“When you’re ready to check out, come see me. I’ll give you some fresh strawberries. Just got them from the local farmer up the road.” He pointed down the street, not that it helped her with knowing where this farmer lived. “Peak of the season is usually Mother’s Day. These are the biggest red berries you’ve ever seen and so sweet you’ll swear they were sugared.”
“Sounds delicious. Thanks.”
She made her way to the shelves of herbs. Looking through them, she realized there were some she’d never even heard of. Sticking to what she knew, she grabbed small containers of mint, basil, rosemary, and lavender. All those were used in aromatherapy. You could never have too much of that. She rubbed the leaves between her fingers on a few of the other plants and sniffed, trying to imagine how she might possibly use them. Feeling particularly ambitious, she put some cilantro in her cart, then went back over to where the vegetables were to get a jalapeño-pepper plant. She loved salsa. Never made it before, but how hard could it be? It didn’t really require anything but chopping. She could totally do that.
She pushed her cart to the register.
“Plant marigolds near your vegetables to attract beneficial insects that attack and kill aphids, and the scent keeps some harmful ones away,” the guy at the counter said without even looking up, as if he’d said it a million times.
“It’s true,” Adam said, coming over from across the aisle. He lifted two marigolds from the shelf and placed them on the counter. “She needs all the help she can get. First-time grower.”
The guy at the register laughed as he punched in the numbers at the register.
“Thanks, I think.” Merry Anna stood there as her items were rung up, feeling uncomfortable with the way Adam was hanging around, especially after all the racket he and those guys made the other night. It was like living next to a frat house, and it was hard to keep that thought to herself.
She paid for her purchase and started to wheel her things out to her car.
“Hey, wait a second. I almost forgot.” Adam disappeared inside.
She quickly loaded all the plants into her trunk and shoved a beach towel up next to them to hopefully keep them from toppling over on the short ride home.
Adam returned and put a big cardboard flat of strawberries in the trunk. The smell rose from them, making her mouth moisten.
“I can’t eat that many strawberries. I’ll just take a few.”
“Freeze them. You can bake with them.”
“I told you I don’t cook.”
He looked at her, incredulous. “Seriously? Like at all?”
“Barely.”
“What do you eat, then?”
“I pick up takeout from the Creekside Café.”
“Well, that is the best food around. Can’t hardly blame you for that. So, you’ve never even baked a pie in your life?”
“Never.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing out on.” A look ofsomething that couldn’t really be explained as anything other than delight filled his expression. “I’m going to teach you.”
“No, you don’t have to do that. I’ve gone this long without knowing how to bake a pie. I think I’ll be just fine.”
“I don’t mind. Here, you take these strawberries home. Hull them and slice them, and then tuck them in the freezer. I’m on the road this week, rodeoing in Texas and Virginia. It’ll be a long week, so how about we bake a pie as soon as I get back. Monday? Wait, better make it Tuesday. Are you working Tuesday?”
She stood there speechless for a moment.
“Are you working Tuesday morning? If not, we can start around eight in the morning. Then we’ll be done in time to have warm pie for dessert with lunch. Otherwise, how about six in the evening? That’ll give me time to feed my horses and then get cleaned up before we get started.” He raised his hand as if to stop her from remarking. “So, pie for dessert either way.”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s to know? Tuesday morning or afternoon?”
This was beginning to sound too much like a date, and that was the last thing she was interested in. But that little voice in her head screamed,What about saying yes to opportunities?
I hope I’m not going to regret this.“Tuesday morning,” she said. A rush of nervous excitement zinged through her. She hoped her cheeks and chest weren’t flushed, as they were known to be sometimes. “Sure. Yes. But if we could do it around ten or ten thirty, that’ll work better for me.”
