I knew all this. But I still had a hard time accepting that Mark Mercer was one of the latter.
Admittedly, I didn’t know him. We’d gone to high school together, and we were co-workers now during this weird temporary limbo of my current life. But I hadn’t known him when we’d graduated together, and I didn’t know him now, not really.Not yet, whispered a knowing voice in my head.
My brain was just having a hard time reconciling the sweet, quiet, thoughtful guy from Saturday and the sweet, quiet, thoughtful teenager from seven years ago with the stereotypical version of a deadbeat dad.
If those were the rumors floating around about Mark, I could see now why the unofficial Kirby Falls Baptist Welcoming Committee had looked at him like he was something stuck to the bottom of their orthopedic shoes. Those women would always take the side of Reverend Price and his family, no questions asked. And despite the good Lord’s directive to love your neighbor, Hilda Branson and Rose Brentwood had clearly taken it upon themselves to cast the first stone.
“Wow,” I breathed.
Amid the shock and disquiet, remorse and shame made my belly tighten anxiously. I felt bad for asking about Mark now. But I never imagined the possibility that a divorce from the reverend’s daughter fueled the gossip surrounding my co-worker. I’d assumed Mark had switched churches or stopped goingaltogether. Or it was some other minor offense that made those women so salty with him.
As a person with secrets of my own, I felt guilty for invading Mark’s private life without his knowledge.
“Yeah,” Bonnie agreed. “Want to order some wine and eat your very obvious feelings about this Mercer-related development?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
We made our way through the open patio doors, and back inside to the bar.
An attractive Black man in his forties was already smiling at our approach. “Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Hi, Reggie,” Bonnie said. “This is Candace Judd. She’s Nick and Amy’s daughter.”
Reggie’s brown eyes widened, and he held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Candace. I’ve heard so much about you. I play poker with your father, and he and your mom were very kind to us when Aurora and I opened the vineyard.”
I smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I love your place here.”
“Thank you,” Reggie replied. “We like it.” Then he threw his hands up like he just remembered something. “And our daughter, Lucy, received the Candy Judd Award at Honor’s Night when she graduated three years ago.”
I stared, waiting for those words to make sense. When that didn’t happen, and Reggie offered no explanation, I asked slowly, “The Candy Judd what now?”
“The orchard sponsors an award in your honor.”
“But I’m not dead,” I argued.
From my side, Bonnie laughed and covered her mouth. “It’s not a memorial award, Candace.”
“It’s a cash award to help with books for college,” Reggie finally explained. “The administrators select a deserving senior who exemplifies your dedication to education and community service. Lucy did a ton of volunteer work to beef up her college résumé. She’s at Vassar now. We’re very proud.”
I was dumbfounded. I had no idea my parents sponsored an award like that in my name. That was...a lot. I didn’t know that I deserved such an honor or recognition. I knew my parents were proud of me, but...
Feelings of guilt and shame twisted in my stomach. The thought of inhaling cheese and wine and hobbit food didn’t sit right when faced with the knowledge of my parents’ unwavering support—how it had taken shape into something like this. If they knew the truth about all my “success” in New York, they’d be devastated. I needed to get my life back on track. I needed to make better decisions and earn the faith they’d misplaced in me.
When Reggie asked what he could get me, I ordered a glass of rosé absentmindedly, and Bonnie told him we’d share the Shirecuterie Board.
Eventually, I managed to pull myself together, and Bonnie and I enjoyed a nice lunch over the next forty minutes. It was fun to have someone new to get to know. She was sweet and funny and I loved hearing stories about her students and her family.
Despite the sunshine and the good company, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to get going on my plans for Judd’s Orchard. It was this itchy sensation under my skin, a tightness in my belly that required immediate action and results.
I was eager to prove myself and show my family that my return to Kirby Falls was a good thing. If I could just make some headway with Joan, I might feel better about things. But part of me knew that until I could prove my worth to my parents, I’d never feel like I was worth the investment or the sacrifice of sending me to an expensive college.
I intended to talk to Mark as soon as I got back to the farm and try to arrange that staff meeting to go over my plans.
For as much as I enjoyed lunch with Bonnie, I was just as eager to get back to work.
“Thank you all for letting me take the lead during this staff meeting,” I said brightly from my position at the head of the worn dining table.
“Staff meeting?” Brady murmured with a confused look on his face, but I ignored him.
