Page 3 of Spring Showers

“Quite right. I trust you know what you’re doing, which is exactly why I’m sending you there. You’ll be a guest for the whole first week. With that in mind, I’m certain there will be some kinks for them to work out.”

“Just so I know what to pack, what is the theme for this week?” Grant asked and hoped it wasn’t one of those kumbaya things about getting in touch with one’s feelings and such.

“It’s a wellness retreat. They’ve sent a preference sheet for you to fill out, but I’m sure you’ll get a belly-full of granola and green smoothies,” Davis said without humor. “I need you to pay special attention to the staff, and I expect a thorough report by the end of the week.”

If there was one thing Grant was confident about, it was meeting a deadline. It was one way that his impatience was actually a benefit to him. Better still was his ability to sniff out the good from the bad. That’s why he supposed his reputation had landed him the job in the first place. People wanted the best of the best when it came to spending potentially a million dollars or more, which begged the question...

“One more thing that wasn’t included in the package. What is your proposed exposure with this venture?”

Davis seemed not to hear him at first. His face was buried in his phone again, and he refreshed the page he was on several times.

Grant cleared his throat just a little.

“Sorry, I’m so distracted. I’ve been trying to reach my...Well, a woman I was awful to. She’s either screening my texts and calls or she’s somewhere with no reception. Like, where in this country do cellphones not work?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing?—”

“Have you ever left someone at the altar, Grant?”

He shook his head and understood immediately why the woman may be screening her calls.

“I’m trying to make it up to her, if that’s even possible.” Davis flipped his phone face down on the desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’m willing to invest a quarter if you believe it’s viable. And double it if you think it’s a slam-run.”

“Grand slam? Home run?” Grant corrected, but Davis only squinted at him with confusion pinching his face. The quarter Davis referred to was $250,000, with an asterisk to double the investment to half a million upon Grant’s positive assessment. The pressure was high for him to give an honest and thorough evaluation. “I understand what you’re looking for and I’ll have my report to you by week’s end. Anything else?”

“My assistant has all your travel information.” Davis pointed out into the hallway. “Have a nice trip.”

CHAPTER3

Pulling in beside a bright red pickup truck, the only other vehicle parked in front of the barn, Thandie got out of her car and checked herself in the driver’s side window. She smoothed her frizzy ends into a fresh ponytail and shoved it all into her baseball cap. “That’ll have to do,” she said out loud with a nod to her reflection.

The huge barn loomed beside her. At the front, she was greeted by a wide glass and steel door that mimicked the lines of a common barn door. Raised cedar planters framed the door and overflowed with orange and yellow marigolds. The blackened wood siding gave off a sweet and smoky scent that reminded her of growing up on the farm.

As she reached for the long brass door handle, a man appeared through the other side of the glass with a friendly smile. She stepped back, and he swung the heavy door open for her. He was taller than he first appeared to be, and she found herself looking up at him when he spoke.

“You must be Thandeka Nkosi?” he said and shook her hand. “I’ve been expecting you. Was the drive in easy enough?”

“It was sticky,” she said and pointed at the strawberry bits splattered across the hood and grill of her car. “I had a run-in with some escaped produce.”

“Sounds eventful. Hopefully the rest of the week won’t be so messy,” the man said as they walked inside.

“Let’s hope,” she said and laughed nervously. “You can call me Thandie. And you must be Mr. Thorpe.”

“Everyone calls me Leo, if that’s alright with you.” He showed her in past the service desk. “This is our meeting house.” Leo swept his hand through the air quickly, but her eyes fixed on the massive chandelier hanging from the rafters twenty feet above them. “Meals are all served in here and snacks are provided throughout the day. That over there is the kitchen space.” Leo pointed to a section of wall with a brass sign that readCucina. Kitchen, in Italian.

Thandie nodded politely but she was unsure why she was being led on a tour instead of filling out employment paperwork or interviewing with the management team. Unsure of what else to do, she followed him towards the rear of the barn and listened.

“This area over here is our wellness and fitness center. There’s a storage closet with all kinds of equipment. Most of the stuff can be used inside or outdoors if the weather cooperates. You’ll have access to the entire grounds, and if there’s anything you need, just let me or America know.” Leo snapped his fingers and looked back at the front door. “She should be here by now.”

Thandie turned and looked at whatever he was searching the space for. “Who?”

“Oh. America, my fiancée. If it weren’t for her, I don’t know if I would have been able to get this place going. Anyway, I came in early today to get some things sorted out and she was supposed to meet us here around lunchtime.”

“You have a fiancée?” Thandie said. Just saying the word caused a shiver to vibrate down her spine, but she couldn’t just let the question linger. “Congratulations. When’s the big day? Sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

“Don’t apologize. You’ll find out pretty quick that when you live in a small town, everyone knows your business.”

Thandie knew all about that. Her hometown in Iowa was too small for just that reason. At least she believed that the town was too small following the wedding incident. It took about three and a half minutes for everyone in town to know what happened the night before her wedding. Despite the gossip mills, living in a small place wasn’t all bad. There was always someone ready and willing to offer a helping hand, a cup of sugar, or some sage advice.

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