Page 5 of The Lawyer’s Quandary

“You almost need to know it’s here. This is where they grow a lot of the state’s tree fruit.

There are roadside stands, like one just coming up, that sell the produce most of the year.

It’s too early for anything now, but wait a few months.

The cherries start in June, and after that, there is a steady stream of plums, peaches, apricots, apples, and pears.

You name it—everything will be available.

Sometimes, I come this way just so I can pick up some fresh fruit and veggies.

In the fall, there’s cider and pumpkin patches and even a corn maze. ” Mark sounded so excited.

“I take it you love it here.”

“I do. Though the town is kind of small, I really like the area.”

Greg pulled to a stop at the top of a hill and got out of the car just so he could look at the undulating waves of white.

It was stunning. Mark joined him, standing close enough that Greg could feel his warmth in the spring air.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know this was here.

I mean, I knew that Adams County grew a lot of fruit, but I didn’t know about the blossom display.

” He leaned against the car for a few minutes, looking at the trees while every second he was hyperaware of Mark next to him.

He wished Mark would make some sort of move, but then maybe he was the one who should make it.

After all, they had already kissed once, even though it was interrupted.

Maybe beside the road wasn’t the best place for that sort of thing.

“There’s a turnoff just ahead that goes back a ways, and there’s a farm where you can pick your own raspberries and blackberries.

I love going in late July and August. The time of year varies, but the fruit is amazing.

” They got back in the car and continued their slow trek toward Carlisle, stopping a few times just to look at the scenery.

It was an amazing afternoon. Just outside Mount Holly Springs, there was another farm stand. This one was open, so Greg pulled in. There were only a few early veggies available, but it was still fun to look around and scope the place out for later in the season.

“I guess I haven’t realized how much time I’ve spent working.

I haven’t paid all that much attention to the things around me or what’s going on.

” Greg chuckled as they walked to the car.

“Last summer, I went into the office on a Saturday. I had a number of things due, so I figured I’d get them done.

In the afternoon, when I left, there was a whole street festival with a bunch of antique cars and everything that had popped up while I was inside.

Sometimes I swear that I’ll miss everything if I’m not careful. ”

“Well, you didn’t miss spring this year, so take that as a win.

” Mark settled in the passenger seat, and soon enough, they approached the outskirts of town.

It was late in the afternoon, so Greg drove to his row home on South Street.

It was a good size for him, and the original owners had acquired a double lot, so he had a driveway beside the house.

Most everyone else had to park on the street.

“Do you want something to drink?” Greg asked as they got out of the car and headed inside. “I have a couple bottles of wine. I also have soda and juice… or I could make cocktails. I have all the stuff. Manhattans. Old-fashioned, Negroni. What’s your pleasure?”

“A Negroni would be great,” Mark told him as he led the way inside.

Mark set his bag by the door while Greg put his wet stuff in the laundry room and then set about making the drinks.

Then he led the way out to the sunroom that the previous owners had added on to the house.

He loved this space, and it was a great way to bring the outside in and still stay comfortable.

Greg sat down with a sigh.

“What has you so tense?” Mark asked.

Greg shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t have anything that I need to do. There are no deadlines next week. I have client meetings and things that I need to get done, but there’s plenty of time.”

Mark snickered and then laughed. “So you’re tense because you have nothing to be worried about?”

“I have to be forgetting something. There is never a time when I don’t have more things that I need to do than I have time for.

Something always comes up, and I’m always going full steam.

It’s been that way for years, and yet today I don’t have anything.

” It was the strangest feeling for him. This was something so out of the ordinary.

“I almost don’t know what to do with myself. ”

“Then sit back, have a drink, and just relax,” Mark told him. “You exercised, you had a decent lunch, and now we can proceed to tie one on if you want. The biggest thing is to do something fun.”

Greg laughed and scoffed. “What I need to do is catch up on the laundry and stuff. But what the hell, there’s always tomorrow for that.” He stretched his legs out and just let himself go and tried not to worry. Hell, he had the entire weekend to himself, which was rare, and he needed to enjoy it.

“That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“I haven’t had fun in a long time. Maybe if you like, we could walk downtown for dinner.”

Mark laughed. “Why don’t we finish our drinks and then walk downtown. We could do a little shopping, see if there is anything new, relax, and eventually have some dinner. It’s an amazing spring day—we shouldn’t waste it.”

Greg closed his eyes for just a minute. “That sounds like a great idea.” He sipped his cocktail and let the tension slip away.

The ice tink ed in his glass as he finished his old-fashioned. He loved that sound. As he drank the last of the cocktail, he made sure he got it all, and then he and Mark got up. Greg grabbed a couple bottles of water from the refrigerator, and they headed out.

The walk to town was only a couple of blocks. “Where to first?” Greg asked.

“We can head for the square and go from there.”

“Fine, but no soap stores. They always make me sneeze and cough from the scent.”

“Okay. No soap stores,” Mark agreed as they got closer to the square. “Are you allergic to art stores?” He was teasing, and Greg kind of liked it.

“Are you always an ass?” Greg handed back.

Mark shrugged. “Most of the time. I try not to be at work, but sometimes it just comes out.” They entered one of the downtown galleries and wandered around.

“I’ve been here a few times. They always have some of the nicest things.

” Mark pulled him toward a piece. “Look. This is the view at the end of your street.”

“That’s a postcard from the forties,” the lady from behind the counter said as she came around.

“My husband and I bought a collection of those some time ago. This is the old market building. It was torn down in the sixties to make way for the new courthouse. There were protests, and it’s the reason they formed the historic district. ”

Greg looked at a few others. “Are they all on sale?”

She nodded. “We framed them a while ago and they sat here. He and I are looking to retire in a few years, and we can’t keep everything.”

Greg nodded. “I’ll take the one of the market building, the old courthouse, Trickett Hall, and this one, which is right near the house,” he told her. “I’m going to hang them in my office.”

“Certainly,” she said, and began pulling them off the wall.

“I’ll pay for them now, but is it okay if I have someone pick them up on Monday?” That way he wouldn’t need to carry them around town.

“Of course,” she added with a smile, and he handed her his credit card. She took care of everything, and then he and Mark were on their way.

“I take it you’ve never been in here before?” Mark asked.

“I never take the time. I’m always working and don’t get out much.

” They wandered down the street before Mark pulled him into the vintage store.

They passed the glassware, women’s clothes and accessories before entering the small men’s section.

Mark went through each piece and even tried on a vest with fringe and a wide collar that made him look like a tall Sonny Bono.

“What do you think?” he chuckled as he put it back.

“I come here every year to see what I can do for a Halloween costume. Last year, I picked up a pair of bell bottoms that someone must have found in their attic. They fit, and I had a tie-dye shirt, and I was all set. The sixties and seventies had made a return. It was groovy.”

Greg pulled a jacket off a hanger and slipped it on. “This is nice.” He checked the fit. “I love the leather patches on the elbows. It’s retro in an amazing way.” The jacket was wool and impeccably made, but he honestly didn’t know where he would wear it, so he put it back.

“I love this vintage stuff. Everything today is so mass-produced and made in China that it has no soul.” Mark picked up a shirt and checked the size before putting it back.

“Sometimes, it’s just about getting the shirt and the size right.

” They continued through the store before leaving and walking down the street.

A breeze blew up, and white blossoms fluttered all around them.

“What else is interesting?” Greg asked, and Mark sped up before going into a new-age store filled with crystals, candles, and a bunch of decorations like skulls, dragons, and fairies.

It had a rainbow flag out front, which was always a plus.

They spent a little time looking around and moved on.

The music store was great, and the bookstore was like stepping back in time. There was the paint-your-own ceramics place, and Mark hesitated out front before going inside and goading Greg into painting something for Angie. “She’ll love it, and I have a feeling she’s the one who keeps you on track.”