Chapter 10
10
Jewel
Nothing had prepared Jewel for the parental scolding she’d just received from her mother. She and Cooper had been at the farm only three days, and already her mother was lecturing her on how to raise her own child. Although Jewel managed to bite her tongue while her mom told her to “just let Cooper be a child,” she was fuming as she stormed across the pumpkin patch. Not that it mattered since nothing had sprouted there yet. But she suspected her dad would want to tan her hide if he was watching. Not that he could catch her since he walked like an old man of about 104. Oh, why had she come here in the first place?
Wanting to get as far from the house as possible, she found herself walking the fence line and, not unlike her dad, she felt aggravated that the original farm property had been divided like this. What had her parents been thinking, selling it off so easily? Of course, it wasn’t really her business since she did recall denying any interest in farming. She’d laughed it off at the time. Now she had regrets. But it was too late and what was the use getting agitated over it? She kicked a dirt clod.
“Hello there.”
Jewel looked up to see Miguel approaching. Today he had on denim overalls, a faded gray T-shirt, and a beat-up cowboy hat. All he needed was a straw in his teeth and a pitchfork and he could pose for Grant Wood’s American Gothic .
“Hey there,” she said back without enthusiasm.
“I could be wrong, but you look like you might be having a bad day.” Miguel came over to the barbed wire fence, leaned on a post, and studied her.
“As a matter of fact, I am.” She shoved her balled fists into her jeans pockets, suppressing the urge to growl.
“Trouble at home?”
“I guess it’s what you get with three generations under the same roof.” She peered curiously at him. “You wouldn’t know anything about that.” She frowned. “Being that your mother and daughter are perfect.”
Miguel threw back his head and laughed. “What on earth gave you that idea?”
“Well, you told me how wonderful Anna is, and I assume your mother is lovely too.”
“I love Mama and Anna, but just for the record, life isn’t always a bowl of cherries at my house.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I just got bawled out for getting Mama’s clean floor dirty. I didn’t bother to point out that it was my clean floor and I can get it dirty if I want.” He gave a crooked smile. “That would just be throwing gasoline on the fire.”
“Well, I guess I feel a tiny bit better.”
“And Anna was just nagging me to take her to town. My mother is busy in her garden, and Anna is determined she needs a new pair of shoes right now.” He put emphasis on the last two words. “When I refused to take her, she gave me the icy treatment.”
“Okay.” Jewel nodded. “I feel even better now.”
“Maybe you just need a break.” He bent down to lift one of the barbed wires higher. “Care to come over? Mama just made sweet tea.”
She glanced over her shoulder, doubting anyone would miss her. And if they did, it might be for the best. “Sure.” She ducked through the opening but caught her shirt on a barb.
“Here, let me help.” Miguel unhooked her, then gave her a hand to stand up straight. “Welcome to my farm.”
“This used to be my farm,” she said a bit sharply.
Miguel looked slightly offended.
“Sorry.” She forced a smile as they walked through an alfalfa field. “I guess my foul mood has affected my manners.”
“Well, I’m used to your dad going after me. Hope it’s not going to become a family thing.”
“Don’t worry. I had my chance to be a farmer years ago and I turned my nose up at it.”
He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Having second thoughts?”
“I don’t know. I mean, sure. I guess. But not necessarily about farming.”
“What about, then?”
“About moving back home,” she confessed for the first time.
“That’s not surprising. It’s a big change for you. Going from city girl to country girl. That’s a lot.”
She nodded. “Yeah.” As they got closer to his house, she could see all the improvements he’d made to the property. “This is really pretty over here,” she said when they reached the shade of the poplar trees. “So green and cool.”
“Let’s go sit over there.” He pointed to a patio with outdoor furniture and lots of planted pots. There was even a small pond and fountain.
“Wow, this is like a little oasis.” She flopped down on a wooden chair with a pillow cushion on it.
“I’ll go get the tea.”
After he went inside, she looked around. Someone had clearly put some time and effort into creating this sweet spot.
“Hola,” a woman’s voice said from behind her. “Who are you?”
Jewel turned to see a small woman with gray hair poking out from under a big straw hat. She was cautiously approaching with a bewildered expression. In her hands was a watering can. Jewel stood and smiled. “I’m Jewel McKerry. My parents own the property over there.”
“Oh, sí. Your mama has told me about you.”
Jewel nodded. “You must be Mrs. Orosco.”
“Sí, you call me Marta.” She set down the watering can and peeled off garden gloves. “It is warm today.” She fanned herself and sat down.
“Are you the one responsible for this beautiful garden?” Jewel waved to the flowering pots.
“Oh, sí. I love my flowers.”
“They’re beautiful.” Jewel sat back down as Miguel came out with two glasses of iced tea.
“Just in time, mijo.” Marta eagerly reached for a glass. “I am so thirsty.”
He handed the second glass to Jewel. “I’ll go back for another.”
“He is a good boy,” Marta said as she sipped.
“But he forgets to take off his dirty boots?” Jewel teased.
“He told you about that?” Marta waved a hand. “I like clean floors.”
“So does my mother.”
“How is your mama? Is her head better now?”
“Yes. She claims she’s fine, but I’m trying to keep her from doing too much.”
Marta frowned. “But you are here?”
“I needed a break. My daughter’s there to help Mom if needed.”
“Oh, sí. Miguel says you have a girl about Anna’s age, no?”
“A tiny bit younger.”
“Anna ... she says she is bored.” Marta shook her head. “Bored? How do you get bored with so much to do? But she is young. Like a filly. She wants to run around.”
“That sounds pretty normal. Cooper is always telling me she’s bored.”
“Our Anna should meet your Cooper. They can be bored together.” Marta laughed.
Miguel came back out with his tea and took the chair next to Jewel. “So you ladies are getting acquainted?”
“Comparing notes on teenage girls,” Jewel said.
“Anna should go see this Cooper girl,” Marta told him. “They could make a friendship together.”
“Easier said than done,” Jewel warned. “My daughter can be quite cantankerous.”
Marta frowned. “Cantankerous?”
“She can be a real pain,” Jewel explained. “I love her, but sometimes...”
She waved a hand. “Oh, that is the way with mamas and daughters.”
“Tell me about it.” Jewel rolled her eyes. “My own mother was just telling me how to raise my own daughter.”
Marta’s eyes twinkled with amusement, but she said nothing.
“I know, I shouldn’t complain about my mom.” Jewel felt a twinge of guilt. “She has so much on her plate already. But I was aggravated.”
“I know. Your poor mama has full hands with your papa. It is too bad, his condition.”
Jewel’s stomach knotted. “Yes, I hadn’t realized how bad it had gotten until we got here.”
“I want to take food to them. To help out. But your papa does not like my cooking.” Marta’s brow creased. “He says it’s no good.”
“Mama’s an excellent cook,” Miguel said in defense.
“I have no doubt,” Jewel told them. “My dad doesn’t seem to eat anything but peanut butter and honey sandwiches.”
“He does get very good honey from his bees.” Marta took another sip of tea.
Jewel nodded. “So we just eat what we want, and if Dad doesn’t like it, someone makes him a sandwich.”
Marta brightened. “I could bring food for you and your mama and daughter.”
“That would be wonderful,” Jewel said. “I’ve been trying to do the cooking and, well, I’ve never been too impressive in the kitchen.”
“I heard you used to be a good artist,” Miguel said. “Do you still paint?”
“I want to.” Jewel sighed. “There hasn’t been much time since we arrived, but I hope to set up an area in the barn where I can paint undisturbed.”
“An artist?” Marta looked impressed. “That is wonderful.”
Jewel waved her hand toward the flowerpots and the gorgeous patio. “It looks like you’re the artist here, Marta.”
“Gracias!”
“You have a definite gift for creating a beautiful space.”
Her smile widened. “I want to make it like my mama’s patio. Back in Texas. But it is different here. Not so warm and dry. But flowers like it.” Marta stood, then picked up her gloves and watering can. “I must finish my work before it’s too hot.”
As she puttered away, Miguel grinned at Jewel. “Not to mention it’s close to her siesta time,” he added quietly.
Jewel finished the last of her iced tea. “This was good. Thank you for inviting me over. It was just the break I needed.” She stood and looked around again. “It really is beautiful here, Miguel. You’re lucky to have this place.”
“Blessed,” he said, standing. “God has been good to me.”
She wondered at this. God had let his wife and father die— that was good? But not wanting to rain on his parade, she simply nodded. “Well, thank you for sharing your piece of paradise with me.”
“Anytime.” He walked her back out into the sunshine where it really was starting to get hot.
“I better hurry back. No telling what my dad might’ve gotten into while I was gone. Yesterday, he decided to take apart the lawn mower. I doubt it will ever work again.”
“You can borrow mine.” He continued walking with her.
“Thanks. You don’t need to walk me home. I know the way,” she teased.
“But you might want help slipping through the barbed wire.”
She suddenly remembered getting caught. “Thanks.”
“Maybe I’ll put a gate there.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary.”
Miguel shrugged. “What if our girls decide to become friends? It would make it easier for them to visit.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” But she wondered if he really meant more than just the girls. And why did that send a little thrill through her? “Just don’t let my dad see you making a gate. Who knows what he’ll think about that?”
“I’ll disguise myself and do it by the light of the moon.” He winked. “No one will ever know how it got there.”
She laughed as they reached the fence. “Well, that just might work.”
He lifted the wire and, this time, she slipped through without getting caught. She thanked him again, then turned back to her parents’ house, thinking how fortunate they all were to have such nice neighbors. Too bad her dad didn’t agree!