Page 22 of Spring Showers

And there it was, the bad news. The first evening’s event was rained out. Soft murmurs livened the room.

She continued. “You can’t have a fire in the rain.” She paused as though waiting for a laugh. When none came, she swallowed and tucked a curly strand behind her ear. “I’ve placed a basket beside the front door with ponchos and umbrellas. These items are supplied for your use during your stay, and I only ask that you return them, or leave them in your cabin when it’s time to say goodbye.”

“Is it gonna rain all week?” a young lady asked in a melodic southern accent.

“I’m sorry, the weather here is a little unpredictable, so I can’t say for sure, but it looks like it will be fine. Just your typical late spring showers. In the meantime, as this is your first evening here, I suggest rest and hydration. We’ll see you bright and early in here for breakfast. At nine-thirty, I will meet you in the gazebo for yoga.”

CHAPTER11

The rain squall had been short, and other than canceling the bonfire, it hadn’t caused more glitches in Thandie’s schedule. In the morning, clear skies and bright sun energized her for the day’s activities, which she got straight to work on setting up. She was glad to have a bicycle handy for getting herself around the property. It was, however, not so useful when it came to transporting equipment from the barn to anywhere else. By her third trip back and forth to the gazebo, with yoga mats balanced on her knees and slung over her shoulders, Thandie knew she needed another way.

She parked the bike and walked around the back side of the barn, where she recalled seeing an old woodshed. Its three walls held up a slanted roof ideal for rain or snow to fall from. Under the roof, she found scrap metal, chunks of planks and wood, orange wiring that went to nowhere, and buckets, lots of empty buckets. “What a junkyard!” she said.

“Excuse me,” a man called out. His voice was scruffy and worn from his many years.

Thandie whirled around and put a hand over her racing heart. “You gave me a fright. I didn’t see you there,” she said.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The man held out his hand. “I’m Pa.”

She shook the old man’s dirt-covered hand, while in her mind she added to her running tally of how many times she had been covered with mud or dirt so far this week. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “Leo and America told me about you. They said you’re a man of many talents and that you could get me anything I need.”

“Is that so?” Pa said as he wiped the mud from his hands after having shaken and dirtied hers. “I’ll have to have a talk with them two. But since you’re here, do you need any help?”

“No, that’s alright. But I appreciate the offer. I’m just looking for something I can use to help get all the supplies over to the gazebo.”

“I can rig something up for you really quick, if you’d like.” Pa offered his assistance again.

Thandie knew she was perfectly capable of solving this particular problem on her own. Not only was she determined to show the owners that she could handle her job, but she also had something to prove to herself too. She didn’t need a man to do for her what she could do alone.

“Am I free to use any of this stuff?” she asked.

Pa stepped back, having gotten wind of her independence. He smiled. “It’s all yours. There’s a cart over there, and all the tools and screws or bolts you might need are against that wall there. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.”

From his coaxing tone, he probably knew that she wouldn’t ask. She didn’t know him well enough to show any sign of weakness or helplessness. So she settled on a quick thank-you and began rummaging through the piles of junk.

Beneath bundles of sticks, she found a soft-sided red cart with four fat tires that looked ideal for avoiding getting stuck in the muddy ground around the gazebo.

With the cart’s scraps unloaded, she walked back up front to where her bike was parked next to a pile of yoga mats and water bottles. Using some faded blue cordage that she picked from the junk heap, she lashed the long cart handle to the back mudguard. With the buggy now in tow, she loaded the items that were staged outside and, with plenty of extra space in the cart, went back inside the barn for the rest of the gear that she needed.

On her way through the lounge, she greeted Brent and Daisy, and Buzz and his daughter. They were enjoying a friendly conversation from their spots on the champagne velvet couches near the stone fireplace. The room had a stunning yet cozy feel. The fireplace bisected two sections of floor-to-ceiling windows with nothing but green trees visible through the glass on either side. She didn’t want to interrupt, and made her way to the loft.

Upstairs in the office, Leo sat behind his desk and sat up straight when she entered. The old landline phone, with its curly cord, was pressed against his ear. He put a finger over his lips, telling her to be quiet.

She tiptoed to the bin labeled Yoga/Pilates and took the whole bin in hand. Tiptoeing back across the loft, Leo held up his hand for her to wait. As he finished wrapping up the conversation, she checked her watch. Forty-five minutes until the guests would begin arriving at the gazebo for the day’s first activity.

“I look forward to seeing you later this week. Goodbye now,” Leo said and hung up the phone. A smile pulled at one cheek. “That was good news. The investor wants to come here himself. I don’t know if that means he doesn’t trust his spy, or what. He said he’s going to be in the city, and since he’ll be within a couple hours of here, he wants to check it out.”

“That’s good news, I suppose. But what if this whole thing is a disaster?”

“Isthis whole thing going to be a disaster, Thandie?” Leo said.

She shook her head, though inside, she was totally unsure.

“That’s what I expected you to say. Is everything set for today?” he asked and scribbled some things on a yellow legal pad.

“I’m in a good rhythm today. Yoga is coming up in a little bit and”—she lifted the bin in front of her chest—“it’s hard to carry all this stuff on a bike, so I rigged an old cart to the rear of mine. I hope that’s alright.”

He nodded while writing on his notepad.

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