Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 (16 page)

“
Do you really think anyone would be interested in seeing something like this?
”

“
If you had regular tours, I
’
d find the ones most appropriate for my older daycare kids
,
and I
’
d bring them out one summer day.
You could have hayrides and picnics…
”
The dreamy tones to Becca
’
s voice told Willow that her guest was romanticizing her life.

“
How would I show the work involved though?
Making soap is fun
—
candles too.
But this is all work.
Sun
up until sundown from around February, thanks to the greenhouse, through October at the least.
It
’
s hard work.
How do you take away the romantic idea that it
’
s just playing Laura Ingalls three hundred sixty-five days a year?
”

Concentrating on Willow
’
s words, Becca shrugged.
“
I
’
m not sure.
I mean, it
’
d be a lot of work giving those kinds of tours
,
and if you don
’
t have time to spare, it probably wouldn
’
t work
.”

“
I
’
ll talk to Chad.
He
’
s always saying that children should all have my childhood.
I disagree.
I think that if everyone had the same kind of childhood, the world would be a very uninteresting place.
But, maybe he has a point about everyone experiencing a taste of it
,
just as I
’
d like my children to taste the occasional day in the city going to museums or the zoo
.”

Becca held up another finished soap sleeve and smiled.
“
I like them.
Why is it called Walden Farm instead of Finley or Tesdall?
”

“
Chad named it for Mother.
She loved Thoreau
’
s
‘
live life deliberately
’
and
‘
sucking the marrow out of life
,
’
and that
’
s what this farm was about
—
enjoying every moment of every day to its fullest.
So
he thought we should name it.
I think Bill is working on changing our holdings over to some kind of corporation with that name
too
.”

The living room clock struck four-thirty.
Becca
’
s eyes widened in surprise
,
and she quickly began clearing her paper mess.
“
I have to go.
Gram is going to be wondering where I am
,
and what I
’
m doing.
Adric gets home in a little while
.”

“
How is it going?
Are you hoping to keep seeing him next month too?
”

“
I think I will.
He
’
s being very
—
oh, I don
’
t know the word.
Attentive perhaps.
He
’
s good to me
;
he
’
s a little affectionate,
and from the way Lily was talking, he hasn
’
t done that yet.
Sometimes I think I see something in his eyes that tells me he
’
s even more attached than he says, but I don
’
t know.
I
’
m just so happy that it looks like there
’
s a chance, you know?
”

“
Well,
”
Willow teased,
“
Don
’
t keep the man waiting too long.
There
’
s another gal from next month just waiting to step into your shoes
.”

“
Don
’
t I know it,
”
Becca agreed ruefully.
“
It makes me sick to think about it
,
but if I
’
m who the Lord wants for him, I guess I need to have a little more faith
.”

Willow pounded beef while Becca stirred the sauce on the stove.
“
Now when those flavors taste right, let me know
.”

“
What is the purpose of the beef again?
”
Becca had never heard of
“
pizza
”
like this.

“
Well, the first pizza Chad bought me was mostly bread with a little sauce and a lot of cheese.
Almost no meat
—nothing
to stick to your ribs until the next meal
.
S
o I put a thin slice of beef over the bread before I
add
the sauce
.”

“
Have you thought about Italian sausage instead of beef?
”

Shaking a bottle of olive oil, Willow shrugged.
“
I
’
ve never had Italian sausage
,
but Chad bought me this olive oil.
He says it
’
ll taste better on the bread than the butter
.”

Chad entered the kitchen with a basket of greens and a few well
-
ripened tomatoes.
“
I didn
’
t remember if you wanted the green onions or not
.”

“
Yes.
But if you didn
’
t get them, don
’
t worry about it.
It
’
ll be fine without them
.”

He held up a bunch triumphantly.
“
Score!
I remembered it all then
.”

“
I can
’
t believe you guys have ripe tomatoes from a
garden
!
”

“
Greenhouse,
”
Willow corrected.
“
Now that I have the greenhouse, I can have ripe tomatoes all year
.”

Beef pounded, Willow scrubbed her hands and then began washing the lettuce.
She paused, examining it closely.
“
Is this lettuce from the garden?
”

“
Well, it looked ready, why?
”

“
Loopers.
I
’
ve got to get out there and soap them before we get eggs.
I
’
ll do that before dinner
.”
Willow quit rinsing the greens and immediately left for the barn.

“
Loopers.
What are they?
”

Chad shrugged and started washing the leaves looking for whatever had bothered Willow.
“
Becca, your guess is as good as mine.
Apparently it
’
s something we don
’
t want in the garden though
.”

Willow arrived with a large spray bottle and filled it as Chad washed.
Then she dropped a large squirt of dish soap in the container and shook it vigorously.
“
Don
’
t let me forget Chad
.”

“
Why not do it now?
”

“
Best to do first thing in the morning or late afternoon.
That
’
s when the obnoxious critters are out
.”

Becca and Chad exchanged confused and amused glances.
Willow
took the scrubbed greens and tore them, filling
a large wooden salad bowl with them.
Deftly, she chopped tomatoes, onions, radishes, and cucumbers.
Before she could ask Chad for the croutons she
’
d made at breakfast, a car crunched in the driveway.

“
I think Josh is here.
Why don
’
t you go get him?
”
Willow waved
Chad
out the door and pointed to a bowl on the top of the stove.
“
Becca, can I have that bowl please?
”