by Tia Siren
“What if someone calls?”
“They’ll leave a message. I’ll check the messages throughout the day.”
She didn’t look convinced. I wasn’t sure why I was having to try so hard to convince her to take the day off.
“I’ll pay you for the day. I just want to get out of here. Let’s close up and go. We’ll play hooky, go shopping, sleep, watch a movie. We’ll do whatever it is you would do on a day off.”
She grinned. “I don’t think you can play hooky since you’re the boss, but I’ll be happy to go along with it if you’re going to pay me.”
Finally. “Good. Then I say we are taking a mental health day.”
“Works for me,” she said, turning off the computer.
I went back into my office, grabbed my laptop and phone, shut off the lights, and off we went.
“Have a good day,” she called out as she headed down the street. “I’ll see you tomorrow, unless you want to pay me for not working again.”
“Not a chance. Take it easy today,” I said before getting in my truck.
I sat in the front seat with the AC blowing and debated what I wanted to do. I wasn’t in the mood for a run. It was too hot and I didn’t have that kind of energy. I was battling a serious case of the doldrums. An idea sprang to mind. I grabbed my phone and called Helen. Her husband was at work and she was alone in her hotel room. I asked if I could visit and take her to lunch. She agreed.
I backed out and headed off to Morgantown. I didn’t realize how much I would miss Helen until she wasn’t there to talk to. She was more than my secretary. She was an excellent sounding board. I should pay her therapist wages. She was my personal counselor and always knew how to pull me out of these funks. I needed to see her to make sure she was okay with my own eyes. She had sounded a little down when I’d talked to her last Friday. She was dealing with far more serious problems than I was. I hoped I could be her shoulder to lean on.
The drive did me good. Hitting the open road was the best therapy. I pulled into Helen’s hotel and found her waiting in the lobby for me.
“Hi!” I said, wrapping her in my arms but being careful not to squeeze too tight. I knew she was still recovering from surgery.
“Hey, you. I’m so glad you called. I was going a little stir crazy in that room. I take it you were doing the same in the office?”
I grinned. She knew me too well. We had played hooky numerous times over the years. “I was. I needed to get out of there. What are you in the mood to eat?” I asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Anything. I start chemo next week. I figure I may as well eat now while I can hold it all in.”
“Mexican?”
Her eyes lit up. “You sure know your way to a girl’s heart.”
I laughed and escorted her out to my truck. I punched in a search on Google and found a restaurant.
“Fill me in on the latest gossip. I know Ashley saved the farm. Are you two still talking? Do you love her or hate her this week?” she teased.
I rolled my eyes and threw my hands in the air. “I have no idea. The woman is hot and cold. I suppose you’ve heard about my son?”
She smiled. “I have. Congratulations. It’s a boy!”
I laughed. “I think that’s about five years too late, but thank you. He’s a great kid. Super smart, funny, and he calls me dad,” I gloated.
“Good. He should. Does that mean you and Ashley are getting along?”
“No. It means nothing of the sort. Like I said, hot and cold. One minute we’re happy, spending time together and enjoying each other’s company, and the next she is telling me to stay away and not to call.”
Helen tilted her head to the side. “I’m sorry, Brock. That’s tough. I know you love her.”
I groaned. “I do. I hate that I do. I don’t know why I can’t just forget about her and move on.”
“Because she’s the one. Everyone knew the two of you were destined to be together the moment you met in the third grade. You may have moved away, but when you came back, you caught her eye and she caught yours.”
“Well, I’ll close my eyes the next time she’s around. I’m done. I’m over it. I don’t want to play the on-off game anymore. Neither does she,” I said.
“You can’t say you’re done. You’re not. It’s fate for you to be together. Unfortunately, fate can be a real bitch sometimes.”
I nearly choked on the drink of water I had just taken. “Helen!”
“It’s true. Look at me. I’ve never smoked or drank. I lived a completely healthy lifestyle and I have cancer. You tell me fate isn’t a cold, mean-spirited bitch.”
“I’m sorry, Helen. It isn’t fair. How’ve you been feeling?”
“Good as can be I suppose. I’m not looking forward to the chemo, but the oncologist assures me I caught it early enough that I have a good chance of recovering. When he was in there chopping off my lady parts, he removed a few lymph nodes as well.”
I nodded, unsure what else to say. I hated that she had to go through all of this.
“How long do they think you need to stay here?”
“The doctor says he wants me close for the first couple treatments. If I tolerate it well enough, I can go home and drive back here every two weeks.”
“Good. It will be nice for you to be able to sleep in your own bed.”
“How’s Anna working out?” she asked.
“Good, actually, but don’t worry, the job is still yours. I will hold it for you forever. Don’t feel like you need to rush back, though. I want you to get well.”
There was a look of sadness in her eyes. “Brock, I don’t know if that time will come. It could be a few months or even longer.”
“That’s okay. I can wait. You are too good to let go. And Anna’s pregnant,” I blurted out.
“I hope you’re not going to tell me it’s yours.” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“No. God, no. That woman terrifies me. I meant she’s pregnant so she isn’t going to be there forever either. I’ll ask if she wants to move to full time while you are out. Hopefully you’ll be back by the time she has the baby.”
“I hope so, too. I certainly don’t want to be out of commission that long.”
The waiter took our order and we turned the discussion to lighter topics while we waited for our food. I could see she was tired. I imagined she must have been under a great deal of stress, and being here all alone had to be rough. Her husband had to go home to keep working.
After we ate, I took her back to the hotel. When I asked if she needed anything, she said she had all she needed and then I headed on home.
I was glad I’d gotten to see her and spend some time with her, but I hated seeing her so unwell. She had to get better. I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. The ride home wasn’t quite as enjoyable as the trip over. I couldn’t get what Helen had said out of my head.
Were Ashley and I destined to be together? What if the only way we could be together was the way were now? I couldn’t keep going like that. I needed stability. I needed to know we had a relationship and were going to be there for each other no matter what. I didn’t like the uncertainty. Hopefully fate wasn’t quite as cruel as Helen had indicated. I didn’t want to be on this hamster wheel Ashley and I had been stuck on any longer. What if that was what fate had in store for us?
I got home and walked through my empty house. I picked up a little, but it wasn’t like the place ever really got messy. I was the only one who lived here and I wasn’t exactly a slob. It didn’t take much to put a couple dishes in the dishwasher or run a load of laundry. I knew most people with busy households probably wouldn’t agree with me, but I actually kind of wished there was someone around to make a mess now and then. It would make the house feel lived in instead of just a place I slept at night.
After kicking around the house, I went to bed. As I lay there, listening to nothing, I wished like hell I had a family in the house. I wanted Ashley beside me and Jasper down the hall. I
wanted to wake up in the morning to chaos as we all rushed to get ready for our day. I wanted to hear the sound of laughter and conversation in general.
I drifted off to sleep, thinking about the many what ifs and what could have been. Despite what Helen had said, I wasn’t sure Ashley and I were meant to be together. It was a youthful romance that had dissolved. There were still some lingering feelings on both sides, but deep down, I had to accept that it was likely for the best if we moved on. There was too much water under the bridge.
Chapter 35
Ashley
I felt a little guilty for dragging Jasper out at the crack of dawn, but it was necessary. This would be a good memory for him. I remembered going to the farmer’s market with my dad on many occasions. It was our time together, which was important to me. Being the youngest of four siblings in a single-parent household often left me feeling like I did not get enough of attention. I was the only one who wanted to get up early in the summer to go with dad, and I was secretly glad of that fact. It was my one chance to be alone with him.
The truck was loaded with beans and tomatoes and a variety of herbs. Dad said he wanted to come down later but wasn’t quite ready to head down that early in the morning. I understood and encouraged him to sleep in.
The headlights shone on the corn as we drove down the driveway. It wouldn’t be much longer before we would be selling the corn at the farmer’s market. These sales wouldn’t pay the mortgage, but it would give me a good idea about the market. Was it worth growing the crops? Was it worth spending the money to pay people to harvest the food?
My dad insisted it was, but I needed to see for myself. I looked in the back seat of the truck and smiled. Jasper had his favorite blanket tucked around him and was sleeping soundly. I’d told him it wasn’t cold out, but he had insisted on the blanket.
When we got to the market, I quickly filled out the necessary paperwork and pulled the truck around to my designated stall. I backed in to make unloading easier. Jasper opted to stay in the truck and stretched out on the back seat.
I got busy setting up the table and chatting with the other people setting up their own booths.
“You’re Tanner’s youngest daughter, aren’t you?” one elderly gentleman asked.
I smiled and nodded. “I am. And you are?”
“I’m Lester Smith. I knew your mama. Are you living back at home?”
I nodded. I hated when people said it like that, as if I couldn’t make it out on my own and had come running home for my daddy to support me. It was nothing like that, more like the opposite in fact, but I didn’t want to air my family’s dirty laundry. The gossips were already having a field day with the whole Jasper situation.
“I am. Helping Dad out and taking care of the marketing of the vegetables,” I said with a smile.
“Good, good. How’s he doing? I heard he has cancer. That’s a damn shame,” Lester muttered.
“It certainly is, but I think he is going to make a full recovery. We’ll know more real soon.”
“Tell him I said hello. Good luck on your selling, young lady. Those tomatoes look great,” he said before moving down the row.
As expected, the market started filling with buyers early. It was the normal habit. People wanted to get the first pick of what was available and showed up early in the hopes of beating the crowd. These shoppers inevitably became the crowd.
I kept a watchful eye on the truck, making sure Jasper was still inside. After about an hour of the town busybodies peppering me with questions about Jasper, Brock, and my dad’s health, I was running out of patience. It was none of their business, but that seemed to be lost on them.
After one particularly aggressive woman refused to take “no comment” for an answer, I took matters into my own hands. I grabbed the big, fat black marker and a piece of paper from the notebook I had brought along for Jasper to doodle in and made a sign.
“I’m just selling veggies, not gossip,” I wrote in it.
I taped it to the front of my stall, hoping to keep out the people who only wanted the latest bit of info about my family. It seemed to work. I still had plenty of buyers stopping by, and I had to admit, Dad was right.
“Hey.” Anna appeared in front of me. “How’s it going?”
She looked at my sign and chuckled.
“It’s been going pretty well. Dad has a solid reputation for good produce. I think that is helping sales a lot,” I said.
“And that?” She pointed to the sign.
I rolled my eyes. “That is because I am tired of people asking about my life and other things that really are none of their business.”
Jasper opened the truck door and climbed out.
“Have a nice nap?” I asked, ruffling his hair.
He yawned. “I’m hungry.”
“Well, you are in the right place for that. Come on, I’ll take you to get some good stuff,” Anna said, grabbing his hand.
“Hold on,” I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a ten. “Please don’t give him a lot of sugar. Go for the good stuff, like muffins, or some of that homemade cheese I saw someone selling.”
Anna giggled. “My job as an aunt is to get him jacked up on sugar and then bring him back to you.”
“Well, payback’s a bitch. Remember that.”
The two of them set off to walk around the market. I leaned back in my camp chair and relaxed. Then Brock appeared.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” I said a little awkwardly.
“Can I get a few tomatoes?”
“Of course. You can pick them out,” I said.
He did so, paid, and then left.
I felt a little stunned. I had never known Brock to visit the farmer’s market. In all the years we were together, he had never been interested in buying fresh produce. It was a little odd. I wondered if he was checking up on me.
I didn’t have to wonder long. He returned with Anna and Jasper.
“Mom, can I go to work with Dad and Aunt Anna?”
I looked at the two adults. Brock looked at me, trying to say something, but I wasn’t exactly sure what.
Anna leaned forward. “We can watch him for a couple hours. He can hang out at the office with me. I’m sure it will be more fun for him there. And cooler. This way you won’t have to keep an eye on him and can focus on making lots of money.” She winked.
“Oh yes, I’ll be out buying that Ferrari with my profits.”
Brock looked at me. “Probably best if he isn’t subjected to all the eyes, if you know what I mean?”
I nodded. I knew exactly what he meant. People had been looking and watching Jasper as if he were the eighth wonder of the world.
“Are you sure you can handle him?” I asked Anna.
“Yes, Ashley. Jasper is a good kid. Aren’t you, Jasper?”
“Okay. Thank you, guys,” I said. “Let me grab his booster seat. Jasper, be good.”
With Jasper out of sight of prying eyes, I could relax my guard a little. I had fun chatting with the various customers that stopped by and was pleasantly surprised to see the produce selling so fast. One lady said her friend had called her and told her to get her butt down to the farmer’s market because Parks farm was back. That made me practically glow. I was glad my dad’s reputation was enough to sell what I had brought along.
I promised everyone we would be back with corn and possibly more tomatoes in the coming weeks. I managed to sell out shortly after lunch. I wasn’t going to stick around any longer than necessary. I packed up and headed for Brock’s office.
“Hi!” I said to Jasper, who was sitting on the floor coloring a picture of what looked to be mountains.
“I printed it off the internet. Brock ran across the street and bought crayons, markers, and pencils.”
I cringed when she said markers and looked back at Jasper. As I expected, his fingers looked like rainbows.
Anna laughed. “Yeah, we figured out the markers weren’t the best idea.”
I chuc
kled. I had learned the hard way as well.
“Thank you for watching him.”
“You’re early. Is that good or bad?”
“Good. Very good. I sold everything and had many requests for more. I plan on going back with corn once it’s ready.”
“Dad will be very happy to hear that.”
“Is Brock in his office?” I asked.
She winked and nodded. “Yep.”
I headed into his office and found him on the phone. He held up a finger. I waited for him to finish his call.
“You’re back early. He’s okay. I hope you didn’t pack up and leave because you were worried we couldn’t handle him,” he said with frustration.
“No. I sold out.”
“Oh.”
I stared at him and then just blurted out what I had gone in there to say. “Fine. I’ll go on a date with you. Pick me up at seven.”
His mouth dropped open. I spun on my heel, walked out of his office, and told Jasper we were leaving. I grabbed his booster chair that was sitting in the corner and headed out with Jasper’s hand firmly in mine.
Anna waved good-bye as we walked out.
I buckled Jasper into his seat and headed for the farm. I couldn’t wait to tell my dad how successful the market had been. I knew he was worried it might have been a failure.
“Did you have fun?” I asked Jasper.
“Yep. Dad got me a cheeseburger and fries from the diner. Then I colored and Anna showed me some rocks on her computer,” he said.
I assumed he was referring to Anna surfing the internet.
When we pulled up in front of the house, Dad was sitting in his chair on the porch.
“There’s Grandpa!” Jasper exclaimed.
“Yes. I see him.”
I climbed out of the truck. Jasper had already bounded out and was up on the porch. I climbed the stairs behind him.
“You sold everything?” he asked with restrained excitement.
I smiled and nodded my head. “All of it. Once word got out that produce from your farm was at the market, it created quite a stir. People were flocking to the booth, Dad! You would have loved it. Lots of people asked me to pass along their hellos and well wishes, but I can’t remember any names now.”