Not only all that, but she also was kind to him and listenedto everything he had to say. She took lots of notes and asked even more questions.
Talking to people had always been a chore, but talking to Anna about gardening? It overwhelmed him with good feelings.
Today she said that he was smart. No one ever told him that before. No one. Not even his mother. Not even Damian. Over and over again, she’d complimented him on his skills, the beautiful flowers, and said that he was an excellent teacher.
It was like he could walk without even touching the ground.
Now he couldn’t wait for her to come back. Julian had been watching them dig across the gulley with a set of field glasses. Anna was so busy. It seemed every time he looked, she had moved from one perch to another so she could make another drawing.
The work she did was interesting. But the other men at the dig didn’t speak to Julian when he came by. Just nodded and kept chiseling away at the rock.
Joshua talked to him, but they’d known one another since they were little.
“I thought good ol’ Joshua Ziegler left for medical school years ago.” Damian’s thoughts brought Julian back to the shovel in his hand.
He’d probably spent too much time staring across the gulley. “Yeah. He’s back. But only for the summer.”
“Hadn’t they talked about getting married?”
“I don’t know what happened other than they broke it off a long time ago. But they haven’t talked about it since he’s been back. In fact, Anna hasn’t mentioned him. She’s asked me to teach her gardening, you know. No one else can teach her what I can.”
Julian lifted the field glasses up again. Anna was making her way across the washout toward him. “You better go. She’s coming.”
His heart thudded in his chest as he went to wash up and comb his hair. By the time he walked outside, she was almost up the bluff.
With one hand on her chest and another lifting her skirts, she approached, eyes wide. “I should take the path I normally take from my home next time. Whew! That’s quite the climb.” She put a hand to her stomach and sent him a smile. Her cheeks were red from the heat and her walk up the incline. “I forgot to ask you this morning when I need to have the dirt ready at my house. I mean, for planting.”
“In four to five days we should have everything we need to plant.”
“Oh good, I still have some time to prepare. I need to stay later at the dig site this evening because my dad asked for some specific drawings and the guys are trying to make a good bit of progress while the weather is hot and dry. Dad’s having a tough time not being a part of it, so I want to make sure he canseeas much of it as he possibly can.”
“That’s awfully nice of you to do that for your father.” He tried not to choke on the last word.
She pulled a fan out of her waistband and began fanning her face. “We’ve been working together for so long, it’s not right tonotinclude him in everything.” She walked along the edge of his garden. “How did you learn all of this anyway?”
“My mother. She was very talented in the garden.”
“I’m sorry I don’t remember her well. She must have been a wonderful person.”
Julian looked away. “She was. You remind me of her.”
“Julian, that is such a lovely compliment. Thank you.” Her fan made little wisps of her hair fly this way and that. It was mesmerizing.
“You’re welcome. She would have loved helping you with a garden to cheer your father.”
She tucked the fan back and clapped her hands together.“I’m so excited. I can’t wait for everything to arrive, but I guess that means I better get busy preparing the ground.”
“I’ll help you make it beautiful. I promise.”
“Thank you, Julian.” She stepped over to him and gave him a quick sideways hug. “Don’t forget to let me know how much I need to pay you for all the plants and flowers or whatever you ordered.” The words were thrown over her shoulder as she walked away.
He watched her and couldn’t move for several moments. She’d hugged him.
He couldn’t even remember the last time someone had done that.
Anna must really care for him.
By ten in the morning, Joshua had already sweat through his shirt. Now it was half past three and it seemed every inch of him was covered in perspiration, which made the dirt and rock particles stick to any skin that was exposed. But they were getting awfully close to retrieving a large bone out of the rock face. He couldn’t wait to hold it in his hands.
