by Mary Manners
A Tender Season
Mary Manners
A TENDER SEASON
Copyright 2017
Mary Manners
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cover Art by Heaven’s Touch Designs, Delia Latham
This book is a work of fiction. Characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, places, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Warning: No part of this book may be copied, scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means without the express, written permission of the author. Unauthorized duplication and/or distribution is illegal. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Published by Sweet Dreams Publications
First Edition, 2017
Published in the United States of America
Contact information:
Mary Manners: [email protected]
Hattie Cutler sighed as sunlight fingered through wisps of clouds to stroke the grounds of Clover Cove Community Church. She felt at peace in the shadow of a majestic whitewashed steeple that rose to kiss the cerulean blue sky, yet something niggled at her heart—a deep sense of longing she couldn’t quite form into words.
There was so much work to be done on the community garden that she, along with the help of a handful of the other parishioners, had broken ground on a few weeks ago. Hattie tugged off her gardening gloves and brushed the palm of one hand along tendrils of hair that tickled her damp forehead. It was easy to forget she was knocking on the door of her mid-fifties…not nearly as young as she used to be. But life had tossed her a generous mix of laughter dappled with love of family that kept her feeling spry as a teenager.
Her children were grown and married…all four of them wed to spouses that would make Rick happy if he were here to see what had become of them. Wyatt and Kami, Reese and Peyton, Maddie and Gunnar, Dillon and Brynn. Two-by-two the branches of the Cutler family tree continued to flourish. Each young couple had begun their own journey into growing a family. Hattie’s passel of grandchildren were living, breathing proof of the loving bonds that had been forged by her sons and daughter.
But Rick was no longer at her side to witness the adventure. Had it really been five years since his untimely passing? Hattie could barely believe so many days had come and gone, swept away by the fullness of a busy life. Now, when she thought of Rick she remembered only the happy times they’d shared…not the illness that had cut him to the quick and so ruthlessly claimed him during his prime.
Hattie sat back on her haunches and reached for a bottle of water, pausing as a shadow crossed alongside her.
“Here you go.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She’d recognize that voice at any given moment and the rich timbre set her spine to tingling with an odd little dance of anticipation. She turned as the chilled water bottle was placed in her hands and found Anthony Moretto standing at her side. His tall, lean form shielded the sunlight from her eyes while a broad smile warmed her to the very core.
“Hi, Hattie.” Callused fingers stroked the length of her forearm before falling away to settle back at his side. He eyed the weeds she’d spent the past hour or so taming, now tangled together in a large plastic bucket at the edge of the plot. “I see you’ve been quite busy this morning.”
“Yes.” She twisted the cap from the bottle, drew a generous sip to calm her parched throat, and then swallowed before continuing. “I’ve been neglectful of the gardening the past few days and had a bit of catching up to do before the weeds take up permanent residence.”
“Those weeds can wait their turn.” His wink was coupled with a sweet, mischievous grin. “Getting a little sidetracked from the task at hand is more than understandable with a new grandbaby just begging to be cuddled.”
“Yes, Wyatt and Kami do make beautiful children together.” It warmed Hattie to know she and Anthony shared a trio of grandchildren by way of her son, Wyatt, and Anthony’s only daughter, Kami, who’d just celebrated their fourth anniversary. “Little Renee is precious as the day is long.”
“She’s got her daddy’s lungs.”
“Amen to that. Kami and Wyatt will surely pay their dues this time around.” From the latest report, the newborn had squalled with colic through much of her first week. “Is everything OK, though? What are you doing here?”
“Everything is just fine and I should ask you the same.” Anthony took her hand and helped her to her feet. “What are you doing working here all by your lonesome on a beautiful day such as this?”
“I don’t mind a little time alone.” Hattie brushed grass from her skirt and turned to face him. His dark hair and a smile punctuated by a deep dimple at the center of his chin set her pulse to racing. “Being by my lonesome gives me time to reflect.”
Anthony’s eyes danced as crinkles deepened at their corners. He skimmed a pair of fingers along her shoulder. “And upon what mysteries of the universe might you be reflecting today, sweet Hattie?”
“Hmmm…” Hattie pressed the tip of one index finger to her chin as she eyed the church steeple that rose into the expanse of early-spring sky like a lighthouse to the lost. She found such comfort at the sight of it…such peace. “Where should I start?”
“At the beginning is always a good place.” Anthony draped an arm over her shoulder and she felt a sense of comfort and protection that was found with no one else. The pleasing realization had her heart singing as together, she and Anthony surveyed neat rows of vegetables that had been sown a few weeks ago. Now, the seeds sprouted, their crowns reaching eagerly toward the sun. Winter had been mild and spring yawned along the horizon, waking to warm the earth with its promise of new life. Soon there would come a harvest. Anthony squeezed her shoulder gently. “The grounds are looking spectacular, but I expected no less than that. You are, after all, the master gardener.”
“I’m in my element here. Once the vegetables begin to bloom and ripen, the months of harvest that follow will help feed the bulk of Clover Cove’s families in need.”
“Always thinking of others…that’s my Hattie.”
My Hattie. The words caused a flutter in the pit of her belly. When had Anthony begun to refer to her as ‘My Hattie’ and when, exactly, had she begun to both welcome and embrace the tender sentiment?
Hattie shook the dirt from her gloves and dropped them into her gardening carry-all. “I’ve done all I can here for now, except offer these seedlings a long and generous drink of water.”
“I’ll take care of that. You’ve done enough for one day.” Anthony took the bucket of weeds and set it beside the carryall. “Leave both of those where they are and I’ll load them into your car for you.”
“I don’t have my car.” Hattie frowned as she scanned the quiet, winding boulevard beyond the church grounds. “Gunnar dropped me off a few hours ago on his way to run errands, but he’ll head back by as soon as I give him a call.”
“There’s no need to phone Gunnar.” Anthony shook his head slightly. “I’ll be your chauffer this lovely afternoon.”
“Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“Hattie Cutler, bite your tongue.” Anthony waved off the comment with a flick of those broad, callused fingers. “You know better than that. You are never, ever an inconvenience to me.”
“But—”
“No need to debate the point. I won’t take no for an answer.” He held a hand, palm up in traffic-cop style, toward her to put a quick end to her protests. “Why don’t you head inside an
d cool off a bit while I finish things here. Then we’ll talk ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” Hattie smacked her lips as the words registered. She could already taste hot fudge swirled atop a heaping scoop of vanilla bean. “Well, I suppose that’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
“Good. And I’ll add that Fred and Jada have a handle on things over at the pizzeria, so I’m in no hurry to return to work there this afternoon. I thought I might see if I can talk you into having lunch with me before we indulge in a sweet treat.”
“Oh, Tony…” Hattie removed the broad-brimmed hat from her head and ran a hand through her windblown hair. “I’m a mess.”
“Nonsense.” He quirked a grin and the dimple along his chin deepened handsomely. “You look just fine from where I’m standing.”
“I don’t know…Maddie might need me at the nursery. This beautiful weather has brought customers out in droves. With Wyatt and Kami tied up with their new little one, things are tight.” Hattie thought of the stock that needed tending, displays waiting to be replenished. “And, as I mentioned, Gunnar went to check on that Victorian house…the one in town that just sold down the boulevard from his garage. While he was working on her car last week, the new owner mentioned she could use some assistance with the renovations. So Gunnar and Dillon are helping to introduce her to a few people in town who know a thing or two in that arena. They’ll familiarize her with the ins and outs of Clover Cove while doing their best to find the help she needs to get the business up and running as quickly as possible.”
“No worries about the nursery, Hattie. Maddie is handling things just fine. I stopped by there on my way here, to be sure everything was in order. I knew you’d fret.” He grinned, and Hattie delighted in the fact that he knew her so well. She had been fretting, yet his words calmed. “Reese is back from deliveries to help Maddie if she gets in a bind and I caught a glimpse of Brynn working on an array of planters, as well. The business ship is sailing along nicely, so to speak. No need to worry over that, Hattie. Things won’t fall apart if you take a few hours to relax along the way.”
“I suppose…”
“I’ll twist your arm if I have to.” Anthony winked again, causing the heat along the base of Hattie’s spine to spike.
“And I just might let you.” Hattie’s resolve melted away as Anthony’s gaze locked with hers. She pressed a hand to her belly and laughed as it grumbled like a lioness at feeding time. “Yes, the jury has apparently reached a verdict—lunch for both of us, followed by a heaping bowl of ice cream.”
****
Anthony watched Hattie retreat through the church doors and into the cheerful respite of the modest, tiled foyer. Her hair bounced in a crown of curls around her shoulders, much like brilliant diamonds dancing beneath the fragrant spring sunshine.
Beautiful…yes, she surely was, both inside and out. He loved the way she called him Tony. No one ever in his life had ventured to use the shortened endearment when referring to him. Anthony…he’d always been Anthony.
Except for when he was with Hattie. She made him feel like a celebrity and the guy next door all rolled into one…special on all counts.
Anthony shook his head as he reached for the garden hose wound around a metal holder at the side of the church’s brick out-building. He supposed Hattie Cutler was the only breathing soul in Clover Cove who had not yet clued in to the fact that he’d fallen in love with her. Oh, he continued to drop subtle hints at every bend in the road. Yet, like a fickle salmon, she failed to take the bait.
He’d just have to crank things up a notch or two…try a more direct approach. But that was easier said than done when the last time he’d conjured the nerve to ask a woman on a date was more than thirty-five years ago.
He thought of Lillian and her bright, magnanimous smile. Losing his wife in their twenty-ninth year of marriage had set him reeling, for sure. The days that followed had been tough. He still found it a miracle that he’d returned from the brink of despair fully intact to find glimmers of sunlight filtering through fierce storm clouds. As time passed those clouds had slowly faded, replaced by a ribbon of clear, blue sky.
The ribbon proved to be Hattie. She continued to be a vivacious and lively dynamo that allured him into nothing less than amazement at every turn.
Anthony shook gnarled kinks from the length of hose as he headed back to the garden Hattie had so lovingly helped to sow and immersed herself in tending. Under her tutelage, he had no doubt whatsoever that each plant would flourish. She possessed a green thumb, what many residents of Clover Cove referred to as the magic touch. Cutler Nursery stood as proof of the horticultural gifts God had so graciously bestowed upon Hattie. Couple those endowments with the characteristics of hospitality, service, a deep sense of family, and unending loyalty— Hattie Cutler possessed a presence that bordered on ethereal.
At times when he stood at Hattie’s side Anthony felt like the mere flicker of a candle in the presence of a floodlight. What were his gifts?
He pondered the thought as he offered seedlings a generous drink. The pizzeria that he’d coaxed to life and nurtured for the past two decades was one consideration. He’d almost lost the business following Lillian’s death, but Kami had helped him to revive things and to hang on tight through the storm of depression. Now that the storm had passed, punctuated by the wake-up call of a mild heart attack, he’d taken a step back to reflect on the direction of his life and what God might have in store for him. As the result of much prayer, he’d handed the daily operations to Kami and Wyatt. Together the pair stayed true to the course and the business continued to flourish.
The hard-fought business success afforded Anthony a sense of freedom he hadn’t felt in decades. Now, he enjoyed more time to explore other adventures…other interests.
More time for Hattie.
As she crossed the church yard toward him, looking pretty as a summer breeze in her wide-brimmed hat and floral-patterned skirt, Anthony figured there was no better time than the present to fan the flames of romance. Those flames seemed to devour him like a raging inferno whenever Hattie came near.
His gaze slipped to capture Hattie’s lithe figure and radiant smile. It was time to reveal to her, once and for all, exactly how he felt about her.
He’d let God take it from there.
****
Hattie nestled alongside Anthony in a wrought-iron bench across from Sweets and Treats Ice Cream Shop. She scooped whipped cream from the top of her hot fudge sundae and spooned it into her mouth, savoring the sugary-rich flavor. It slipped over her tongue and down her throat, forging a delightful trail.
“Delicious.” She lifted her gaze to find Anthony staring at her, the wisp of a smile on his full lips. A flashfire of warmth swam over her cheeks as she swallowed hard. “How’s yours?”
“Hmm…” Anthony raised his cone of fudge ripple like a torch. “Not as good as yours, judging by those groans of satisfaction.”
“Was I…groaning?” Hattie covered her mouth with the palm of her hand and turned her head, hiding the heat of blush that scorched her. “Goodness sakes, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve made a fool of myself…”
“It’s endearing to watch you take such delight in a simple bowl of ice cream.” Anthony laughed softly. “You’re easy to please, Hattie.”
“I’m glad you think so.” She ventured another bite of the sundae. “My children would testify to the opposite.”
“They’re entitled to their opinion, but I beg to differ.”
“I’m flattered that you do.” A gentle breeze lifted Hattie’s hair. Curls tickled the nape of her neck as sunlight dappled the pavement along the sidewalk. The scent of lilacs just coming into bloom mingled with damp earth and sweet grass that shimmered with its first spring cut. “Thank you for lunch and for this delicious ice cream. It’s certainly a treat after working away the morning.”
“You’re welcome. You work too hard, Hattie.”
“I could say the same about you. When’s the
last time you took a vacation?”
“My heart attack?”
“Case in point. You scared the life out of me with that, you know. I thought we’d lost you for good, and I couldn’t bear…”
“What couldn’t you bear, Hattie?”
“I’d miss you and your linguini with clam sauce.”
“Yes, my linguini is soon-to-be world famous.” Laughter bubbled up to spill from Anthony’s lips. “But I’ll share the recipe with you, just in case.”
“That’s not funny, Tony.” Hattie swatted his arm. “You should take a vacation. You need and deserve a vacation.”
“I’ll consider it.” He squeezed her hand and then lifted his fingers to graze the knuckles along her jawline. “In the meantime, I have something for you.”
“More than this?” Hattie gripped the ice cream bowl between her palms. “Isn’t lunch and dessert enough?”
“No.” He dipped a hand into the front pocket of his jeans and retrieved a small, black velvet box with a silver-toned hinge. “Here you go.”
“Oh, Tony…what’s this?” Hattie’s pulse stammered as he took her hand and turned it palm-up before placing the box there.
“Open it.”
Slowly, carefully, she lifted the lid, pulling it back on its hinge. A delicate silver heart caught the sunlight while a light-blue gem at its center winked up at her.
“Is that…?”
“Yes, it’s aquamarine, the birthstone for March.” He lifted the heart from the box. “It’s in honor of Renee’s birth on the thirty-first. As you know, she slipped in there right under the wire—two minutes before midnight.”
“You shouldn’t have.” Hattie sat mesmerized by the shimmer of jewelry coupled with Anthony’s thoughtfulness. “It’s lovely, Tony. Truly it is. I’ll treasure it always.”
“It matches the others you’ve collected.” Anthony caught the necklace that rested along her collarbone between his fingers. Silver hearts twinkled there, each adorned with a gemstone corresponding to the birth months of her grandchildren. “You have every month’s stone with the exception of a diamond.”