Replacing the measuring tape on his tool belt, Silas tried to refocus on the task at hand. He had a job to do. As a master carpenter, he held his craft to the highest standard. He couldn’t let what was happening between Violet and himself have any bearing on his work. As hard as it would be, Silas needed to push every thought of her from his head and his heart. If God wanted them to be reconciled, it would happen. Otherwise, as much as he hated the thought, he’d just have to live with the unresolved pain between them.
Chapter Eight
“Calligraphy of geese
against the sky-
the moon seals it.”
― Yosa Buson
“How’s the new job?” Luke asked. He cast far into the slow-moving river. Sun sparkled on the ripples caused by the lure breaking the surface.
Silas pretended he hadn’t heard. Taking the afternoon to go fishing might set him back a little on his projects but he needed to give his brain a rest. But that would only happen if Luke didn’t pry into his current situation.
Leaning back in the boat, Luke gave him a long look. “That good, huh?”
“I know what you’re asking,” Silas said. He loved being on the river. It had been the only place he’d felt at peace when he was a teenager, no matter what else was happening in his life or what messes he’d made. For the first time, he didn’t feel relaxed on the water. He felt tightly wound, unable to settle his thoughts. His stomach churned and his chest felt heavy. He hadn’t slept well and he was simultaneously exhausted and too anxious to sleep.
“Okay, then how’s Violet?”
Silas thought about ignoring Luke completely, or maybe mentioning how he’d almost broken Violet’s nose, but he was too tired to play games. “Still hates my guts.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t―”
“No, pretty sure she does.” Silas pulled the brim of his cap down over his eyes. “I think I can tell when a girl hates me. I’m not that dense.”
Luke was quiet for a moment. “Maybe you should do something nice for her, like bring―”
“Bring her flowers? Yeah, I tried that.” Silas was focusing on the river but he still saw Luke’s surprised expression. “And a book I thought she’d like.”
“She wouldn’t take them?”
“No, she seemed happy.” He closed his eyes, trying not to remember how hopeful he’d been for that single, shining moment.
“Then what went wrong?”
“No idea.” He tried to make it sound like he didn’t care but he heard the sadness in his own voice.
“Well, there must have been something. If she was happy with the flowers and the book, and then suddenly not happy with you, I’d say you probably said something wrong. Did you mention―”
“You know what? I really don’t want to talk about it so maybe just mind your own business,” Silas snapped.
Luke was quiet for a moment. “Sure thing.”
They sat in silence for several long minutes until Silas turned back to his friend. Luke had been one of the first people in town to welcome him home. He knew exactly the kind of person Silas had been, but he’d invited him to lunch. When most people held on a little tighter to their watches and wallets, Luke had made Silas feel welcomed.
“Sorry about that. I just feel so…” He didn’t know what adjective to use. “I really want to make things different and I can’t.”
“You like her,” Luke said quietly.
Silas glared at him, ready to blow his top again at the bizarre suggestion that he had a thing for Violet Tam. Sure, she was pretty and smart. And funny, when she wasn’t spitting mad at him. “I hardly know her.”
“You’ve known her most of your life. I think you’ve always liked her. People don’t change that much.”
“Then, by that argument, she’s right to hate me. I was a jerk and I’d like to think I’ve changed just a little bit.”
“You didn’t deny it.” Luke sounded pleased with himself.
Silas stared out at the river for a while. He didn’t want to look too closely at his feelings for Violet. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, or whatever happened when two people fell in love within hours. But if it wasn’t love at first sight, that meant he’d liked Violet when they were in school together.
“Come on. It’s not that bad. You look like someone stole your dog,” Luke said, trying to lighten the mood.
“I was just considering the options.” Silas reeled in his line a little, still sorting out his thoughts. “If I do… like her, then maybe I always have.”
Luke smiled at him as if that wasn’t a terrible thing to say. “Unrequited love?”
“Not in a good way.”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked.
“What kind of guy does that make me? I liked her and she rejected me, so I made her life miserable? What kind of guy does that?”
Luke reeled in his line and cast it again before answering. “Is that what happened?”
“No. Maybe. I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “It was a long time ago.”
“So, let’s not rush to conclusions. And does it matter why it happened?”
Silas shot him a look. “If you’d spent years harassing some poor girl in your class, you wouldn’t think that the reason wasn’t important.”
Luke nodded. “You’re right. I get it. I just think that if you want to move forward, you shouldn’t spend so much time dwelling on something that happened ten years ago.”
His line jerked and Silas yanked back on his pole. After reeling frantically for a few minutes, he lifted a rainbow trout out of the water and flipped it into the boat.
“Nice,” Luke said, peering over his shoulder. “A good twenty inches, I’d say.”
He unhooked the fish and felt a little of the morning’s angst fade away. Maybe it was a cliché of the alpha male or the cave man need to hunt, but there was something very satisfying about landing a big fish. “You say rainbow trout. I say dinner.”
“I guess no pizza for you, right?” Luke said, laughing.
Silas felt the smile slip from his lips. Even if he never went back to Fire and Brimstone for pizza, he would have to face Violet.
“Sorry,” Luke said softly. “That came out wrong.”
“It’s fine,” he said although it wasn’t. Not at all. “The project should take about a week…” He suddenly remembered the butcher block areas in the kitchen that Mrs. Tam had requested. “And a half. Two at the most. It’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure it will.” Luke was quiet for a moment. “If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
There was nothing that anybody could do, but Silas appreciated the thought. “Thanks.”
He cleared his throat. “How’s Romy?”
There was something in Luke’s tone that caught Silas’s attention. An extra casualness that was unlike him. He thought back to all the times Romy and Luke had been in the same room. Nothing ever seemed out of the ordinary. But he knew when someone was acting too casual and there was always a reason for it. “She’s sad. She’s having a hard time adjusting. And she has this idea that she needs to harvest everything in the garden and put it up for the winter like our mom did.”
“Can I help?”
Silas looked over at him. “You want to pick tomatoes and peppers?”
“Whatever she needs. You both need,” he quickly corrected himself.
For a moment, Silas wanted to tell Luke there was really nothing he could do. Not because the garden was in such good shape, but because he couldn’t imagine his little sister dating Luke.
It shouldn’t have been such a surprise that Luke had a thing for Romy. His sister was beautiful and smart, plus she had a great sense of humor. Add in her many talents and it was more shocking that guys weren’t knocking down the door. Or maybe they had been before their mom had passed away and Romy had put everything on hold while she cared for her. Silas realized he wasn’t really sure what kind of social life Romy had had before he’d moved back to to
wn. He’d been so worried over facing the people that he’d hurt, he hadn’t considered how moving in would affect Romy. He’d assumed it would be all good, but maybe she was dealing with more than just their mother’s death. Maybe a lot of things had changed for her.
Silas felt a new wave of guilt. He was out on the river fishing while Romy did all the work on their little family farm. He’d been so wrapped up in his own problems that he’d forgotten his primary responsibility was to Romy now. Luke had reminded him of that. “We can head over later this afternoon, if you’ve got time. I know she was planning on making spaghetti sauce and salsa this week.”
“Excellent,” he said, grinning.
If it had been any other couple, Silas would have made a crack about how excited Luke was to pick produce in the hot afternoon sun. As it was, he said nothing. The idea would take some getting used to.
As Silas cast out into the river again, he felt more than a little jealousy at the idea of Luke and Romy. Not because he didn’t think Luke was good enough, or that Romy shouldn’t date, but because they were starting out fresh. There was no painful past and no present hurt feelings to keep them apart. Silas pulled the brim of his hat lower over his eyes again and wished for the thousandth time that he had never met Violet before moving back to Arcadia Valley.
***
“Mom, are you sure? I thought Demi was coming in the afternoons to help you and Elise as you guys worked straight through the week.” Violet shifted the pile of cedar in her arms and frowned at her mother.
“I’m sure,” she said, taking the bundle from Violet. “Demi’s watching her granddaughter and Elise had an appointment. We worked from five this morning blanching tomatoes. I think that’s a good day’s work.”
“Then you should go home to rest, not come here. Everything is fine.” Violet tried to take back the wood.
Turning so it was out of her reach, she said, “I know it is. I have an ulterior motive for taking over.” She peered at Violet. “Is that a black eye? Or is it make up?”
“It’s a black eye,” Jamie said from behind them. She was tying on her apron as she walked into the kitchen area. Violet hadn’t realized how late it was but it was at least four thirty if Jamie was already there.
“Barely. Just a bruise, really.” Violet shot Jamie a look that told her to be quiet but her friend went on.
“Silas gave it to her yesterday. She said her rear was really sore, too.”
Her mother turned to her, eyes wide. “Explain. Now.”
“Mom, it’s nothing. We collided when I rushed around a corner. I fell pretty hard. He was sorry.” She rubbed her face and then regretted it. Her nose was still sore, but Jamie was right. It was mostly her bottom that was in pain. As long as she didn’t sit down, she was fine.
“Oh, so those flowers in the office are from him?” If anything, her mother looked even angrier.
“Flowers?” Jamie asked, a smile spreading over her face.
“Mom, please. It was nothing.” Violet searched for some way to convince her mother. “Do you think Thor would let anybody hurt me? He’s a sweet dog, but if anybody looked sideways at me, Thor would neutralize them in a second. Silas almost got bitten and it wasn’t even his fault.”
Her mother started to smile. “That’s true. That dog is the best bodyguard around.”
“So, what’s this ulterior motive you mentioned?” Violet was relieved they could move on from Silas. Her crying jag in the office was fresh in her mind. Her attempt to get answers from him had turned into the world’s most awkward confrontation. She wasn’t going to speak to him unless she had to.
“I was going to manage things here while you go help out Romy in her garden.”
Violet almost choked at the words. “Romy?”
“Sounds like you’re being drafted,” Jamie said, laughing.
“Actually, I was hoping I could draft you both together.”
Violet had to smile a little. That was just like her mother. Not that she minded in the least. Her mother had always relied on her and she was happy to help out. It’s what family did. Since she’d started teaching, her mother had acted as if Violet was almost a distant relative, not wanting to encroach on her time.
“So, what does Romy need?”
“You know Mary Black passed away. Well, Romy is struggling with the farm. She’s done great taking over the cheese making, the milking, the animal care. But the garden is out of control, and now it’s time to harvest some of the produce.”
Violet tried to keep her expression neutral. She wondered if Silas had been talking to her mother. “How did you find out?”
“I called to check on her. She said she’d heard we were making the pizza sauce this week and offered me her mother’s canning supplies. I asked her why she wasn’t keeping it and…” Her mother paused. “I don’t want to gossip but she had a bit of a meltdown.”
Violet cringed. Romy was a strong person. It would take a lot to break her. She knew what it felt like to reach the end of your rope and have a good cry.
“Meltdown?” Jamie asked.
“Said she couldn’t possibly do it all, even though she hated to not finish what her mother started in the spring. I convinced her that she’d feel better if she did at least a few jars, not trying to fill the basement shelves, but just a little bit. I think knowing she did something rather than nothing would be some comfort.”
“What about her brother?” Violet asked, trying to sound casual.
Her mother cocked her head. “Silas? He’s busy, too. He’s got a lot of projects on his plate right now. It’s probably not a priority to pick and can a bunch of tomatoes.”
Violet felt shame for bringing him up. Of course he was busy. It’s not like he had a summer break like a teacher.
“It would be awful to waste all that food,” Jamie said. “Besides the fact her mom planted everything, it would just be sad to have so much rot on the vine.”
Her mother nodded. “Exactly. And Mary was always so committed to eating locally, producing her own food and putting it up for winter. She influenced the whole direction of this restaurant. One day I said the grocery store peppers were a little old and she gave me a speech about supporting the farmers market. She’s the one who first encouraged me to make our own sauce.”
Violet saw tears glint in her mother’s eyes. For the first time, she realized that hiring Silas to build a breakfast bar may not have been an entirely aesthetic choice. Perhaps if it had been her own mother who had died, Mary Black would have reached out in the same way and found some way to connect with Violet.
“I’m in,” Jamie said, taking off the long white apron she had just tied around her waist. “Does she know we’re coming, or should we just show up?”
“I’ll give her a call. She was going to harvest and then can a little bit this afternoon.” Violet’s mother looked at her, black eyes assessing. She didn’t say anything more, simply waited for her daughter to make a decision.
Silas certainly would never ask her to help, even if she had offered to help Romy. It was the right thing to do. “I hate to leave you short-handed.”
Her mother winked, tucking the cedar under one arm. “Don’t worry about us. The wait times might be a bit longer, but we’ll survive. Romy is the one who needs some help. And really, just knowing that people care is important right now.”
Jamie clapped her hands. “Awesome. As much I love slinging pizzas and flirting with the cute guys, I love the garden more. Let’s go get dirty,” she said.
“Right behind you.” Violet took off her apron and folded it. Although she loved Jamie’s enthusiasm, she couldn’t help feeling a wave of anxiety. Just that morning she’d vowed to stay out of Silas’s way. Now she was headed to his house to spend time with his sister. Maybe if they could get in and out without bumping into him, it would be okay.
As she gathered her keys and her purse, Violet tried not to worry. God knew what He was doing and surely he would never throw her into a situation that would cau
se her any more pain than she’d already endured. Violet would go to Romy’s house and do her best to show the girl that people cared. And God would make sure Silas stayed away until they got most of the garden picked.
Chapter Nine
“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
― E.B. White
Romy Black brushed her dark hair from her eyes, making a dirt smudge across her forehead. The hundred year old but freshly painted yellow farmhouse stood behind her, a cheerful sign of Arcadia Valley’s farming history. Violet paused, a tomato in hand, and thought how a picture of Romy at that moment would fit perfectly in a glossy calendar on country life. She was pretty in the way fresh-faced farm girls tended to be, with a tan that spoke of hours of work in the sun. Of course, Thor added the perfect touch to the scene as he sat quietly in the shade near the back steps.
Romy met her gaze and said, “Are you sure you’re feeling okay to be out here?”
“Why? Oh, the eye.” Violet touched her face. “It looks worse than it is.” She didn’t mention her sore tailbone. It seemed like a topic best kept between close friends and she hardly knew the girl.
Romy seemed to accept that. “I can’t thank you enough for―”
“Stop thanking us,” Jamie said from her place a few feet away. “It’s our pleasure.”
“You’re so bossy,” Violet said. “Let her thank us if she wants.” She straightened up and held up a green striped tomato. “I’m loving all of these different heirloom plants. We just have Romas and San Marzanos because of all the sauce we make. What do you make with these?”
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