Page 25 of 15 Summers Later

And love. Especially love.

Leona had offered them the sweetest gift of all, her unconditional love and support. That alone had done more to help them begin to heal than anything physical therapy or counseling ever could.

Ava knew she could never repay her grandmother. Spending a Saturday morning at the local farmers market couldn’t even begin to reconcile the ledger.

“I don’t mind,” she said again as she carried the final bucket of bundled flowers toward her grandmother’s stall at the farmers market, covered with a large flowered patio umbrella. “You might have to help me figure out what I’m doing, though.”

“Nothing to it. You only have to stay there until everything is gone, which usually won’t take longer than two or three hours. Then we pack up the table and our umbrella and go.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

What her grandmother did not mention were all the people Ava would have to talk with. High school friends. Neighbors. Church acquaintances.

With any luck, the farmers market would mostly be frequented by tourists staying in town to enjoy the mountain setting, the hiking and biking trails, and the many recreational opportunities from the actual Emerald Creek the town was named for and the mighty rivers that curved their way through the landscape outside town.

If not, she would simply smile and be polite and try to deflect any questions or comments about her book.

“Sometimes your sister helps me out at the market, but she was busy today. Something to do with helping Luke this morning with some sheep.”

At least Ava wouldn’t have to deal with another Madi confrontation.

Her sister was so angry with her. Ava had no idea how to defend herself, or if she should even attempt it.

“We should have ordered some copies of your book for you to sign,” Leona grinned at her, her lipstick bright and her silver hair with its blue highlights gleaming in the sunlight. “We would have had a line all around the park! Maybe we can do that another week this summer.”

Right. That was never happening. Ava shuddered at the very idea.

“I don’t know if that would be fair to Meadowside Book Nook. I saw they had a big display.”

“We can order them through the store so they get a cut. I’m all about saving our local independent bookstore. Ingrid Jenson has worked so hard to make that place a success.”

Ava had gone to high school with Ingrid. Right afterGhost Lakecame out, the other woman had reached out to Ava through their graduating-class Facebook group, begging her to come to town and do a signing. Ava had refused politely, explaining she didn’t get back to town often.

This had all been before her impulsive decision this week to escape to her grandmother’s house.

“I’ll try to stop in and sign some of her inventory,” she said now to her grandmother.

“You should! What a great idea, though, of doing a signing at the market. It’s called the Emerald Thumbs Farmers Market, but why not celebrate our local authors? Planting seeds through words is as important to the mind and the heart as growing vegetables can be to the body.”

Ava couldn’t disagree. That still didn’t mean she was in a big rush to do a book signing while she was in town. Signing inventory was one thing, where she could do it on her own time and didn’t have to interact with readers. A formal book signing was something completely different.

“Oh, I am loving this idea. Meet the author at the farmers market. I’ll talk to Joe Hernandez. He runs the market.”

Joe was another friend from high school, a year ahead of her in school. Ava had always had a bit of a crush on him, with his dark eyes and high cheekbones.

That girl who used to blush every time she saw him in the hallways of their high school seemed another person, so very far away.

“How long have you had a table at the farmers market?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

“I started last summer. My flowers are so gorgeous, I love the chance to share them with the community. And then I have always grown far too much produce than I could use. I’ve been giving it to the food bank but even they couldn’t use it all. I had the idea of selling the leftovers to help your sister. So now any of my friends who have extra produce donate theirs, and I have other friends who always make baked goods to sell every week. It’s one small way we can help Madi with her efforts to run the no-kill shelter.”

Ava greatly admired her sister’s efforts to save animals—and her grandmother’s efforts to helpMadi.

“What a good idea. Like a PTA bake sale except for animals.”

Leona chuckled. “Exactly. Except we’re all in our seventies and haven’t had to go to a boring PTA meeting in years. I’m not sure the PTA would have us now. The Esmeraldas are considered the town troublemakers. We picketed the grocery store last fall because they stopped selling organic, locally sourced beef and chicken. Too expensive, they said.”

“Did your protest make a difference?”

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