Six Weeks Later – Thursday
As I came around the now familiar bend and the neon sign in Joe and Aubrey’s window came into view, I felt a sense of calm washing over me. I was driving Virgil’s black truck; he insisted.
“I don’t feel very confident in that Bug of yours,” he said. “I can rebuild the engine, but until it’s done, please take my truck. I hate the idea of you stuck on the side of the road somewhere. I can use the tow truck to get around while you’re gone.”
We spoke on the phone every night of my week-long excursion, but despite the comforting, reassuring low rumble of his voice, I was glad to be back in LaCera. Glad to be home.
After a two week vacation -most of which was spent helping Virgil paint and watching him work with his shirt off, filling nail holes and putting together office furniture for me in the smaller of the four bedrooms in the house- I returned to The Globe.
After my vacation was used up, I went back to New Oxford for a week, working from the office, and packing up my few belongings.
One afternoon, Mel came up to my desk, a wide smile on his face.
“That idea you had for a coffee table book,” he said. “I have news.”
“What about it?”
“We’re going to rush production on one, your pictures and some of the staff’s favorite stories about LaCera from the ones people sent in. Do you have a favorite story you want to include?”
“Can I add a few?”
“Absolutely, but I need them by the end of the week.”
“No problem, I’ll email them over to you before then.”
“Do you have an idea for a title?”
“Not really… well… maybe. I’m ruminating on something.”
“Okay, I’ll be on the lookout for your email.” He stopped before walking away. “It’s not my business what you got up to in LaCera; I can only assume it’s pretty special based on your recent requests, and I just want to say, if that’s it… I’m happy for you. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile like that.”
“Thanks Mel… It is pretty special,” I agreed. “Fast… but special.”
“When I met Rita… I knew. The second I laid eyes on her, I thought ‘That’s my wife.’ and we had a very happy life together,” Mel said. His eyes were a little glassy. “I wanted to write about LaCera myself, you know, but I couldn’t bring myself to go back without her.”
“Oh, Mel,” I said, feeling my face soften. “I thought that might have been it, when I saw your research. I’m so sorry.”
‘Don’t be,” he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. “I would do it all again in a heartbeat for a love like hers.”
“That’s really beautiful, Mel. You should include your story in the book.”
“Nah… well… maybe,” he said thoughtfully. “God, she loved that meadow.”
“I do, too.” I said. “I’m glad you sent me, it is truly breathtaking.”
“Anyway,” Mel cleared his throat. “I’ll let you get back to it.”
I finished up my paperwork and then went back to the folder on my computer where I was saving the stories people wrote in with. I picked out the ten I liked the best, and started to send them off to Mel, but before I pressed send, I paused. I opened the word processor on my computer and started to type.
Like most people in this part of the world, I knew all about LaCera long before I ever set eyes on the town. I was sent there not quite kicking and screaming, but with a healthy dose of cynicism and annoyance. While my first experiences with LaCera ended up with a call to the motor club and repairs for my car, the town won me over. LaCera is home to great natural beauty; the stunning wildflower meadow, miles of hiking trails, and the beauty of the Aurora River… But LaCera is also home to incredibly kind and wonderful people… I fell in love with the people of LaCera just as much as I did the wildflowers… But I also found a piece of myself there that I didn’t know I was missing. LaCera is a beautiful place to visit and, as it would seem, to fall in love.
I added my story to the others and sent them off to Mel with a couple of ideas for titles.
Then, I packed up my things, climbed in my car and headed to LaCera with the last of my belongings from my apartment.
Zaira was doing her best to be supportive. She even drove up to LaCera, and Virgil made us dinner.
“You were right, he is a good cook,” she said as we walked together arm in arm down the main road through town. I waved to Queen Fi and Ms Lucille as we passed by. They were sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch of the general store.
“Hey there Ella,” Ms. Fiona called as we walked up. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Zaira,”
“Sarah?”
“Z-eye-ruh.”
“Zaira.”
I grinned at Zaira, who rolled her eyes.
“You got it, Ms. Fiona.” I said. “She’s visiting me from New Oxford.”
“Well now,” Ms. Fiona said. “Has she met Sheriff Mason? He’s just inside the store.”
I looked over Ms. Fiona’s shoulder to see the tall, dark haired sheriff talking to Devola at the register about two packages of allergy medication in his hands.
I looked at Zaira and raised my eyebrows, pressing my lips together to keep from laughing.
“He looks busy,” Zaira said. “I wouldn’t want to bother him, maybe another time.”
I chuckled as we passed by the store and went around the curve beyond Virgil’s garage.
“Are you trying to turn me into a pod person like you?” Zaira joked. “Arranging meet-cutes with your handsome sheriff?”
“Hey, I told you when I first got here I thought he was just your type.”
She laughed, but her laughter abruptly stopped when we came out of the woods and the wildflowers came into view. Even though it was nearing the end of the wildflower season, the meadow was still spectacular.
“They bloom all summer,” I said, repeating the words Virgil said to me one evening when we came up here. “But they are the most beautiful in the first month.”
“God, I thought your pictures were touched up, or just you being a clever photographer, but this… Ella, it’s beautiful.”
“Are you getting weepy on me?” I teased.
“No,” she said. “But I see why you like it here.”
“The flowers are the least of it,”
“I know, I was talking about Virgil, too. He’s really nice,” she said, and I knew what high praise that was, coming from her. We hugged, and then she stared at the meadow for a long time, a small smile on her face.
The next few weeks were mostly work meetings that took place over video conference. Mel and I discussed the book, and my upcoming assignment. My first work trip that would take me away from Virgil.
The trip itself turned out to be a bust. I thought it would be, but I was determined to get back to normal… or this new normal, I guess. However, I wound up leaving a day early. The “Fantastic wildlife experience” was a glorified petting zoo and I was not going to waste my time pretending it wasn’t.
I pulled into the driveway –our driveway- and went inside the house. Cat Benetar was stretched out on the top of her cat tower. I paused to pet her head before I deposited my luggage in the laundry room. I heard Virgil talking to someone upstairs.
I paused. It definitely sounded like it was coming from the bedroom. I felt my breath catch in my throat and I crept upstairs. I paused outside the bedroom. He was definitely talking to someone. I opened the door with a shaking hand. My stomach churned; a queasy, nervous feeling bubbling up inside me.
“Hey you,” Virgil said when I entered the bedroom. “Francis? I’ll call you back.” His phone was in one hand and his work clothes were in the other. “Ella just got home.” He smiled wide as he set his phone aside, but my face must have betrayed my thoughts. “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking me in his arms. “You’re back early, did something happen?”
“No, I’m just glad to be home,” I lied, unwilling to admit how easily my faith in him was shaken. He squeezed me tight and I breathed in his now familiar scent, glad to be back in his arms.
“I just finished up at the shop and I was going to make myself something to eat,” he said. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” I said. “But dinner will have to wait.”
“Well, not for too long I hope because- Oh,” he said, realizing what I meant. We shed our clothes and fell back into bed, kissing one another on any available inch of skin. Virgil made love to me and I let my earlier doubts float away on the orgasmic clouds that surrounded me as he worshiped my body.
“God damn, I missed you,” he said, kissing me softly.
“I missed you too.”
As we lay together afterwards, my stomach let out a very unladylike growl.
“Come on you, let’s eat something before we start biting each other,” he teased.
“I keep telling you I might like it,” I replied, but I followed him to the kitchen.
“How was the trip?” he asked as he got himself organized to make dinner.
“Underwhelming. Jack’s Wildlife Adventure is a glorified petting zoo,” I replied. “There were capybaras, though.”
“Capywhattas?”
“Capybaras, the world’s largest and cutest rodent,” I said. “Can I help you?” I gestured to the vegetables he was chopping.
“No, I’m fine,” he said with a smile. “Oh, you got some mail the other day.”
“I did?” I was surprised.
“Yeah, one looks like a package,” Virgil said. “It’s on the table by the front door.” He was smiling wide.
“What’s got you all teeth and gums?” I asked him.
“You got mail here,” he said, shrugging.
I collected the mail and brought it back to the kitchen. One was a large, flat envelope, and the other was a small box. I opened the envelope first and gave a small whoop. Virgil looked up from his dicing and mincing.
“What’s that?” he asked. He looked at the envelope. “North American Wildlife Preservation Society?”
“I made a couple of inquiries, and I did some preliminary grunt work – LaCera can apply for protected lands status,” I said, holding up the forms from the envelope. “Potentially, that could mean federal funding and more importantly, federal jobs. Park rangers, to start, but more.” I read off. “The town still has to apply, but I think they stand a good chance of getting approved. LaCera would be considered a pollinator haven, and she would be safe from developers.”
“Ella that’s… That’s incredible.”
“That’s tenacity,” I teased. “The timing is perfect, the town council meeting is tomorrow night, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, and they will love this.” Virgil said.
“I hope so,” I said. I still worried that maybe I was sticking my nose in where it didn’t belong. I opened the box and gasped.
“Now what?” Virgil said good naturedly. I pulled the shiny hardcover book from the box and showed it to him. “Love Letters to LaCera,” he read. “By Ella James. What is this?” He wiped his hands on a dish towel and took the book, flipping through it with me. Each glossy page showcased my photos -some of the wildflowers, and some of the townspeople- paired with wonderful stories about the town. The last page was my favorite photo, a picture of the meadow at sunrise and it was paired with my own story about LaCera. Virgil read it, and then he kissed me on my forehead.
“The Globe is going to sell these, and the proceeds are going to go to the town,” I told him. I flipped to the front of the book and looked at the dedication page.
For Rita.
“Who’s Rita?”
“She’s the reason I came to LaCera,” I said. “My editor’s late wife. I guess they came here a lot, and she really loved the meadow. It made sense to dedicate it to her.”
“I wonder how many love stories happened here,” Virgil mused. “Probably dozens over the years, I guess.”
“It’s a beautiful place to fall in love,” I replied. He gave me a smile and turned back to his chopping. I looked through the documents from the NAWPS again, and the queasy, uneasy feeling in my stomach churned again. “Do you think I’m putting a target on my back?” I asked him.
“What do you mean?”
“With everything that happened with that guy, with the Bowman family,” I elaborated.
“I want to say no, but…” His expression changed to sorrow. “I’m sorry, Ella.”
“Welp,” I said. “I started this, I’m going to see it through.” But I felt so anxious about it, I wasn’t sure my actions could carry through my words.
After dinner, Virgil showed me some stuff he’d done around the house while I was away. He painted the living room, and the new paint brought it to life and brightened it in a way it lacked before. I picked out the curtains, and while I was away, he put them up. I admired them, looking around the living room. It came together beautifully, and while the other two bedrooms were still empty, it was really starting to feel like a home, in a way my apartment in New Oxford never really did. A powerful wave of emotion washed over me as I saw that Virgil put a couple of plants in the window in the living room. Real plants, that he would help me keep green. I smiled softly at that. It was a little thing, something he didn’t even realize he did, I bet, but it meant the world to me. I paused next to the cat tree Virgil erected in the corner of the living room. Cat Benetar leapt lightly onto it and began clawing the carpeted platform.
“We both lucked out, huh?” I asked her as I ran my hand along her velvety smooth fur. She answered with a little “purrup” noise before flopping over on her side and nuzzling my hand with her cheek. I rubbed her for a few minutes before heading up to the bedroom.
Virgil and I took a long hot shower together, and afterwards, he took me to bed again. He kissed me from my lips down to my navel, before gently parting my legs and kissing my thighs. He was so gentle and soft, and it felt incredible. I took a deep breath as the orgasm crashed over me like a wave, my body trembling at his touch. Then I felt him slide inside me, and I gasped with pleasure. He paused.
“Are you okay?” He whispered.
“Better than okay,” I panted. “Don’t stop.” We moved together in perfect unison, and as I felt myself cumming again, he let out a grunt, and then kissed me hard. I was trembling, but in a good way. He held me in his strong arms, crushing me against his chest. It felt so good to be there with him in his arms that I drifted off to sleep within a few minutes.
Friday
The following morning, Virgil went to work at the garage, and I puttered around the house, tidying up the kitchen and trying to make myself useful. Around midday, I left the house and stopped by the general store. Devola was behind the counter.
“Hey Ella,” she said smiling. “Are you coming to the council meeting tonight?”
“I plan to,” I said, returning her smile. “The Globe wanted to make a donation to the town, and they’re going to send someone out in a couple weeks to do the official handover, but I thought I would tell everyone tonight.”
“Oh Ella, that’s wonderful,” she said.
“I hope so,” I took a deep breath. “I’m sure you heard I had a talk with Will Bowman.”
“I did, and I heard about his son in law, too.”
I nodded grimly.
“The whole thing has me kind of second guessing what I’m trying to accomplish,” I admitted to her. I liked Devola, and I was starting to consider her a friend. “Be honest with me, do you want the ski lodge?” I asked her gently.
“No,” she sighed. “I talk a big talk about leaving LaCera all the time, but the truth is, I’m like Nana… the mountains are in my blood, too.” She shrugged. “Sometimes I really do want to leave, but then I start thinking about what living in a city would be like, and what I would miss about home.”
I nodded.
“I think you’ll find a lot of people want to keep LaCera … LaCera,” she said. “Besides, you’re not buying the land, you’re just helping to give the town the option. It’s still our decision.”
“That’s true,” I said smiling. She returned the smile with interest. I sat there talking with her until Virgil poked his head in the door of the store.
“Hey you,” he said.
“Hey you,” I returned, smiling.
“Can I walk you home?”
“Isn’t it kinda early?”
“It’s after five.”
“My goodness, Devola, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t realize-”
“I enjoy your company, Ella, I relish having someone close to my age to chat with,” she said. I had close to 13 years on her, but I decided to take it as a compliment. “Don’t apologize.”
We said our goodbyes, and then Virgil and I walked back to the house together, his arm in its customary position around my waist.
“What time is the meeting?”
“At seven, in the church hall,” he said. “Will Bowman and his family will likely be there, so if you don’t want to go, I can-”
“Oh, I’m going,” I replied fiercely. “I’m not going to let them scare me off.”
Virgil kissed my forehead.
“I promised you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and I mean that, but you have to promise me something.”
“Anything,”
“Don’t go off by yourself for a while, and stick close to town, like before.”
I shivered a little bit and he hugged me close. We were moving beneath the trees that line the driveway now.
“Just for a while,” he went on. “It’ll blow over.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said.
“I think they would be pretty stupid to try anything else, especially now that the gossip train is running,” Virgil said. “All last week when you were away, people were dropping in to make sure you were okay, that nothing happened to you.”
Once inside the house, we ate a light dinner, but I didn’t have much of an appetite. I was worrying about the council meeting. Virgil tried to be supportive but I knew I just needed to ride the feeling out.
At the church hall, people crowded in, filling every seat and some standing at the back of the room. There must have been more than three hundred people stuffed into the building.
“What a fire hazard,” Virgil muttered as we watched Julia Sweeny, the town treasurer, take the podium. She talked for a long while about all of the things that the town budgeted for, and then she said that there was not enough money in the town treasury to buy Peabody’s Meadow.
“Will Bowman has asked to say a few words,” she said. She took a step back and I craned my neck to see. Mr. Bowman was across the room, but his mean faced son in law was not in attendance.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Bowman said loudly. “Thank you all for giving me just a moment of your time,” I watched him speak through narrowed eyes. He had the charm of a used car salesman, but I noticed a few people nodding along with him. “It’s time to make LaCera great again, and I think the best way to do that is to let the Ranfer Company buy Peabody’s meadow and build their parking structure,” he went on. “The construction will mean jobs for LaCera residents, and once the ski lodge is operational, commerce for your businesses too.”
“I doubt that,” Virgil muttered. I gave his hand a squeeze.
Mr. Bowman spoke for several more minutes, begging the town to “see the sense in keeping with the times” and how the town would be revitalized by the construction. When he finished, a handful of people clapped, but I was pleased to see that the majority of the town didn’t look pleased at this outcome. Julia Sweeny asked if anyone else would like to say anything, and Virgil gave my leg a reassuring pat. I stood up and made my way to the podium, book and paperwork tucked under my arm.
“Um, hello,” I said. “I’m Ella James. I’ve met some of you, but for those I have not gotten the chance to introduce myself to, I’m a reporter for The Globe, which is a travel blog based in New Oxford. I was sent here about two months ago on assignment, and I fell in love; with the wild flowers and with your town and the people in it,” I spoke quickly, determined to get all the words out before my nerves swallowed me whole. Virgil met my eye and nodded in encouragement.
“The response to the article I wrote was unprecedented. The Globe has never seen such an outpouring of support before. People from all over wrote in with hundreds of stories about their fond memories of LaCera. People from all over want to help,” I said. “Donations totaling nearly fifty thousand dollars were collected for LaCera. The town can do whatever they wish with the funds, there are no strings attached, but many people hope this will help the town purchase Peabody’s Meadow.”
People clapped in earnest. As the applause faded, I went on:
“There’s more. The Globe took a selection of stories that were sent in and put together a book,” I took the glossy hardcover from under my arm and set it on the podium so people could see it. “Profits from the sale of the book will also go to the town, in perpetuity.” More clapping.
“Sorry, there’s just one more thing, and then I’ll shut up,” I said. This was greeted with a few titters. “I took the liberty of doing some research, and LaCera meets the criteria to apply to the North American Wildlife Preservation Society for grants, and also to the government for protected lands status. The meadow meets the criteria to be a pollinator haven,” I explained. “LaCera could apply for grants and federal funding, and that would mean jobs for LaCera residents. I will leave all the information with Ms. Sweeny. Um… Thank you.” I finished. As many clapped, I handed Ms. Sweeny the packet of papers and the book. She shook my hand and then returned to the podium.
“I would like to revise my previous statement. With the generous donation collected by The Globe, the town would have enough money to make an offer on the land,” she amended, and the town gave a cheer. “We’ll continue on with the voting on whether or not to buy the land, as planned.”
People lined up to vote, and as I waited for Virgil to vote, Devola came over to me.
“What you’ve done for the town, oh Ella, it’s amazing.”
“Thanks, I was just trying to do the right thing.” I said, smiling wide.
“It’s more than any outsider has done for the town, ever.” She cast a look over at Virgil. “But I guess you’re not an outsider any more.”
“No, I don’t think I am,” I said softly. Someone waved at Devola and she excused herself, crossing the room to say hello. Mr. Bowman made his way over to me once she left.
“I suppose you’re proud of yourself,” he said in a low voice.
“I am,” I replied, looking down at him.
“Well, Miss James, I didn’t go to a fancy school and I don’t live in a fancy city like New Oxford, but I do know that what goes around comes around, and I wager you’ll get what’s coming to you.”
“I would be careful what you say to me,” I said. “Especially with so many witnesses.”
He started to reply, but as Virgil returned from the ballot box, Mr. Bowman seemed to think better of it. Instead, he gave me a curt nod and disappeared into the crowd.
“You okay?” Virgil asked as we sat back down.
“I’m okay,” I said. “Are they going to count the votes tonight?”
“Yep.”
“What about the people who couldn’t make it or didn’t come?”
“Then they don’t get a vote,” Virgil shrugged.
I cast a look over to the Bowman family and wondered if there were enough of them in attendance to turn the tide. I chewed on my fingernails as the votes were counted. Finally, Julia Sweeny returned to the podium.
“With 327 votes in favor, LaCera will purchase the land known as Peabody’s Meadow, north of town,” she announced. There were cheers and Virgil wrapped me up in a great bear hug. Folks began to file out of the meeting hall, and Virgil and I made our way out along with them. It was nearly 10pm and I was suddenly feeling exhausted, but like a huge weight lifted from me at the same time.
A few folks were standing in a huddle by the door as we left, and I didn’t miss the dirty look one of them gave me as we passed.
“It’ll blow over,” Virgil promised.
“I hope so,” I said. We walked home together, his arm around me.