Chapter 18
“This is more of a happening place than I would have thought for the time of year.” Nathan looked around the Spokane Farmers Market.
Two rows of booths lined a grassy walkway crowded with Spokanites carrying baskets and bags bulging with fresh produce.
It didn’t hurt that the sun was shining after several days of rain.
Basil leaned on the table inside the Bridgeview Backyards booth. “I’ve sold all the peas I brought and most of the lettuce. There’s not much broccolini left, either.”
“That’s great.”
“People keep asking for strawberries and early cherries.”
“Good thing we planted all those runners in Mrs. Essery’s yard.”
“Fat lot of good that does us this year.” Basil scowled. “People don’t care what plans we have for the future. They care about what they can take home today.”
A second glance at Basil’s face told Nathan this wasn’t the moment to remind his friend that formal agreements still hadn’t been signed with Mrs. Essery or the Johnsons a few blocks over.
It wasn’t his place to nag, but he couldn’t quiet the unease in his gut that his friends — especially Jasmine — were so heavily involved in real estate they had no legal right to.
Nathan leaned into the booth and tapped the paper in front of his friend.
“But you’ve taken quite a few names and email addresses for folks curious about the subscription service, and you’re nearly done setting up the signup page.
” All the interest would give the new business owners added impetus for the legalities, wouldn’t it?
“I guess.”
Frankly, it was a wonder Basil had sold anything at all, as surly as he seemed. Wasn’t he supposed to be the easy going Santoro, the one who never stopped schmoozing? Maybe he missed his family.
“Wish you’d gone to Helena after all?” It was gotcha day for Rob Santoro, the day he was formally adopting his wife’s two children.
Basil swung his head, his astonished expression putting that thought to rest. “Are you kidding me? You have no idea how much I’ve looked forward to a family-free weekend.
I’m happy for my cousin and all that, but the thought of packing into a car with my siblings and then spending two days elbow-to-elbow with the lot of them sucks all the air out of my life.
They’re all just too much, if you know what I mean. ”
A guy looking in from the outside didn’t see it that way.
Which wasn’t exactly true. Wasn’t the close-knit Santoro family part of the reason Nathan had removed himself from Spokane years ago?
But Basil had grown up within the bounds of this clan.
He must’ve felt loved and cared for every day of his life, unlike the deep fractures in Nathan’s family.
He tried to imagine Grace Santoro walking out on her family like his own mother had done. All Nathan had were a few photos of the woman who hadn’t cared enough about her toddler son to take him along when she’d left Pops. She’d gone to ‘find herself’ and never returned.
Sure, Pops had established quite the track record in the aftermath, the common denominator to three failed marriages.
Why Makenna was still around — what she’d seen in Pops in the first place — was a mystery.
Maybe she thought she’d get everything when Pops passed on, but she’d be in for a surprise. There wasn’t much to inherit.
Basil’s sour mood had crashed through Nathan’s barriers and plummeted him into the past. He jerked his head toward the other end of the market. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back in time to help you pack up.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” growled Basil.
Nathan scowled back. “No, but you do need my pickup to haul crates.” With a shake of his head, he strode off, barely registering the contents of the other tents lining the walkway as he dodged shoppers.
How could two siblings be so different?
His phoned buzzed with a text from Jasmine.
What a beautiful adoption ceremony. My cousin’s kids adore him as much as he adores them.
A smile slid to Nathan’s face. Jasmine had shown him some photos of Rob Santoro’s February wedding the other day. Rob’s bride’s two children had definitely looked as happy as the adults.
That’s awesome , Nathan texted back. Man, he should have accompanied Jasmine today.
Not because he and Rob had known each other well way back then, but because time without her dragged on and on.
She, Peter, Alex, and Evan — along with an entire Santoro convoy — had driven to Helena after work last night and stayed over at Grizzly Gulch Resort. When will you be home? I miss you.
I miss you, too. Nonna thinks we should all stay until tomorrow, but the guys and I still plan to head home late this afternoon.
Nathan grinned at the thought of anyone thwarting Marietta.
The old woman bullied her way along, pushing everyone to fall in line by sheer willpower.
But then there’d been the day Jasmine had taken over planting Marietta’s garden.
Maybe Marietta had found her match. Let me know when you’re leaving. Have fun. Drive safe.
Will do. The words were followed by a kissy face emoticon.
He stared at it until the light in his phone faded. How had he gotten so lucky as to have Jasmine back in his life? “Thank You, Lord,” he whispered as he turned toward the Bridgeview Backyards booth.
Dixie Wayling leaned across the table toward Basil, her scoop-neck top gaping.
Basil’s gaze shifted from her face downward then back.
His lips moved, but Nathan was too far away to hear the words.
Dixie stretched a little further to kiss Basil’s cheek — or maybe whisper in his ear — then strolled away, leaving a bemused Basil staring after her.
No stinking way. Dixie wasn’t married to Dan Ranta, but they lived together and had a baby.
Nathan was under no illusions about Basil’s dating life, but surely he was smart enough not to get involved with someone like her.
Didn’t the woman’s history, reputation, and current living situation mean anything to him?
Nathan stalked to the booth and tossed his truck keys at Basil. “Sorry, I need to leave now. I’ll walk home. Drop off the keys later.” Without waiting for a response, he spun on his heel and strode away.
“Oh, man. I hate seeing a kid so disappointed.” Jasmine snapped her seatbelt closed in the passenger seat of her brother’s car.
“Too bad the gotcha party was cut short by the accident.” Alex stuck his key in the ignition. “But I can’t say I mind that Peter’s driving home tonight after all. We have a lot of produce to pick in the next few days.”
“It’s all about you, as always,” muttered Evan from the backseat.
Jasmine glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, grow up.”
Their cousin Rob’s new son, Davy, had been so excited about the adoption he’d jumped up on a low concrete wall outside the courthouse and tripped over his shoelace. The tumble to the sidewalk had broken his ankle, effectively canceling the backpacking trip Rob and Peter had been planning for weeks.
“They’ll go later in the summer when it’s even busier in the gardens. This would’ve been a better time.” Jasmine glared at Evan. “It’s like you don’t want anyone to be happy, even Rob and Davy. Did you see the look on that kid’s face when he realized Rob was going to really be his dad forever?”
“Yeah, it got me in the feels.”
Alex tapped the horn twice in response to the waving family and friends as he backed out of his parking spot at the resort near Helena where the party had been held.
“Well, it got me there for sure, little brother.” Jasmine blew a kiss at Nonna who stood glowering beside the massive log and stone building.
Nonna didn’t think anyone should leave until Rob and Bren got back from Emergency with a cast on Davy’s leg, but what was the point?
They had a five-hour drive ahead of them.
The car turned onto the highway, and Jasmine leaned back against her headrest. “Wow, so many people. Exhausting.”
Evan jabbed her shoulder. “I don’t know how you introverts survive daily life.”
She didn’t open her eyes. “Me, neither, some days.”
“Well, some of us want more out of life than wandering around a dimly lit clinic with smelly candles and classical music.”
“Bro, you can have law school. Steel buildings full of Type A attorneys trying to one-up each other is not my idea of a good time.”
“I’m with Ev.” Alex chuckled. “Somebody has to keep the wheels turning in the real world so you can enjoy your fantasy one.”
“I resent that.” It might have sounded more emphatic if she weren’t so tired. It also wasn’t the first time her two younger brothers tag-teamed her. “Besides, I’m not going to be at the clinic that much longer. Eighteen and a half months, if anyone’s counting.”
“I can count that high.” Alex chuckled. “Numbers are my life.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Very funny. Just saying I do have aspirations.”
“To work with plants,” stuck in Evan. “You don’t make any sense to me, Jas. You’re as smart as any of us—”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Plus, you like to boss us all around. You should be in upper management somewhere, not making tea out of weeds you pulled out of the woods.”
They were going here again? She opened her eyes. “I happen to like foraging.”
Alex grinned as he glanced in the rearview mirror. “Dad and Mom did fine with Marco, but they messed up with her and Basil. Thankfully, they remembered how to parent by the time we came along.”
Jasmine’s back stiffened, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll thank you not to paint Basil and me with the same brush. We’re not anything alike.”
“Sure you are,” Alex said.
“You two are barely dry behind the ears. What do you know?”
“You both like to control everything, but then you’re satisfied with small bits of inanimate objects, like they’re the only ones you can be sure will do your bidding.”
“Hey, now.” Jasmine swiveled in her seat. “That’s not true.”
Evan held up both hands. “Just saying it like I see it.”