A few Sundays after Easter, I was sitting on the porch of the bigger house with Dawn and Anthony, sucking on one of the small popsicles we made in the ice cube tray with juice and toothpicks. Anthony had given up sugar for Lent, but even now he didn’t seem to have much of a sweet tooth. He sat Indian-style on the boards, whittling a square of wood with his pocketknife, while Dawn used a kitchen knife to slice lemon rings into a pitcher of sun tea. Jessie and Gracie were playing with Mark and Karina on the grass. After months of initial shyness, they were finally starting to come around to their other siblings.
It’s a beautiful day, Dawn said. We should see if Beth would like to come over. The sunshine would do her good.
I sucked the last drops of juice from the ice and tossed the leftovers behind the hedge. Ever since the night of the dance, Dawn had remained deeply committed and attentive to Beth. The only reason she thought to make tea, in fact, was probably because she knew Beth liked it.
You know she’s talking about running off to live on the coast.
Dawn nodded. We’ve talked about it a lot recently.
And? What did you tell her?
Dawn set the knife down and rubbed the smell of citrus over her hands. I told her how hard it can be for a young woman on her own. I shared some of my experiences from the years before I met your dad.
That’s good. Hopefully you got her to change her mind.
I wouldn’t know. That was never my intention.
Surprised to hear you say that. You were the one who told me how dangerous it is out there. She could get really hurt, or worse.
Dawn sealed the plastic lid onto the pitcher. She carried it to the corner of the porch where the tea could soak up the sunlight the whole day through. Any danger out there can just as easily reach her here, she said. That should be obvious at this point.
I know. I just thought you might want to warn her about what she’s getting herself into. Seeing as how at the time it was worth marrying Elliot to get yourself out of it.
I never said it was worth it. At any rate, though, it’s her life to live the way she wants. After all she’s been through, it’s not going to do any good to try and keep her caged up here.
She should give her life to God, Anthony said. He shook his head and scraped a particularly long wood shaving from the edge of the block. God’s the only one who can take her pain away. He’s healed women who have been through a lot worse than her.
How would you know? I asked.
Don’t worry about it. I know what I’m talking about. Read the Bible.
I tried reading the Bible once, Dawn said. Gave up after Lot’s wife got turned to salt.
All of a sudden there was dust flying up from the driveway and a low rumble that grew louder the longer I listened. I stood and peered out through the gaps in the tree line. Something shiny caught my eye with the gleam of the sun. There’s a car coming, I said. Nice one from the look of it.
Turned out nice was an understatement. I’d never seen a car as new and fancy as the one that came up the drive just then and parked beside the house. It was a European import, all sleek and automatic, with hardly a speck of dust anywhere above the tire treads. The engine was still clicking when the driver’s side door swung open and a pair of clean leather shoes stepped out onto the gravel. A tall young man in a suit and dark sunglasses paced around the yard for a stretch, looking the houses up and down and staring far off into the orchard with a hand shielding his already shaded eyes. I don’t think he could’ve failed to notice that we were there, but he was sure taking his time getting around to acknowledging us.
Hello there, I said, waving to him from behind the porch railing. If you’re looking to take some photos of the blossoms, you’re welcome to do so.
The stranger turned his head ever so slightly and cracked a smile. I’m not here on vacation, he said. I’m here on business. I’d like to sit down and have a talk with your mothers.
Me and Anthony glanced at each other for a second and then looked back at the stranger. I tried to remember what the inspectors at the ag bureau looked like, and considered how likely or unlikely it was that one of them would be driving around in a German sports car.
Anthony shot to his feet still holding the pocketknife and block of wood. What sort of business do you have with them?
That’ll be made clear in due time, the man said. For now, you had best get your people together in one place. Because what I have to say concerns all the Temples.
Such vague menace resulted in a fairly accurate test of how quickly we could get everyone together for an emergency meeting. While Mama and Claudia prepared the little ones for another babysitting session with Jewel, I got on the phone and alerted Katie to what was happening. Whoever this guy was, I stressed, he seemed intimately aware of who we were and what our living arrangement was like. Within ten minutes, all of adults and older children were assembled around our kitchen table, remaining tensely silent as Mama served coffee to our well-dressed visitor.
I don’t believe you’ve given us your name, Katie said. Seems like that’d be a good place to start.
The young man stirred heaping portions of sugar and cream into his coffee. Without his sunglasses on, he looked no older than Logan, and even had his hair combed in the same slicked-back style. My official title is as a contractor, he said. That should suffice for now. At the moment, I’d prefer to focus on who I represent and what they have to offer.
So you have come to make us an offer, Jennifer said. I figured as much.
An offer on what? Claudia asked. What do we have that’s even worth buying?
Your property, for one, the contractor said. The Russert Growers Company out of Watsonville has enabled me to speak and act on their behalf. They’re prepared to make a very generous offer to you for the farm as-is. That means everything—the land, trees, buildings, and all the equipment and machinery therein. They’d like the place to be ready to hand off before the start of harvesting, and they’re willing to compensate you appropriately for a speedy transition.