Page 45 of No More Secrets
Summer tucked her phone back into her jeans and finished her crop inspection before heading toward the little barn. Her job on this warm and bright Saturday — because apparently farmers didn’t take the weekend off — was to help Phoebe distribute the first shares of produce to their subscribers.
All 250 of them.
Phoebe had beaten her to the barn and was already double-checking the alphabetical list of subscribers against the contents of their crates.
“Good morning,” Summer called to her. “How’s Franklin?”
Phoebe pinked up and smiled. “Oh, he’s just wonderful. Thanks for asking. How are my boys doing with it all?”
“I think they’ll be okay,” Summer said evasively. They would be eventually. “Carter doesn’t seem to have any issues with him.”
“Carter doesn’t have any issues with anyone,” Phoebe said, checking off another box. “It’s the other two I’m worried about.”
“They’ll come around. They love you.”
“And I love them. Even when they act like fools. So I hear our Joey slapped the crap out of Jax.”
“She didn’t seem to appreciate his greeting,” Summer said, sliding the big barn door open to let in the sunshine.
“Those two are meant for each other,” Phoebe said, shaking her head. “They just don’t know it yet.”
“Maybe the Beautification Committee will work their magic,” Summer suggested.
“I hear they have someone else in their sights,” Phoebe winked.
“Can’t you set them straight? I mean, they have to understand that I’m only here for a few days. And in a professional capacity. I can’t just date the people I write about.” Summer crossed her arms in exasperation. “Why didn’t they pick someone from town?”
“Because my son doesn’t look at the girls in town like he looks at you,” Phoebe said, smiling at her clipboard. “If I were you, I wouldn’t fight the Beautification Committee. They usually know what they’re doing. Nice boots, by the way.”
Summer glanced down at her feet. She was happy to put them on every day and when she looked at them, she thought of Carter. And her heart did a little flip flop every time those gray eyes met hers.
“Here comes our first customer,” Phoebe nodded toward the pick-up that pulled up to the barn. “Let the games begin.”
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It was exhausting work, but Summer enjoyed it. People filtered in and out all day. Some in beat-up pick-ups, others in leather-seated SUVs. All, however, knew the Pierce family.
Blue Moon was an extension of that family, Summer saw, as Phoebe and then Jax greeted friends and doled out boxes of leafy greens and fresh produce. The residents were abuzz with the return of Jackson Pierce. The welcome was much warmer than the one Joey had given him.
Summer caught more than a few “innocent” questions about where Joey was and was she happy to have him back? With a lifetime of experience avoiding personal questions, Jax skillfully evaded even the most persistent visitors.
They were into their last hour of pick-up when a Mrs. Elvira Eustace popped by in her Prius.
“It’s a shame about Carson, isn’t it?” she whispered conspiratorially to Phoebe.
“What trouble has he gotten himself into now?” Phoebe asked, rearranging the last few crates.
“He broke his leg yesterday being a damn fool,” Elvira sighed, studying a radish. “He was trying to clean the gutter on his front porch and off of that ladder he fell. Right into the hydrangeas.”
“That stubborn-headed farmer. He’s what? Eighty years old?”
“Eighty-one last February,” Elvira corrected, smoothing down her salt and pepper curls. “Eighty-one and still climbing around on ladders. I guess that’s what happens when your kids grow up and move away.”
“Who’s going to help him out on the farm?” Phoebe frowned.
“He’s got a son and a nephew flying in next week. He was planning to harvest this weekend. I’m afraid he’s going to try to get it done himself with that big ol’ cast.”
Phoebe turned to Summer. “Summer, do me a favor and track down Carter, will you?”
