Page 26 of Country Charm

If I know Franny, she can play sweet all day long, but the woman is like a cat. She can play nicely when she wants to, but dagger-like claws can come out too. I look over at Jake with pleading eyes to take Franny off my hands, but he is a child and no mind reader, so, I’m left on my own.

“I could teach you if you don’t know how. I doubt that there is anything Hunter Hill is bad at.” She bats her painted eyelashes at me, and I begin to sweat.

Cassidy is only a few feet away and I imagine she’s almost in earshot. I shouldn’t care since she came with a man; if anything I should play my own hand better than hers.

That would involve Franny though, and I am not going to lead her on or create that kind of in-town drama. I survey the crowd looking for the man she came with and spot him at Franny’s family’s soap stand, holding hands with another woman, and an older woman. The three of them are dressed better than the people we usually see around here.

“Franny, I think some big money is at your stand. You should go check it out,” I say with a smile. She turns and sees the three of them and smiles big.

“Oh yeah! That does look like big money and look at that woman’s skin! She will totally appreciate this new scrub I have! I need to run back to the shop!” She turns and starts to jog toward her shop. “We are not done talking about that dance, Hunter!”

With Franny gone, I turn to see Cassidy. She’s stopped in her tracks. She’s wearing a grey tank dress, a long-sleeved shirt tied at her waist, and flat shoes. Her head is tilted slightly to her left. Her plump and glossed lips are slightlypursed and then she squints. Her mind is mulling something over.

I silently beg her to come up to my stand, to say hello.

The message is either not received or ignored. She looks over to the three out-of-towners: the man she was originally with and the two women.

I look over in that direction too and see the younger woman smelling soaps. Looking back at Cassidy, I see that she is no longer still; she is walking toward her, what I assume are, friends.

Like some kind of sick joke, Franny gets there right when Cassidy does. Franny has a canvas bag full of Lord knows what. She startles the older woman in the group, and Cassidy barks a laugh but is quickly silenced with one look.

What I would give to listen in on this conversation. I’m sweating through my work shirt like I’m working the field midday. Cassidy, the two women, and Franny all talk. They talk, and talk, and talk. Franny opens various containers and the girls smell. They oh and ah over all the products.

A short time passes and Cassidy points to Franny’s pristine cowgirl boots. Franny shakes her head and laughs. Then she points to the banner for the summer cookout hanging off one of the main shop buildings.

The pit in my stomach keeps growing.

The young woman and man smile and nod enthusiastically while Cassidy and the older woman groan.

All three women make purchases with Franny and buy cloth reusable bags with her family’s shop logo on them. This may not be a big deal to most, but I care about plastic waste, and seeing Cassidy not be a part of it is a plus.

I watch them casually as they continue to meander through the market, and I help my own customers. Cassidy doesn’t look my way one more time. I decide it’s best toleave it alone, so I stop watching altogether and just focus on the stand.

“Hey, boss. Lena was going to grab me something to drink, want me to have her grab you a water?” Jake asks. I turn my back to the crowd and see him blushing over his phone, not making a move to look at me.

“Yeah. Water sounds good.” My lips turn up a little, as I watch him text hisfriendback.

When I turn back to the crowd, I see Cassidy and her group at my stand. Her friend is looking through the vegetables and talking nonstop. Cassidy is holding multiple reusable bags just listening to her friend. On the other side of her is the man. He leans into Cassidy, and says something into her ear, evoking one of those beautiful smiles.

She doesn’t make a move to look at my face, but her friend does. She’s caught me staring and smiles wide at me and then looks over to Cassidy, and then looks back down to my left hand. I am almost positive she is looking for a ring. I obviously don’t have one.

“Hey there, do you grow all this?” She asks me in a high-pitched tone. Regardless of if this girl is talking to me, Cassidy isn’t even looking at her anymore. She just stands next to her friend’s side looking around the market, everywhere but where I stand.

“Yes ma’am. Been growing vegetables like this since I can remember.”

“That’s amazing! We’re staying at the B and B tonight before we head back to the city, will they still be good to use when I get back home tomorrow?” She crosses her arms but rests one hand under her chin. She’s looking at me with a questioning gaze, but it’s not intrusive, just curious.

“Of course, they will, and I can guarantee they will be the best you’ve ever had.”

“I see.” She starts grabbing some carrots, squash, and a small bundle of cherry tomatoes. “I’ll take these.”

I smile warmly and go to grab a plastic bag to put them in, but a soft hand darts across the table holding mesh drawstring bags. Reusable produce bags. I look up at the creamy, slender arm that holds such simple items with complete grace.

“Thanks, Cassidy,” her girlfriend says. “This one here does what she can when she wants to be all green and stuff, but don’t let her fool you. She’ll still take Styrofoam takeout containers and to me, that just means you’re not fully committed.”

“Says the girl who didn’t bring any of her own reusable bags and used up all of mine.” Cassidy’s voice is like a cool balm over a deep burn. I revel in the sound even though it’s not directed at me.

“I’m not judging, doing any little part counts. I don’t make a lot of waste on my property, but I drank a milkshake out of a Styrofoam cup not too long ago.”

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