Chapter 2 #2
“Now that you mention it, I am planning to plant my fall garden. I need to start now so I’ll be harvesting on time.”
“What do you want to plant?” Carlotta asked.
“I hope to plant some lettuce, carrots, pumpkins, turnips, and squash. Maybe some other things, but those to start with. You and the girls can help me if you want to.”
That was when they gathered gloves, hats, and boots.
“Do you just have boots in every size here all the time?”
“We have younger people who come here to help out sometimes. You know I have lots of cousins. People drop in all the time, and if the kids help, they get paid. What kid doesn’t want to get some money?” Flo asked.
“I see what you mean. We’re ready whenever you are.”
Flo led them out the back door. There was a large area that was plowed and ready to be planted. It was an acre or more, but they wouldn’t get more than a small section done.
“Why don’t we start with the lettuce?”
The girls ran over to the tray Flo had and held out their hands.
She placed a plant in each hand and gave Carlotta one.
She took the girls to the edge of the garden and showed them how to plant lettuce.
They continued to place the plants one after another until they were done.
That was when they filled two watering cans, and she watched as the girls watered the lettuce.
While they had planted all the lettuce, Flo had gotten most of the squash in the ground.
Since Flo had only a few packages of turnip seeds, she and the girls went ahead and planted them.
Meanwhile, Flo had finished with the squash and started on the pumpkins.
The girls planted the carrots and watered them.
Flo was done with the pumpkins, and she went to get the hose and water her two large parts of the garden she had planted.
“I think we’ve done enough planting for the day. Why don’t we go clean up, then have lunch?” Flo suggested.
“Sounds good, doesn’t it, girls?” She asked. They both nodded and ran towards the house, with Flo and her trailing behind.
“Something smells wonderful.” Carlotta noticed.
“We have an amazing cook. You’ll love her. Her name is Liza. I think we might have company for lunch.”
No sooner had she said that than someone arrived from out of the air. It was clear to her that it was a witch, but not one she had ever met.
“This is Harry. Harry, this is Carlotta and my granddaughters, Adele and Ellis,” Flo introduced.
“Scary Harry?” asked Carlotta.
“I’m famous,” Harry said with a wink and a grin.
“Why don't you go to the dining room table, Harry? We'll join you after we all clean up,” Flo suggested.
They all headed to the bathroom to clean up, and when they got back, lunch was served. It was family style with a large soup bowl on the table and assorted sandwiches on a platter. The soup was great and the sandwiches excellent. All of them ate with appetite and finished quickly.
Harry was very good with the kids, telling stories and jokes that had them laughing. Suddenly, the look on Harry's face was very serious. “We have company.”
“Who is it? Is it someone that doesn't belong?” Flo asked.
“It is, but don't worry because I'm having a little fun with them.” Harry had a crazy look on her face and seemed to be enjoying whatever she was doing. “I'm calling them Tweedledee and Tweedledum.”
“Can you bring them here?” Flo asked.
“Of course I can.” Harry waved her hand, and two guys appeared, and they were restrained.
Neither of these guys looked like professionals, but more like scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as mercenaries went. Neither was talking because they were gagged.
“Don't worry, wardens are on their way to pick these two up,” Harry explained.
“Do you know who sent them and why?” Flo wondered.
“Yes, the girl's mother sent them, and she's low on cash, so this was the best she could get.”
“I know Darren paid her off, so she should have some money,” Flo observed.
“She went through that money quickly, and now she is almost completely broke,” Harry explained.
“I'm not sure what we can do to stop her from bothering us,” Flo said.
“When the wardens come and get these guys, maybe they can help.”
“Do you know who's coming?”
“Cage for sure and his partner, who is some new guy that I don't know,” Harry explained.
Carlotta hadn't said much, but she had been listening.
She wondered how Harry had been able to tell these guys were trying to get into the house, and how she knew the ex-wife had sent them.
She'd heard of Harry and had hoped she might get to meet her while she was here.
There was a lot one could learn from a witch like that.
She was a little older than Harry but looked much older because Harry looked like a teenager.
It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door, and the wardens were here.
“Cage, it's great to see you, and Harry has a present for you. This is Carlotta, Adele, and Ellis, my granddaughters. Who is your new partner?” Flo asked.
“This is Jonesy. I'll probably only have him for a month or so because once he's trained, they always send them away.” Cage replied. “I see our prisoners, and they're about the least impressive ones I've seen in a while.”
“Why don't you two join us for lunch, and we can discuss what's happening?” Flo said.
Carlotta could see that Flo understood how wolves worked on their stomachs, and she fixed plates for both Cage and Jonesy.
“This is some great food, and we appreciate you sharing with us.” Cage informed. “Do you know who these guys are and what they were after?”
“They were after the girls, and their mother sent them. They are two low-level mercenaries who take what work they can whenever they can. As you can see by the way they look, they don't get much work.” Harry explained.
“I think I read something about that on the warden updates. I just didn't realize when your granddaughters would be coming to stay with you. Isn't your son here as well?” Cage asked.
“He had to go on a business trip, but he'll be back in a couple of days. Carlotta is a nanny and a guard for the girls.” Flo mentioned.
Carlotta noticed that Flo didn't mention that she was also a witch.
That was probably for the best since a lot of these wolves got nervous around magic users.
Cage didn't seem nervous around Harry, but it was obvious that they knew each other well.
That could make a big difference in the way that a wolf looked at a witch.
Matings between wolves and witches had always happened, but they were becoming common these days.
She'd heard that there had been a time many, many years ago when they had been common as well. It seemed that time was back.
“If you have any concerns, be sure to give us a call, and we will come and help you out. For now, we need to go.” Cage said, and he and Jonesy hurried out the door. The prisoners floated behind them. It was Harry giving them a magical hand.
“That's my signal that I'd better get back to work, too. I'm on a murder case again, and I'm beginning to hate those. I didn't realize there was that much murder going around,” Harry declared.
“I hope you solve it quickly and you can get on to an easier case.” Flo offered.
“I hope so, too, but none of these cases seem to be easy these days. I have an assistant who takes any easy cases, and that only leaves the hard ones for me.” Harry observed right before she disappeared.
“I heard so much about her that I thought she'd be older. I am glad I got to meet her.” Carlotta said.
“Harry is a ball. She is older than she looks and probably close to your age.”
“What do you think my age is?”
“My guess is twenty-five,” Flo observed.
“Closer to thirty, but it's not a bad guess.”
“Harry is twenty-five and going on ageless. She's lived a hundred years emotionally since the blood drugs and slave rings started.”
“What are we going to do now?” Adele asked. She had walked up to them without them noticing while they had been lost in conversation.
“Why don’t we have cookies and a drink for dessert?” Flo suggested.
‘What kind of cookies?” Ellis asked.
“What about butter cookies?” Liza asked.
“That sounds good. Can we have milk?” Adele asked.
“Of course. Let me bring you your dessert.”
Liza came back and set a tray down. There were cookies and milk for the girls and cookies with tea for the adults. The cookies were good, and although she didn’t usually drink hot tea, she enjoyed it.
“Do you girls have your schoolwork with you?” asked Carlotta.
‘We do. Are we going to work on it?” Ellis asked.
“Do you want to?”
“We could do some reading, or you could read to us?” Adele offered.
“What book do you want to read?”
“How about this one?” Ellis suggested.
Carlotta started reading a book about an old hound dog everyone loved. He lost his bone and had an adventure finding it. The girls loved the story.
“Now that we’ve had story time, let’s do some math. Get out your workbooks and tell me if you need any help. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Carlotta went and got her computer and set it up at the table between the girls.
Neither of them seemed to have any trouble with their math.
When they finished their math, she had them do history.
Once she was done with her computer, she had them do their science because she expected some questions.
Both girls loved science, and they asked lots of questions.
They were both eager students. The girls continued until they had finished all their studies.
It was nearly suppertime when someone came in the door.
It was Darren, who’d arrived early and without notice.
The surprised look on Flo’s face said she had not expected him yet either.
What bothered her wasn’t so much that he’d come early but that he’d shown up unannounced.
There was no reason for him not to mention that he would be here so soon. Was he trying to catch them off guard?