Berry on Top (A Farm Fresh Romance Book 6)

by Valerie Comer

  “So this is an emergency.”

  “Yes.”

  “To go chase a woman who obviously doesn’t want to be found. Is she cute, Waterman?”

  “That is completely not part of the equation, Rog.”

  Roger’s eyebrows rose as he leaned back in his desk chair. “So this is a romantic endeavor.”

  “Probably not. She just needs help.”

  “Why you?”

  An interesting question, and one with no easy answer. Mason took a deep breath. “I need to do this, Roger. Are you going to fire me for it?”

  “Would you go anyway?”

  Mason’s head swam. How had they gotten to this point?

  Trust Me.

  “I’m sorry, but yes. Though I’d prefer my record of employment said I quit instead.”

  Roger swore. “You’re dead serious.”

  “Yes. I am.” How he was going to pay rent and feed his kids without this job, he didn’t know. Maybe he could work full time at the farm. Some of them did.

  “Waterman, you’re back on the clock next Monday at nine. If you’re not here, you are definitely fired. I can’t run a business with workers who show up only when they feel like it.”

  His lungs found air. “Thanks, Roger. I’ll be here.”

  “I’m no bleeding heart, man. Next time the answer is no. The only emergencies from here out are deaths in the family.”

  “I understand.”

  Hopefully an emergency like that would be a very long time coming.

  * * *

  “Now let’s see if we can find a cord for your phone.” Warren dumped out a bag of cords. “People forget them here all the time, so we have quite a selection.”

  Liz’s fingers still throbbed from the ebbing chill as she dug her phone out of her coat pocket.

  He took it and turned it to the business end. “Hmm. This one’s state-of-the-art. Not too many folks who wander in here can afford a phone like this.”

  Did that require a reply? Liz knew how far she’d fallen when her only friends ran a soup kitchen for street people. Oh. Realization shot through her. Without her car, where would she sleep? No. She’d get it back today and be more careful where she parked in the future. Definitely not at that truck stop.

  Warren whistled tunelessly as he searched for a match. He shook his head. “Doesn’t look like we’ve got the right one.”

  The door opened and two elderly men entered, the wind swirling in around them. The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees instantly.

  Liz shivered. “Where’s the nearest store I can get a replacement?” And how much might one cost? She was almost out of cash. Even with access to her car, her stash had been dwindling rapidly. Without it? Dire.

  “This brand? West Des Moines, unless there’s a kiosk in a downtown mall. Too far to walk, at least in this weather, but you might be able to catch the bus.”

  How much farther than she’d already walked today? Not that she wanted a repeat.

  “Well, here. You can use my phone to call about your car. Then we’ll go from there.” Warren slid his across the table.

  Tears prickled Liz’s eyes. “Thanks.” She keyed in the number again. The same bored man answered.

  “Yep, we got that car,” he said to her repeated inquiry.

  “How can I get it released?”

  “No sweat. Show up before five o’clock with one hundred eighty-five in cash. Oh, plus twenty-five. You’ll also need your registration and driver’s license.”

  “Two ten? Cash?” She hated how her voice squeaked. Was he just making up numbers now?

  “Yep. Good math skills.” He chuckled.

  Liz swallowed hard. Two ten. “My registration and driver’s license are in the car, so I’ll need access to that first.”

  “Not the way it works, lady. You’ll need proof of ownership and some ID before we go out back.”

  “I have the keys.”

  He chuckled again. “Sorry, lady. I don’t make the rules. You don’t have access to the car until you prove you own it.”

  Her patience was wearing thin. “Who carries their registration around in their pocket?”

  “Most folks have other paperwork at home. Or get a copy from their insurance company.” She could almost hear him shrug. “Doesn’t much matter to me how you get it.”

  Most people actually had a home. She didn’t. Not anymore. She thought with longing of the cozy duplex on her brother’s farm. Where they’d offered her a job. But no, she had to do her own thing. She shoved the memory away. “So you’re saying I can’t get anything out of my car before I’ve proved to your satisfaction that I’m the owner.”

  “Yep. And paid up, of course.”

  “Of course.” She sure didn’t have two hundred bucks in her pocket. After Vonnie, she’d kept it down to a couple of twenties. Where was she going to get the funds? In cash, no less. If she could borrow it from someone — Warren, maybe? — she could repay him from the trunk.

  “Oh, I should tell you. We add twenty-five bucks a day for storage.”

  Of course it would be a moving target. Was this even legal?

  “Anything else, lady? Other line’s ringing.”

  “Uh, no. Thanks.”

  He laughed and the line went dead.

  Had she seriously just thanked a highway robber who’d explained his ransom demands? Liz slowly set the phone down on the table.

  Warren met her gaze. “What’s the damages?”

  “Two ten. Today before five. Tomorrow it will be two thirty-five instead.” It was already well past noon. She cringed. Better count on the extra.

  “Anything else?”

  Liz’s shoulder’s sagged. “Registration. Driver’s license or other identification. All of which is in the car. I’d gone into the truck stop to have a shower, for goodness sake. I didn’t take all my belongings.”

  “Okay, first things first. Where is your car registered?”

  “California.”

  Warren shook his head with a tiny smile. “Shoulda stayed there until spring, hey? If you know the name of the company there, get them to fax it over.”

  Somebody still had a fax machine? Liz hadn’t seen one in years. But wait. She needed Kara. All she knew was that the DMV was within walking distance of Kara’s apartment in Fresno. Not enough info. Plus Kara’s cell number was locked in her dead phone.

  The phone was her first priority. She’d barely thawed out. How could she get back out in this weather and get all the way out to West Des Moines?

  Liz put her head down in the crook of her arm on the table and let the tears flow. Why didn’t life come with a rewind button? She’d rewind it by a few weeks for sure. She’d stay in Galena Landing. Maybe she’d rewind it further. How about all the way back to her seventeen-year-old self before she decided it was a good idea to give her virginity to the high school bad boy?

  So many regrets. Sobs wracked her body. There was no stopping them now. Oh, God...

  I’m here.

  She hadn’t meant it as a prayer. But what if she had? What if she forgave God for something she’d done out of her own willful disobedience? She’d blamed it all on Him, but she was the one who’d barricaded her conscience into a back corner. She’d been the one who wanted Mason’s attention, whatever the cost. It had cost her, all right. It had cost her an entire decade of her life. It had been a bad trade-off from day one, and it hadn’t gotten any better.

  Oh, God...

  Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

  Scarlet sins. She’d never figured out what that meant, but she sure knew how white snow in the mountains could be. How clear and pure and bright.

  “Want to talk?” Linda’s hand rubbed circles on Liz’s shoulder.

  “I give up,” Liz mumbled.

  “Don’t give up, dearie. Warren and me, we’ll help you all we can. The good Lord has plenty more for you.”

  The good Lord. Liz shook her head. I give up, God. I’ve had enough
of Liz’s way. Here You go. Have at it.

  “He loves you, Liz. He has a plan for your life. He wants to give you a hope and a future. That’s in the Bible.”

  “Jeremiah twenty-nine eleven.”

  Linda’s hand stilled. “You know the good Lord?”

  Liz dabbed her tear-streaked face with the blanket. “I did, as a child. I know more memory verses than I could tell you.”

  “He wants you back.”

  “I know. I just told Him He can have the whole mess. I’m done doing things Liz’s way.” She gave a wry smile. “It hasn’t worked out so well for me.”

  “Well, hallelujah! The angels in heaven are rejoicing. Warren, did you hear? The lost sheep has come back to the fold.”

  Liz laughed between her tears and accepted Linda’s hug. The decision didn’t change anything. Not really. She still had a huge mess with very few options, but somehow she felt lighter inside.

  “What now, dearie?”

  What now indeed. “I need a phone cord. All my contacts are in here. I can’t even phone my mom or my brother. They have cell phones, and I never memorized the numbers.”

  Linda chuckled. “Your head was too full of Bible verses.”

  “I guess.” It was kind of funny. Or it would be, if she ever got out of this mess. No. When she got out.

  “Hmm. No one has a publicly listed number?”

  A light bulb came on. “Wait. My brother is a veterinarian. I can call his clinic.” She glanced at the clock. Mid-afternoon in Idaho.

  “Sure, use Warren’s again.”

  “Is it a smart phone? I mean, can it go online?”

  “I think so. Right, Warren?”

  He nodded from the table over where he talked to the two old men and gave her a thumbs-up.

  It took a few minutes to navigate his browser to find the phone number. She tapped it. On the third ring, voicemail kicked in.

  “You’ve reached Landing Veterinary Clinic. We’re closed until Monday as Dr. Nemesek is out of town. In case of emergency, call Dr. Taubin at home. Have a safe and healthy weekend!”

  Zach’s clinic was closed? In the middle of the week? What on earth was going on?

  Liz slowly lowered the phone and pressed the ‘end’ button. This worry would have to get behind others that were more pressing. It wasn’t like Zach could have done much for her anyway, so far away. He could have sent her money for her car’s release via PayPal, but how would she turn that into cash?

  Either way, she needed to charge her cell. God? If we’re on speaking terms now, I could really use a cord for this stupid phone. I know You’re not in the business of waving Your wand and making things magically appear, but I wouldn’t say no if it happened. She opened one eye and peered at the table. Nope, still no cord.

  Chapter 27

  A whisper in the stillness caught Mason’s attention as he unlocked his car after shift. He whirled to find Kass standing there with a box.

  “Hey, long time no see.” She shifted from one foot to the other.

  “Yeah. Sorry. I’ve been busy.”

  “Twins okay?”

  He nodded. “Avery has a bit of a cold, but nothing too serious.”

  Kass held up the box. “I was wondering if I could invite myself out for supper? I’ve got pizza.”

  Mason’s brain had been so full of worry for Liz in the past few days he hadn’t given any thought to Kass. “I have chicken pot pie out to be reheated.” He grinned. “Thanks to you.”

  She tilted her head at him. “It can wait for tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow he’d be in Des Moines. Looking for Liz. But that wasn’t Kass’s fault. “Maybe I can toss it back in the freezer for next week.”

  Kass shook her head. “You’re not supposed to thaw and refreeze food. The quality breaks down.”

  Pizza from the bakery, though. And time with Kass. The twins would like to see her. “I’ll worry about the chicken pot pie later. Come on out.”

  “You’re sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You’re not.” It wouldn’t take long to explain to the kids that he’d be away for a few days. It also wouldn’t take long to toss a change of clothes or two into a carry-on. A toothbrush and a couple of pairs of underwear, and he was good to go. “We’d love to have you.”

  “Okay. I’ll follow you out.”

  True to his guess, the twins were excited to see Kass. They were happy with the pizza as well. Kass had remembered the one kind all three of them liked, no mean feat in itself. The four of them indulged in a few rounds of Go Fish before Kass read the kids their Bible story.

  “I’ll be back down in five minutes.” Mason herded the twins toward the stairs. “I hope you can stay a bit longer?”

  She nodded with a smile.

  At the head of the stairs, Mason set his hand on his son’s shoulder and guided him into Avery’s room. “I need to talk to you both for a minute.”

  Avery’s eyes shone. “Is it about Miss Kass? I like her.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  Both children sat on the edge of the bed, watching him.

  He squatted in front of them. “Tomorrow after school, you two will go to Finnley’s house.”

  Christopher nodded. “That’s what we usually do on Wednesday, Dad.”

  “Right, but I’m not coming after work. I’m going away for a few days with Uncle Zach. You two will stay at Finnley’s house while I’m gone. I’ll be back by Sunday night for sure, okay? Do you think you can manage that long without me?”

  Avery flung her arms around his neck. “I’ll miss you, Daddy.”

  Christopher crossed his arms. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to a city called Des Moines in an airplane.”

  “I want to come!” Avery tightened her grip. “I’ve never been in a plane.”

  “I’m sorry, princess. You two can’t come this time.” Mason disengaged Avery’s arms. “You remember Miss Liz? Des Moines is where she went a few weeks ago, but she’s not answering her phone or her emails. Uncle Zach is worried about her, so we’re going to try to find her.”

  “Like in a TV show where the bad guys got her?”

  Mason forced a grin. “Oh, I doubt that happened to her. I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she just lost her phone or something.” No need to saddle two kids, not quite six, with the worry he felt.

  “Did you pray for her, Daddy? God can take care of her.”

  “I sure did, princess. But sometimes God wants us to do something more as well. Both Uncle Zach and I believe God wants us to go find her. That doesn’t mean we aren’t praying, because we are. You can pray for her, too. Both of you.”

  The kids exchanged a look.

  “Okay,” said Christopher. “We can right now, if you wanna.”

  Mason reached for the twins’ hands and bowed his head as he listened to their simple prayers.

  “And please bless my mommy and keep her safe,” Avery finished.

  One of these days Mason was going to have to tell the kids Erin was coming, but not before he got back from the Midwest. “It’s time to tuck you both in bed. I’ll see you on the bus in the morning before I leave, okay? And then you guys need to listen really good to Aunt Allison and Uncle Brent.”

  Christopher nodded. “We will.”

  “Can’t I stay with Maddie instead?”

  Mason chucked his daughter under her chin. “Not this time, princess, but you’ll see her lots. Sweet dreams.”

  After kissing them both, he made his way back downstairs to where Kass waited on the sofa. She glanced up at him, her smile warm and inviting.

  She was so pretty. So sweet. He really ought to fall in love with her. Maybe once he’d seen that Liz was safe, he could do that. Oh, and survived Erin’s visit.

  Mason scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his face. Life was so complicated.

  A shadow crossed Kass’s face. “Everything okay?”

  He settled onto the end of the sofa, turning to face her. “Kinda.”

/>   “Tell me? Or maybe I shouldn’t be here.” She started to rise.

  Mason reached over and caught her hand, tugging her back down before letting go. That probably did little to relieve her worries.

  “I’m going out of town for a few days. I just told the kids they’ll be staying next door at Brent and Allison’s.”

  “Oh? Where are you off to?”

  “Des Moines.”

  Kass’s eyebrows rose. “What’s there?”

  “Zach’s sister Liz. At least, she was there last we heard. She’s gone missing. Zach’s really worried about her.”

  Kass’s look was direct. “And you are going because?”

  Mason swallowed hard. “Because I’m worried about her, too. And because I believe God wants me to go.”

  “I see.”

  This time when she stood, Mason rose, too. He caught both Kass’s hands. “I have a lot going on right now. Please don’t write me off just yet.”

  Kass pulled one hand free and rested it on his chest. “I don’t want to be just friends, Mason,” she said softly. “I really like you. A lot. But I can’t keep showing up if you don’t feel the same. It’s too hard.”

  “I understand.” Mason leaned closer and brushed his lips across hers. He meant for it to be a reassuring gesture and nothing more, but Kass wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him with surprising passion.

  Pushing her away now would push her away for good, and he wasn’t ready for that decision. Too much in his head was muddled. So he kissed her back.

  Danger, danger!

  He rested his forehead against hers and held her for another minute before releasing her.

  Kass’s eyes shone. “Wow.”

  It had been more wow for him than he’d expected it to be. Maybe this was a good direction for him, but he had to find closure with Liz before he could pursue Kass. He slid an arm around Kass and walked her to the door. “I’ll be back in a few days. Take care.”

  He helped her into her coat and watched as she pulled on her boots. “I’ll be praying for you, Mason.” She stretched to give him another kiss.

  He managed to keep this one short, sweet, and to the point. “Thanks. I’m going to need it.” He needed it in more ways than Kass could possibly know.