still was. It had a local feel to it.
“It is busy; they do a lot of business,” Katrina said, moving around him, following his eyes. They walked through a huge gate painted barnyard red. The gates had been moved and tied back to the fence. Flowers of all sizes, from small planting flats to larger gallon-size pots, sat on tables surrounding them. Directly in front of them was a big building, its color matching the fence.
“As you know, that’s where you can purchase gardening tools, fertilizers, and pesticides, although they strongly discourage the use of pesticides,” she said, walking in the direction of the store.
“I should have known you’d know your way around this store,” he said to her, following her up the steps and into the building, bumping into her back again as she stopped. He followed her eyes downward to where a chicken and her small chicks crossed before them.
“That’s Annie and those are her chicks,” she said before continuing inside. An older white-haired guy stood next to the counter talking to a customer. Will watched Katrina walk over and stand behind the counter and wait until they were finished with their conversation. The older man turned to Katrina, gave her a huge smile, and said, “If it isn’t my favorite goddaughter.” Katrina had placed one of her arms around him and gave him a side hug.
“I’m your only goddaughter,” she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. “I have someone I would like you to meet,” she said, beckoning Will over. He walked up and shook the man’s hand.
“Uncle C, a.k.a. Charles Abernathy, I would like you to meet Will Nakane. He’s the one who came up with the design that our neighborhood will be using this year in the competition. We’ve made the final five, which is why we are here today; we need to nail down the pricing for the plants. I thought Colburn could help with that,” she said.
Charles shook Will’s hand.
“Glad to meet you, Will. Colburn is around here somewhere,” Charles said, and on cue, Colburn entered the store and walked over to give Katrina a hug.
“Hey, Colburn,” she said. Will had watched the man’s facial expression move from glacial when he’d entered to warm and open when he smiled at Katrina.
“Hello, Katrina.”
“Colburn, this is Will, the one who was selected to head the neighborhood competition.” Will extended his hand to Colburn, who stood there, interrogating Will with his eyes.
Uggg! Sometimes her godfathers drove her to drink, Katrina thought, giving a huge sigh meant for all the world to hear. Deliver her from men and their rituals. Will stood his ground, and, a minute later, Colburn extended his hand. He had somehow taken Will’s measure and was satisfied now.
“We stopped by this morning to nail down the final pricing. I thought you could help,” she said.
“Where is your budget?” Colburn asked, continuing to look over Will from head to toe.
“I have it,” said Katrina, looking through her backpack and pulling it out. She handed it over to him.
“Katrina, how about you stay here and help your Uncle C with the store and I’ll take Will around. You okay with that, Will?” Colburn asked.
“Sure,” Will said.
Colburn continued, “We’ll meet you back in here when we’re done.”
“Okay,” Katrina said, looking into Will’s face for assurance.<
br />
Will smiled back at her, laughter in his eyes.
Will and Colburn walked through the door and out into the sunshine. Katrina tracked them with her eyes until they got lost in the center. She turned around to find her Uncle C watching her, a smile on his face.
“This is against my better judgment, but I’ll do it anyway. What?” she asked.
“You like him, and more than you let on. I can see it. I know women well enough to know an interested one when I see one,” he said, still smiling at her.
“Okay, I am, so what? He only sees me now that he’s working with me. He didn’t even notice me before.”
“Katrina, you’ve got a chip on your shoulder about some things still. I’m sure you made it easy for him to see you.”
“I did,” she said, but she’d hadn’t, not really, or at least not before the party.
“Hey, Uncle C, people see what they want to see, and you and I both know that they’re only interested if it sparkles and shines.”
“You could sparkle and shine if you put your mind to it. You are sparkling and shining a little bit today, as a matter of fact. That’s not your usual attire.”
“So good of you to notice. You know what I mean,” she said, although she wasn’t going to tell him of her recent shopping trip.
“You have to at some point let go of your grudges and hurts, otherwise, you miss more than you know.”
“Maybe,” she said, turning back to look in Colburn and Will’s direction.
***
Will and Colburn walked though the garden reviewing the list of plants they would need from Katrina’s itemized list, with Colburn verifying the cost of each. He knew Katrina had been thorough, but Colburn offered some of the items to them at a discount.
“What’s the point of having a godchild if you can’t spoil or help her?” he said to Will.
“I hadn’t known she was your goddaughter until now. She hadn’t mentioned it to me,” Will responded.
“She can be independent that way,” Colburn said. He and Will stood next to a strand of Japanese maples, the ones on his list that turned a beautiful magenta color in the winter. Colburn pulled a tag over, making sure the price was what he’d marked it to be.
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