Page 39 of Always, Plus One

Doris looked back over her shoulder. “Also, who the heck is working your dad’s old garden? It used to look likeThe Secret Gardenback there, and now…”

Ariel frowned. Emily had most likely been the one in the back garden these past few days. And that was one last thread to tie up—the mystery of what Emily had come to Endless Harbor to present Miles with.

Ariel looked over her shoulder back into the kitchen, where Katie was helping herself to a yogurt parfait that had more toppings than yogurt, and Darcy was pulling more treats from the pantry for her than Ariel had laid out for the guests. The sight warmed her heart.

But she had to leave them—just to wrap up this last, loose thread.

“Hold down the fort,” she said to the pair now tossing chocolate chips into the air and trying to catch them in their mouths.

“Where you going now?” Katie asked, chewing on a caught chocolate.

“The garden,” Ariel said simply. “To give peas a chance.”

Katie groaned. “Oh my gourd. You are such a dork.”

With a wave, Ariel was on her way to find out just why Miles’s ex-wife was here.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

When she reached her father’s old garden, Ariel couldn’t believe her eyes. She stood at the edge, admiring the lush greenery that surrounded her. The garden was usually green, but not this orderly, and Ariel stared down one of the now clear rows as the sun beat down on her skin, warming her as she took in the sights and sounds of the space. Rows upon rows of vegetables stretched out before her, organized neatly in long, straight lines. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, and peppers dotted the tilled lines, each plant standing tall and proud.

As she walked further into the garden, Ariel's eyes were drawn to the delicate flowers that bloomed between the vegetables. Pink and purple cosmos swayed gently in the breeze, their petals soft and velvety to the touch. Bright yellow sunflowers towered above her, their faces turned towards the sun, basking in its warm rays.

The air was alive with the sound of buzzing bees and chirping birds. Ariel could see the bees flitting from flower to flower, collecting nectar and spreading pollen. The birds, perched on the branches of nearby trees, sang sweet melodies that filled the air with their joyous tunes.

As she made her way deeper into the garden, Ariel's nose was filled with the sweet fragrance of ripening fruits. Plump, juicy strawberries peeked out from their vines, ready to be plucked and eaten. Bushels of blueberries hung heavy on their branches, their deep blue color contrasting beautifully with the green leaves that surrounded them.

Further down the path, Ariel came across rows of apple trees that had been previously smothered by overgrowth, their branches sagging under the weight of fruit. She reached up and plucked a ripe apple from a low-hanging branch, sinking her teeth into its crisp, juicy flesh. It was hot from the sun, and delicious.

As she continued through the garden, Ariel couldn't help but marvel at the intricate system that kept it all running. Drip irrigation lines snaked between the rows of vegetables, delivering water directly to the roots of each plant. Compost bins sat at the edge of the garden, full of cuttings and branches that she supposed had come from all the overgrowth that had stymied it—and it would break down into soil that would be used to nourish the next generation of plants.

Ariel made her way back to the edge of the garden. As she looked out at the beauty before her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the hard work and dedication that went into creating this magical place. The garden, so long neglected, was a testament to the power of nature, and the incredible human ability to cultivate and care for it.

And—Ariel knew—Emily had done all of this.

Ariel found her at the garden shed, following the metallic clanking noises that were much smaller and less obtrusive than the ones that Stanton had been polluting Leeside with over the past weeks.

“Hey,” she said to Emily’s back. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Emily turned, waving with a garden-gloved hand at Ariel. “Hi! Of course, one sec. I was just looking for a drip emitter for the tomato bed. I know I had one in here somewhere.”

Emily rummaged, but gave up quickly.

“No luck?” Ariel asked.

“I’ll look later,” Emily said, pulling off her gloves. She walked out under a nearby tree and sat in the grass. Ariel did the same, both sitting cross-legged on the carpet of green.

“I guess you saw the garden,” Emily said.

“I did,” Ariel replied. “And I don’t know how to thank you. It’s beautiful. And everything is growing! I didn’t know anything could survive the tangle it was in, let alone produce anything edible.”

Emily smiled, shrugged, and looked over at Ariel. “Is Miles here?” There was something haunted in the woman’s eyes, and Ariel wasn’t sure if Emily wanted Miles to be here, or if she would be relieved that he wasn’t.

Ariel shook her head. “I came to talk to you about him, though.”

The other woman stared out into the garden. “You want to know why I’m here. You want to know if I came to Endless Harbor to steal your boyfriend.”

Ariel laughed lightly, leaning back against the tree trunk. “Something like that. And, trust me, the way this summer is going, I wouldn’t be surprised if your reasoning for being here is something similar to what’s happening with my sixteen-year-old. I feel like the drama has been at an all-time high around this place for weeks.”

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