“I can’t believe you have any spare time,” Liz replied with a laugh.
“That’s true on some days.” She nodded in agreement. “But you know what they say about idle hands are the devil’s play. And I sure don’t need that kind of aggravation around here.”
Liz nodded in agreement. “Well, I’d better get on my way. I have a couple more stops to make.”
“I’ll be bringing you some jams and jellies in trade for this cream in a day or so. And my pickle patch is about finishing up so I’ve got to put up some sweet slices real quick. I can bring you some of those too if you’d like.”
“That would be very nice. Just a few jars will be plenty.”
Liz never sold her milk products, instead, the neighbors just traded whatever they had in their gardens or orchards and once in a while even a few crafts. For her, one cow produced more than enough milk to overflow her refrigerator and she was happy to share it with those who loved it.
“Are you taking anything to the Fall Market Day?” Polly asked.
“I’ve been going through Mom’s recipe book and made a few batches of bread that turned out much better than I expected so I’ll be taking a few loaves and cinnamon rolls too. I’m also going to get the wood cookstove going for some cooking and baking so I might call on you for a few pointers.”
“It can be tricky but once you know your stove’s personality then you’ll do just fine. Call me anytime.”
“Well, I’d better get moving.” Liz walked out to the truck with Polly following along behind. When she opened the door to the truck, Max jumped inside and made himself right at home on the seat with his tongue lolling about, happily drooling on the old vinyl seat.
“He tries to hitch a ride with anyone who’ll let him,” Polly said, motioning for him to come out.
“I’d take him with me but I don’t know how well he’d get along with Brian’s big dog.” She ruffled his fur as he hopped out past her.
“No, that wouldn’t work at all. I don’t know why they don’t like each other, but they don’t.”
Liz climbed in, closed the door and said, “I’ll see you later.” Backing out the drive, she waved then headed up the winding hill road to Brian Stanford’s place.
Putting Brian on the milk list hadn’t been her idea from the beginning but her parents had been adamant about keeping a friendly relationship with him if only to maintain a quarrel-free neighborhood, so she honored that. Disagreements, real or perceived, were uncomfortable, to say the least, but in their case there hadn’t been any disagreement at all which was surprising to Liz. He’d been very understanding when her dad spoke with him privately about having another buyer, who happened to be his daughter. At least that’s what she’d been told. So, when her mom brought up the subject of doing the neighborly thing of having a jug of milk and cream to give to Brian, she did her best not to be irked. After all, there was plenty to go around and it was the common thing to do among those who lived nearby. Perhaps there was no reason to feel the way she did, but she couldn’t rid herself of believing that he was an opportunist who was ready and willing to take advantage of any situation that would benefit him. Her parents liked him more than she did and it felt a bit like a reprimand for them to expect her to be friendly to him. At least she had changed the situation a little by not having him stop by and pick up the milk as he’d been doing for her mom.
Liz pulled into Brian’s drive and parked beside the barn which was behind the old house. The single story century home had been in need of repairs and paint for several years and it appeared that he was in the process of working on a few exterior issues. The elderly couple simply hadn’t been able to keep up with it and she had to admit it looked much better now.
Years ago, when she was a child, she would tag along with her mom who made periodic friendly visits to see Seth and Hannah, Brian’s grandparents. Liz mostly remembered the fresh baked cookies that were always offered to her. During the colder months, their home was toasty warm and like most Vermonters, there was a large woodpile stacked alongside a building under an overhang for their stoves. What she didn’t remember was seeing Brian at any time. She really knew nothing about him, not his occupation before arriving in Maple Ridge nor his purpose for moving there. On top of that, her parents never filled her in on any details so she assumed they didn’t know much about him either, which added to her uneasiness.
Liz made a point of not going to the house on her visits simply to avoid staying too long. Sliding out of the truck seat, she looked from the barn to the back door of the house watching for any sign of his approach. Usually, he heard her truck when she pulled in and came out to meet her. She didn’t want to make such a big deal out of delivering just a gallon of milk and cream, and now was rethinking her stubborn attitude about deliveries. She walked around to the passenger side and fetched the jug from the box on the floor, then just as she turned around, there he was.
“Oh!” She jumped in surprise and gripped the jug in a tighter hold trying not to drop it.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you probably heard me walking across the stones.” He reached out to take the milk from her.
“That’s ok. I guess I was deep in thought.” She gave her head a shake then handed over the milk. Making conversation with him was as difficult as making eye contact. He always seemed to look past her shoulder and said very little. On the other hand, his big German Shepherd dog had no problem making eye contact with her until she was the one who had to look away.
“Um… so, how’s the work on the sugarhouse coming along?” she asked, trying to make small talk for a few moments before making her getaway.
“Slow. But that’s to be expected. Too many years since the last time it was in operation.”
“Will you be ready to do some tapping this winter?” She shifted her position to shield the sun from her eyes.
“I think so. I’ve got the tubing so it’s just a matter of doing the work. I might have to hire some help for that.” He gave her a rare smile. “I’m new to this.”
“I know what you mean.” And she smiled back. She hadn’t realized they had anything in common but when it came to business start-ups, they did.
“So how are things going for you?” he asked, appearing to be sincere. He was about six inches taller than she was and wore his dark brown hair cut short beneath the Vermont cap he always wore.
She couldn’t hold back her enthusiasm for her new business. “Well, I got my first customer. I admit it feels great.”
“Good. It’s a start,” he said with a nod.
“Yep. It’s a start.” She shuffled her feet, feeling the weight of the awkward silence that fell between them. He shuffled his feet also then looked over her shoulder again.
“Well…” she said.
“Would you…” he said at the same time.
They each gave a spontaneous laugh then he said, “Go ahead.”
“No, you go first,” she insisted.
“I was just going to ask if sometime you’d like to see the sugarhouse. When it’s convenient, I mean. I thought maybe you might remember seeing it when it was in good shape and maybe have a few suggestions.”
“Um, sure,” she replied, caught off guard. Usually, he just took the milk, said thanks and she was on her way.
“I’ve been clearing out some of the older trees. Finally getting a path wide enough to drive through.” He looked past her shoulder again and she realized he was staring off toward the wooded area where the sugarhouse was located. “I’ve got a pretty big pile of wood split and I thought maybe you could use some for your fireplace and your cookstove. I’d like to repay you for the milk you’ve been bringing me. I really like it.” He gave another rare smile.
“I’m glad to hear it. I mean that you like it, not the part about the wood. I mean, that would be great too, but you don’t have to repay me.” She cringed at the way she stumbled over her words.
“I don’t mind. There’s plenty back there.”
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Changing the subject, she asked, “Are you going to the Fall Market Day?”
“Probably. Always good food and nice folks. And this time music too, right?”
“I’ve heard it will be a big crowd and, yes, live music too. Weather looks promising.” She took a few steps backward, edging her way to the other side of the truck. “Well, I think your milk should, you know, probably go in the fridge. And I’d better get going. I have a couple more stops to make.” She climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’ll see you in town. Good luck with your projects,” she called through the open window.
Waving goodbye, she drove down the driveway to the road, then said out loud to herself, “Phew. That was so awkward.” But it was probably her fault. There wasn’t anything wrong with him asking her opinion about the sugar house, after all, what were the chances he’d ever seen the inside of his grandparent’s place when it had been in working order. As a teenager, she’d been inside it many times and she did have vivid memories of hauling buckets of sap from the trees to the tanks and then to the evaporator where the steam poured out the top. The huge stacks of wood under the attached roof at one end of the building were handy for keeping the fire going beneath that big evaporator. Those were good memories, she thought. Then she inhaled as if she could smell the wood smoke now. Very good memories.
As she drove further uphill, she noticed a few trees were beginning to show signs of color. Another week and the evenings would be cooler, although, the evening milking already required wearing a light jacket. This was her favorite time of year, which reminded her that she needed to add cider to her list. There was nothing better than hot spiced cider in front of the fireplace and she hoped Ms. Dennison would agree.
After finishing up the deliveries she headed for town. Meeting up with old friends had become one of her favorite reasons for going into Maple Ridge. The first stop would be the library to see Shelly Mason who was a great encourager and full of suggestions. They’d been best friends in high school but had eventually lost contact with each other. Well, it was Liz who had moved away not Shelly and while she regretted doing that, she was grateful the friendship was easily renewed.
Liz pulled into a curb parking spot on Main Street in front of the one story house that had been renovated years earlier and served as a perfect small town library. The simple sign in front of the open-air porch was surrounded by baskets of flowers that made it even more inviting.
Inside, Shelly sat behind the circulation desk in the reception area while sorting through a stack of books. She glanced up then smiled broadly when she saw Liz standing there. “Hi! What brings you to town?” Effervescent didn’t even begin to describe her personality, but it came close.
“Just checking to see if I needed to replenish my stack of flyers taking up space on your desk and to see if you’d like to have lunch at the Java Café.”
“I’d love to! Give me a minute to see if Susie can take over for me.” She set aside the books and headed for the room that served as an office, waving a hand at Liz as she went. “Go ahead and check your flyers over there on the other counter. I think you might need to add a few more. Everybody loves them.”
Liz opened the folder she’d brought and added several more to the dwindling stack. She also put some of the new business cards she’d recently ordered into a cardholder beside the flyers. Things seemed to be timing out just right and she gave the stack a little pat.
“I’m ready if you are,” Shelly said.
They walked a couple of doors down to the Wholesome Java Café where the smell of homemade bread greeted them out on the sidewalk.
“How do they do that?” Liz asked, taking a long dramatic whiff of the fragrant air. “They must have large fans that send it out here to draw in more business.”
Shelly laughed. “I’m sure you’re right.” She pulled open the door. “And it works too.”
They chose the available table at the large front window where they could people watch while they chatted. After a few minutes of catching up on the latest news in town, a young waitress took their orders. Liz sat back and listened while keeping her own news to herself till the moment was right. In no time they had their favorite salad with fresh bread and a cup of heavenly coffee.
“I love this place,” Liz said before stuffing a bite of bread in her mouth.
“I know. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Liz held up another piece, stared at it and said, “No butter needed. I want this recipe.”
“Good luck with that.” Shelly laughed. “Deep secret around here. Everyone wants it.”
“Yeah. I’m sure you’re right.”
A police car pulled up in front of their window and the officer got out. He looked up and down the sidewalk as though in search of someone.
“Who’s the policeman?” Liz asked. He seemed a bit familiar but she couldn’t place him. “Is he a local guy?” A uniform and a hat could change the looks of most men, plus the aviator sunglasses to boot.
“You remember Miles Taylor, don’t you?” Shelly paused her fork in midair. “He looks a little different. And his attitude is a whole lot different. Went through a nasty divorce a few years back and showed up here again as our new replacement.”
Liz stared at the adult version of the boy from high school that she’d known. He looked a whole lot different to her. Nothing at all like the skinny, leggy, basketball player in her memory. But eighteen to twenty years can change people. Life happens.
“Nasty divorce, huh?”
“Very. He used to be easy going but now he’s barely friendly. So be sure you don’t jaywalk or run a stop sign.” She ate another bite of salad and raised one eyebrow. “Just ask me how I know.”
It wasn’t funny but Liz couldn’t hold back a smile. They watched as he made his way slowly down the sidewalk and out of sight.
After a few minutes of silent chewing enjoyment, Shelly asked, “So how are things going with your new business?”
“Oh! I’m so glad you asked. I’m beyond excited. I think I’ve said that about five times this morning.” She stopped for emphasis before going on. “I got my first reservation!”
“Liz! I knew it. I’m so glad for you. This is a pretty quick response, isn’t it? I mean you haven’t done a lot of advertising yet. It’s only been about a month or less, right?”
“Actually, it came through my website which I had just uploaded about 5 days ago. I think it’s a really quick response.” She literally couldn’t stop smiling.
“I’m so happy for you. How many are coming and when will they be here?”
“Well, it’s only one person and she’ll be here on Wednesday just before Fall Market Day so that should make her visit interesting. I guess she doesn’t care that she’ll be too early for the foliage season and that kind of surprises me. But maybe she only gets this time off. Who knows? At least it’s a beginning.”
“That’s right and I’m sure she’ll be a repeat customer every year. You will be at capacity in no time. And then we won’t have time for lunches like this.” Shelly made a sad face at her and Liz laughed.
“I’m not going to be tied to the kitchen stove. This is a B&B with only breakfast being provided and then some evening snacks.”
“Good. I feel better now.” She made a silly happy face.
“You’re so funny.” Liz smiled at her friend.
“Thanks. I try to be.” She glanced at her watch. “Well, I had better get back to work. I’ll just get some coffee to go and be on my way. See you later. And congrats again.”
Liz watched as Shelly ordered her latte to go then paid her bill, giving a wave as she hurried out. Being home was so worth it. She watched the foot traffic go by as she finished her latte. Working at home, being her own boss, living in a small town was a dream come true. Why had she ever left in the first place? There was no answer to that, other than she’d been very young and full of starry-eyed dreams. But when reality hits, those dreams crumble into a million pieces and she had no intention
of picking them all up. They could just lay where they fell. She had better things to do, she reminded herself as she made her way through the lunch crowd. Her enthusiasm felt untouchable.
Her next stop was the newspaper to post an updated flyer on the board and drop off another ad for the paper. Jenny Drake was the new manager who had arrived from Boston a few years earlier. Everyone had great things to say about her being a real asset to the town. The newspaper was small but busy and they not only had a paper edition but now there was an online version, thanks to Jenny. Apparently, she had many years of experience as a “street reporter” according to Shelly as well as doing a great job of managing the office. It seemed to Liz that Jenny might be overextending herself past a healthy limit. Undoubtedly, she would be on the street during the big Fall Market Day festivities, too. She was a real go-getter and never left a stone unturned, so she’d heard.
Liz opened the door and held it for the mailman who was on his way out.
“Afternoon, Liz. Heard you got your first reservation this morning. Congratulations!”
“Thanks, Ethan. That news sure traveled fast,” Liz replied in surprise.
“Oh, I just saw Polly Barnes down the street at the hardware and she wanted to be sure to tell me about it.” He winked at her. “She’s very happy for you. We all are. I’m sure the whole community will benefit from your business.”
She smiled and stepped aside so he could make his way down the street.
Inside, she found Jenny sitting at her desk sorting the freshly delivered mail. She glanced up then returned to her business.
“Busy day?” Liz asked. “I can come back another time if you prefer.”
“No, no. It’s just busy-ness as always.” She glanced up again. “What can I help you with?”
“I have some block ads I’d like to put in the paper.” Liz waited patiently although a line was beginning to form behind her in the small building. She should have taken care of this sooner instead of waiting until the deadline day. “Really. I don’t want to…”
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