Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy Book 1)

by McCrary Jacobs, June

  “Hello, Jeff.”

  “I stopped in to get some light bulbs and lost track of time. I think I’ve been in here for over an hour. I’ve always been fascinated with hardware,” he laughed.

  “Home repairs aren’t my favorite hobby, but I need to pick up a few things. One of the joys of being a homeowner I guess. Nice seeing you again.” Robin continued into the store. Jeff grabbed the door and turned to follow her.

  “Hey, Robin. Want to grab a smoothie and go for a walk in the park? You can bring me up to date on all the Bonita Creek news or history or whatever.”

  “Uh, sure. A smoothie sounds good. Let me put these bags in my car, and I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll meet you at the Juice Junction in a few.”

  “Okay.”

  Wonders never cease, do they? Robin thought as she opened her trunk and stored her bags. She felt her mood brighten as she walked back to the juice shop to meet with Jeff Clarke for the second time in less than twenty-four hours.

  ~*~

  “What’ll you have? My treat.” Jeff grinned at her when she stepped up to the entrance of the Juice Joint.

  “I love anything with strawberry in it,” Robin said. “If it has watermelon in it too, well it’s just heavenly. A medium-sized cup is fine.”

  “A mid-sized strawberry and watermelon it is then.”

  Robin sat at a small round table while Jeff placed their order.

  “The lady’ll have a mid-sized strawberry and watermelon. I’ll have an extra large Tropical Delight. Make those to go, please.”

  The server whipped up the drinks, put lids on the cups, and placed them in a cardboard tray with straws, spoons, and napkins alongside. Jeff paid cash and thanked the server. As he turned around his eyes caught Robin’s.

  “I splurged and got myself an extra large. I ran six miles this morning, and since I’m a growing boy I need my nourishment.”

  Robin laughed as she stood.

  “To the park and beyond,” Jeff joked.

  When she laughed again she realized how long it had been since she had felt as light and carefree as she did right now.

  “You okay?” Jeff leaned down and asked quietly.

  “Never better,” Robin replied. “Never better.”

  ~*~

  Robin put on her sunglasses as they headed toward the park across the street. “Ready for the official tour now?” she asked.

  “Whenever you’re ready.”

  “This is Veterans Memorial Park. My Grandpa John Chaplin’s name is on the World War II memorial wall here. He was in the Marines and was wounded in Europe. I think it was in France. After he recuperated, he applied to the Army. He worked in intelligence at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. until the war ended. He worked on codes and communications.”

  “Sounds like a smart man.”

  “He was. He was intelligent, clever, compassionate, and kind. I was blessed to have him as my grandfather.”

  “Is this all right?” Jeff gestured to a bench engulfed with shade.

  “Yes, it’s nice and cool here.”

  They both sat down and then Jeff handed Robin her ice-cold smoothie. She slid the straw through the lid and took her first sip.

  “Delicious. Thanks a lot.”

  “You’re welcome. Tell me more about your family.” Jeff sat back with his legs stretched in front of him and began sipping his smoothie through his straw.

  “My grandparents raised me from the time I was fourteen. My mother had recently died of colon cancer after a lengthy battle. My dad was an emotional wreck after mom died. We appeared on his parents’ doorstep in Bonita Creek one July afternoon about three months after mom’s death. He asked his parents to look after me while he tried to ‘find himself.’

  “I wonder what he meant by that?”

  “It meant it was the last time any of us ever saw my father. While on the old highway heading toward Oregon, where I guess he thought he would find himself, he was involved in a single car collision. He ran head-on into a huge redwood tree standing next to the roadway.”

  “That must have been rough on you and your grandparents.”

  Robin nodded. “Although it was never proven to be a suicide, my Grandma Estelle always believed the unexplained accident was her son’s clumsy method of finding himself.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Jeff said.

  “Thank you. My Grandpa John firmly believed the Lord had called his only child home to be with his one true love, my mother, Carol. I was too young then to understand what to believe beyond the plain fact that I’d been torn from my comfortable life and was now an orphan.”

  “What a sad story,” Jeff interrupted.

  Robin looked over at him before continuing. “I felt abandoned. I was placed into a strange small-town life with no friends and nothing familiar besides the loving, kind faces of my grandma and grandpa. I was their only grandchild. With immense patience and unconditional love, they inspired me to possess a strong desire to follow God’s path for my life.”

  “What happened to your grandparents?”

  “While I was away at college, my grandpa collapsed and died at the age of eighty-eight while tending his vegetable garden. A few years later, Grandma Estelle died unexpectedly in her sleep after a day we spent pouring over seed and plant catalogs together.”

  “Now they’re both gone,” he said.

  “Yes. I lived with my grandma in her cottage at the time of her passing. It was a shock to find her lifeless body that awful morning. She’d always been such a vibrant person. I miss her every day.” Robin wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “Is the house where you live now their home?” Jeff asked.

  “Yes. The cottage and gardens became mine through their generosity and planning. You know, I’ll probably never leave the cottage to live anywhere else. I have everything I need or want right here in Bonita Creek.”

  “It’s awesome you found your home while you’re so young. I’m still searching for my true home,” Jeff said.

  They finished their smoothies, dumped their trash, and walked the trail around the park. When they returned to the bench where they began their walk, Robin turned to Jeff.

  “This was a great idea. Thanks for the smoothie and for the walk. It was fun.”

  “I had a good time, too,” Jeff grinned.

  “Well, I’m off to finish my errands. See you soon.” She waved as she walked toward her car.

  “Yeah, thanks for the tour, Robin. Catch you later. I’ll be there bright and early Saturday morning to work in your garden with you.” Jeff watched Robin walk away. I’m feeling really good about this new friendship with Robin Bennett. He turned to head back to his rental home and soon heard himself whistling a happy tune.

  ~*~

  As Robin headed back to her car she realized she still didn’t know anything about Jeff Clarke besides his name. He’d managed to keep her talking about her life today. She drove the short distance home and was relaxing after eating a light lunch when her phone rang. The screen displayed ‘Penny’ so she answered it quickly.

  “Hey, Robbie. Do you still want to take in a movie tomorrow after church?”

  “Hi, Penny. Sounds good. Got any ideas?”

  “A romantic comedy just opened up at the BC Theater. It got good reviews, and it’s rated PG-13. Just our style. I could use a few laughs.”

  Robin chuckled. “You aren’t the only one, cousin. Let’s see that one. Do you want to meet for lunch beforehand? It’s your turn to choose the restaurant.”

  “How about La Reyna? I feel like some super spicy, delicious Mexican food.”

  “I’m craving a plate of their huevos rancheros. Meet you there around 11:30 tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be there, but I’ll probably catch up with you at church beforehand.” Penny hesitated before continuing, “You seemed really distracted when I saw you at the market yesterday afternoon. Are you all right?”

  “I had something weird happen with a man recently.”r />
  “Weird? Weird, how? Did someone hurt you or bother you?” Penny’s rising voice told Robin she was causing her cousin to panic. Her cousin’s imagination tended to run wild with worry and concern. Not wanting to cause her best friend any more distress, Robin decided to divulge her interactions with and feelings about Jeff Clarke.

  “No one hurt or bothered me. I didn’t mean to alarm you. Here’s what happened. Yesterday afternoon I was working in my front yard trying to dig out one of Grandma’s hydrangeas so I could move it to the other side of the garden. A guy I’d never met before stopped at the gate and talked to me. I ended up inviting him up to the front porch for refreshments. We had a nice, but brief conversation mostly about my gardens.”

  “Was he creepy?”

  “No, he was a complete gentleman. His name is Jeff Clarke. He’s attractive and clean-cut. I really liked him. Actually, I liked him more than I’ve liked anyone since Thomas.”

  “Amazing. Go on.”

  “After we talked for a few minutes he got restless and got up to leave. I guess it was too hot on the porch for him or maybe I was boring him with details about my gardening. He offered to come back next Saturday morning to help me with the backyard. So we agreed he would come over around eight o’clock for breakfast before we began working.”

  “Nothing’s wrong with meeting someone new.”

  “No, you’re right. But besides his name I don’t know anything about him.”

  “Maybe he’s just shy like me.”

  “He doesn’t act like he’s shy. Anyways, there’s more.”

  “Spill it.”

  “Today I ran into him on the way into the hardware store. He was just as friendly as could be and treated me to a smoothie. We took a walk around the park. It was nice.”

  “But . . .”

  “But I still don’t know anything about him except for his name.”

  “Maybe he’s trying really hard to impress you by showing an interest in your life,” Penny offered.

  Robin digested that thought and answered, “I guess you could be right. I don’t know; it’s just unusual to meet someone who doesn’t talk about themselves at all. I guess I’m suspicious for no good reason. Maybe I read too many detective novels.”

  “Try to enjoy it while it lasts, and don’t read too much into anything he says or does at this point, Miss Marple. Promise?”

  Robin laughed. “I promise. See you tomorrow, Penny.”

  “Bye.”

  Chapter Four

  The cousins met up after the church service the next morning and took Robin’s car to La Reyna for lunch. Once inside, they seated themselves and waited for their friend Jorie to come over to the table.

  “We haven’t done this in awhile,” Penny said.

  “It’s definitely been too long since we had a girls’ night out.”

  “Or day out or whatever.” They both laughed.

  “Anything new with you, Penny?”

  “Not a thing. I’m still sewing up a storm whenever I don’t have to work at the market. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have a paying job to support my couture sewing business.”

  “Maybe once the word gets out about your sewing and designing skills you’ll have flocks of customers wanting to buy your gorgeous clothes.”

  “I wish,” Penny sighed.

  “Hey, girlfriends,” Jorie greeted them at the table with menus and cold water.

  “Hey, yourself,” Robin laughed.

  “Hi, Jorie,” Penny said.

  “I’ll bring over some chips and salsa when I get a chance,” Jorie told them.

  “Thanks,” the cousins said in unison as Jorie returned to the kitchen.

  “Are you going to tell Jorie about Jeff Clarke?” Penny asked.

  “Do you think it’s too soon?”

  “It’s up to you, Robin. But I think Jorie would be glad to you know you’ve met someone you’re interested in getting to know better.”

  “You’re right, Penny. I’ll tell her if I get a chance.”

  When Jorie returned with the chips and salsa Robin said, “Gotta minute to talk?”

  Jorie’s head swiveled around to survey the restaurant. “It’s not busy yet. What’s up?”

  “Penny thinks you should know I’ve met someone I’m interested in getting to know better.”

  A bright smile broke out across Jorie’s face. “Really? Who?”

  “His name is Jeff Clarke. I don’t know much about him, but he’s clean-cut, polite, and a good conversationalist.” Robin said. “Oh, and he’s not bad looking either.”

  “The whole package, huh?” Jorie joked.

  “I guess you could say that,” Robin said.

  “Well, good luck, Robin. You deserve to be treated well after all you’ve been through with Thomas.”

  “Thanks. You’re a good friend.” Robin said.

  “Now, if we could just find nice guys for me and Penny.” All three women laughed quietly and nodded their agreement.

  ~*~

  After the cousins finished lunch, they drove to Ukiah to see the very funny, not-so-romantic movie Penny had read about.

  “That was cute,” Penny said. “I haven’t laughed that much in a long time.”

  “Me neither,” Robin replied. “It was funny, and the leading man was a hunk. Thanks for inviting me out today, Penny. I needed this.”

  “You’re welcome, Robbie. We need to make more time for fun in our lives. You know, before we become old married women tied down with kids, housework—you get the picture.”

  “Yeah, I get the picture. That picture sounds pretty good to me right about now.”

  “I know what you mean,” Penny said in a quiet voice. “It sounds just about right.”

  The friends continued chatting as they drove north to Bonita Creek. When they reached the church parking lot they got out of the car and embraced.

  “Let’s promise to do this more often, Penny.”

  “Pinky promise, Robbie.”

  “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Goodbye.” Penny walked over to her car. Then she turned and called out, “Oh, and Robin.”

  “Yes . . .”

  “Don’t worry about this new guy. It’ll work out the way it’s supposed to work out.”

  “No worries, mate.”

  “It’s all good. Bye, Robbie.”

  ~*~

  Jeff had been a runner since he tried out for the track team in junior high school. The benefits of running were multiple for someone as intense and serious as he. Whenever he needed to think or relieve some stress, which was essentially each day of his life, Jeff ran for forty-five to fifty minutes. He preferred taking his runs in the morning so he’d benefit from the positive effects throughout the day. Even when he felt exhausted at the beginning of his run, he felt somehow energized upon finishing. He generally tried to run six days each week. Sunday was usually his self-imposed day of rest.

  I need to de-stress, so I’m breaking my no-running-on-Sunday rule.

  With an energy fueled by gritty determination, Jeff began stretching. Patience, don’t rush the stretching. You’re not as young as you used to be, old boy. Satisfied his muscles were warmed up for his run, Jeff slapped a worn baseball cap on his head. He tied his running shoes and took off. It was his habit to run for time rather than distance and he wanted to try a new route this morning. One of the locals had mentioned a series of trails in the hills above Bonita Creek. He’d picked up a map of the trail system from the local Parks Department earlier in the week.

  He made his way up to the trailhead and began running at a steady pace. The trail was well-marked, and he enjoyed the lush scenery. Redwood trees and ferns grew in abundance in the cool, shaded canopy. Jeff found the fragrances of redwood and pine invigorating. The sights, sounds and smells in Bonita Creek were different from his home in Illinois.

  After almost an hour on the trail he headed home. He gulped down some cold water and jumped in the shower to cool down. He dressed
in a soft old t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts and switched on the window air-conditioning unit in his rental. It responded with a cough and a hiss and sent out a halfhearted blast of semi-cool, humid air. Better than nothing, I guess.

  He headed to the recliner and put his feet up. He was reading the Sunday paper on his tablet when he heard a firm knock at his front door. Since Robin was the only person he had met since his arrival in Bonita Creek, he couldn’t imagine who was visiting. It was probably a child selling something or another for a school or church fundraiser. When he opened the door he was surprised to find a statuesque blonde gracing his porch.

  The woman smiled broadly and launched into what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. “Hi, there. I’m Susan Stinson. I came over to welcome you to the neighborhood. I even baked you a pie.”

  A stunned Jeff accepted the pie dish extended to him by the breathtaking beauty. “Uh, my name is Jeff,” he stammered. As he turned to set the pie dish down on the entry table, he asked, “Would you like to come in?”

  He had an opportunity to view Susan from all angles as she glided through his doorway. She was gorgeous—tanned, tall, slender—the typical blonde bombshell. She was also heavily made up, and Jeff seriously doubted her hair was naturally blonde. Susan had the perfect appearance of a professional model or actress. Jeff wanted to ask her, but his tongue seemed to be stuck on the roof of his mouth rendering him temporarily mute.

  Once inside, Susan began chattering again. “I live across the street from you, and I couldn’t help but notice when you moved in you didn’t have much stuff. Is there a Mrs. Jeff hiding somewhere?”

  “No, no wife. I’m just a hardworking bachelor,” he replied, trying to sound casual.

  “We’ll see how long your bachelorhood lasts. What line of work are you in?”

  His rehearsed retort flowed seamlessly from his lips. “I’m a numbers man. How about yourself? What do you do?”

  “I do lots of things, but my career is working as a model for magazine features and advertising. I get to travel around the country and wear beautiful clothes, jewelry, accessories, and makeup. People tend to fuss over me wherever I travel. What more could a girl want, besides spending time with a good-looking guy like you? Would you like to take me out to dinner tonight?” she purred.