Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy Book 1) (9 page)

By the time Robin purchased her double-scoop sugar cone and made her way back to the park bench she was feeling much better inside. Unfortunately, the pleasant feelings quickly dissolved once she saw her longtime nemesis, Susan Stinson, heading straight toward her.
Nowhere to hide this time.

Robin’s mood plummeted; no conversation with this woman was ever pleasant. Susan had picked on and bullied Robin, Penny, and Jorie since high school. Although she rarely had a kind word for anyone, Susan’s harshest barbs were usually directed at Robin. Susan harbored deep-seated unhappiness and resentment. Robin wished away the other woman’s intrusion into her enjoyment of a well-deserved treat.

The willowy beauty had teased Robin relentlessly about her weight for years and years. Apparently Susan Stinson, world-renowned fashion model, could eat anything she wanted and never gain an ounce
.
At least it’s how the model described her metabolism to anyone who would listen.
Some people have all the luck.

With dread approaching desperation, Robin realized it would be impossible to escape Susan’s clutches today.
Ughh.
Slim hips swaying, the natural beauty was heading straight for the park bench Robin occupied.

Susan flipped her designer sunglasses up to the top of her head and frowned as her heavily made-up eyes swept critically over the town’s librarian from head to toe. Her eyes lingered dramatically on Robin’s torso. The model raised her eyebrows in disappointment and clicked her tongue in disgust. Robin mentally cowered while preparing herself for the launch of her foe’s newest heartless barb.

“You should know by now you really should
not
be eating ice cream. You simply cannot afford the calories. You don’t want to get even bigger than you already are, do you, Robin?”

As usual, Robin found herself rendered completely mute by the other woman’s unkind remarks. After barely taking a breath, Susan’s face lit up, “I have the most wonderful news to share with you. I have a new boyfriend. His name is Jeff Clarke, and he’s simply scrumptious.
‘Eye candy’
is what they call men like him nowadays.”

Flipping her silken hair over her shoulder for effect she continued, “We had a romantic dinner at La Reyna Café on Sunday, and this weekend we’re going to the coast to dine at the most exclusive restaurant in the region. Later we’ll probably go out dancing and go back to my place for some adult R & R.” Susan babbled on excitedly about Jeff and how they were just made for each other.

The model rambled on about the lack of decent, attractive single men in Bonita Creek and how Jeff Clarke was absolutely the man of her dreams. Robin literally began to feel nauseated at hearing Susan’s revelations about Jeff. Robin hesitated only briefly before throwing her previously delectable, now mostly uneaten ice cream cone into the nearby trash container.

“. . . We could double date, if we can dig up someone willing to be your date.”

Robin tuned in just in time to hear the blonde insulting her inability to get a date on her own. Robin would never allow Susan to ‘dig up’ a date for her. After years of hearing the woman’s snide and unkind remarks, Robin wasn’t in the mood to turn the other cheek today.

“Thanks, but my social calendar is booked up solid for the next six months. Enjoy your romance with your new beau.”

She stood up, straightened her spine, and hurried off toward her cottage. Her abandoned ice cream cone quickly forgotten, Robin walked only a few steps toward home before she whispered out loud, “Well, he certainly got over me quickly. He ran out on me on Saturday morning and by Sunday night he was out dining with my least favorite person on earth.”
Susan Stinson and Jeff Clarke a couple? Will this nightmare ever end?

Chapter 11

“Mr. Brownstein, Jeff Clarke here.
I met with Ben Bauer earlier this afternoon. I understand the objectives of the assignment, and I’ll begin working on reviewing the financial records tomorrow morning when I’m fresh.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, we’re not going to have any problems with favoritism or nepotism or whatever it’s called since you’re obviously infatuated with the librarian, are we?”

Jeff sucked in a sharp breath. “No, no favoritism. I’ll take my usual unbiased, businesslike approach to the project. In fact, I highly doubt Robin Bennett will pay me any attention at all in the future.”

“Good. I’d greatly dislike having to terminate your employment because you let down your guard and did something senseless in an effort to become the hero to some damsel in distress. Keep me posted.” The abrupt sound of the telephone receiver being slammed down on the other end resonated in Jeff’s ear.

He changed into shorts and an old t-shirt in preparation for taking the strenuous run he’d planned. He caught sight of Robin stomping by across the street. From the expression on her face, it appeared she was agitated about something. He smiled as he was reminded she was especially attractive when irritated or worked up about something. He was relieved
he
was not the cause of her bad mood this time. He hadn’t even spoken to her in a couple of days.

Shoving his romantic woes into a seldom-used corner of his mind, he left his rental and headed for the running trail he was learning to enjoy as a physical and mental challenge. The solitude of running gave him time to think over his feelings regarding Robin, his difficult consulting assignment, and the dilemma of avoiding Miss Susan Stinson. By the end of his run, he felt a peace and contentment flowing through his soul he’d not felt in a long time. He took this as a positive sign of things to come.

~*~

By the time she arrived back at her cottage a few minutes later, Robin was an overheated, overstressed disaster. Her thoughts were running wild and she knew moping around the cottage was not going to relieve her stress. She decided to work in her back garden for awhile in an effort to calm her nerves. Quickly she changed into her gardening clothes and work shoes and slathered on some heavy-duty sunscreen. Grabbing a bottle of icy water she drew a broad-brimmed sun hat onto her head and headed out her back door.

As she pulled on her gardening gloves she made a mental plan of her tasks for the day. Her list included weeding, deadheading some flowers, and feeding her perennials. As she worked, her thoughts flashed back to an encounter with Susan Stinson from their senior year of high school. After a particularly difficult week of listening to Susan’s criticisms and taunts, Robin asked her classmate why she was so mean to her.

“I despise you. Plain and simple. You’re like little Miss Sunshine. Sugar and spice and everything nice. Miss Goodie-Two-Shoes. I just can’t stand you. You’re everyone’s favorite even though you’re homely. I should be the popular one because I’m much prettier than you. You’re such a loser, Chaplin.”

If today’s remarks were any indication, Susan’s angst toward Robin had only grown during the past eight years. “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” Robin reminded herself. She sent up a quick prayer for Susan and began humming. She soon forgot about her troubles of the past few days. Lost in her chores and delighting in her garden, Robin worked for almost three hours before hunger struck with a vengeance.

She cleaned up her tools and headed toward the cottage. After showering and changing into a cool, comfortable floral print caftan, she decided to phone Penny to tell her about the Jeff/Susan connection.

“Hey, cousin. I think I figured out why Jeff Clarke brushed me off on Saturday morning.” She paused dramatically before revealing her speculation. “He’s dating Susan Stinson.”

“
Susan Stinson?
” Penny voice screeched through the phone at an unusually loud volume for the shy seamstress. “Are you sure? That makes absolutely no sense.”

“Well, yeah, I’m sure. I had the distinct
displeasure
of meeting up with Susan at the park this afternoon, and she told me they are dating. She even called Jeff her ‘boyfriend’. She was so smug about it I wanted to smash my double-scoop strawberry ice cream cone all over her perfect face. I know it doesn’t sound at all ladylike, but it’s how I felt when she told me.”

Penny’s sweet laughter floated through the telephone line. “Can’t blame you for feeling that way. I guess in the long run this
will
help you to forget about him
more quickly. I mean, what he did to you was definitely not kosher. Now you don’t need to waste time regretting what could have been and all. If he prefers the other woman, the guy needs to have his head examined.”

They laughed for a few moments before Robin added, “Thanks. I knew I could count on you to help me see the light. How’s it going with you?”

“It’s going really well. I’ve got a new job for a lady I sew for to design and make her daughter’s prom dress. Money is no object according to the client. So, I’m having a great time working with wonderfully expensive fabrics, crystal beads, and over-the-top silk threads. What a treat.”

“Sounds like you’re busy, so I’ll let you go. See you soon.”

“Call me anytime you need to talk.”

~*~

Robin made herself an egg salad sandwich and put together a small green salad made with the organic produce she was growing in her own garden. None of her tomatoes were ready for harvest yet, but they would be well worth the wait when they became ripe later on in the summer. She took the food and a glass of iced tea out to her back patio. From the picnic bench, she could see her entire garden and looked upon it with a sense of pride. When she moved back into the cottage three years ago, the gardens had been an overgrown eyesore. Her grandfather had tended the gardens with love and devotion while her grandmother preferred to spend her time indoors cooking, baking, and sewing. With her grandfather’s sudden death a few years earlier, the gardens had been left to tend themselves. Robin’s goal was to bring the gardens back to their former brilliance. Little by little, she was accomplishing her goal in well-planned phases.

With a lot of planning, patience, and good old-fashioned sweat equity, she’d created a peaceful haven for birds, insects, her guests, and herself. She enjoyed eating her meals or reading out in her backyard paradise. This evening she enjoyed her meal and the quietude she experienced in her garden until she heard the thumping of a stereo echoing from somewhere behind her home. Standing up on the bench, she could see into the yard directly behind hers.
Oh, I so cannot believe this! He
does
live behind me!
Mr. Jeff ‘The Ratfink Weasel’ Clarke was sitting on his deck eating from a plastic food container balanced on his lap.
Unbelievable!

Her heart softening, she thought how this was an example of wasting resources. The two of them could be spending this evening
together
getting to know each other better and enjoying each other’s company. Instead, they were each eating alone with only their own thoughts, regrets, hopes, and dreams for companionship.
Hold on there, girlfriend. If he’d wanted your companionship he wouldn’t have snubbed you, now would he?

She considered calling out an invitation to Jeff across the back fence to come to her place for some dessert and conversation. She shut down her thoughts when she remembered
why
they weren’t spending time together. He’d made the choice to end their acquaintance before it even began. She’d rather spend her time alone than to approach someone who’d rejected her so unkindly. After all, the man obviously had no common sense—he’d chosen Susan Stinson as the object of his attention and affection. Robin shook her in disbelief.
Of all the women.

Robin quickly cleared her plate and went inside to her desk. She spent the rest of the evening listening to music while working on the plans for the Storybook Fair. The library’s major annual fundraiser was scheduled for the final weekend in May at the town’s historic park. The date coordinated with the end of the school year and didn’t interfere with graduation, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, or Father’s Day. Robin had been responsible for the entire event since its inception when she became the Head Librarian three years ago. The library would reopen for business tomorrow, so she had this last evening off before things got hectic.

This year the fair would offer several booths with activities for children and adults alike. Each booth would be named and themed around a favorite storybook character or setting. In the ‘Little Red Hen’ booth sponsored by the local bakery, children would learn to knead bread and walk away with a warm roll fresh from the oven. The local family grocery market was sponsoring a candy booth called, ‘Willy Wonka’s Candy Factory,’ where children of all ages would be able to shop and fill a small paper sack with their choice of candies.

The local model train club was hosting the ‘Little Engine That Could Model Train.’ Guests could view a large model train traversing through forests of pines, over steep mountains, down through valleys and across river bridges before being given a genuine wooden train whistle as a gift. The nursery and garden supply store was sponsoring ‘Mr. MacGregor’s Garden’ where children would learn about planting and growing vegetable and flower seeds while working in a small sample garden plot. Children could choose two packets of seeds to take home to plant in their own gardens.

Town Books set up a booth filled with several shelves of brand new books for children ages six months to young adult. With the donation of two gently used books for the library’s bookstore, a donor would have the opportunity to choose a brand new book to take home. This was consistently one of the most popular booths. Bonita Creek residents loved to read, and parents and grandparents were committed to the literacy of their offspring.

At the ‘Teddy Bear Picnic’ area hosted by the local Lions Club families could buy grilled burgers, hot dogs, cold salads, and beverages for a reasonable fee. The festive booth included picnic tables set up in the shade and lively music performed by a group of musically-talented Lions. Robin smiled as she remembered the broad repertoire of music played by the band. Show tunes, country, rockabilly, gospel, soft rock, folk, jazz, and children’s favorites were included in their play list each year.

The band was even willing to take requests for a ten dollar cash donation to the library fund.  A large coffee can labeled, ‘You Want It, You Got It,’ sat on the corner of the makeshift stage. This was one of the greatest sources of funds at the fair each year. The ‘Teddy Bear Picnic’ was the ending point for most of the families.

Fair attendees were encouraged to wear a costume depicting their favorite storybook character. The vast majority of the attendees arrived in homemade costumes, so there was a costume contest at the end of the evening, too. Many little ones wore rabbit costumes in honor of an all-time favorite naughty book character, Peter Rabbit. Some little girls wore Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty costumes. A few of the families dressed as groups of characters such as those from
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
,
Little Red Riding Hood
, or
The Three Little Pigs
. Some of the older children and teens chose characters from
The Wizard of Oz
and
The Hobbit
or adventure stories such as
Robin Hood
and
Swiss Family Robinson.

Robin proudly wore the same costume each year. Her all-time favorite book character was Laura Ingalls Wilder, the frontier girl from the Little House book series. In Laura’s honor, she wore a handmade pioneer-era dress, apron, sun bonnet, and lace-up boots. She thought it was fun and inspiring to see the citizens using their imaginations to bring storybook characters to life.

The citizens and merchants of Bonita Creek were generous supporters of this fundraising effort. Some of her regular library volunteers sold advance tickets at a small discount, and the response was overwhelming. For a working-class town going through its own tough economic times, people were enthusiastic about helping out their library. The fair was a fun kickoff for the summer, and she felt the local children became more involved in her summer reading program due to the early exposure it was given at the fair.