A Seed Planted

by Cat FitzGerald

  Adam stood staring after her, bile rising in his throat as he debated what to do. Hearing the approaching sirens, he made a decision. He fled.

  Chapter 22

  April 1972

  It was three weeks since the day Julia walked into the medical clinic with Adam and left in an ambulance. Not that she remembered the leaving, of course. She had been unconscious. She’d not heard from Adam since then either. He was busy getting himself out of jail, so it was somewhat understandable. Although he was charged, his lawyer managed to get him released on his own recognizance along with a sizable bond. His doctor friend didn’t fare as well, having been charged with taking payment for and performing an illegal medical procedure. The nurse was taken in and released after agreeing to testify against her soon-to-be-former employer.

  The news outlets were having a field day. Two hometown boys fallen from grace made for good headlines in the paper and on TV. That Julia’s name had not been released was nothing short of a miracle. The university was doing all it could to manage the fallout and quickly announced the firing of Dr. Benson on the charges related to his connection to Dr. Lewis and the subsequent discovery of his having falsified statistical information in his most recent grant request.

  Julia received a curt phone call that she, too, was no longer employed and to please pick up her belongings at the security desk at her earliest convenience. She had done so yesterday, thankfully managing to avoid anyone other than the security officer himself who gave her a sad look as he handed over the cardboard box containing the few items she’d brought into the office. The effort sent her to the sofa as soon as she got home where she was again treated to the repeat newsreel of Adam leaving the courthouse accompanied by his wife. His attractive but vacuous-appearing wife. How could she have been so blind and stupid? Again? She spent a week in the hospital wondering why Adam had not at least called before learning the awful truth.

  The emergency arose because she had developed scar tissue from her previous pregnancy and miscarriage which the doctor inadvertently cut into during the procedure, causing her to hemorrhage and her blood pressure to drop dangerously. She received word from a gentleman identifying himself as Dr. Lewis’ attorney that the good doctor would not share that she lied on her information sheet as long as she did not intend to pursue any personal action against him. She assured the gentleman that she had no desire to have further contact with any of them and bade him good day. Fortunately, there had been no serious damage once the bleeding was brought under control. She was told to stay off her feet as much as possible for at least a week and no heavy lifting for a month. The box she brought home was very light, but the drive in and back as well as the emotional toll drained her. She got up to turn off the TV, pour a glass of wine, and think about her future.

  **************************************************

  While Julia’s name was kept out of the news officially, the local grapevine was more than active. It was two months since she sent out resumes, and she’d not had one call back for an interview.

  She followed up on a couple of jobs to be sure her resume had been received, was politely thanked for her interest, and told the job was filled. A few times, she personally stopped in at a school to fill out an application, and as soon as she gave her name, was told there were no openings at the moment. She was bewildered that her name had not been publicly associated with Adam or Dr. Lewis, yet somehow people knew. She contacted her old boss at the insurance company, and while he’d been polite and sympathetic, he was sorry he couldn’t help her. Even in this age of empowered women, she was still a pariah. She had no friends to speak of, having lost the few she’d made at work. Adam had taken up her free time, stolen hours here and there. Stolen was right.

  Julia was not generally given to self-pity, but right now she was struggling. She had no job prospects and no one who even cared about her. She pulled her grandmother’s quilt up to her shoulders and cried herself to sleep.

  Chapter 23

  June 3, 1972

  Marley could not believe his eyes.

  He stared at the letter in his hands and read it again. “Unbelievable!” he yelled to no one. “This cannot be happening.”

  But it was.

  Dear Mr. Westbrook,

  Please be informed that I will be returning to the farm, my farm, at the end of the month. You are welcome to remain in the servant’s quarters for now. Upon my arrival, we can discuss the terms of your severance as my plan is to sell the farm as soon as possible. I suggest you begin to consider your options for future employment.

  Sincerely,

  Julia Ready

  Marley thought his head might explode. He had rarely been this angry, and he was seeing red. Throwing the letter on the table, he stomped out the back door, startling Coco who was snoozing in the warm sunshine. She lifted her head in alarm, gazing up at Marley with an expression that seemed to ask, “What now?”

  Marley ignored the dog, marched down the steps, and headed to the barn. Coco snorted once and laid her head down again, preferring the sunny spot to her master’s temper.

  Instead of entering the barn, Marley veered left towards the corn field. By the time he emerged fifteen minutes later, his anger was vented and some twenty-odd corn stalks had been ripped from the ground. He was sweating and breathing hard as he removed his shirt and sat down on the dry grass. They needed rain, and it was unusually hot for this time of year. If it didn’t rain soon, he would need to set up the irrigation system, a major hassle. Lying back, Marley stared up at the cloudless, blue sky. Lord, I do not understand what is going on. If she’s just going to sell the farm, then why is she coming back here? She said she was getting a realtor and would let me know when the property would be listed. Well, fine. I’ve got my loan papers and down payment. I wonder why the big city girl is moving back to the country? Where will she live after I buy the farm? Ha, maybe I could rent the servant’s quarters to her! No way, I don’t want her under the same roof. Well, not my problem where she lives.

  Having mentally sorted through the unexpected turn of events, Marley got up, put his shirt back on, and returned to the house for a jug of iced tea. He stopped to scratch Coco’s ears before heading out the door again with his cold drink. He had work to do and no time to waste on Julia Ready.

  **************************************************

  Julia watched as the last of her belongings was loaded into the small moving van. Many of the boxes contained her grandmother’s stuff, and now they were returning to her grandmother’s house. She locked the apartment door and drove to the office to return the key while the van waited for her at the main entrance. Looking back over the complex, she felt nothing but disappointment. What had started out so promising deteriorated into chaos, and she was crawling back home in shame. Fortunately, no one back home knew about the scandal. What happened in the big city four hours away from Serendipity was of no concern to the residents in that small town. If there was a local scandal, well, that was an entirely different situation. Julia did not intend to give them anything to talk about, and for the first time, she was glad to have no friends or family.

  Chapter 24

  June 1972

  Marley was clearing the dishes from his lunch when Coco jumped up and ran barking to the front door.

  “What is it, girl? You hear something?” Marley grabbed a towel to dry his hands and followed the chocolate Lab down the hall. He looked out the front window and saw nothing, but Coco continued, excited barking mixed with snorting and growling.

  Marley opened the front door and stepped onto the porch where he saw a plume of dust rising above the tree line and heard the distant rumble of a large engine. Coco barked and danced beside him. “Calm down, Coco, calm down,” Marley spoke sternly, and she retreated to a spot beside the old porch swing.

  Marley watched as Julia Ready’s small, blue sedan of foreign make pulled into the yard followed by a moving van. She stepped out of the car without looking in his direction and
motioned for the truck driver to back up to the front steps. Marley stood with his arms crossed and watched silently. Coco stood up again and wagged her tail.

  “Hey, Coco, how you doing, girl?” Julia spoke cheerfully to the dog, pointedly ignoring Marley standing less than two feet away. After scratching Coco’s ears and patting her head, she returned her attention to the truck driver and his assistant who was opening the rear compartment and setting up the metal ramp for unloading. She watched them for a moment before walking up the steps to drag one of the heavy rocking chairs over to prop open the front door.

  “Are you just going to stand there?” Julia finally acknowledged Marley’s presence.

  “Actually, no. I have work to do.” With that, Marley turned and walked back into the house.

  “Well, I never. That is the rudest man I have ever seen,” Julia muttered to Coco, who seemed content to agree if it would get her another head rub.

  **************************************************

  Julia stood at the kitchen sink, looking out the window as Marley wandered in and out of the barn, apparently puttering with this and that. She’d heard him come up from the hay field earlier and watched him unload the trailer and carry the bales to the covered shed. If she didn’t find him so despicable in character, she might have conceded he was good-looking with his wavy, dirty blonde hair, chocolate-brown eyes, and ridiculous lashes. But it didn’t matter one way or the other. They would be parting ways soon enough, and Marley Westbrook would be of no further concern.

  She turned back to an unfinished box, removed the rest of the glasses, and put them in the appropriate cabinets. The kitchen stuff didn’t take long since she’d not had much to begin with. Her grandmother’s stuff was still here, right where it had been for decades.

  The furniture was all in place, as were the various boxes carried here and there by the movers under Julia’s watchful eye. Marley remained outside.

  It was getting late when Julia thought about dinner. She’d only brought a few snacks with her. Checking the pantry, she discovered noodles and sauce as well as a variety of canned vegetables, cereal, a loaf of bread, potato chips, and peanut butter. Crunchy. Yuck. Figures. Julia opened the refrigerator and found the usual—milk, butter, jam, eggs, cheese, and orange juice—along with some bologna and lettuce. There was also a leftover casserole covered in foil.

  Julia was opening the freezer door when the door slammed, causing her to jump. She whirled around to see Marley stalking over to the sink where he turned on the hot water and began lathering his hands with the big bar of soap. Rinsing, he grabbed the dish towel and turned towards her while drying his hands.

  “Were you looking for something?” he asked without expression.

  “No. Yes. Well, I just realized it was getting close to dinner, and I didn’t bring any food, so I was thinking about running into town and wanted to see what we have already. What you have, I mean. I mean, I wanted to see what was needed. Not that I was going to eat any of your stuff. I would not do that.” Julia could not for the life of her figure out why she was babbling in front of this most irritating man. She bit her lip and glared at him.

  He stared at her for a long moment before speaking. “I’m going to the diner in town. You’re welcome to anything here. There’s a tuna casserole in the fridge and TV dinners in the freezer. Help yourself.” Marley hung the towel back on the rack and left without another word. Julia heard the shower in the servant’s quarters turn on a few minutes later.

  She huffed upstairs and set about unpacking the boxes in her grandmother’s old bedroom. She only unpacked her personal belongings, deciding to leave her grandmother’s stuff for another time. The bathroom needed a good cleaning, so she decided to tackle that before taking a bath. Dinner could wait.

  She was scrubbing the sink when she heard the back door slam. Looking out the window over the tub, Julia watched Marley get in his truck. She couldn’t see him as he pulled around the side of the house, so she moved to the bedroom’s front window where she could watch as he drove off down the lane. She sighed and went back to her cleaning.

  **************************************************

  Relaxing in the clawfoot tub, Julia felt better than she had in a long time. It was not going to be easy, but once things were settled with Marley, she could focus on the future. Getting the farm up to speed, doing what was necessary to make it ready for sale, would keep her busy, then she could decide where she wanted to go, leave this town, and never look back.

  After cleaning the bathroom and giving the bedroom a quick dusting, she put clean sheets on the bed and shook out the throw rugs. Debating whether or not to drive into town for groceries, she reluctantly gave into hunger and ate a bowl of cereal. She would grocery shop tomorrow and pick up whatever else she needed. Her main goal was to set Marley Westbrook straight.

  **************************************************

  Marley had barely settled into the booth before Nancy sashayed over, wearing a big smile and her one-size-too-small uniform.

  “What brings you here tonight, Mr. Westbrook?” she purred while sliding a laminated menu across the table. “Don’t usually see you here at dinnertime.”

  “Just wanted to get out of the house is all, Nancy. I’ll have a burger and fries with a Coke, please, and thank you.” Marley smiled as he handed her back the menu.

  “You got it, handsome, and you can please all you want,” Nancy cooed. She was so obvious it was almost comical.

  Marley leaned back and gazed around the room. A couple of the old fellows nodded at him while they talked. He waved at a couple he knew from church sitting in the booth near the front door. A few high schoolers were at the counter, sipping milkshakes and laughing, the girls flirting with the kid at the soda fountain. He sighed. He was not looking forward to any type of interaction with Julia Ready but knew it had to be done and the sooner, the better. Perhaps he would stop at the grocer’s and pick up a few things before heading back to the farm. Maybe a small act of kindness would put him in a better light, and they could have a civil conversation over breakfast.

  Nancy glided over carrying a large serving tray. He was always amazed at how much she was able to carry with one hand over her head. With a flick of her wrist, she brought the tray smoothly around and set it on the table while placing his platter and drink before him.

  “Here you go, Marley. Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything else.” Nancy winked as she turned away.

  Marley dug in, not realizing how famished he was until the food was before him. He’d eaten nothing since breakfast, not wanting to even be in the house with Julia. Or JuJu. He wasn’t sure what to call her. Julia, he guessed, since that’s how she signed herself. JuJu definitely seemed too personal, and he did not want to be personal with that ornery woman.

  Marley was wiping his hands on the napkin when Nancy reappeared. “Could I tempt you with a dessert this evening? Or anything else?”

  Marley almost laughed out loud but managed to catch himself before replying, “No, thank you, Nancy. I’ll pass.”

  Trying unsuccessfully to conceal her disappointment, Nancy left the bill and wandered off to another table. Marley left enough to cover the food and a generous tip. Nancy was a good waitress in spite of her obvious desire to marry someone, anyone, and get out of this diner, and preferably, out of this town.

  Marley walked to his truck and drove two blocks over to the grocery store. He had about twenty minutes before closing to pick up a few items and head back to the farm. He grabbed a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, some fresh strawberries, and a carton of real cream. He already had butter and coffee, so now he had the makings of a good breakfast. A good breakfast over which to discuss business.

  **************************************************

  Julia awakened to the smell of fresh coffee and sighed before rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. A moment later, she jerked awake, threw the quilt back, and sat straight up. It took a few second
s to get her bearings. Looking around the room brought bittersweet memories. When she was little, she slept in this very bed with her grandmother. As she got older, she had her own room across the hall which she’d been allowed to decorate.

  Julia stood up and quietly slipped out the bedroom door. Standing in front of her old room, she hesitated with her hand on the knob. She wondered if Grandma Jean had changed anything. If not, were her own things still in there? Julia realized with sadness that she had not stayed overnight with her grandmother after the...nightmare. She’d not been in this room for six years.

  The sound of the back door slamming startled Julia out of her reverie. Marley. Looks like reminiscing will have to wait. She turned away, went back to the bedroom, and dressed for the day ahead. She was looking forward to coffee, if nothing else.

  “What the heck?” Julia stopped at the kitchen entrance, her gaze taking in the breakfast spread on the small table.

  Marley was momentarily hidden behind the refrigerator door, but his head popped up at the sound of her voice. “Good morning. Have a seat.” His voice was pleasant, expression unreadable.

  Julia frowned and walked to the coffee pot. There was a carton of real cream sitting there which had not been in the fridge the day before along with sugar and artificial sweetener. She glanced at the table again, taking in the bread and fresh strawberries. Obviously, Marley had stopped at the grocery store last night. She wondered what he was up to as she poured her coffee, adding the sweetener and a generous amount of cream. Taking her cup to the table, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Sipping her coffee, it was all she could do not to groan. It was the best she’d tasted. Okay, so he has one redeeming quality.