So theywerea family.
A tall man introduced himself as Erik and he added they ran a small business. “We make organic skincare products called Herbal Harmony. It was a side hustle that went viral on social media and now we can hardly keep up with orders.”
I was intrigued, especially when he said they were made from natural ingredients they sourced themselves. I wasn’t prepared to retract my “woo woo” claim but we’d see. And I’d heard of that company though hadn’t been able to afford to buy anything.
“As well as needing somewhere to live, we’re looking for land where we can grow our ingredients.”
I offered them a tour and decided to warn them I talked to the trees. If they were turned off by that, they couldn’t live here. It was a test. “They like the attention.”
But as we walked, I noticed that the group moved in coordination as if they were in formation and when one person paused to examine something, the others adjusted their positions. It was a little odd, but as I was a tree talker, maybe I shouldn’t judge what was odd.
Erik complimented me on my irrigation system and told me the trees were healthy.
“I listen to them.” That was what I did every day. Gemma used to shush me, saying I was bonkers. Butthe group nodded as if I’d said it was a fine day and it occurred to me that maybeIwas a little woo woo.
Zelda agreed. “Most people don't notice, but plants tell you what they need.”
“Exactly! Doug perks up when I chat to him each morning.”
One of the teenagers tapped the ground with his foot and it reminded me of a deer pawing the ground. “You've named them! That’s so cool!”
Wow! These people got it. Could we be woo woo together?
When we reached the section with the old cabins and the area that would house their new ones if we went ahead with the lease, they took deep breaths, and when Erik did the same on the crest of the hill, I was once again reminded of deer scenting the wind.
The whole time we’d been walking and talking, I’d not looked at Roscoe, but I was aware of him on the edge of the group not saying anything. My trusty spade was back beside Noelle and I hoped I didn’t need it. But gods he was gorgeous. Aunt Mollie would have said he had an aura.
“Roscoe mentioned you needed to be established before Christmas. Is that because of your business?”
Unless they erected a greenhouse, I didn’t see how they could grow the ingredients for their creams and lotions. December had to be their busy time, but Iassumed they had planned ahead and everything was ready for the Christmas rush.
The group exchanged glances, and a few of them fidgeted, shifting their weight from foot to foot, which again made me think of restless animals.
Roscoe spoke up. “Something like that. We have commitments that require us to be settled by December 24.”
They didn’t elaborate, and while it wasn’t my business to know the ins and outs of their private goings on, their expressions suggested they were leaving something out.
“Reed, would it be possible for us to discuss this?” Zelda’s smile eased my confusion.
“Of course. I'll be over there.” I pointed to a spot about fifty yards away. “Take your time.” I should have said I hadn’t made a decision or even considered it, but I was drawn to the group and that made me wary, thinking I was longing to be part of a family.
I strained to catch what they were saying. Everybody appeared to take a turn to speak which was very democratic of them. My occasional glance at the group showed lots of pointing both at the ground and the sky but it was Roscoe that caught most of my attention and I couldn’t help inspecting his butt.
Roscoe and Zelda walked over to where I was pretending to examine Lara's branches.
“Reed, we'd like to lease the land if you agree.” Zelda sent Roscoe a look. “But we need to be honest with you.” Oh boy, this was it where they admitted they were living under assumed names. “We're not just a family, we’re a found family. We’ve been displaced.”
My mind whirred thinking of all the possibilities why they’d lost their home. The article I’d read wasn’t specific.
“Our previous arrangement fell through. We trusted someone who wasn’t worthy of that. We lost our home and our land along with everything we'd built.”
My heart constricted. This was awful. They were homeless and I could provide them with a safe place to start again. But they must be cash rich and land poor because where was the money coming from?
I pulled back from agreeing to sign the lease immediately and told myself to think critically. Roscoe and Zelda and the others could say anything to tug at my heart strings, but were they telling the truth and were they really scrambling to find a new place to call home before Christmas?
“I’m so sorry.”
Erik chimed in. “But we're resilient. Our hope is to start over.”
