Page 129 of Savior
The warm smell of tomatoes and peppers, mixes with the crisp, fresh fragrance of herbs and other plants at the Farmers’ Market. A light breeze further mingles the aroma of homemade fruit pies and other assorted baked goods. It isn’t quite noon yet, but the early summer sun feels warm on my skin, as I stand waiting beneath my wide brimmed garden hat, for a plant vendor to ring me up.
I decided this morning, that those empty hooks on Dean’s front porch, could use a few pretty plants on them in the way of deep purple Petunias, mixed with vibrant Fuchsia flowers.
“Would you like help bringing these to your truck?” the young man running the plant stand asks, nodding to Dean’s Silverado parked across the lot.
“How did you know that was mine?” I ask.
“I saw you pull up in it. I can bring them over, it’s no problem.” He offers.
I glance around the immediate area for Latisha, who seems to have wandered off. I must have taken too long deciding which hanging plants to go with. The ferns were pretty stiff competition.
“Sure, thanks.” I smile back at him. We each grab four and start towards the truck.
“You’re Dean’s lady, right?” Before I can ask him how he knows that as well, he follows up with, “I was warned by the McKinney clan to be real nice to you.”
“The McKinney clan?”
“Uh-huh. You don’t remember last season? They said Dean damn near castrated old John McKinney for looking at you wrong.”
Oh… right. I remember now. “He did more than look at me wrong.”
“I don’t doubt it.” The young man says as we walk up to Dean’s truck. He places all the plants in the back bed. “He can be a mean old coot, that John McKinney.” The young guy smiles at me, his arm leaning against the edge of the truck. “Far as I’m concerned, somebody needed to put him in his place. Gotta admit, though, too. Was a funny story hearing what Dean did to him. Them bikers are a touch crazy, ain’t they?”
I can’t help but let a little smile slip as I adjust my sunglasses. “You could say that.”
“Well, you have yourself a blessed day, ma’am.” He tips his ballcap to me and hurries back to his plants.
Latisha and I find each other a little while later in front of a vendor selling garden hats.
“I’m wearing this right now!” She says excitedly, practically shoving her purse and the vibrant colored, over-sized sun hat she just purchased, into my hands.
I laugh at her unbridled glee, as she twists her dread locks into a tight bun atop her head, then reaches for me to hand her back the very fashionable, very large brimmed hat.
“How do I look?” she poses like a cover model.
“Iman and Naomi have nothing on you!”
She laughs, slipping her arm in mine. “We can both fit under this thing!” she jokes, and we continue our way towards the Keegan Family Farm’s set up.
The whole reason we actually came to the market today, was because Dean had asked me if I would pay Jessica and Veronica for the week. Normally it’s something he would do, but since he’s busy at his shop, finishing up a client’s bike today, here we are.
“Good morning, ladies.” Latisha beams a bright smile at them as we step under the sheltered farm stand.
“Good morning!” Jessica smiles over her shoulder at us as she finishes bagging up a customer’s produce purchase.
“Hello Latisha.” Veronica says. Her eyes slide to me for a moment as she flips her chestnut hair over her shoulder. “Vanna.”
I suppress a smile and glance over at Latisha. She’s fully aware of the cold attitude I usually catch from Veronica when Dean isn’t around to witness it. And although she isn’t blatantly obvious about it, since our engagement, anyway, there’s still a trace of resentment in her interactions with me.
“That’s Miss Vanna, if you’re going to be nasty.” Latisha says to her, joking, but also… not.
“Can I get you anything?” she asks, brushing off Latisha’s comment and looking at me again. “Dean isn’t here yet.”
“Oh, he won’t be.” I say, reaching for the two envelopes in my purse that he gave me this morning. “At all. He’s tied up at the shop.” I place them down on the little makeshift counter she’s standing behind and slide them towards her. “I’m here to pay you both for the week.”
Latisha chuckles, and I look back at her curiously. “You’ve got yourself a good man, Vanna.” She says, and I wonder if she’s just rubbing it in Veronica’s face for fun. “A clever man.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, genuinely curious as to what she’s getting at.
