Forever, I Promise (A Northern Woods Novel) Page 6

  Mariah stood. “You know Nick would help. I’ll bet between Nick and a few other co-workers they’d be able to complete it within one or two weekends.” They both took another look at the beautiful garden then back at the girls. “Well, I’d better get the girls home. Nicky will return from Cub Scouts soon. They launched a special three-week summer camp to keep them busy.

  “Just think about it, okay? If you need any help you know where to find me.”

  Hailey turned toward her and the girls. “I will,” she said.

  “Okay. Come on girls, thank Hailey for the lunch and bouquets then go on out to the car. Carefully lay the flowers on the backseat while you attach your seatbelts.”

  “Okay, Mommy… thank you, Hailey,” they both said at once before they headed for their vehicle parked in the driveway.

  “Keep me posted. You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”

  “I’ll give it some thought. We’ll talk again soon.”

  Mariah climbed into her car and drove away.

  Hailey returned to the backyard to fetch Holly from her kennel run.

  “Come, girl. We’re going for a jog. I need to work off the rice krispie bar I ate.” She entered the kitchen, grabbed her keys from the counter and shoved them into her pants pocket. She attached Holly’s leash and locked the door with her free hand. “Ready?” she asked. Holly gave an excited bark and off they went, down the long driveway and out to the county road.

  Hailey paced slowly, deep in thought. After one mile she stopped to stretch her legs and waited for Holly to relieve herself at the edge of the road.

  “Ready girl? I think we’d better head back home. Those clouds are becoming dark and treacherous. It may rain soon.” They circled in the direction of their house and Hailey stepped into her speed walking mode. They reached home at the exact moment the raindrops began to fall and rushed into the front entry at the sound of thunder. She quickly shut the door behind them and dried Holly with a towel. Once the dog felt dry Hailey went into the kitchen and over to the sliding door where she stood and looked out at the much needed rain watering her exquisite garden. Her thoughts went back to Mariah’s suggestion. It may be a wonderful idea. She decided to discuss it with Wade tonight, after she served his favorite meal for dinner.

  Chapter Seven

  Hailey carefully lifted the roast from the pan and set it on a serving plate. She added a dab of flour to the drippings and also a bit of broth, before she began to mix the gravy. Suddenly she heard the garage door open and glanced at the clock above the stove. It was six p.m. and Wade arrived on time; dinner would be on the table soon. The door opened and she looked up with a grin.

  “Hi honey, perfect timing. Dinner will be ready when you are.” She picked up the spoon to stir the fresh carrots. They were pulled from her vegetable garden this morning; this was the first year she’d planted carrots and a small area of corn. While they were cooking, she heated brown sugar, butter, orange peel and one-half teaspoon of salt in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until the sugar was dissolved. She removed the saucepan from the stove and combined it with the cooked carrots.

  Wade crept up behind her and placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. “It smells mighty good in here – pork roast! I’m being served my favorite dinner prepared by my beautiful wife. Is there something special I may have forgotten today? I know it's neither your birthday, nor mine; and our anniversary is six months away," he said and scratched his head.

  Hailey smiled and removed the baked potatoes from the oven. “I decided it’s been a while since we’ve had pork roast and I knew you’d be exhausted after another day of working with the new rescue horses.”

  “I’d better take a quick shower. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be back.” He gave her a peck on her cheek before he hurried up the stairs.

  Wade was always prompt, especially if his favorite meal was waiting for him. He returned in a short time, as promised. He lifted the roast from the top of the stove and carried it over to the table to slice it. Hailey brought the cooked carrots, potatoes and sour cream then turned back for the salt and pepper. She looked over all that was on the table. “It appears to be ready.”

  Wade pulled out a chair and sat down. “So how was your day, sweetheart? Did you do anything exciting?”

  “Mariah was here for a visit with the twins,” she said, then noticed the gravy still on the stove. While she poured it into the gravy boat she asked him if he’d like a glass of milk.

  “Yes, but I’ll get it, you’re busy there.” As she finished transferring the gravy, he stood and walked around her very slowly and lightly rubbed his body against hers, then innocently opened the refrigerator and removed a carton of milk. She glanced at him with a smiled.

  “Hmm… I think I know what’s on your mind tonight,” she said softly.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, while trying to keep a straight face.

  Hailey set the gravy boat on the table and Wade pulled out a chair for her. She sat and watched while he poured their milk then returned it to the refrigerator and sat in his chair, but not before Hailey swatted him on his backside.

  Wade filled his plate with food and passed the meat to Hailey. She took the plate from him, set it on the table then removed a slice and added it to her plate. Although she knew she was nervous she returned her fork to her plate and looked across the table at him.

  “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Wade.”

  “What’s that?” he asked while he stabbed his fork into three more slices of roast and lifted them onto his plate.

  “When Mariah was here she made an interesting suggestion that sounded rather exciting, something I’ve thought about myself every now and then.”

  Wade took another mouthful of food and chewed slowly. “This is so good, honey. Thank you for making it,” he added, then put his fork down on the table and gave her his full attention.

  “Now, tell me all about this idea you and Mariah have had on your minds.”

  “Well, you understand how I love my gardening.”

  “Oh yes – that’s where you spend most of your time during the summer and it’s stunning.”

  “Mariah suggested I turn gardening into a business of my own right here at home.”

  “Sounds like a great idea.” He reached over his plate for another slice of roast and poured a bit of gravy on top.

  “Except for one thing,” she said quietly. She didn’t want to put any more on Wade’s shoulders. He works such long hours already.

  “And that is?” He finished his meal, lifted a napkin from the side of his plate and wiped his mouth.

  Here goes, she thought, and began to explain.

  “In the Minnesota climate I’m only able to grow my gardens in the spring, summer and fall. If I want to start my own business it would only be seasonal; if I had a large greenhouse I’d have the opportunity to carry on with my business year-round.”

  “That’s a great idea. This is your baby…”

  He looked sheepish at that slip.

  Her heart did a somersault, part in ache, part in exultation. “Yes, you’re right. The business could channel my mothering instinct into creating new life, new plants… I’d never thought of it like that.” She felt tears trickle from the corners of her eyes.

  He reached across the table, gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re good at what you do, sweetheart. You have the experience and I think we could pull this off. I’ll go on Google to inquire about greenhouses and find out if it would be better to assemble one from a kit or build one from scratch. I’m sure I’d be able to get a few guys to help out. I’ll ask around.”

  She stood, her insides churning with conflicting emotions, and moved around the table and hugged him tightly. “Are you sure it wouldn’t be too expensive or too much work for you?”

  “Not if several of the guys would be willing to give me a hand.”

  “Thank you, Wade. This is so exciting! I’ll have to call Mariah. She asked me to let her
know and even offered her help if needed.”

  His eyes lit up and he gave her a wide grin. “We’ll make it work, honey. Go ahead and call her. I’ll be on the computer in my office to check the options of building your greenhouse.”

  “I love you!” She threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him passionately. “I’ll see you in the bedroom soon.”

  Wade laughed. “Uh huh, after you spend an hour talking to Mariah. I know how that goes,” he said, and gently swatted her butt before he went down the hall to his office.

  Hailey cleared the table and placed the leftovers into the refrigerator. She put the dishes in the sink, added dish soap and washed them quickly. After she dried the dishes, wiped off the counter and the kitchen table, she turned around. At her feet stood Holly, staring up at her and wiggling her back end the way Corgis always do.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. I almost forgot to feed you, didn’t I?” She hurried into the pantry and poured dog food into Holly’s dish then set it on the floor mat alongside her water bowl. Holly soon finished eating and Hailey led her outdoors to potty. While she waited she looked up and observed a beautiful clear night; stars glittered in the evening sky. A full moon glowed above the treetops with the semblance of a golden ball atop a lamppost.

  “Come, Holly,” she called and raced her into the house. She wanted to call Mariah before it was too late.

  She grabbed her phone and brought it into the living room, sat on the couch and dialed.

  Mariah answered on the first ring.

  “Hello, Mariah. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  “Yes, I finished putting the children down for the night. What’s up?”

  Hailey told her the exciting news.

  “Oh Hailey, I’m so happy for you. You’ll soon be running a business of your very own and doing what you love to do.”

  They spoke, laughed and made plans to get together early next week. After saying goodbye Hailey hurried to the master bath and ran a tub of warm water and added a capful of bath beads. She removed the clothing from her body and stepped slowly into the tub. She felt wonderful as she lowered herself into the warm bubbly water and thought about the day Wade brought her rambunctious little puppy home. Holly immediately brought laughter and enjoyment to her heart. And now Wade was going to build her a greenhouse; she will be able to open her very own garden center. It’s been quite a long time since she was this happy and consumed with ambition.

  Wade’s little slip over dinner made her realize that she was now ready to accept the fact that they wouldn’t be having the large family they had yearned for; her wonderful sexy husband helped her through the past few years of disappointment. Her little Holly was now her baby and she brought on plenty of love and merriment. She pulled the plug from the bathtub and stood to dry herself then grabbed a tube of body lotion from the shelf and smoothed the scent of Lily of the Valley over her skin. She reached for her white fluffy robe from the hook on the wall and slid her arms into the sleeves, tied the belt loosely and opened the door.

  Wade had been waiting for her and lifted the sheet on her side of the bed, inviting her into his arms.

  “I love you Hailey.”

  “I love you too,” she whispered. She slid across the sheet and cuddled against his muscular body, running her fingers gently across his chest. With the mere touch of her hand she felt a warm shiver run through him.

  They made passionate love filled with contentment and afterwards remained wrapped in each other’s arms as they fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  Four months later…

  Mid-week Hailey wanted badly to show off the results of her “almost” completed greenhouse. She grabbed her cell phone and called Mariah.

  “Good morning, Mariah! How is your day going so far?”

  “Pretty well, how about yours?”

  “I haven’t had time to be bored, that’s for sure. Would you like to come over for lunch? I’d love to show you how the greenhouse is coming along. The men have put plenty of hard work into it over the holidays and most of their weekends.”

  “Sure, Hailey – I’d love to see it. How’s twelve-thirty? Nicky is in school and Bess will be here with the twins. They’ll be on the school bus at noon and on their way to kindergarten.”

  “How do they like their first year at school?”

  “They love it!”

  “Good. I’ll dig up something luscious for our lunch. See you in a couple of hours.”

  * * *

  “Come into the kitchen and sit down,” Hailey said, when Mariah removed her coat and gloves.

  “It’s mighty cold out there,” she said, and watched Holly trot over to her and beg for a pet. She picked her up and snuggled her face into the soft fur around her neck. “My you’ve grown, little one; you’re big, somewhat heavier and twice as cute.” She gave her another hug then set her down on the floor.

  “She adores you, Mariah. We’ll eat lunch and catch up on our gossip. When we finish I’ll take you out to look over the magnificent job our men have done. It’s almost completed and I’m so excited!”

  “So am I. Before long spring will arrive and I’m sure you’re going to be very busy.” Mariah pulled a chair away from the table. “Do you need any help?”

  “No thanks. Everything has already been taken care of.” Hailey placed the salad on the table along with their plates and silverware. She pulled on her oven mitts to remove the hot dish from the oven and set it on the stove to cool while they ate their salad. She had combined the leftover ham from last night’s dinner with augratin potatoes. “Would you like something to drink? There’s coffee, tea or water. Sorry, but we’re out of milk. I have to run to the store later.”

  “Water will be fine, thanks.”

  Hailey opened the refrigerator, removed two bottles of Dasani and set them on the table.

  “This looks and smells yummy. You shouldn’t have gone through all this work for me.”

  Hailey laughed. “It was easy – they’re leftovers from last night. What kind of salad dressing would you like?”

  “Italian, if you have it.”

  Hailey grabbed a bottle of Tuscan House from the fridge then moved the casserole to the table before she joined her.

  “Are you still willing to help out if my business becomes more than I can handle on my own? You’re correct about how busy it’ll be come spring, with weddings, graduations and so on.”

  “You know I will, Hailey, I’m sure you’ll be swamped with orders. It’ll be so exciting! What have you decided for a name?”

  “I was down to two choices.”

  “And?”

  “Hailey’s Garden or Hailey’s Bouquet; I want to keep it simple, something that will by easy to remember.”

  “Ooh, I like Hailey’s Garden – it’s short and sweet.”

  Hailey grinned. “Good, I’m glad you like it because I’ve already applied for my business license as Hailey’s Garden.”

  “So what else is new?” Mariah asked, and helped herself to the casserole. “It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve spoken.”

  “Let’s see… I received an announcement of my class reunion this summer. It doesn’t seem like ten years since graduation.”

  “Are you going to attend? You really should.”

  “I doubt it. Hailey’s Garden will have been open and running for about three months – and the busiest months at that. I don’t think we’ll make it. The fifteen year reunion would be more likely.”

  “Do you ever hear from any of your classmates?”

  “Not really, but I often wonder how Kellie is doing. She was my best friend from kindergarten until our senior year. We were like sisters… Kellie Shanlin. We were very close.”

  “What was she like?”

  “The two of us were like twins. We enjoyed the same sports, rock stars, movies, you name it. I tried to find her a few years ago with no luck. Her parents had been in a house fire one year after graduation. Unfortunately th
ey both passed away. Kellie and her brother Tom had been at their dorm at UCLA when they were notified. I don’t know what happened to Tom, either. I searched for him also, in hopes that he’d tell me how or where to locate Kellie. But Tom was also nowhere to be found.”

  “When was the last time you tried? There are so many ways to locate people. Have you tried the internet?”

  “Yes, but to no avail.”

  “That’s too bad...”

  “In our senior year she changed – big time; I don’t know what happened but she started to hang out with the wrong people. She told me several times that she never wanted to marry and she definitely didn’t want to have a baby. She even refused to babysit for anyone who asked her.

  “I believe she dated some guy she met at a party. I heard about him from a few of my friends. They told me he bossed her around and treated her badly, but she said he loved her and she loved him. I think that was right around the time she became quite different from the Kellie I once knew; contrary to my best friend during our younger years.”

  “Did she ever tell anyone if this guy abused her in any way?”

  “No, not that I know of, and she never told me much about him at all. I guess he asked her to marry him and she said they were in love, though she told me she would never want any children. She hadn’t even invited me to the wedding. I heard they were married and spent the week of their honeymoon gambling at casinos.

  “I often wonder what may have happened to her; it seems as though she disappeared from the face of the earth.”

  Mariah patted Hailey’s hand lightly and smiled. “Maybe you’ll hear from her someday, Hailey. I’m sure she hasn’t forgotten you. If the two of you were so close while growing up, she’ll show up eventually.”

  Hailey stood from the table. “Would you like anymore to eat?”

  “No thank you, my friend. I’ve had more than enough. I don’t know how I’m going to eat dinner tonight. I may heat up a can of chili and grilled cheese sandwiches for the family. I don’t think I’ll have any desire for food again until morning.” She laughed and rubbed her flat stomach.