Page 23 of Wishes on Wildflowers
Kass sighed and fastened the helmet under her chin. “Fine. You know I’ve been dying to learn more about wild foods. Not that I can really incorporate them into the batch cooking classes or even meals at the bistro. It would just take too long to get enough of anything, right? And I have so little free time.”
Jasmine swung her leg over the Sportster’s seat and thumbed for Kass to climb on behind her. “Doing that would require a whole different level of dedication to local food, yes.” She jumped her foot down on the starter, and the engine roared to life. She felt Kass’s arms wrapped around her waistas she twisted the throttle, and they shot out of the bistro parking lot and onto West Main. Jasmine navigated out to West Riverside then down along the Spokane River, keeping her eyes peeled for the damp, partially shady spots she knew wild asparagus grew.
The wind rushed past her face, making her wish she could strip off her helmet and toss her long hair into the wind, but she valued her noggin. Besides, the strands would whip Kass’s face something awful. A few minutes later she spied the first of the tall thorny bushes that marked a wild asparagus stand. She slowed the bike and veered to the side of the road before turning it off then pointed across the drainage ditch before tugging her helmet off. “Right over there. See the bush?”
Kass swung off the motorbike and unsnapped her helmet. She shaded her eyes and stared into the distance as she shook her head. “What am I looking for?”
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Jasmine made her way across the weedy ditch, jumping the flowing water. She clambered up the bank on the other side and pointed her pocketknife toward a sparse bush taller than herself. “Asparagus.”
Kass frowned. “That doesn’t look like any asparagus I’ve ever seen.”
Jasmine chuckled as she knelt at the base. She pushed aside some dead twigs until she found a stalk eight or nine inches tall. “Oh, here we go.” She flicked her blade open and sliced the protrusion just above the ground level then held it up for Kass to see.
Kass’s eyes lit up. “That’s amazing. I had no idea, honestly.”
Jasmine grinned. “And we’ve been friends for how long?”
Kass waved a hand. “I know, I know. Remember what I said about being busy all the time?” She looked around the peaceful spot. The Spokane River thundered in the distance, out of sight. On the road behind them, a few vehicles whizzed past while the spring sunshine warmed Jasmine to the core. This. This was what she needed to ground herself after getting so furious about Nathan last night.
She pointed a few feet away. “See over there? You go find some spears.”
Kass hurried over and dropped to her knees in front of the bush. “Look! There are several. I just can’t believe this. How come you don’t teach classes in foraging?”
Jasmine shrugged, not that her friend could see it. “Maybe because I don’t like people that well. Maybe because I don’t want to share my favorite spots with people who won’t respect them. I don’t know, but I’m not at all interested in teaching.”
Kass sat back on her heels and looked over at Jasmine. “You’ve been to Green Acres Farm in northern Idaho, haven’t you?” At Jasmine’s nod, she went on. “I’m sure they would love to have you come for some workshops like this. Possibly once for every season.”
Jasmine shook her head. “I don’t think so. I was there in February for a workshop on making essential oils. I think Liz Waterman already knows a fair bit about foraging. At least, she identified many plants useful for medicinal oils in the slideshow she used for the presentation.”
A shadow fell over Kass’s eyes. “Oh. I don’t know Liz that well.”
“Didn’t you go to high school there in Galena Landing? Wouldn’t you and Liz have been in about the same grade? She was Liz Nemesek then.”
Kass pursed her lips. “She was a few years older than me and, like I say, I didn’t really know her well back then.” She heaved a deep sigh. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but she married the guy I’d been dating just before I moved back to Spokane.”
Jasmine schooled her expression to show nothing. “Mason Waterman? Him with the twins?”
Kass nodded and swept a few dry leaves away with her hands. “Avery and Christopher were in my Sunday school class. They are adorable children, and I know Liz is a good stepmom to them.”
Well. Jasmine knelt beside her friend and handed over the pocketknife so Kass could cut the asparagus. Funny how she’d never known this tidbit before.
Kass dropped a few cut spears into the bag Jasmine held out and glanced up at her. “Enough about that. It’s water way under the bridge. Wasn’t Eden and Jacob’s wedding lovely yesterday?”
“It was.” She wasn’t about to tell Kass how Nathan had invited her to dance, and why she left early. “Was Jacob’s groomsman from Portland fun to be with?”
Kass shrugged. “Devon was all right. He couldn’t stop talking about the amazing girl he just asked to marry him back home, so don’t go thinking any sparks were flying. They weren’t.”
“So, what do you think is wrong with you and me?” Jasmine chomped on the inside of her cheeks. Why on earth had she said that?
Kass shook her head and let out a small laugh. “All I can say is, some day my prince will come. At least if it’s meant to be. After I left Galena Landing with Mason engaged to Liz, I spent a lot of time in prayer pleading with God to grant memy heart’s desire — the love of a good man who loves Jesus even more than he loves me.” Her eyes drilled into Jasmine’s. “So I’m trying to be patient. In the meantime, God has given me a great job where I can interact with a lot of people. I can make a difference in their lives by selling them good food that nourishes them. I can teach folks how to prepare a month’s worth of meals at a time so they don’t have to scramble every night wondering what’s for dinner. I have a good life, Jasmine. If this is what God has for me for the rest of my days, I’m trying to be thankful. Because, honestly, it’s pretty amazing.”
Funny thing was, a couple of months ago Jasmine would have said a ferventamento Kass’s words. But after her cousin Rob’s wedding and now Eden and Jacob’s, she wasn’t so sure. Okay, fine. Add in Nathan Hamelin’s return to Bridgeview. Was that all it had taken to make her yearn for a life that didn’t look like it was anywhere in front of her?
10
Jasmine letherself into Eden’s backyard through the tall gate.
“Maaa.”
