Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch (The Ryan Family #1) by Carolyn Brown

The phone rang as she was walking out the back door, but she ignored it. If anyone found out that she hadn’t answered her phone, the news would probably make the Bloom Weekly News under the HEARD column on the front page. She could see the little article already:

Cricket Lawson did not answer her phone. The whole town is wondering if she is sick, and several church ladies are preparing casseroles to take to her.

Everyone in Bloom knew that Cricket liked gossip too well not to answer a call if she was within hearing distance of the ring. Why on earth she’d forgotten to tuck her phone in her hip pocket was a mystery.

“Nice garden you’ve got here.” Bryce had walked down to the end of the plot and was on his way back toward the house. “How do you work full-time and take care of this, too?”

“My brother Rick does most of the work, but he and his family are on a two-week vacation, so I’m doing double time while he’s gone.” She set the okra and tomatoes on the porch. “At least, it rained a lot this week, so I didn’t have to water.”

Bryce made it to the porch and pulled out his wallet. “I’m surprised that you’ve still got a crop as hot as it’s been. How much do I owe you?”

“Consider those two baskets your welcome to Bloom present,” she said.

“Well, then thank you very much. I plan to make a skillet full of fried okra tonight to go with my pork chops.” Bryce picked up the vegetables. “What time do you close the bookstore, so I’ll know next time I want fresh produce to get on over there and buy it?”

“We’re open until six Monday through Friday and from nine to noon on Saturday, but you are always welcome to come out here and get veggies,” she answered.

Was he lingering? she wondered.

Of course he is, that pesky voice in her head told her. He’s just moved to town. He doesn’t know anyone, and he’s going home to eat alone tonight.

“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow when you come in for a limeade.” Bryce started for his vehicle that was parked next to her car in the driveway. “The ladies at the store told me you like limeades. I’m not psychic!”

“I’ll be there,” she called out.

He got into his SUV and stuck his hand out the window and waved.

She hurried into the house and grabbed her phone from the table. There were ten messages from Lettie and five missed calls from Nadine. She plopped down into a chair and scrolled through her contacts until she found Nadine Betterton and called her first.

Nadine answered on the first ring, but instead of saying hello, she started fussing. “Where have you been? I was about to get in the car and drive out there. You’re never without your phone.”

“You haven’t been allowed to drive in years, and I was in such a hurry to get to the garden that I forgot to take my phone with me,” Cricket told her.

“We’ve got the phone on speaker. You’ve got me, too, and I was worried about you, girl,” Lettie yelled.

Cricket had repeatedly told them that they should just talk in a normal voice, but they both thought they had to raise their voices when they had it on speaker.

“Did Bryce Walton come out there for okra and tomatoes? Is he still there?” Nadine asked.

“What did you think of him?” Lettie butted in before Nadine had finished the last word.

“He seemed nice enough,” Cricket answered.

“We’re inviting him to Nadine’s birthday party Thursday night,” Lettie said. “After all, he lives in our apartment building, and, that way, he can meet some folks. Did you know that he loves books?”

“He mentioned that he likes to read,” Cricket said, and then went on to tell them about falling in the mud.

“He must think you are beautiful if he asked if you were making a video for television,” Nadine said.

“Or he was being sarcastic,” Cricket told them.

“If he was and I find out about it, he won’t be invited to my party.” Nadine’s voice rose even higher.

“Wouldn’t Jennie Sue and Rick be happy if they came home to find you in a relationship?” Lettie sighed.

“Hey, they’re only going to be gone a couple of weeks,” Cricket said. “I just met the guy tonight, and he could be engaged or already in a relationship.”

“Nope, he’s not. I asked him if his girlfriend would be coming to see him or maybe moving to Bloom, and he said he didn’t have a girlfriend,” Lettie informed her.

Cricket’s heart threw in an extra beat, but she scolded herself. “Bryce Walton is way out of my league, Miz Lettie. He’s educated, downright handsome, and he’s a pharmacist for cryin’ out loud.”

“Bull crap,” Lettie argued.

“Well, let me tell you…” Nadine lowered her voice to her gossip tone. “Mary Lou Cramer has already let it be known that her daughter, Anna Grace, will be married to Bryce by Christmas. She even sent an ivy plant to the drugstore today as a welcoming gift from the Cramer Oil Company, and then a peace lily arrived from the Sweetwater Belles. It would be a feather in Mary Lou’s cap to have a pharmacist in the family. Why, Anna Grace might even get elected to be the president of the Sweetwater Belles Club if she could snag Bryce. Sugar Denton is grooming her daughter, Laura Lee, to step into the president’s place of their fancy little elite club, but she’s only married to the CEO of her daddy’s construction firm.”