Page 2 of Love in Mission City

Uh…probably not. Although I loved fruit, I wasn’t really a vegetable guy. Carrots and peas were about my limit.

I turned to the woman. “I’m Johnson. Would you like some cider?”

She grinned. “Rainbow Dixon. And yes, I’d like eight bottles.”

My jaw dropped.

She considered, tapping her chin. “Actually, my sister Autumn doesn’t really drink.”

“It’s non-alcoholic.”

“Oh, well then, eight.” As she leaned in, her long, blue/black hair nearly hid her face. “I should probably only get seven—seven sisters and all—but I want one for myself as well.”

I coughed. “You have seven sisters?”

“Yep.”

As she stood back, I got a whiff of some woodsy scent.

“I won’t take you through the entire family tree. Once the youngest two, the twins, are out of the house, my parents plan to retire.”

“From having children?”

She laughed. “No. My dad’s a long-haul airline pilot. They’re leaving town to get some peace.”

I wanted to ask what compelled a person to have eight children, but I didn’t figure it was any of my business. Might be a religious thing or some other crazy notion. “I have wooden crates. Would you like one?”

“Oh, that’d be perfect.”

“Would you like me to carry it out to your car?”

She laughed. “I haul around bags of feed and horse saddles all day long. I can manage.” In jest, she flexed her muscles.

I loaded up eight bottles.

She paid, and then she carried her haul away.

What a lovely woman.

Too bad I’m not into women.

Nope. I’d tried dating a few women in college, but that just hadn’t been my thing. Once I’d come out to my parents, there’d been no looking back. A serial monogamist, I’d dated a few guys over the years, but had never been serious until I’d met Mark.

Don’t think about him.

Right. Onward and upward.

A little girl stood before Henry’s stand with a hand outstretched toward one of the figurines.

Her mother yanked it back.

Henry, having witnessed this, gently took another figurine and handed it to the girl.

The mother, at first, didn’t look pleased, her brow creased.

As her daughter’s face lit, though, that crease eased.

After the little girl had examined the figurine from all sides and angles, she handed it back to Henry, clearly reluctant.