Daisy and I exchanged panicked glances. Shit. Daisy steps up. “We can throw together a basket today and run it right over to you at city hall before evening.”
“But there’s only allowed to be one basket per booth.” Ethel waves the wrinkled per in the air again. “We don’t have the funds for more than that, and the Adlers have already made this basket.”
I glare at Jace. He just shrugs at me. “Sorry. It’s our booth. I guess when the sheriff or whoever forced us to share, they didn’t bother to include this. Not our fault.”
“You’re a piece of—”
“I wonder why Officer Humphries never told me he made you share after all? Maybe if he tells the mayor about the arrangement we can squeeze in a basket from you in the budget,” Ethel says, still looking very confused, and I realize that if I don’t drop it, our little arrangement will be exposed.
“No worries, Ethel,” I say loudly and then smile as brightly as I can muster. “It’s a lovely idea. We’ll get in on it next time. Have a great day.”
Ethel smiles and wanders off with the Adlers’ basket.
“You feel awfully good about yourself, don’t you?” Dad snarls at Jace who looks so full of himself I kind of want my dad to slug him.
“Look, Mr. Todd, no one wants you and your stinky cheese here to begin with,” Raquel pipes in.
“Shut up, Raquel,” Daisy snaps.
“I know you weren’t raised by anyone with class, but that’s not how you talk to people young lady,” George Adler growls.
“You want to talk about class, George, really?” Dad actually looks like he might hit someone now and I panic and step in between him and George. “The guy who goes out for a beer and comes home two days later when he’s got a newborn at home.”
“Your drunk daddy tell you that?” George hisses. “Must have been one of his drunken hallucinations. My wife is still here. Where is his?”
“Okay everyone just STOP!” Daisy hollers so loudly that people walking by stop and stare.
“Great, one of the redheads is making a scene,” Raquel mutters.
“Dad, go home. We’ve got this,” I say and wrap my hands around his bicep, which feels tense and hard. I look down and see his fists in balls. I squeeze harder and give him a little tug. “Seriously, Daddy, please. Don’t do this.”
He glances down at me and he softens, both his stance and his expression. He gives me a small smile. “You’re right, Magnolia. He isn’t worth the time it would take to knock him out. No Adler is worth our time.”
After this discovery, I think he might be right. And it makes my heart ache.
The rest of the day drags on painfully and when it’s finally five o’clock, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Daisy and I have to pack up on our own because we sent Dad home, so it takes longer than I want. Raquel disappeared before the market ended, and George takes off with one load of stuff leaving Jace on his own. He’s folding up their banner when I walk back to get ours.
“So where is Tate?” I ask. “Why wasn’t he here today?”
Jace looks up. His eyes are not green like Tate’s, but they’re the same shape and hold the same intensity when he glares. “Why should I tell you?”
I shove our own banner in the box with our honey. “I go to school with him, so I will find him whether you like it or not.”
“He had a hockey thing. You know they have their first game next weekend,” Jace says. “And for the record, even if he was here, nothing would have changed.”
“So he knew about the gift basket?” I ask.
Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.
Jace nods. “He knew. He told me what to put in it.”
I walk away without another word, but Jace isn’t finished talking unfortunately. “He doesn’t want you here any more than the rest of us do.”
I hate that I think he’s probably right, but I know for a fleeting minute that not so long ago, that wasn’t the case.
I drive back to the farm with Daisy and busy myself with putting away all our market stuff and products that didn’t sell. My eyes keep wandering over to the shipping container. I hate looking at it now. Daisy watches me with concern but doesn’t bug me. Mom appears on the back porch. “You girls come in and grab dinner before you leave. I know you’re not eating enough, and I made roast chicken with the gravy you both love.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Daisy says and kisses her cheek. All I can do is muster a smile and a nod.
