"What's the occasion?"
"I made two." A brief pause. "One for me, and one for, well, I’m sure there is a rather strong young man wanting something sweet to brighten his day."
Another pause.
"Have a lovely day, dear."
I hear Mrs. Winslow’s retreating footsteps on the porch. Then, the screen door clicks and Falon’s soft, padded steps bring her to the kitchen, where I am trying and failing not to laugh.
I look up from the counter when Falon comes into the kitchen holding a pie. She sets it on the table and looks at me.
I look at the pie. And lose it. Her face is between embarrassment and dumbfounded.
"Pie," she says.
"I heard," I say through a stifled laugh.
She pulls back the checkered cloth to reveal a peach blush pie that is still warm. "I don't know whether to be offended or flattered." Falon is still a bit bewildered.
"I'd go with flattered," I say. "She did make it herself. I mean, look at that crust work." It is a thin, braided checkered crust with dozens of little crust flowers on top. If I’d known she was this good, I’d have requested an apple pie every Tuesday.
Falon looks at the pie for another moment. Then she gets two forks out of the drawer and hands me one.
“Breakfast?” she offers. “It has most food groups. Grains, fruit, dairy, and greens.”
“Wait, greens?”
“Doesn’t sugar come from sugarcane, and isn’t sugarcane green?” She has a triumphant smile on her face.
“I don’t think that’s how it works, but I’m willing to go with it if you are.” I take the fork, and we both dig in.Almost half a pie later, Falon puts her fork down and bumps me on the hip. “When you’re done here, I have to drive out to Lake Road, then the ridge to deliver some eggs to the Richardsons and Stan. I have so many eggs that I feel like the easter bunny. Did you want to go?” I agree, and the two of us drive around the rest of the day delivering eggs to anyone who wanted them. When we get to Stan’s, I try to opt for staying in the truck, but Falon looks at me as if I’d better not.
“Afternoon, Stan,” Falon greets the old man, and for a moment, I think he is going to smile, but instead, he pulls her into a hug. “I brought you some eggs. I swear, I was becoming the easter bunny, but then I thought about you and realized it’s been a few since I’d been here. Did you like the blanket I made you?” Falon asks, completely comfortable and at ease with the man. Hu, I’d never pinned him as an old softie.
“I liked it just fine, Miss Falon.” He smiles at her, and she kisses his cheek.
“Good. I need to get a move on if I’m going to beat dad’s ranch hands to that last order of feed before they stack it without me.” She laughs. “I’m working on a red scarf for you for the winter. I know you have one, but mine’s better.” She laughs, and we both got in the truck and leave.
“How do you do that?” I ask her when we’d gotten a few miles from the ridge.
“Do what?” she asked all innocent, but the smirk tells me she knows.
“You just plowed right in there and bulldozed him into submission.”
“I did nothing of the sort. He may act all tough and bothered, but he’s actually sweet and just feels alone. Icome out here and visit him every now and again, when I can. You should try it.”
“I don’t know. He’ll shoot my face off.” I say, thinking that I liked my face exactly where it was.
“He will not, besides, the gun’s not even loaded. Hasn’t been in years.” She smirks. “Now, I bet you I can haul the grain order faster than you. She wiggles back and forth in her seat.
“Oh, you're on.” I nudge her as we pull into the drive, Falon out of the truck before I even have it in park. That’s how it was with Falon. She is far more playful than I’d remembered and far more alluring than I ever knew. Tyler was going to kill me, but if I got to spend time with her, I didn’t care one bit.
On Thursday, my phone rang while I was filling the horse's water. Pearl. My heart stopped for a second.
“Pearl?” I answer.
“Hey there, hon,” she greets as though I hadn’t thought something was wrong.
“Hey, what’s up. Is everything okay?” I ask about regulating my heart rate. Pearl had gone to the doctors last week because she was feeling tired and was supposed to get the results soon.
