Page 9 of Finding Basil
After that, Lila headed for the door, opening it as she said, “Did ya know you got a big hole in the porch here?”
“Yes. I’m aware.”
“Might wanna get that fixed. Someone’ll break their neck.”
The whirlwind that was the grizzled Lila Dormer was rushing down the driveway to the truck she parked on the road. He watched until she was gone, then went outside to find the pump. It was right in the corner of the fenced yard, and he got a tea pitcher full so he could take that into the kitchen and started the water for his coffee.
Laughing as he thought of his neighbor, Herb sat at the round table and stared out the window in the back door. It was nearly the length of it but needed to be cleaned. Still, the scene was beautiful, and that was why he’d moved to the country. Beauty.
In that fast and pushy exchange, Herb had learned the couple who owned the house had died, and their grandson had inherited it. He must have lived there long enough to spark the ire of the neighbor.
He didn’t know much about the place, come to find out, so he made a mental note to ask Cordelia a little more about it. If the grandson of a farmer couldn’t make a go of the place…
Discouraged, he took his coffee once it was made outside and stood on the back deck, staring out at the countryside. Knowing the fog that was dissipating covered the trees in the distance and wondered how soon they would take over the fields if he let them. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Herb’s Herbs never came to fruition.
It wasn’t a minute after seven that same morning that another knock came to his front door. He laughed to himself as he headed to it. “These people don’t believe in sleeping in.”
When he opened the door, he actually felt his jaw drop. On his front porch, smiling at him with the sweetest smile Herb believed he’d ever seen, was a beautiful man that made him literally speechless.
“Hi. Mrs. Dormer sent me to help you out, that is, if you’re the owner?”
Herb didn’t think he could make words. The man was so beautiful. Dark eyes and hair that waved gently around an oval face that was flawless and perfectly sculpted. A little bump on the bridge of his otherwise perfectly straight nose, a few freckles that were so light, he doubted if most noticed them.
Long dark eyelashes lay over his cheeks as he waited to be addressed, so Herb stumbled over his own tongue to accommodate him. “H-hi, yeah, um…Mrs. Dormer?” He was confused for a second, then it came to him. “Oh! Oh, that lady! My neighbor!”
“Yes, she’s the one. She called me and said a guy just bought this place and needed some help getting it working. I know it’s early, but she insisted I get right over here and help you. So, here I am.”
The goofy smile that he wore couldn’t be helped as he said, “I’ll have to call her and thank her.” He stepped aside and said, “please come in. Would you like some coffee?”
“That would be great, thanks.”
Herb turned to head to the kitchen, then he turned back clumsily, almost tripping on his own feet. “Who…who are you?”
“Oh. My name is Basil. Basil Jimenez.”
Herb’s smile faded as he thought he was being teased. “No, really, what’s your real name?”
As the lightly muscled arm reached back, Basil pulled out his wallet and showed Herb his license. Sure enough, his name was Basil Jimenez. “Wow, this is…a very weird coincidence.”
“Why is that?”
“Didn’t she tell you my name?”
Basil shrugged and blushed a little, the pink on his cheeks endearing. “She, uh, forgot it. Said it was…these are her words, stupid as all get-out.”
He proffered a hand and said, “Well, Basil, my name is Herb.”
Basil laughed, and it was melodic and sweet sounding. “No. Really?”
As they shook hands slowly, Herb said, “Really.”
As Herb turned back around to lead Basil to the kitchen for coffee, Basil asked, “Did you know there was a big hole in your porch?”
He stopped and let his head drop. “Yes. I’m aware.”
Chapter Three
Coffeeatthemetaltable with the half-torn laminate that was supposed to look like white marble was wonderful. He watched the man as if he was going to paint him, and Herb couldn’t draw a bit.
