by R A Wallace
Chapter Three
Jax Anderson parked his new truck in front of the split-level ranch and sat for a moment looking around. It was a decent neighborhood. He’d had some friends that had lived in the area when he’d been in school. It looked like it was a mix of retired people and young families starting out. He glanced at the time on his phone. He was a few minutes early. He got out and walked up to the house, looking at the landscaping in the front yard. There wasn’t much there, a few shrubs and some flowers, but what was there looked pretty okay.
Jax heard another car on the street and turned to watch a man in his fifties get out and walk toward him with a large smile. The black hair that he had left formed a crown around his head. He was around five nine and was carrying some extra weight around his middle. Must be the realtor, Jax thought. He was proved right a moment later when the man stuck out his hand and introduced himself.
“Stan Jiblonski, nice to meet you.”
Stan had a firm shake. Jax returned it and gave his own name. “Thanks for meeting me here. I’d like to take a look around inside first.”
“Of course, of course.” Stan got out the keys he needed to access first the realtor’s lock box and then the house. “They’ve had it on the market for some time now, and it just hasn’t sold. They said if I found anyone interested in renting, they’d consider it if the credentials were all good.”
Jax followed Stan into the house. “Why did they want to sell?”
“The owner passed and the kids have it now but they live in another state. As you can see, the furniture is still here. They made a trip over and got out the personal effects so you’re good there. They said the furniture could be part of the rental. It would save them from having to deal with it for now.” Stan walked upstairs into the living room space. “As you can see, there’s a living room, kitchen, formal dining, and then the bedrooms are this way.”
Jax followed Stan down the hallway, looking into rooms as he passed them. There were three bedrooms, and a large bath. The largest bedroom, the master, had a private bath with a decent shower.
“Jessilyn said that you were planning to start your own business,” Stan said as they stood in the master bedroom.
Once Jax had convinced Seth that he wasn’t chasing after Jessilyn, Seth had okayed Jax asking Jessilyn for suggestions on a rental. She’d really come through with this one. “Yes, my own landscaping business. I’d appreciate it if you kept me in mind if your clients ever need any services,” Jax said. “You know Andersons have a good name in town when it comes to running a business.”
“Your mom and I went to school together,” Stan said with a friendly smile and a nod. “I was a little older, but Susan was in the same grade as my wife, Cheryl. C’mon, we’ll check out the lower floor and the outside.”
Jax followed Stan downstairs where he found a large family room, another bathroom, and a door to the garage. They used that door to go through the garage and into the back yard. It wasn’t the largest yard he’d ever seen but it was decent sized. The deck on the back of the house was above him at the kitchen level and it had stairs going down to the yard.
Jax tried looking around but the yard was fenced and he didn’t see much of the neighborhood from here. The privacy was nice, he thought. If you were in your own back yard, you weren’t going to be staring at your neighbors the whole time. He went up the stairs to the deck and looked around. It was a nice view.
He could see many of the houses near him and thought again that it looked like a mix of retired folks and young families starting out, including the house directly next to him. He saw a small plastic pool in the back yard next door with a chaise lounge next to it. It looked like mom sat out in the sun when the little one was in the pool.
Jax nodded, mostly to himself. This will do. He turned and saw Stan smiling at him. “Looks good to me.”
“Great. I’ll give you the paperwork to get started. The owners want to check on things first before they agree to anything, but I’ll add my personal reference to the paperwork.”
Jax followed Stan back through the house as he locked everything back up. He loved this town. Where else but a small town would you get a realtor who can vouch for you for a house based on the fact that he went to school with your mom. After filling out the paperwork and handing it back to Stan, Jax turned his truck toward the feed store to speak with Dan and pick up his first order.
He found Dan behind the store where his live plants and trees were. Jax had spent quite a bit of time here lately checking out Dan’s stock so he’d know exactly what Dan had on hand and readily available. Jax’s first job was a small one, but he wanted to make sure he did everything right.
“I’ll be mostly reseeding some grass. Old Mr. Johnson had to have some trees taken down,” Jax explained to Dan. “But Mrs. Johnson wants me to put in some flowering bushes and some perennials.”
“You have your first job. Congrats.” Dan slapped Jax on the back as they walked toward the perennials.
“I have two actually. I can handle the first one on my own tomorrow morning. There’s another one in the afternoon that’s a lot more work.” Jax had checked with Seth but he wouldn’t be available to help. “I can fit what I need for the morning job in my truck, but I’ll have to come back around lunch time to pick up what I’ll need for the afternoon.”
“You’re going to need a trailer,” Dan said. “Check my board at the front of the store. People post ads there for stuff like that all the time. You might find a good deal,” Dan said.
Jax started transferring the perennials to the cart he’d grabbed. “I will do that, thanks. Do they ever post anything when they’re looking for a job doing landscaping work? I might be able to use a hand tomorrow afternoon.”
“Actually, I have someone here who could help,” Dan said. “She works for me part-time and takes classes full-time, but she could use the work.”
Jax hesitated. He believed in helping people out when they needed it, but he needed someone who could do physical work.
Dan watched him hesitate. “She’s a great worker, she really is. She’s not afraid to get dirty and she can handle a shovel as well as anyone I know.”
Jax was considering it when Dan looked past him and waved. Jax turned and saw Trina Cantrell. He had no idea that he was smiling as he watched her walk toward them.
“And here she is. Trina, Jax needs an extra hand with his landscaping business tomorrow afternoon. Are you free to help him? It would mean some extra money, of course,” Dan said.
Trina stopped in front of them and returned Jax’s smile. “Sure, I can always use some extra money. Where’s the job? I can meet you there.”
“No,” Jax said before thinking. He saw the confusion cross Trina’s face. “No, what I mean is, I have to stop here and pick up some supplies before I go there. I could pick you up here.”
The easy smile returned to Trina’s tanned face. There were freckles across the bridge of her nose from the sun. Her medium length black hair was pulled back in a tail that poked through the back of her ball cap. “Sure, that sounds good. I’m scheduled to be here in the morning but then I’ll be free in the afternoon.” She looked down at her well-worn jeans and comfortable tee shirt. Both had some fresh stains that looked like she’d been working with mulch. “As you can see, I dress for work, so I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
After loading up his truck and then paying Dan for the supplies, Jax stopped on his way out and checked the board. Dan was right, there was a trailer listed. If it was half as nice as it sounded, it was worth the asking price. He entered the number into his phone as he walked back to his truck.
Chapter Four
Megan rose earlier than usual on Thursday morning. After getting her first cup of coffee, she sat down in front of her computer and worked on some web sites. She knew that she needed to add more information about the farmers market and some other upcoming events in Teaberry, but she needed to touch base with Jessilyn before doing that. Instead, she w
orked on other web sites including one for Lauren’s home baking business.
Lauren liked to keep her photos updated and a recent wedding cake that she’d created looked awesome. Megan also updated the pages for Irlene’s Salon. It looked like Irlene was running some specials. Megan thought again that she should consider updating her own hair, but the mid-length style she’d had for years was easy to pull back in a tail. She didn’t want to change to anything that would require more work even though she knew it might be more flattering.
By the time she’d finished working on her computer, the sun had been up for about an hour and Megan went out to complete her morning chores. Before gathering the eggs, she went in search of Henry. She found him pecking the dirt in the paddock. Flora and Dora were munching grass until Megan approached and then both came over to the fence to get attention. Megan spent a bit of time talking to both of them. They seemed very playful and now that Dora was getting around better, Megan felt guilty about keeping them cooped up in the paddock. She’d need to check with her vet, Casey, about when she could turn them loose in the fields.
With a last pat for each, Megan headed for the chicken coop with Henry close behind her. He followed her into the fenced area while she gathered eggs. When she was done, he ignored her attempts to let him back out so she left him with the hens. She knew he could escape whenever he wanted to anyway though she’d never figured out how.
She brought the eggs in and then turned her attention to the raspberries. She had both black and red and spent the rest of the morning making jam using both. The rest she needed take to Lauren so she could make pies for the farmers market tomorrow. After a quick shower and change, Megan was on her way to Lauren’s. She saw Henry headed in the direction of the paddock as she pulled her truck out of her driveway.
***
Justin Dempsey watched the small boy that looked like a younger version of himself crawling through the dirt and smiled. He could remember having his own back yard explorations at the same age. Noah was now five, his sister, Mia, was seven. Although Mia was a mix of both parents, Noah could easily be taken for a picture of Justin at that same age. Justin wondered again what baby number three would be like.
After several minutes, Noah successfully snuck up on his prey. He’d crawled on his belly the last six feet to ensure that he wouldn’t disturb it before he had a chance to get a really good look at it. Every few inches, Noah would look back at Justin, to make sure he was watching how careful Noah was being not to disturb his prey. Just as Noah finally reached the shrub and began standing to get a better view, Mia ran out of the house and brushed past her brother.
“Daddy! Look, there’s a moth on the shrub!” Mia shouted, pointing at Noah’s prey.
“Aw, Dad! I was just about to look at him,” Noah yelled.
“It’s okay, buddy. He’s still there.” Justin joined both of his children near the shrub.
“What kind is it?” Mia asked.
“It’s a moth,” Noah said impatiently.
“I know that!” Mia scowled at her brother.
“I don’t know exactly. Maybe we can look it up,” Justin said, pulling his phone out. “Okay, let’s see. How would you describe it?”
“It’s yellow,” Mia said quickly. She flashed a smug smile at her brother because she’d answered first.
“Yes, that’s good Mia. What else? Buddy, what do you see?” Justin asked.
Noah scowled as he thought. “I dunno. It has eyes.”
Mia laughed. “Of course it has eyes.”
“No, look Daddy.” Noah pointed to the round circles on the lower part of each wing. “He has eyes.”
“That’s right! Look, it’s called an Io moth.” Justin held up his phone so both children could see just as the moth decided it had had enough and took off in flight.
“Aw, Daddy. It’s gone,” Noah said loudly.
“That’s okay. He really only likes to be out at night and Daddy has to get ready for work now. Can you two come inside and wait for Grandma Bev? She should be here any minute.” Justin followed his children inside and listened to them arguing over which game to play on their tablets as he went to find his wife. Lauren was in her work kitchen.
“Those smell awesome,” Justin said.
Lauren looked up and smiled at her husband. “You always loved cherry pies. I saved one for you.”
Justin turned when he heard the doorbell. “That’s probably Megan. I’ll let her in and get ready for work while you two talk. Is she bringing the raspberries?” Justin sounded hopeful. He liked raspberry pies too.
Lauren laughed at him. Megan walked into the kitchen carrying bags a minute later. Justin followed behind carrying more then headed to the shower.
“I think this is it for this weekend,” Megan said. “I’ll pick my garden stuff tomorrow morning before I drive into town.”
Lauren looked at the bags. “I think I’ll freeze some of them and save them for future weeks. I did that with some of the cherries too. You had good crops of both this year.”
“Yeah, lucky for us, the weather was just right for them. I think the peaches are going to be good too and the huckleberries are just now starting to ripen so I might have some of those as early as next week. We’ll see.”
“Where are you headed next?” Lauren asked as she began mixing the raspberries with the other ingredients for the pies. She’d had some pie shells ready, knowing that Megan was coming.
“I need to touch base with Jessilyn. I’ll see you early tomorrow in town. Don’t try to take the table and tent out of your car by yourself if you get there first.”
Lauren rolled her eyes at her cousin then smiled. “Love you, see you tomorrow.”
***
Jessilyn looked up and smiled when Megan tapped on her office door. “Hey, good afternoon. Are you all ready for tomorrow?”
“Just about. Hopefully, we’ll have a good crowd.” Megan took the seat across from Jessilyn’s desk. “What’s new this year with the farmers market that I need to know about for the web site? I have most of the pages done already but I can add anything new that you need.”
Jessilyn nodded. “The fundraiser that Irlene has been doing for years has a new twist to it. The new hair stylist has asked to be involved.”
Megan knew another shop had opened but hadn’t paid much attention to it. She wrinkled her forehead, trying to remember the name. “Cybil? It’s Cybil’s Salon, right?”
“Yes, Cybil Lacey would like to make it a competition. She thinks there will be more interest if the two salons compete for the number of cuts they make during the fundraiser. As you know, Irlene always ran the fundraiser for the first two days of the farmers market to start off the season.”
“Okay, well, if it raises more money for a good cause, I guess that’s a good idea,” Megan said.
“Cybil is suggesting that we keep an updated list of the number of cuts that each salon completes throughout the two days. I was planning to do that at the site where they’ll be cutting hair during the day but I think it might be good to post those numbers at the end of the night on the web site.”
“I should be able to do it at certain times throughout the day also,” Megan suggested with a shrug. “It’s up to you but I should be able to do that using my phone. I can set the web page up that way so that I can just push new numbers to it.”
Jessilyn smiled. “That would be awesome. I agree with you. If it raises more money for a good cause, then the competition between the two salons can only be a good thing, right?”
Chapter Five
Jerry Stevens walked through the Teaberry town square on the opening day of the farmers market. The entire square was packed with people, both vendors and buyers. There were rows and rows of tents with tables under them, all loaded up with fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, artwork, and Jerry wasn’t even sure what else yet. He hadn’t made it through all of the rows.
He loved this time of year, though it was a little hot to be walking around in full uni
form. He smiled and waved when he saw a familiar face. “Hey, cookie lady. I’m going to be back for some of those.” He’d bought baked goods from her in the past and they were always awesome.
Lauren took a cookie out of a plastic container and handed it to him. “We give out free samples to anyone wearing a uniform,” she said with a smile.
Jerry never argued with a woman handing him a cookie. “Thanks, I’ll stop to buy the rest of that container later on.” He saluted Lauren with the cookie and continued walking. The cookie was gone within a few bites. Both the police chief and the mayor liked a visible presence during public events. Although they weren’t anticipating any problems, they felt that having members of the police force interacting with the community was a positive thing.
He wove his way through the throng of people taking advantage of everything the farmers market had to offer. He was rounding another turn to head into the next aisle when he saw another familiar face. He’d bumped into her while running in the park not long ago and then again at the TeaFest. He wondered if she still remembered him. He was about to say something when she looked his way and smiled.
“Officer Jerry. Good to see you’re keeping us all safe,” Madison Palmer said with a warm smile. She wore her long dark hair straight. Her mixed-race background gave her a perpetual tan, and her smile emphasized her prominent cheekbones.
“I don’t know about all that, but it is a beautiful start to the farmers market and I’m glad to be a part of it.” Jerry returned her smile.
Madison fell into step with him. “I would love to have a garden, but I travel too much for work. The farmers market allows me to eat healthy without doing any of the work.”
“Your job is in analytics, right?” Jerry asked. He’d read up on her. He knew she had a math degree and was at the top of her field with some consulting firm who sent her all over the world.
“That I do. Oh, look. They’re getting ready to start the contest. I don’t remember them doing it this way before.” Madison stopped near the twin tents that had been set up for the hair cutting contest that benefited a local charity.
