THE PEACH WITH CHERRY LIPS

"Do not deliver the soul of Thy turtledove to the wild beast."

Psalm 74:19

Jennet was disgusted.  A whoop of a siren sounded behind her as she saw a police car with lights flashing in her rear-view mirror.  She downshifted her small beat up pickup and pulled over into the parking lot of Piggly Wiggly.  Jennet watched as a sheriff with all the swagger and bravado she'd come to expect as he strolled up to her window.  It was not that she'd ever personally been pulled over, but her father most certainly made a habit of it back home.  It always gave her a sick feeling to see the lights flashing and the officer approaching.

She pulled her sunglasses further down her nose to glare at him over the top.  "Yes, officer, what crime are you charging me with?"

He bent slightly and thoroughly searched her car with his eyes.  He might as well have climbed in and crawled around its interior with a fine-toothed comb.

"May I see your driver's license and registration, please?"

Jennet leaned over quickly to open her glove compartment as she heard him exclaiming, "Not so fast.  Move slowly." 

She huffed, pulling her car registration out of the glove box, then purposefully taking her sweet time getting her driver's license out of her purse grimacing at the horrid picture she had taken.  It was embarrassing to hand it over to him.  It made her blush, which made her mad.  Why couldn't an old, pot-bellied police officer with hair growing out his ears be the one to pull her over, not this good looking young guy?

"Are you a resident here, miss?"

"Yes."

"This shows you are from out of state.  Are you aware that you are required to get a driver's license in the state you are residing," he asked looking a little too smug.

"As a student, I am allowed an exemption."

She enjoyed watching his eyebrows raise in surprise.

"That's a new one," he finally said.  "Do you have proof you are enrolled somewhere?"

She huffed digging through her purse to flash her junior college student I.D. in front of his doubtful eyes.  She took online business classes to help her run hers.

"Has anyone besides you driven this vehicle lately?"

"What a question," she gasped.  "Why would you ask that?  But, no, I am the only one who has driven my truck."

"Not even a family member?"

"No, but that would not be illegal since they would be covered by my insurance.  What's the big deal?"

"Nothing.  Just asking," he grunted.  "I pulled you over because your back brake light is out."  

"Hmm.  Thanks for the warning, officer," she scowled as she quickly slammed her registration back in her glove box and hurriedly  put her license and student card back into her wallet before turning her truck back on.

"Hold your horses, ma'am.  I am going to have to write you a fix-it ticket.  Read the instructions carefully in order to note how to take care of your infraction in a timely manner."

"Don't you have some girl scouts somewhere you can site for selling cookies without a permit?"

Jennet had mumbled it under her breath, but sure enough he heard.  His eyes grew wide, then the officer had the audacity to full on belly laugh at her.  However,  it didn't keep the man from  ripping off the ticket and handing it to her while he was still chuckling.  "That was a good one," he quipped.  "Have a good afternoon, ma'am."

Jennet read the small print frowning.   "She'd not only have to take it to a shop, a cost she could hardly afford, but she would also have to waste part of a day, and time was money."  She slammed it on her seat and pulled out perhaps a little swiftly.  She suddenly looked in her rear view mirror and saw the man shaking his head at her.  At least he didn't put his lights and siren on her again.  So she drove as sedately as a little old lady through town, or rather like a little old lady gritting her dentures.

Jennet got her groceries at the small market where she sold her fruit before turning back to her home sweet home.   She felt her soul settle as she drove in under the sign, Green Hills Orchard.  Her aunt, the original owner, had left it to Jennet in her will.  The house was painted a bright red, as red as the strawberries she grew and the cherries in the orchard.  With her dog Mag barking a happy welcome, she took in a deep breath and sloughed off her irritation at the man with the power of the ticket.  

After putting away her groceries, Jennet placed her frozen pizza in the oven and walked out checking the berries for snails determining she would not forget her dinner and burn it again like usual.  "Just one row, that's all," she promised herself.  

The pizza was crispy, very well done when she returned, but at least it wasn't burnt like last time, no smoke filling the kitchen setting off the fire alarm.  She ate while thumbing through her emails.  No new orders.  At least between the local farmer's market and the business from the small grocery store in town, as well as a couple of restaurants, Jennet was keeping her head above water.  That is, if she didn't collapse from exhaustion first.  

In fact when she saw a friend from church who worked in probation, she got the nerve to ask, "Do you ever have any of your jumpsuit clients do community service for private enterprises, like mine?  I mean I could use some help, but can't afford to pay anyone."

Sally was surprised and asked, "Are you sure?"

"I trust you'd be careful who you'd send, just no gang bangers or ax murderers, pretty please."

That earned her a laugh.  "I'll see what I can do,"  Sally said.  "I'm sure some of them would rather work in the country than here in town picking up trash."

"Thanks," she smiled back at her friend.

So when she got a call, it wasn't from Sally, but a law officer.  That always sent a shiver of dread in the pit of her stomach because of how she was raised.  She listened with trepidation.  

"Miss Jennet, this is the chief of police in Greenville.  I have a proposition to offer you.  Sally told me you were looking for an extra hand for free labor, and I have someone in mind, someone safe for you to have around while they put their time in on their work release.  His name is Jarrod Thomas."

Jarrod Thomas?  Why did that sound familiar.  "If you approve and Sally approves, then send him over.  I could sure use some help here," Jennet responded. Thanks, Sheriff."

But when a big Ford Tundra pickup rolled up a little later with Mag barking in his dust, she was in for the shock of her life.  "You!" she huffed.

He had the audacity to grin as he shut the door of his pickup, but she could see a shade of embarrassment creeping up his neck behind his bravado.  He leaned over to scratch her dog's ears.

"Hello to  you too," he said before handing over his papers.  "Nice dog."

"What, no orange jumpsuit?"  she exclaimed as she looked over his paperwork.  "Why are you on probation?"

"I'll confess," he sighed. " I was pulled over for buzz driving after a family wedding last weekend.  I wasn't drunk, even passed my breathalyzer test, but they still put me in time out.  So, here I am at your service," he said throwing his arms out wide.  "I just didn't know this was your place that they were sending me to," added with a grin.

"Buzz driving?  What is that and how is it different from drunk driving?" She asked glaring at him.

"I believe that buzz driving is .08% alcohol level or less after one or two drinks.  If I refused a sobriety test or resisted arrest, I could be slapped with the full DUI and lose my license.  But I had the right to ask to take the test at the police station, so I did.  I just got  charged with reckless driving.  Even though the alcohol levels were low, they figured they had to do something to make an example out of me.  So here I am."

"Do you often drink one or two alcoholic beverages before driving?"

"No, it's been a long time since I had any alcohol," he said looking down while kicking his boot in the dirt.  "I went to my cousin's wedding only to find out that he was marrying my ex-fiancé, poor guy.  I don't know why my mother insisted I be there.  It's not that I wished her back, no thank you, but the shock of it made me mad," he said through gritted teeth.  "So, as soon as I arrived at the reception, I ordered a beer at the bar then downed another before I left.  I don't even like the taste of beer."

"So, I take it you didn't ask to dance with the bride."

"Actually, I did.  I told her exactly what I thought of her before I returned her to her groom.  It was after that I squealed out of the country club's parking lot catching the attention of a fellow officer."

"Hmm.  Sound like a very bad weekend."

Jennet clapped her hands though the work gloves muted the sound.  "Well, let's get to work then."  He followed her as she explained the small organic farm and what she expected of him."

The only problem was that even when he quit talking, his presence kept her on alert and unable to relax.  Maybe she could just call the chief and say that she had changed her mind.  But then she'd have to explain why.

"Now we deliver these boxes to Abe's Grocery, and this box goes to the restaurant on Pine and Main, Amigos."

"That's a good place to eat," he commented.

"Yes, I ate there once.  It is.  They prefer farm to table produce."

"I can do this."

"You might as well grab a bite to eat before you come back for the afternoon."

"Want me to bring something back for you?"

She should say no, but her stomach craved Mexican food.  "I'll give you some money if you can get a couple of tacos to go from Amigos."

"My treat today," he said as he picked up the boxes to put in his truck.  

"Thanks."  Somehow she knew it wouldn't work to argue with him."

Before he left, he rolled down his window and said, "By the way, there are some guys who may be up to no good in the area, so be careful, and call me if there's any trouble."  With that he drove down her gravel road on the way to town.

Jennet suddenly felt sick to her stomach.  If only her brother Joe hadn't called last night begging her for money, a lot of money.  He said he was in trouble with a couple of bad dudes.  Her brother sounded pretty desperate, but she didn't have near that kind of money and had already determined not to enable his addictions again.  She shook her head and went back to her work with Mag walking so close she kept bumping into her leg.  She did that whenever she sensed that she was upset.

By the time her new help returned, she was starving.  The man sat beside her in the shade and ate his own tacos, all four of them, and slugged down a large Coke.  She shared his shade to take her lunch break.

"Thanks for the tacos."

"Sure thing.  Now what?"  

"You can go pick cherries so I can sell them at my fruit stand along with the strawberries we picked earlier."

Just then an old Buick drove slowly up as if it was a funeral.  "It's Mr. Holland.  He hates to get dust on his car."

"I know him from church.  He's an usher, right?"

"He's been there since before the church had indoor plumbing, I'm told," she snickered.  "He says that they only put in indoor toilets after three Sundays in a row they found the outhouse pushed over."

She greeted Mr. Holland.  Actually he was an old friend who came to get fresh produce a couple  times a week.  He might sniff every piece of fruit and take his time, but he always bought some for himself and some to share with others.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Holland."  She had to speak up or he couldn't hear her.

"How's the peach with the cherry lips and strawberry blonde hair?"  He always greeted her like that, and she had long since gotten over being embarrassed by it. 

"I'm well.  Have you met Jarrod Thomas?  He's helping me out for awhile.  You might remember him from church."

"Hello, sir," the young man said in a friendly manner.  "I'm usually working on Sundays so that the family guys can take their wives and kids to church, but..."

The gent interrupted him, "I never forget a face, but I can't say that about names any more."  He thumped his skull.  This memory thingamajig doesn't work like it used to."

Jennet gently hurried him on.  He'd talk to her all day if she let him, but she had too much work to do. "I have juicy strawberries, and the cherries are just coming on.  My tomatoes are beginning to ripen as well."

"That all sounds good." He shuffled over to the table in the shade and started to do his fruit sniffing.

"Jarrod, why don't you go pick a basketful of cherries for Mr. Holland.  Fresh off the tree sound good enough, sir?"

He grinned and his dentures clacked.  "Can't get better than that."

It still took him awhile to choose which basket of strawberries to select and which heirloom tomato looked perfect enough.

But as soon as Jarrod came striding back with the cherries, the man suddenly collapsed spilling a basket of strawberries as he went down.  The tomato too fell off the table and splatted on his white shirt before rolling away.

"Heavens!"  Jennet exclaimed.

"Call 911.  I'll do chest compressions, but I'm not feeling a pulse," Jarrod ordered.  He had dropped the basket of cherries and ran to help the man.

"They're on their way," she said wiping tears off her face.  "What can I do?"

"Feel for a pulse."

She grabbed his wrist but couldn't find anything.  She tried his neck.  "Still nothing."

She could hear the sirens faintly at first but then they grew louder.  "What could possibly have happened?" Jennet said wringing her hands.

The medics replaced Jarrod as she backed away to give them room.  "Was he stabbed," one guy looked up pointing to the red dripping on his shirt."

"No, that's just a tomato.  One minute he was sniffing it, then the next he fell down right in front of my eyes."  Jennet could feel the panic squeezing her heart.

"We never found a pulse, but I began the CPR as soon as he fell," Jarrod told then with a grim face.

"Thanks, Jarrod.  Let's get him in the ambulance and try the paddles."

They did causing him to arch up on his gurney then collapse.  Jennet couldn't watch.  She went over and threw up in the weeds along her gravel drive.

After a couple more tries, the medic shook his head, closed the doors, and they drove away.

Jarrod walked over and put his arms around her.  He handed her a rag to wipe her face.
"Mr. Holland lived a good long life.  I think it was his time to go.  There's nothing anybody could have done."

She turned her face into his shoulder.  "It was such a shock though.  Did they really think I had stabbed him?"

He chuckled.  "No they were just trying to figure out what happened."

Finally getting control of her tears, Jennet said, "I'll call pastor to let him know."  She pulled out her phone and walked to her house while Jarrod took care of the spilled produce.

Working with Jarrod fell into a natural routine.  It was as if the shock of a man dying right in front of them had bonded them in a strange, very weird way.  They chatted, laughed, sometimes argued, but sometimes they just worked in an easy silence.

Her brother had phoned her a couple of times in the middle of the night, but she did not take his call and put her phone on silence.  No wonder she felt exhausted.

The day of Mr. Holland's funeral arrived.  Jennet made a couple of strawberry pies to take for the dinner following.  On their way out, she had Jarrod hang her closed sign on her gate before locking it.  She seldom did that, but somehow she felt safer that way.

"Man, those pies look good, my favorite!"

"Better get some pie before you fill you plate with the other food, or you'll miss your chance."

"He glanced over at her and grinned.  "I like your strategy."  

They rode together in his truck.  As soon as he parked, Jarrod helped Jennet with one of her pies as they took them to the fellowship hall.

"People are staring at the pies as if coveting a slice.  Don't they know coveting is a sin?  Those won't last long when word gets out what you brought," he said with a wink.

"They usually don't," she smiled with satisfaction.  "I'm no chef, but I do know how to make a mean strawberry pie."

"This is a pretty good crowd," Jarrod observed.

"Everybody loved Mr. Holland," she replied.  "He's been a fixture here since forever.  He's the only one in the whole church who still wore a suit and tie every Sunday.  Not even the pastor does, except for occasions like today.  Poor man didn't have any relatives.   That's probably why he talked my ear off whenever he came."  

The church was almost packed, so they snuck into a back pew.  A few people, mostly young women, looked back at them scowling.  

"Are those some of your fan club?  Oh no, they think we're together," she whispered. 

"We are together.  We arrived together.  I'm sitting right here.  You're right here beside me.  We even brought in a couple of pies together."  When she tried to scoot over, he put his arm around the back of her seat and trapped her grinning unmercifully.  "What?  Are you too good for me or something?" he whispered back close to her ear, the warmth of his breath making it tickle.

She just rolled her eyes and shook her bent head to let her hair fall to cover her blushing red cheeks.

When she looked up, Jennet saw the polished walnut closed casket down in front with a gorgeous spray of red roses draped over it.  "They don't have any pictures of him up there.  I know he doesn't have any family left, but still that's just sad.  Someone should have at least found one of him in his uniform."

Just then the pastor walked to the podium and said solemnly, "Let us pray."  Then he read Mr. Holland's obituary.  She had no idea he'd led such a distinguished life in the service with medals of honor from World War II.  He'd served as a tank driver, of all things.  However, the love of his life had died of a ruptured appendix before he got home, and so he never married. When he returned, he went to college and earned a degree in business.  Finally after a long career as a CPA, he'd retired at the age of seventy-five.  He was 84 years.

She leaned a little into Jarrod's arm without realizing it.  Jennet wiped a few tears with her wadded Kleenex then listened to the pastor reading Psalm 23 before extolling the virtues of a godly man.  She sighed.  He was so far beyond the man she had called dad; hers had died of cirrhosis of the liver from a life of alcoholism.  It had not been a happy childhood except for when she was able to come to her aunt's farm every summer.  That was her saving grace.

The congregation sang "Amazing Grace" and "Rock of Ages."  Then Pastor Smither asked if anyone wished to come up front and say anything into the microphone.  A few elderly people walked up and told how Mr. Holland had blessed them with this and that. 

"You should go up and tell everyone how much he liked your fruit," Jarrod said elbowing her.

"No way!" she whispered fiercely back.

Then much to everyone's surprise, Amber Fisher strode up in her high heels, short skirt and tank top revealing tattoos crawling up her arm and around her neck.  Jarrod looked at Jennet with raised eyebrows and found her gaping.  

"Hello, my name is Amber.  She fought back a couple of sobs and grabbing a fistful of Kleenexes from a box on the front pew.  She wiped her eyes then blew her nose loudly into the mic.  Her heavy eye makeup made her looked like a racoon as it smeared.  Taking a deep breath, she began.  "I can't believe he's gone.  He was the kindest, most generous man I've ever met.  He asked me out once, and we went to the Cellar."

There was an audible gasp through the sanctuary.  The Cellar was known as a rowdy bar.  

She went on, "Boy could he dance!"  

Jennet looked around at all of the other shocked people in the congregation.  Jarrod leaned over and whispered, "The Cellar?  I usually get called there at least twice a week to break up a fight." 

"This is unbelievable," Jennet muttered under her breath.  She glanced over at the pastor who looked whiter than a corpse, well not Mr. Holland's corpse because it was a closed casket.

Amber went on.  "He slammed so many beers down that I had to take away his keys.  I told him I would drive him home, but boy-howdy was it ever hard to get that man up the steps and onto his couch."

The murmurings grew louder from pew to pew.

"We had so much fun, I was hoping he'd ask me out again, but wouldn't you know it, he dropped deader than a doorknob."  She smashed her wad of Kleenex to her nose before continuing with tears obviously clogging her throat."

Jennet happened to tear her eyes away from the front to look down at Jarrod who was bent over shaking.  Hopefully, if anyone saw him they might think he was overcome by grief, but she had a suspicion that he was laughing.

Suddenly he sat up and bent to whisper in her ear, making them tickle.  "She thinks it is Jake Holland, I'll bet you anything, not Jacob Holland."

With that he started laughing again and tried to cover it up with a cough but soon ran out the glass doors where she could see him through the glass doors as he was bent over with his hands on his knees then standing up to wipe tears of mirth off his face.  The doors were closed, but she could still faintly hear him.  Then her eyes were drawn back up to the melodrama up front.

Amber let out one more loud sob and sat down.  She saw the pastor rise to take over the mic, but he sank back down because Amber's girlfriend Coral had already grabbed the mic glancing morosely over at the poor deceased man's coffin.  She breathed deeply through her nose before saying, "I never got to date him, but I was always hoping he'd ask me out.  He was so handsome.  I knew he worked out at the gym because he had quite the six pack on him.  I was always glad when he sat at one of my tables when I was waitressing because he was a big tipper."

Suddenly the pastor making wild motions like cutting off his head, when Jennet realized he was motioning to the sound man to cut the mic.  It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

But Coral was on a roll and decided her voice would carry just fine without a mic.   She looked up at the ceiling with glassy eyes and continued.  "I was always glad when he sat at one of my tables when I was waitressing.  It wasn't just because he was a big tipper, but he'd always kiss me on the cheek, look me up and down and say, "Thanks, sugar.  Nice legs.'"

The Pastor leaped over the altar, grabbed the mic out of her fingers with black nail polish.  The sound man switched it back on and the preacher blurted out, "We invite everyone to head over to the fellowship hall now for a luncheon our ladies have prepared."  The poor preacher man's face was as purple as if someone had tried to strangle him with his necktie.  

At first everyone still sat so stunned that no one moved.  Then some smirked while another one here or there chuckled.  A few dared to bark a laugh.  Others were in shock.  But the Potluck ladies brigade marched down the center aisle with noses in the air, shoulders back and lips pressed into white lines.  They made a military turn at the sidewalk to go to the fellowship hall to set out the food.  

As the sanctuary slowly emptied, suddenly someone screamed while another shrieked, "You're alive!"  Jennet wiggled in between Mr. Smith and his ample wife and watched the scene as Jake Holland, no relation to Jacob Holland, swung his '80's convertible Pontiac over in front of the church as the two squealing girls climbed in talking a mile a minute.  

As soon as they drove off, it was if the church had been holding their breaths.  Soon, it swooshed out in guffaws and chortles and in offended mutterings right and left.  

Jarrod found her as he was still chuckling. "Well nothing can ever top Mr. Holland's funeral.  They will talk about it for years.  That was awesome!"

She could only elbow him a little but could not hold back her laughter.  "That was unforgettable, I'll admit.  I wonder if Mr. Holland would have enjoyed it if he, like Tom Sawyer, could have come back to see his own funeral service."

Then Jarrod put his arm back around her, kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear, "Nice legs!"  She looked wide-eyed at him and found him grinning like an ape. 

Jennet pushed him off and marched like the best of the potluck brigade and stomped off to the fellowship hall.

Once back at the farm, things settled down, though Jennet found herself chuckling from time to time just thinking about the bizarre funeral of dear Mr. Holland.   A few days later, she was pinching off extra tomato blossoms to ensure the better growth of her heritage beauties when one of her frequent customers showed up with his darling little black haired daughters.  She sighed.  She much preferred his wife over him, but there he stood in all his wife-beater tee shirt and colorful tattooed glory.  

 

"Hi Jose.  How is your wife?" she asked.  Sometimes she had to remember to tell her face to smile, like now.

"Fine, fine.  How's the most beautiful fruit picker in the county?  I like how you have your strawberry and tomato planters built up like that so that you don't have to break your back picking your produce.  I remember my mother and father bent over all day picking in the fields.  See here," he said pulling up his shirt to reveal a strawberry tattoo near his naval.  "I got this tatt to honor them."

Jennet's eyes widened and forced the smile to freeze on her face.  "That's very nice."

But before she could change the subject, Jose went on pointing out the road map of all his tattoos pulling his shirt higher.  "This one is my former girlfriend's picture.  Looks just like her."  

She found herself closing her eyes and taking a sharp intake of breath as he displayed a near naked woman on his abdomen.  

"But don't worry, I had my Rose's name inked on the other side."   By now Jose had his tee shirt almost clear off his chest but was turning to show off the ones on his back.

Jennet forced herself to open her eyes and try to make some appreciative grunt.  She was ever so glad when his little girls ran up interrupting their father's tatt show-and-tell crying, "Look Daddy!  Isn't she cute?" They beamed holding something up to his chin.

Suddenly, there was a blood curdling high pitched scream.   It was Jose.  Evidently one of his girls dropped their treasured mouse down inside his tee shirt as he was pulling it back down.  The man took off running stripping his wife beater off as he continued his girly screams through the cherry orchard.  His little darling daughters burst into tears crying, "He dropped it.  Daddy lost our new pet mouse!"  Jennet could only hug them before handing them a fistful of cherries.

Eventually an angry Jose stomped back with his shirt thrown over his shoulder, grabbed his daughters by their arms and forced them to the car.  He left in a cloud of dust leaving his basket of produce unpurchased on the counter.

"Wow does that kind of stuff happen often?" Jarrod gaped.  "When I heard the scream, I came running over only to find it was the tough guy's.  What got his tee shirt all twisted  in a knot?  I saw you admiring his tatts, by the way,"  he managed to say with a wink before breaking into loud boisterous laughter.  

"Oh you!  Here you can put his basket of produce back in the crates."  This time it was Jennet who stomped off.   But she couldn't resist adding, "Don't let any mice jump down your shirt." Soon she was laughing along with him.

The next week it was Jarrod who wanted to scream and take off running.  One long perfectly tanned leg then the other stepped out of a now dusty BMW.  He growled instead earning a curious look from Jennet.  The young woman in a rather revealing yellow sundress wobbled over to him in her high heels which sank into the gravel driveway with every step before she seemed to accidently fall right into Jarrod's chest while throwing her arms around his neck.

"Oh Jarrod!  How can you stand working in this dirty, hot place?"   Then she full on kissed him on the lips before purring, "Aren't you glad to see me sweetheart?  You're looking good, honey."

The startled  man threw her hands off and backed up glowering, "Why are you here, Mrs. Henderson?  Does my cousin know his wife is here?"

She giggled.  "Oh Jarrod, I'm not really Mrs. Henderson," she said it with a wink.  "The wedding license is still in my glove box.  I asked the minister if I could mail it in myself, but never got around to it.  So legally, I'm not really married to your cousin.  All I have to do it clean out my glove box and toss it."

Jarrod snarled, "You are really a piece of work.  I'm disgusted."

"Oh, come on Jarrod.  I'm here because I have a business proposition for you.  I've been offered a job to manage a resort in the Bahamas.  I'm sure I could get you a job working as security."  She giggled while trying to approach Jarrod again, but he backed up some more.  "Just think, we could have so much fun together down there!"  She looked around sneering. "You can kiss this dirty farm goodbye."

Jennet had walked up to greet the woman thinking she was going to be a customer but had frozen in shock.  Jarrod stepped next to her and put his arm around her waist saying, "Not in a million years.  I'm perfectly happy here with my cute little farmer.  You are wasting your time, Ginger. May God save your soul."

She shrugged though a painful look flitted in her eyes.  "I really do love you, Jarrod."

He snorted.  "You are a little late in your sentiments. I no longer can say the same.  Goodbye, Ginger.  I hope to never see you again."  He walked over and opened her car door so she would leave.

"I expected better of you, Jarrod," she huffed, slamming her door and speeding away spitting gravel.

"Wow!" Jennet exclaimed. "Unbelievable!" 

"Yeah, that was my fiance once upon a time.  I was her dad's youth pastor in his church, but she convinced me for a short while that we no longer had to wait since were engaged to be married.  But my conscience kicked in, and I quit my job at the church since I was guilty as a worst example to the youth.  I called off the engagement.  I've repented and reconnected to God, but she's been furious with me ever since.  This was just another ploy to drag me down, as if she could tempt me."

"Unbelievable," was all she could say.

"Sorry to hang all my dirty laundry out in front of you," Jarrod said with a hang-dog shamed look."

"I'm glad you changed your life, Jarrod.  You do know you gave up your ticket to go to the Bahamas." She the audacity to grin.

"If she thinks it's hot here, just wait till she gets there, too hot for me.  I'll go pick more cherries," he said with a sigh.  "By the way, have you noticed people driving up that forest service road on the edge of your property?  Do you know who they are?"

She looked over and watched the trail of dust as someone truly was driving there.  It gave her a stab of fear, but shook it off.  "The road's on my property, but I've never blocked the access before thinking it's just campers or hunters.  It goes up the hill where it joins the national forest land."

"There are drug cartels that like to set up their operations in remote places like that.  Maybe you should block the access for your safety."

"If I put a padlock on the gate, someone could just cut it off."

"Maybe you should have someone drag a log across the road.  Actually I could do that.  I'll bring my chainsaw tomorrow."

"Don't you think they'd just drive around it?"

"We could put no trespassing signs on the gate and on the log."

"We'll have to pay attention to see when they leave so we don't trap them up there.  There's another access road up past the orchard, but it's pretty rugged with deep ruts."

Jarrod looked like he wanted to say something, but only nodded and walked away.

Jennet could only think, what a bizarre day.

Later, Jarrod came back with a bushel of cherries ready to deliver to the small grocery.  "Do you care if I knock off early after I make my deliveries.  He shoved a fruit box of strawberries and one of tomatoes in the back of his pickup.

Jennet looked at him and their gazes locked.  She could see he was worried about something.  Maybe he felt sorry for his cousin married to that hussy.  "Sure, go ahead.  I appreciate all the work you've done around here.  You'll be going back to your regular work soon anyway."

When he left, it seemed too quiet.  Jennet realized how her dread of working with Jarrod had quickly turned into a comfortable partnership.  She realized with a pang how much she would miss him knowing he'd be leaving soon.  With a sigh, she went over to her planting boxes to look for weeds and snails and other pests.  It was cathartic.

She was surprised to see Jarrod come back.  "I thought you were staying in town.  Why are you here."

Jared looked nervous and rubbed the back of his neck.  Finally he looked up and stared at her.  "I need to confess something.  My boss would not let me say anything before now.  He still did not want to let me say anything, but I finally got him to realize that we can trust you, especially since it involves you." He shifted his feet before he locked gazes with her.  "Yes, I was in trouble because of my buzz driving, but your request for help was timely. I was sent here specifically to keep a lookout.  My boss wanted to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.  I am sorry if you feel like I deceived you, but I was just following orders."

He looked guilty, but she looked away no longer able to look him in the eye feeling the fool.   Yes, she felt betrayed even though it all made sense now.  It was always just a ruse where she had thought friendship had grown.   He was just using her.  It left her feeling empty inside.

 

Jarrod cleared his throat. "We know your brother has fallen into a dangerous crowd, and we are afraid he's part of this operation."

Jennet gasped.  "It is true he's into drugs and keeps calling me for money.  Lately it's been a lot of money he wants, money I don't have.  I'd already decided not to enable him anymore, but

it's hard.  He's the only family I have left."  She blinked back tears still not able to look at Jared.

Then she raised her chin and asked with narrowed eyes, "Is that why you stopped me that day on the road.  You were looking for evidence of drugs, weren't you."

Now it was Jarrod who would not meet here eyes.  "Yes because your name was linked with your brother.  Well, there's no easy way to say this, but we've been watching the traffic up your back road and have spotted an illegal growth operation with our drone.  They are contaminating the water shed in a national forest and are dangerous to whoever might stumble on them.  We will be going in as a swat team soon, but it is top secret.  They also think your brother might come here to try and get more money out of you.  I'm here to guard this road and to keep you safe.  You can't mess with these guys."  

He tried to catch her eye, but it was too much. She kept looking away towards the far road.

Jarrod swallowed and forced himself to continue.  "Another thing they are investigating is your aunt's death to see if this drug cartel was responsible.  Can you tell me what you know that day?"

Tears dripped down until she wiped them away and stiffened her back.  "All I know is that she went missing, but neighbors found her saddled horse grazing here by the barn.   I know she liked to ride the trails up in the forest.  They thought she must have fallen off and was hurt, but after a major search her body was never found.  Sadly it was assumed a large wild animal may have made off with her.  We waited a few weeks before we had her funeral."  Jennet choked up  saying, "She was the closest to the mother I ever had since I never really knew my own mom."  She took a deep breath and added, "Then the lawyer read her will and notified me that she had left this place to me." 

"I'm really sorry about your loss."  Jarrod stepped over to give her a shoulder hug.  "We'll get these bad guys out of here.  You shouldn't have to worry about them trespassing on your property."

"I truly am grateful, but it is overwhelming.   So are you suggesting that perhaps my aunt may have stumbled onto their operation and..."  Jennet couldn't finish.  "Then there's my brother's likely involvement."  She hid her face and let the tears fall.  He pulled her into a tight embrace."

"You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own.  I'm staying here to protect you.  Now when it all comes down, I want you to lock yourself in your house and stay away from windows.  Do you have a gun?"

"My aunt had a rifle and taught me to use it when I was eighteen."

"Keep it with you then."

They kept working, but she noticed Jarrod kept looking around and was on his phone often.  At dusk, she was just going in to fix them supper when a black four by four was kicking up dust at the road to her place.

"This could be trouble," Jarrod said and made the call that would set everything into motion.  You need to go in the house NOW."

"Wait, that's my brother!"

"Go NOW!  That's not a nice guy behind the wheel."

  

Jennet ignored him and walked towards the car where her brother was getting out.  She hugged him before Jarrod could tug her away. 

"Joe, what brings you out here.  I haven't seen you in ages."

"Hey, sis," Joe kept looking nervously at the driver who was still wearing sunglasses even though it was getting dark.  "I need that money that I told you on the phone.  I need it right now!"

Jennet started to back up as Jarrod started to hiss, "Get in the house!"

Her face was white when her brother called to her, "I'm desperate, sis!"

"Go!" Jarrod ordered right before gunfire broke out.  Her brother dropped while Jarrod got a shot off at the fast retreating car.  He looked surprised at the blood pouring down his arm not yet registering the pain of being shot.

Jennet ran back to her brother and knelt by him screaming, "He's not breathing!"

Jarrod walked over but kept his eyes on the surrounding area.  He knelt by Jennet and felt for  her brother's pulse.  "Sorry, sweetheart.  He's gone."  Suddenly there was distant gunfire.   Please, Jennet.  I need you to go in the house so I can do my job.  Some of the team were stationed at the bottom of your drive, but just in case he gets by them, he might try to come back here.  You scared me so much when the driver opened fire.  I was sure he was going to shoot you too.  We'll take care of your brother soon, but for now it is a crime scene."

He helped her up and hugged her tight, but not before she saw him wince.   "Jarod, you are hurt!"

"He just grazed me on my arm.  But go inside, please, Jennet, before more trouble happens.  Keep your dog with you."   Suddenly they saw the clouds of  dust as the swat team drove their vehicles up the road on the edge of her property.

Jennet was overwhelmed and gave him a squeeze before running into her house calling her dog Mag.  She looked out her window and saw Jared turn and talk into his phone.   Before she could blink, her yard was swarming with more swat vehicles.  Jarrod was pointing up past the orchards where her gravel road turned into a rough four wheel drive trail up to the forest.  Then she turned to find her aunt's rifle.  She settled into her bedroom with the rifle laid on her bed praying hard.  The poor dog whined, then laid down with her head on her paws while looking up at her sadly.  It was hard not knowing what was going on, but Jennet could pray to the One who knew all.  But her heart broke a little more every time she thought of her brother and her aunt.

Jared ran in and called for her.  She jumped up and found him in her living room.  He gave her a quick shoulder hug and kissed her on her forehead.  "I'm sorry about your brother.  I wanted to let you know that we think you are safe now.  Someone has taken your brother to the morgue.  So I'm going with the team up to the site where they need backup."

"Stay safe.  I'm praying for you."  

He gave her one more squeeze then ran out.  After the rumble of vehicles going up her road faded, the quiet settled.  It felt like a heavy blanket she wanted to toss off but couldn't.  She tried to eat a sandwich, but gave up after a couple of bites.  Night had fallen.

Images of her little brother flitted across her mind as she remembered the happier times together, times that did not include their drunken father nor their mother who had disappeared when her brother was a baby and she was four.  Jennet was more of a mother to him than their own.  A deep sigh could not dislodge the pain deep in her heart from losing him.  Once upon a time he was sweet as could be, until bad choices cost him everything.  She was left alone with no other known family making her incredibly sad.  Jennet curled up on her couch wrapped in a quilt her aunt had made. 

It was after dawn that the swat vehicles rumbled past her farm.  Jarrod jumped out of one and came to her door enveloping her in a tight hug.  Jennet felt so safe in his arms.  Then he stared at her eyes, her lips and when she did not pull away, he did what he had waited weeks to do.  He kissed her.

But he had to stop sooner than he wanted as he said, "Those were some bad dudes up there.  We think some got away, but a couple of them engaged us in gun play.  The drug enforcement people don't expect any of them to come back."

"Were you hurt?  Wait, you were already hurt!  Let me see your arm," she gasped.

He took off the rough  bandaging around his arm.  It was still bleeding a little.  "I've been ordered to go to the E.R., but  I wondered if you would come with me. Then we could go see the pastor about a private service for your brother.  I figured you wouldn't want everyone to know he was involved in the raid.  Chief agreed."

"Thank you.  Let me get my jacket."  She looked down at the rumpled clothes she had slept in.  Jennet  ran to her room then hurried into a clean blouse and pair of jeans.  Jennet quickly pulled a brush through her hair and went out to find Jarrod on the couch fast asleep.  She hated to wake him, but did not want infection to set into his wound.

"Hey, sweetheart, wake up."

Jarrod woke with wide eyes, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he jumped off the couch like it was on fire.  

"I'll drive.  You are too tired," Jennet ordered.

"You're probably right," he said yawning.

It was surprising how many patients were waiting to be see so early in the morning.  When they finally called Jarrod's name, he asked, "Are you coming with me?"

Jennet broke into a smile.   "If you want me to."

The bullet had indeed grazed his arm, but fortunately had not entered it.  The doctor cleaned and bandaged his wound.  He said, "I treated one man in the raid, but the other one of the other guys the sheriff brought in didn't make it.  Glad your wound was superficial."

She squeezed Jarrod's hand she'd been clinging to and sighed saying, "Me too."

Jarrod hopped down off the exam table and shook the doctor's hand.  "Thanks, doc.  It's been a long night."

"Take care," he said before hurrying off to see another patient.

"Let's go see if the pastor is awake."  They left holding hands.

The pastor was just coming out of his house when they arrived.  When he saw their joined hands he greeted them smiling saying, "Well, it looks like you two finally figured it out.  I'm glad to see you two turtledoves together.  How can I help you?"

Jarrod explained it to the pastor.  He responded, "We can keep it quiet and still have a special service.  I am sorry, Jennet.  I know this is a difficult time for you."

She could only nod blinking back her tears.

Then Jarrod looked at her and without taking his eyes off her said, "This probably isn't the proper time, but since we are here, and if she agrees, I wondered what your wedding schedule is like.  Jared looked into Jennet's eyes.  "Sorry this isn't more romantic, darling.  But since I won't be working alongside you anymore, I don't like you being all alone up on our ranch and would constantly worry.  Besides, I'd like to come home to you and your farm every night.  I think I got bit by the farming bug," he added grinning.  "I will wait as long as you need if you want, but I'd like to marry you as soon as you are willing."

Jennet's eyes were still full of tears, but this time they were happy tears.  "I'm willing, she grinned.  

"I think I realized I loved you at Mr. Holland's funeral, just thinking about his lonely life when he lost the love of his life.  I do love you, Jennet."

"I love you too, Jarrod and can't imagine life without you.  I never have thought much about an elaborate wedding.  I'd like to keep it simple and as soon as possible."

Jarrod laughed happily and gave her a kiss right in front of the pastor who chuckled.  "Well Pastor, how soon can you marry us?  Is a couple of weeks alright?"

The pastor pulled out his phone and checked his calendar.  "I'd like to have a couple of pre-marital counseling meetings first,  but I don't see why we can't plan for the 5th.  Do you want to be married in the church or would you want an outdoor service at your farm?"

Jarrod and Jennet looked at each other and both said at the same time, "at the farm."

The service was attended by Jarrod's parents and brother as well as his closest friends.  A few of Jennet's friends from church were there as well.  She had no family.  Jarrod's father walked her down the aisle.  It was a beautiful day in the cherry orchard.  The cherries were mostly gone, but it still was a lovely setting.

They closed down the farm for the week except for making a few deliveries in town.  Jarrod and Jennet decided to have their honeymoon on the farm, and planned on going on a trip together after apple season was over and before Christmas tree sales began.

"I sure am glad I pulled you over that day when we meet," Jarrod said.

"I never dreamed my first opinion of you could change from thinking you were the most irritating man I ever met to the most irresistible.  

"I have to confess, I was smitten when I wrote that fix it ticket seeing that cute scowl on your face.  I wanted to kiss it right off your lips right then and there."  

"Like this?" Jennet tried to scowl without laughing.  

"Yes, just like that," he chuckled before indeed kissing it right off her lips.