Give Em Pumpkin To Talk About (Pumpkin Patch Mysteries Book 1) (13 page)

“You have a right to be angry with me.” Sandra’s voice faltered. “I screwed this up. I guess I didn’t want to admit that Mom and Dad were really gone. I know that it’s been a long time. I-I should’ve accepted it by now. It’s just hard sometimes not knowing what happened to them. I wish we’d found out before we sold the land. It feels like giving up.”

Sarah couldn’t believe her mother admitted to feeling similar to her. “We don’t have to give up. Even if we sell the land, we can hire people to look for them.”

“I did that at the beginning.”

“I know. But that was then. Let’s do it again, but hire more private detectives. This is the information age. Someone knows where they went, Mom. Let’s keep going until we know too.”

Sandra sniffled. “You’re right. I felt silly at the time. Your father kept saying they just didn’t want us to know where they’d gone. I knew that was wrong, but I tried to ignore the way I felt about it. If you’ll help me, maybe this time will be different. We’ll talk about it when you get back. I love you. Be careful. I was looking at the living room where that man was killed. Are you sure Jack doesn’t have something to do with it?”

“I am,” Sarah said confidently. “And the sheriff is too. I have to go. I love you. I’ll see you at home.”

Mary was looking for her. She waved as soon as Sarah looked up from her phone call. “Let’s get some water over there to Tom and Rick. They’re the ones putting the sides of the barn together. I’m worried about Rick. He’s just over the flu. His wife called to make sure he had plenty to drink.”

“Sure. Sorry. That was my mother.”

“Sandra? She’s out here too? Why didn’t she come with you? We haven’t seen her in a long time.”

“She’s headed back to Richmond,” Sarah said. “Let me get more water for Rick and Tom.”

There were more than two men working on the barn wall nailing long pieces of wood to two-by-fours. Sarah gave them all water and ran out. She had to go back to the pump in the front yard to refill the bucket.

She looked up to see Kathy on one of the high rafters, flirting and hammering nails beside Jack. He seemed to be flirting too, a grin on his face as he talked with her.

As if he felt her watching him, Jack turned his head and waved. Sarah pretended not to see him. She filled up the bucket and headed toward one of the other crews who were working on the barn’s foundation.

As the day progressed toward noon, the barn was taking shape. Mary asked for her help with lunch. Luckily it was small things because Sarah wasn’t much of a cook either. There were several women helping in the kitchen. She did her part and tried not to feel inadequate. She was just out of her element, as her mother had said. She never felt this way back home.

The women took the huge portions of ham, green beans, potatoes and cornbread to the tables. Mary rang a bell on the porch for lunch. There was plenty of fried chicken and biscuits, peach cobblers, banana pudding, and homemade ice cream with gallons of sweet tea to wash everything down.

Ron had stopped working when he had a call from the sheriff’s department. He paused to let Sarah know that he was leaving. “Sorry I can’t stay for lunch, but this is the way my life is. I’ll try to come back if I can.”

“Sure,” she said as she put out a bowl of jellied cranberries.

“Maybe I shouldn’t ask right away, but I know you’re leaving soon. What about lunch or supper tomorrow?”

Sarah considered it. Sunday loomed long and empty as she waited for Monday morning to get everything else done. “I’d like that. Thanks for asking.”

“Great.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “I’ll call you when I know what time I’ll be free.”

“Maybe I should give you my cell phone number.”

“Yeah.” He laughed. “I was just going to look it up on the sheriff’s report, but that would be better. And this is mine.”

They exchanged numbers, and Ron waved as he went to his car.

“He’s leaving already,” Jack said. “Was it the work or the date?”

“Not exactly a date,” she corrected, feeling self-conscious with him now. Before, she only felt threatened and annoyed. “You should probably wash up for lunch. Mary says there’s lots of work to do this afternoon.”

“But tomorrow is the
real
date?”

“You’re an eavesdropper,” Sarah told him.

“That’s how I know everything. I’ll be back.”

She determined that she would be busy ladling out food or pouring tea when she saw him again. Her mother was right about one thing—she couldn’t let herself feel bad for Jack. He needed to move on and get a life of his own. The more she spent time with him and people who praised him for taking care of the farm, the guiltier she felt making him leave what little he had.

Kathy was with the tall man in the Stetson. She seemed to be flirting with him too. Sarah wasn’t sure if Jack was the man whose butt Kathy was admiring or if it was this man.

“Hey, I want you to meet Ben Reece. He’s my manager. The farm has run better than ever since he signed on. Ben, this is Sarah Tucker. She owns the property next door.”

Ben was very sincere as he shook hands with Sarah. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

While he was talking to her, Kathy was behind him making faces and pointing to his rear end. Sarah smiled despite herself. Obviously this was Mr. Right. She was relieved that her friend wasn’t interested in Jack—she told herself it was because he was leaving and Kathy might not see him again.

“I offered Jack a job this morning,” Ben said. “He’s a hard worker, and he’s taken good care of your place with no supervision. I think we could use a man like him.”

“That would be wonderful,” Sarah replied. “I hope he took you up on it.”

“He said he’d think about it,” Kathy told her. “I’m going to fill up a plate and sit over there in the shade. How ‘bout you, Ben?”

“Sounds good to me.” He glanced at Sarah. “You’d be welcome to join us.”

Kathy was shaking her head and sticking out her tongue.

“I have a few other things I have to do before I eat,” Sarah lied. Kathy was very clear on wanting to be alone with him. “But thanks for asking.”

When Ben went to get some corn on the cob, Kathy nudged her with her elbow. “He better not be interested in you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sarah reminded her. “I’m leaving Monday, remember?”

“You should take Jack with you. But don’t you look at Ben again with those baby blue eyes.”

Sarah laughed as she watched her friend walk off with him. She couldn’t believe Kathy couldn’t get things going with the handsome cowboy when he was there every day working for her.

Almost everyone had already grabbed a plate and found a place to sit. Sarah had noticed some shade on the other side of the house, so she took her plate and a glass of tea over there and sat in the pleasant garden area.

“Is this seat taken?” Jack asked.

“I don’t think so.” She sat up a little straighter and almost spilled her tea. “I should warn you before you sit down that I know nothing about barn building or farming. My conversation is limited to political things happening in the state and possibly a few things about social media.”

“I’ll take my chances.” He sat beside her. “Nice spot.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Sorry Ron had to leave. I could tell by the way he kept looking for you while we were working that he thinks a lot of you.”

“We only met when George died. Most of the time he’s been taking my statements about dead men and asking what I was doing while they were being killed. I’m not sure that’s enough to have a relationship.”

“I don’t know. I’ve known couples who had less in common.” He took a sip of tea. “But you’re leaving anyway. Not many long distance relationships work out.”

She laughed. “I don’t think I’d call living in Richmond a long distance relationship with someone who lives in Misty River.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

They both were quiet as they ate. A crow called from the nearby pear tree, and bees buzzed as they collected pollen from the flowers in the garden.

“Thanks again for helping me with my mother,” she said. “I thought she’d be okay, but I didn’t know about her driver.”

“That’s okay. How is she this morning?”

Sarah stared at the tall flowers to keep from looking into his eyes as she spoke. “I think she’s sad about selling the farm—not sad enough to want to live here again. She hates the country now. But it was her home at one time.”

“That’s why she was drinking?”

“I think so. It’s not really like her. I don’t know. We both wish there had been an answer to what happened to my grandparents.” She looked back at him. “Do you have any ideas?”

“No. I’m sorry. I wish I did. They were very good to me. I’d repay that kindness if I could.”

“I’d say you’ve done that, looking after the place for so long.”

“That was nothing. I needed a place to stay when I got out of the army. Tommy and Bess were gone. None of their family seemed as interested in their land as the treasure hunters.”

“Do you believe the gold is real?”

“They do,” he replied. “And they’ll keep coming as long as the legend continues.”

Chapter Twelve

After lunch, Jack went back to work on the roof with Kathy and Ben. Sarah watched the three of them nailing down large sheets of plywood after it was lifted with a pulley system.

Two sides of the barn went up. Mary and Sarah started painting as soon as a wall was secure.

“You know Gray wanted to paint it blue or orange. Can you imagine?” Mary asked her. “I told him a barn is supposed to be red.”

Sarah had been lost in her thoughts about her property and didn’t respond right away. “Oh. Sorry. Yes. I know what you mean. I guess a barn wouldn’t have to be red, but it follows tradition to paint it red.”

Mary put down her paint brush. “Honey, you seem troubled about something.”

“Just worried about treasure hunters, I guess.” Sarah smiled.

“Treasure hunters have been coming out there since before your mother was born. Tommy handled them. You will too.”

“I think it would help if they thought the treasure had been found.”

“I suppose it would, but people have been digging holes out here for a long time and haven’t found a thing. It’s just a story.”

Sarah agreed and went back to painting. She was grateful to Mary for trying to help her see another angle. But the truth was that she couldn’t wait past Monday after she’d settled all the paperwork. She had to go home and get back to work.

After that, the gold, the land, and the Blue Way would be in Leland’s capable hands. He’d have to deal with the problem.

The barn was mostly up before dinner. There were still shingles that needed to go on the roof and painting that had to be done. The workers stopped again to eat around six p.m. The food was a mixture of leftovers from lunch and big hunks of homemade bread and potato salad to go with them. Many of the men made huge sandwiches with the ham and chicken.

Sarah looked for Jack. He was helping Gray and Ben put up the doors on the front of the barn. Mary kept calling for them to stop and eat. Gray said he’d be there when he was done.

“I guess you’ve stayed about as long as you can.” Kathy nibbled on a piece of fried chicken. She kept her eyes on Ben as he worked. “I’m going to be sorry to see you go.”

Sarah had no appetite, despite spending the day outside working. “It’s been nice connecting with you again. But you’re right. After I get a copy of the deed for Mace and make sure the paperwork is good on the legal aspect of my grandparents being gone, I have to go home.”

“You’re sure about this, right?” Kathy’s eyes narrowed on hers. “You have to sell the property?”

“Yes. We can’t just leave it like this anymore. I don’t expect Jack to keep taking care of it. It would fall apart. It’s best to sell it.”

“What about a trust? You could put it in a trust for a future generation that might want to live here and raise pumpkins.”

“That’s an idea,” Sarah agreed. “I suppose Jack could keep an eye on it since he’ll be working for you.”

“I wish he was. But he turned Ben down. I don’t know where he’s going from here or what he’ll do. But he doesn’t want to work for me.”

Sarah considered why Jack wouldn’t want the opportunity to live close to where he’d been for the past sixteen years. It was probably the best offer he’d get. She decided to talk to him about it when she saw him later.

As they were finishing their meal, Jack and Ben joined them with heaping plates of food.

“You two eat like birds,” Ben said. “Especially you, Sarah. You need to eat some bread. Put some meat on those bones.”

Her face felt hot, but she smiled at him. “I don’t work this hard often enough to eat like that. Mostly attorneys sit behind a computer.”

“Besides that,” Kathy observed, “she’s got some good-looking bones, right, Jack?”

He was saved from responding when someone picked up a fiddle and started playing with another man on the banjo. The music was simple and fast. It didn’t take long before a few older couples started dancing.

“Want to dance, Ben?” Kathy said it like it didn’t mean a thing to her one way or another.

“Sure. Why not?”

She stood up and grabbed his hand with a wink at Sarah.

“I think she likes him,” Jack observed.

“That’s Kathy,” Sarah agreed. “I’m going to head home. I don’t know where they get the energy to dance after working all day.”

Jack got to his feet. “You have to stay for at least one dance. It’s part of putting up the barn.” He held out his hand to her.

She glanced at the happy faces of the dancers as they cheered and whirled around the yard. “I don’t dance. Not like that anyway. Thanks.”

“Like what? All you have to do is move your feet and smile. You can do it.”

“Jack—”

“Sarah.” He smiled, grabbed her hand, and pulled her slowly up beside him. “You can do this.”

“All right,” she finally agreed. She’d dance once with him and then go back to the hotel. What could it hurt?

The front yard had been mostly trampled down by the delivery of supplies for the barn and then by people working. It made a good dance floor. A few younger couples were dancing to the lively music but most of the older people had moved to the porch. The younger couples cut loose with all kinds of crazy moves that had nothing to do with country dancing and everything to do with creativity.