by Joyce Lavene
“I heard he was getting in the middle of something when he should’ve known better.” Grace stared hard at Sarah. “He isn’t the only one either. Better watch your back, new girl.”
Chapter Nine
Even though Kathy and Sarah badgered the clerk for more information, Grace wouldn’t say anything else. A large group of people came into the store, and the conversation was cut short.
“I wouldn’t put too much stock into what she says anyway,” Kathy disclaimed as the two women walked out of the store together.
“But she knows everything. She even knows about Jack.”
“Everybody knows about Jack. Want to take my truck over to Burger Shack?”
“Sure. I’ll leave my car on the side of the parking lot.” Sarah got her keys. “What do you mean, everyone knows about Jack?”
Kathy picked her up and they went to the Burger Shack.
“Jack has been around for a while. You remember him from when we were kids, right? I had the biggest crush on him. You did too. He used to come out and help your grandparents,” Kathy explained. “Now he keeps up your place.”
“Except for cutting the grass, right?”
“Yeah. Except for that. Mr. Pope goes over it sometimes. I could bring my tractor, if you want.”
“That’s okay. Jack had Mr. Pope do it. Thanks.”
“In case you didn’t notice, your grandparents’ house looks a lot like it did sixteen years ago. I could show you a few places around here that have been empty a lot less time and don’t look nearly as good. He takes care of all the buildings and the pumpkin patch.”
“I’m amazed at his long term dedication,” Sarah said. “Do you think he expects me to pay him or something?”
“You’ve lived in the city too long, my friend.” Kathy’s eyes were sympathetic. “When my Dad was dying, I spent every minute at the hospital with him. The farm would’ve been a mess except for Jack and one of my men who took it on himself to make sure everything was okay. When I got home after Dad died, people had left me enough food to feed myself for a month. Jack and Ben had brought in the corn and taken care of the bees. I’d do it for Mr. Pope too or anyone else who needed it. Jack isn’t so strange, except from your point of view.”
Sarah still wasn’t convinced, but it helped that her friend thought well of him.
“I heard people are looking for that gold again at your place,” Kathy said. “Crazy, huh?”
“I was thinking about that,” Sarah replied. “We barely heard about it from Grampa. He told us about Big Mike Denning, but I guess he didn’t think the treasure was still there. At least he never looked for it that I know of.”
Kathy laughed as she pulled into the parking lot at Burger Shack. “I’m sure we would’ve found it if it was there.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Sarah glanced around as she got out. “This place looks exactly the same. Is Jack keeping this up too?”
“No. But being the only restaurant out here keeps this place going. Come on. A chocolate milkshake is calling my name.”
Even the pictures on the walls were the same ones Sarah remembered. The only thing that was different was the original owner’s son had taken over after his death. Their pictures were on the wall.
Sarah ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. Kathy got the same but with a shake. They sat next to the jukebox—the music was still from the 1960s. They’d joked about how old it was, even when they were kids.
A waitress brought out their meals and talked to Kathy for a while. She was the great-granddaughter of the original owner and was working her way through college with a scholarship. She wanted to be a neurosurgeon.
After the young waitress had gone back to the kitchen, Kathy asked Sarah about men in her life. It was the first time Sarah had the opportunity to say her divorce was final.
“Sounds like he was a dream.” Kathy swirled her fry in catsup. “Maybe you gave up on him too fast.”
“I don’t think so. He gave up on me too.” Sarah sipped her Coke. “What about you? Are you married?”
“No. Still waiting for the right person to ask, I guess. I’ve had a few people pop the question, but I couldn’t imagine living with them. I’ve had my eye on someone for a while, but he hasn’t noticed yet. I keep hoping he’ll catch me staring at his butt one day and get the idea.”
Sarah laughed at that. “Well that’s one way!”
“Going to the barn-raising tomorrow at the Pope house?”
“Is it a social thing?”
“Of course. We take any opportunity—you know that! You can meet the man I hope to claim as my boy toy.”
Thinking that she owed Mr. Pope anyway, Sarah agreed. “I’ll be there for it. Maybe you can find a casual fling for me too!”
“No problem. I’m the best at finding men who want to have a good time but not stick around too long.”
They lingered over their food until most of the burger restaurant was empty between lunch and dinner. Kathy drove Sarah back to her car in time to find Deputy Ron Broadwell looking at the license plate on the back. He’d been the officer who’d flirted with Sarah after George had been killed.
“Uh-oh,” Kathy said. “Looks like you’ve got some sweet talking to do. Invite him to the barn-raising. That’ll keep him from giving you a ticket.”
Sarah shook her head. “A ticket for what? I don’t see any signs saying it’s illegal to park here.”
“He’s probably sharpening his investigative skills,” Kathy mocked. “Or he’s already into you, and this is his way of asking you out.”
“Yeah. I’m sure that’s it.” Sarah laughed as she grabbed her bag to get out of the truck. “No wonder you can’t find anyone to date around here.”
“We like our men strong, silent, and kind of stupid. See you later.”
“It was great catching up with you. Now I have to find something to wear to the barn-raising.”
“What? No jeans?”
On that note, Sarah got out and went to her car. She noticed that Kathy waited to see what was going on. She might only be nosey, but it was a nice gesture.
“Is something wrong, Deputy Broadwell?”
He glanced up with a frown between his eyes as though he hadn’t noticed she was standing beside him. “Just checking out the abandoned vehicle.”
“Not abandoned, Deputy. I left it here while I went to lunch.”
“This isn’t a public parking lot, Ms. Tucker. Maybe next time you should mention that you’re leaving the vehicle to the clerk inside. That way she wouldn’t have called me.”
Sarah followed his nod toward the door where Grace was smoking a cigarette and watching them.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it.” She smiled at him, noticing his thick, reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. He had a deep dimple in his chin that gave him a boyish appearance. “Deputy Broadwell, are you going to the Pope’s barn-raising tomorrow?”
He stretched away from the car to his full height, a few inches taller than her. “I might be out that way for a spell.”
“Maybe you’d like to escort me. I wanted to thank you for your kindness after the murder. I don’t know many people, and I’d hate to go alone.”
He smiled and removed his hat. “I’d be happy to do that, ma’am, for a stranger in Misty River. What time would you like me to stop for you?”
“I’m not sure what time it starts, are you?”
“Probably daylight. We like to start on things early around here.”
Daylight? Ugh. “That’s fine. But maybe I should meet you there. I’ll be coming from Suffolk.”
“I’ll look out for you, ma’am.”
“Sarah.” She reminded him, seeing Kathy in her pickup holding two thumbs up.
“Sure, Sarah.” He put out his hand, cradling hers in it. “I’m Ron. I’ll see you then.”
She watched him walk away, wondering if Kathy was watching his butt as he got in his car. Why not go with him? She might as well have a little fun whil
e she was here.
Kathy had always been good at pointing out the fun things in life. Sarah had missed that the last few years, knowing her marriage was ending and purposely keeping her head down. Maybe this was a good opportunity to break out of her rut.
She waved to her friend as she pulled the rental car out of the parking lot. She had an idea about taking some of the big pumpkins to the barn-raising. Maybe it was stupid. She wasn’t sure. But Mr. Pope could give them to his helpers for coming out.
She drove back to the farm and frowned at the pumpkin patch sign again. If she was going to be here any longer, she’d have to fix that thing. Seeing it hanging down that way was driving her crazy.
Jack wasn’t around. She went back in the house and rummaged through her mother’s closet again until she found a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. They were a little big, so she wrapped a belt around her waist. There weren’t any boots, but she found an old pair of tennis shoes that fit. This way she didn’t have to drive back to the hotel and come back again to meet her mother. She could also check out the pumpkins and drag some back to the car. Maybe she could find a cart by the barn.
After Sheriff Morgan’s more detailed explanation about Jack’s life, she felt less nervous knowing he was out there somewhere. Maybe he really was just a Good Samaritan who felt he owed her grandparents a debt. At least she knew that the sheriff didn’t trust him blindly—that made her feel better.
Despite everything, she liked the sheriff and thought he was trying to do a good job. With no other law enforcement in Misty River, he had a big responsibility patrolling the county and keeping up with the towns in it. She thought he was doing his best trying to catch George Burris’s killer when he’d asked her to come in.
Knowing Jack lived in the barn made her tread carefully around it as she searched for a wagon or cart she could load pumpkins on. If she had to drag them one at a time to the car, she’d probably give up after only a few.
The barn was still in good condition, like the house. It needed a coat of paint, but Jack had apparently kept it up too. She heard the kittens calling for their mother as she looked around outside the structure. The door was closed. For all she knew, Jack was inside sleeping. She didn’t want to disturb him.
But the kittens kept calling. The mother cat was at her feet, rubbing her head against Sarah’s leg. With the door closed, maybe the cat couldn’t get in to be with them. Sarah stood on her tiptoes to peek in the dirty window, but she couldn’t see anything.
“I guess you really need to get in there, don’t you?” She stroked the cat’s fur.
The cat meowed back at her and began rubbing her head against the closed door. Sarah carefully opened it just an inch or so to let her in.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to see my place,” Jack said from behind her.
She jumped, and that made her angry. “Do you always have to creep up on me like that?”
“No.” He smiled. “It’s just fun watching you jump.”
“I’m glad you were entertained.” She slammed the barn door closed. “I was just letting the cat in to be with her babies.”
“I thought as much.”
She saw a small cart on the other side of the door and walked to it, hoping he’d disappear again. The cart was rusty and impossible to pull. Maybe some oil on those wheels?
“What are you doing?”
Sarah stared at him. He was a few inches taller than Ron Broadwell, but Ron was stockier. It was hard to tell what size Jack was under those horrible, old clothes.
Not that she was wondering what he looked like under his clothes. She didn’t think of him that way. Her face was just hot from the sun shining on it. Really? She was too old to get embarrassed thinking about any man. And why was she comparing Ron to Jack? She needed to get back to her old life—maybe improve on her old life.
“I’m looking for a wagon or something to pull some pumpkins to the car. I want to give some to Mr. Pope for cutting the grass.”
“He doesn’t need anything for cutting the grass.”
“Maybe you don’t think so. But I’m going to the barn-raising tomorrow, and I want to take something with me.”
“You surprise me. I don’t surprise easy.” He slowly smiled at her.
“Thanks, I guess.” She walked away from the rusted cart. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll just pick a few and put them in the car.”
“I have a better idea. Wait right here.”
He went into the barn. Sarah didn’t know what to expect, but she waited. Maybe he was going to offer to help her move the pumpkins. Or maybe he decided to take a nap. What did he do all day every day out here?
She heard the sound of an engine starting inside the barn. There were double doors on the other side. She ran to see what was going on.
Jack came out on an old tractor, pulling a large cart behind it. She remembered her grandfather driving that tractor. She didn’t remember it being so loud.
“I didn’t know it still worked,” she shouted above the sound.
“Of course it still works.”
“Why didn’t you cut the grass then?” she asked. “Wouldn’t that have been easier?”
“You can’t use a cart to cut grass,” he yelled back. “This is the only equipment that’s left. I’ll meet you in the pumpkin patch.”
Sarah stood aside as he went by. The awful smell of diesel made her put her hand over her nose. She didn’t remember that part either. She took a quick glance inside the barn at Jack’s living quarters. It looked like the same old blanket on a bale of straw that she’d seen sixteen years ago.
He drove the tractor and cart down the wide path between the areas where the pumpkins grew. Some of the vines were in the way, but he rolled over them. Most were trained off the path to allow easy access to the pumpkins.
The biggest ones were at the top of the hill where they received plenty of sunlight and shade from a few large trees. Jack stopped the tractor there and got down. Sarah sighed as she looked over the large pumpkins that were dark orange in the sun.
“Here.” He handed her a wide knife and a pair of gloves. “You cut the ones you want. I’ll put them in the cart.”
“Really?” It was hard for her to believe that he actually meant to help.
“Sure. How else would we do it? I didn’t think you’d been gone that long.”
Sarah started to explain what she’d meant but gave up and headed toward the biggest pumpkin she saw. She had to keep from running to it as she had when she was a child. It was still exciting seeing that first enormous pumpkin and knowing it was for her.
Who knew it would still be that way?
Jack was as good as his word. She used the knife to cut the thick vine that held each pumpkin in place. He picked it up and took it to the cart. It wasn’t long until they had a big stack of them in the back.
She smiled when she saw them heaped up. “That’s a lot of pumpkins.”
“Yes it is. Is that how many you want to take?”
“Probably. I don’t want to overwhelm them with pumpkins.” She forgot who she was talking to for a moment and grinned in the joy of the moment. Her face was hot and sweaty, and her tennis shoes were full of mud. But she’d had a good time.
“You had that front tooth fixed, didn’t you?” he observed.
How could he have noticed so much about her and she barely remembered him—except for that stupid kiss?
“I actually lost that tooth that was chipped,” she said. “It was still a baby tooth.”
She looked at his face—or tried to. It was difficult to see around the thick beard. She wondered what he really looked like under there.
“Looking for my baby teeth?” he asked.
“Sorry.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t looking at your teeth.” Sarah gave up trying to figure out what he really looked like. Why did she care?
“What then?”
“I don’t know. Just wondering what you looked like without the beard, I guess. I can’t remembe
r what you looked like when I saw you last.”
He didn’t say anything, just got on the tractor and pulled the wagon out of the pumpkin patch.
Sarah felt like an idiot and hoped she hadn’t given him the wrong idea. He wasn’t exactly the kind of man she was used to being around. She took off her gloves and followed the tractor back to the barn.
He stopped and looked down at her. “I’ll take these over to Gray.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Well?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I, uh…”
“You can ride up here with me,” he offered. “There’s plenty of room.”
“No. That’s okay. I’ll ride back here with the pumpkins.” She smiled up at him.
“Suit yourself.”
She climbed up over the pumpkins. Their skins were thick—she didn’t have to worry about damaging them. Finally she found a perch and settled back for the ride after signaling Jack that she was ready.
Sarah remembered doing this plenty of times as a kid. Sometimes Kathy was with her. They’d take the pumpkins down to the stand by the road where they sold them to people who couldn’t make the trek out to the patch.
The field was bumpy as they passed through it. It was difficult to maintain her seat, but she finally balanced herself holding on to the wood sides of the wagon. She was going to feel the strain of that, and walking around the rough pumpkin patch, tomorrow. It was a lot more work than she was used to.
“How’s it going back there?” Jack called out as they crested the hill before the land dropped down toward Mr. Pope’s farm.
“I’m fine,” she called out and waved.
“Hold on tight,” he said as the tractor climbed up and over the rise.
Sarah held on, gritting her teeth. She didn’t plan to fall out of the wagon and have to see his smirk because she didn’t ride up front with him. Pumpkins weren’t the most comfortable things to sit on. They kept shifting. She lost her balance several times and had to climb up on top again, but she didn’t fall off the wagon.
Once the land leveled out, she was steadier but glad she didn’t have to ride back with the pumpkins they’d cut. How had she ever thought this was fun?
