by Vikki Walton
“Ladies, this is Marie, and she’s going to be helping with our lessons on tinctures, tisanes, and tonics.” Hope motioned to Marie who gave a small wave to the group.
Hope continued, “I’ll be talking about elderberry as one of the herbs, and she has offered to show us how to make her award-winning elderberry cordial. We’ll talk a lot about using food as medicine to prevent colds and flu which tend to spike during the winter months. We’ll take a short break to get things set up in the kitchen, and we’ll start the class at ten. This gives you some free time before we start. Any questions?”
All the women shook their heads. Beth and Liz headed upstairs together. Taylor went off with Kandi to her house to get her savory pastry recipe and to see Kandi’s chicken coop. Lil exited the door to the portico.
As Hope cleared the breakfast dishes from the table, Anne began rinsing the plates. As Anne glanced out the window, she saw Lil down by the area marked for the new cutting garden. As she watched, Anne spied the doctor leave the shade of the gazebo, a puff of quick vapor revealing why he was there.
Edward glanced back up at the house and then walked over to where Lil stood. Anne knew that Beth wouldn’t be able to see Lil and her husband from the window in her room. He came over and stood next to Lil. The woman looked up at him, and Anne could see the sadness in her face. His face echoed hers, but where hers held longing, his also showed longing. He spoke some words to her, but she ducked her head, shaking it. He grabbed both of her arms, but she pulled free from him and ran back toward the house.
Had he been telling her he was sorry? What had happened to cause him to choose Beth over Lil? Had Beth seen her chance when Lil went to Oxford?
Anne finished loading the dishwasher and set to wiping down the counters when she spied Liz sprinting toward the gazebo. Liz turned back to the house, but the morning sun meant that Liz couldn’t see Anne through the kitchen windows. Anne could tell by the gestures that Liz and Edward were having an argument. Liz was giving him a piece of her mind. Had she seen him talking to Lil? Was she taking up for Beth, yet once again?
Finally, Liz threw her hands up in the air and strode off toward the driveway. Anne opened the window a bit to let in some fresh Colorado air. Then she emptied the trash and walked out to the can by the garage. As she started to move back toward the house, Anne watched as Taylor advanced across the yard from Kandi’s house. Taylor must have watched the entire episode with Lil or Liz because she headed over to where Dr. Nelson sat in the gazebo puffing on the vape pen. He looked up at her from his seat but said nothing as Taylor loudly launched into some choice words that weren’t fit for public consumption. He jumped up from his seat, said something Anne couldn’t make out, and shook his fist at her. Taylor grabbed the vape pen and shoved it into his chest.
Yikes. The quicker Dr. Nelson was gone, the better.
Anne would later regret that choice of words.
Chapter Eight
“Being a snoop again, Anne?” She jumped at Hope’s words.
“Who needs to be a snoop? It’s like watching reality television right outside your window but without sound. I need the remote!”
Hope laughed. “I prefer the mute button about now! I’ve never seen such a mess as this group.”
“I think it’s all due to that guy out there.” She tipped her head to where Edward sat.
“Whoever or whatever, I’m hoping today gets better. I’m not enjoying this enterprise thus far.”
“I hear ya. I just think we got the worst guests possible for the launch. After this it should be smooth sailing.” Anne hung the dishcloth on a hook under the sink.
“We can hope.”
Anne crossed her arms. “Since everyone’s upstairs, anything we need to get done to prepare?”
“Yes. Would you mind taking me over to the shop? I’d like to check in on mom and see how Autumn’s getting along with everything.”
“We’ve got time. I may run over to the pet store while you do that. I need to get a glove for Mouser’s fur. The other one isn’t working out.” Anne picked at cat hair on her sweater.
Hope laughed. “I was going to ask if that was a cat-hair sweater.”
“Ha. Ha. You’re so funny.” She sighed. “I do love Mouser to pieces, but I think all my clothing is a magnet for her.” She wiped down her arms and then pushed up her sleeves. The day was already warming up. Anne continued, “Let me just call Kandi so she will know we’ll be out for a bit. I don’t want to leave that crew alone too long. I’d hate to come back to a massacre.”
After connecting with Kandi, who came back to the Inn, Anne and Hope drove into town. Anne parked her newer blue Dodge 4x4 on the street. As Hope walked into her shop, Anne strolled down to Patty’s Pampered Pets.
The bell over the door sounded and a woman in her thirties appeared from behind the counter. “Hi Anne. How’s poor lonely Mouser?”
“Ha ha. Not biting, Pat.” While the shop owner’s name was actually Patricia, she went by Pat or Patty. She also volunteered at the local animal rescue and was always trying to get people to adopt or foster animals.
“Ah, come on. Doesn’t he need a friend?”
“I’m his friend.” She looked at a collection of squeaky toys. Well, maybe just one of these. She grabbed a bright orange ball from the basket.
The bell rang again and a teenager in a dark hoodie came in. “Need any help?” Pat called out.
The teen shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
Something about the boy niggled at the back of Anne’s mind. She grabbed some more treats for Mouser and went to the counter where she set the items down. “I’m looking for one of those gloves that comb fur. Got anything like that?”
“Sure.” She came out from around the counter and walked toward an aisle with all sorts of grooming gadgets with names like “fur terminator.”
As Anne tried to figure out which glove she wanted, the teen had plodded up to the cash register. In his left arm he held a bag of dry dog food and a bag of jerky treats. She heard Pat speak. “Hey, Spence, haven’t seen you in a while.”
He kept his head down. “Been busy.”
He pulled out a pile of crumpled bills and set them on the counter. As Pat began counting out the money, he emptied his jacket pocket of spare change.
“Just a bit short, but no worries. You can make it up by helping out in the stockroom this weekend if that works for you.” She rang up the purchase.
“Will I get more if I work more?”
“Sure. I could definitely use more help after school and on the weekends. Want to dress up as a pirate and work the front, helping people?”
He mumbled, “No.”
Pat had capitalized on the wearing of an eyepatch when she’d opened the pet store by wearing a pirate costume last October. What the kids who now called her Pirate Patty didn’t know was that she’d had eye surgery due to a fall while skiing. Now afternoons and on Saturdays, she would transform into Pirate Patty. The kids loved it, as she would often read stories she borrowed from Sorcha at the bookstore and have one of the pets needing adoption from the shelter next to her. Parents said Patty didn’t play fair as it was rare for an animal not to be adopted on those weekends.
“Okay, fine. I can still use help in the back too.” She put the jerky into a bag. “Still feeding strays, huh.” She motioned to the dog food.
“Yeah.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that you were right about that website tweak. I’ve seen a lot more hits and sales have been steadily increasing online. That’ll be really good come winter when business really slows down. I’ll still be able to place orders and let the delivery service take care of it for me.” Pat smiled. “Moving here was the best thing I ever did. I can make money while I’m out skiing. Is there anything better than that?”
Anne who had taken more falls than she could count while skiing, and now stuck to snow-shoeing, stood behind Spencer and said nothing.
Spencer straightened a bit, but st
ill kept his head down.
Anne coughed, and he swiveled toward her. That’s where she knew him. He was the kid she’d seen at the police station last year during the time she was visiting Kandi.
He grabbed the dog food tighter and headed toward the entrance. As he exited, Anne saw Hope headed inside. It looked like the pair were having words. Anne moved toward the storefront and opened the door.
Hope’s voice was louder than normal. “Do you know you could have been killed?” Hope had grabbed his forearm as the boy shook it off. “You don’t run out in front of cars like that—especially at night.”
“So, he’s—” Anne jumped in.
“Yes. He’s the boy we saw the other night out in the cul-de-sac.”
Anne faced him. “What were you doing—”
The boy turned and ran across the street. A truck’s horn sounded as he raced across the other lane. He dropped the bag of dog food, but quickly retrieved it before looking behind him to see if anyone had followed. Anne and Hope watched as he disappeared behind a tree before spotting him turn toward the trail that connected the town with the wilderness area.
“Kids!” Anne and Hope said at the same time.
After Anne had paid Pat for her items, they walked over to the truck. A voice called out. “Hope! Wait, Hope!” A young woman in her early twenties with a multi-colored scarf covering her dreadlocks jogged over to them. She clutched at her knees while catching her breath. “This altitude is killer.”
“Anne, meet Autumn. Autumn, this is Anne.”
“Hi.” She stood up and Anne gazed into warm deep-brown eyes. She wore an apron over a white linen tunic and baggy, green khaki-colored pants.
“Hi.” Anne shook the young woman’s hand.
She turned to Hope. “I just talked with Missy and she can hang out with Miss Faith if I need to bring anything over to the Inn.”
Faith was Hope’s mother. Her periods of lucidity varied, and she needed someone close by in case she decided to wander away from her apartment.
“Great.”
“Nice meeting you, Anne. Got to run.” Without waiting for a reply, Autumn turned and ambled back down the alley.
“I need her energy.”
Hope responded, “You and me both. She’s eager to learn and has been a big help with the herbal preparations.” She glanced at her watch. “We better get back to the Inn. Marie’s probably ready to get started.”
“Oh geez. Totally forgot. Kandi’s probably ready to kill us.”
Chapter Nine
The ladies were all chatting among themselves when Marie began. Anne watched as Marie, a portly woman with a ruddy complexion, reveled in the spotlight. Hope had let it be known that Marie sought out gossip like a cat sought a mouse, so Anne should beware of what she shared with the woman. Since that time, Anne had steered clear of any conversation that went beyond the weather or other generalities.
Marie held up the glass decanter and smiled widely. Inside, the elderberry liquid glimmered like a ruby jewel. “This is my award-winning elderberry cordial.”
Anne chimed in, “Five years running.” She held up her right hand, stretching out her five fingers. Marie beamed at the praise offered.
“Well, yes, that’s true. And today is your lucky day, ladies, because I’m going to be sharing my recipe with you. We’ll make the cordial, which is a fairly quick process. You’ll be able to take that home with you to let it finish the process. Tonight, at dinner, you’ll get to sample my cordial.” She set the decanter down on the table.
Hope moved over and stood next to Marie. In comparison to Marie’s short stature, Hope was a tall, thin woman who presented herself in such a caring manner that people instantly trusted her. Over the course of the partnership on the bed and breakfast, Hope had grown beyond being Anne’s doctor and herbalist. She had become a dear and trusted friend.
Hope was answering a question about the day’s schedule, “Once the cordial is done, we’ll begin talking about great medicinal plants, just like elderberry, to add to your garden.”
“Liz has the most beautiful garden,” Beth interjected, “She’s got all kinds of flowers—spring-flowering tulips, hyacinths, foxglove, and in the summer, her dahlias—”
Liz flinched and looked up at the group. “Now Beth, you have the same flowers in your garden.” She playfully nudged her friend.
“Thanks to you.” Beth squeezed Liz’s arm.
Anne noticed a shadow pass over Liz’s face. She looked at the two women. Did Beth take advantage of her friendship with Liz? Or was Liz the type of friend that wanted to mother her friend and didn’t mind playing that role for her? She’d been at Beth’s side whenever Dr. Nelson had made his insults toward Beth or women in general. Or was she just someone that didn’t like being put on the spot in front of others?
“I love flowers,” Lil spoke, and it caused everyone to turn since she so seldom spoke up.
“I remember.” Beth looked at Lil. “Remember that time we stole into Taylor’s room and put smiley face notes all over her room. Taylor had broken up with some boy. You never did tell us—”
Taylor jerked up from her chair. “Is there time for a potty break before we get started? All that coffee, you know.”
Anne also rose. “Of course. Everyone if you’d like to take a break, you can help yourself to more coffee or tea and then we’ll get started.”
Beth laughed. “We were all so young and naïve back then.”
“Some of us more than others,” Taylor said under her breath as she left the room.
Liz got up and went to the sideboard, adding more coffee to her cup. She raised the pot, signaling if anyone else wanted a refill.
“I wish we had more pictures from that time,” Beth said. “Of course, we have our more formal ones in our scrubs, but not just us hanging out.”
“If I recall,” interjected Liz, “that was because Taylor said she’d put on the freshman fifteen and she didn’t want her picture taken until she’d lost the weight.”
“Yes, now that you said that, I do remember her wearing that really big, oversized scrub. I always teased her about it, but she said it helped her move better. But she couldn’t fool me.”
“I bet she did,” Lil said under her breath.
“Excuse me?” Beth responded, and Liz turned to face toward Lil.
“I said I bet she did like wearing it looser to work easier. They could get twisted pretty easily.”
Taylor had returned and stood in the doorway. She looked pointedly at Lil but said nothing.
Anne watched as something—a bit of sadness perhaps—passed between the two women.
“Ladies, everyone ready?” Marie motioned everyone to the kitchen where the ingredients and quart-sized jars stood.
As everyone filed into the kitchen, Kandi looked up from what looked like a list. “Good morning, everyone. You all sleep well?”
Affirmative answers passed around. Taylor said, “Kandi, I forgot to tell you earlier, that stuffed French toast was out of this world.”
The others nodded.
“I’m glad you liked it.” Kandi beamed. “I like experimenting in the kitchen, and when I saw the ingredients for the cordial, I thought, like, why not?”
Marie asked, “What kind was it?”
“I made cheese stuffed French toast with orange rind, coated with a cinnamon honey mixture and topped with elderberry syrup.”
“It was delicious,” Taylor replied. “Do you have your recipes in a cookbook? I’d like to buy one.”
Kandi blushed and turned to Anne. “Well, no. Like I never, like, thought—”
“That’s a great idea, Taylor. As you note, Kandi is an excellent cook.” Anne beamed at Kandi. “Maybe that’s something we can work on doing and having on offer for future guests. But for now, we’d be happy to supply you with the recipes from this weekend. Hope, I’ll pop out with Kandi for a minute and then I’ll be back in to help.”
Anne and Kandi walked into the office. Anne shut the do
or behind her and then grabbed Kandi in a hug. “I’m so proud of you. I knew you had the natural talent of a chef.”
“I’m, like, so overwhelmed.” Kandi wiped a happy tear from her eye before sinking down in the chair opposite the desk. “I never thought people would be that interested. I just hoped they’d like my food.”
“They don’t just like your food, they love your food! And what’s not to love? You cook it wonderfully while adding your own uniqueness to it, and you present it beautifully on the plate.”
Anne moved around to the other side of the two-person desk and sat down on the yoga ball. When Hope had first brought one, Anne hadn’t been so sure about it. But once Hope had added the chair support, she had quickly sold Anne on it. She scooted forward.
“I think this could be a great addition to what we offer. Although, it’s not like you need more money or anything.” Anne grinned at Kandi.
Kandi had inherited millions from her late mother, but it hadn’t changed the young woman at all. Instead, she’d hired a good lawyer who had put everything in a trust, and she now would have a very comfortable living for the rest of her life. She’d purchased some property in and around town so was thrilled to be a part of updating Ralph’s old Victorian into a bed and breakfast. While Hope kept her practice, these occasional weekend workshops would also help finance the round-the-clock care that her mother, Faith, now required.
Kandi bit the inside of her lip signaling that she wanted to share something but wasn’t sure if she should.
“Okay, I can see that something’s on your mind. Spill the beans, young lady.” Anne clasped her hands together on the desk.
Kandi moved her chair closer to the desk and lowered her voice. “I think one of them may be a thief.”
“What!” Anne hadn’t been expecting that.
“I don’t mean, like, in a major way. But I know I had exactly what I needed for lunch and dinner tonight. Now I get that some people may want a snack, so I had in a bit extra, but I’ve noticed food going missing. Yesterday it was some of the pastries I’d made for the walk. I’d wanted to make a batch to see how long before they got cold. This morning when I was making breakfast, I noticed some of the bread, cheese, and roast beef missing. I don’t mind them making a snack, but they didn’t even close the stuff up. They can’t have been in that much of a hurry.”