She picked up her mug, decided on a short break, and walked out into the fresh air. The garden would come up beautifully if she could find the time to get into it. Right now, the house was priority, but she longed to get her hands dirty outside. A passion fruit vine weighed down the fence line surrounding it. The abundant crop of dark red fruit was an unexpected find, and she’d been eating them every day since she’d arrived. The taste of sunshine in the juicy fruit reminded her of why she’d fallen in love with America.
Ma would have loved this backyard. The small garden she’d tended before she became ill had fallen to ruin when she’d died. It wasn’t until years later that Sassie could bring herself to clear out the weeds and make it pretty and functional again. The labor of love to honor her mother’s memory slowly had turned into a passion of her own.
The remains of an old chicken coop leaned over in the corner of the yard behind the garden and the orchard. Once the house was all but done, she would sort out the backyard, and chickens were on the list. Fresh eggs to feed to her visitors was a must. Besides, there was something about watching hens scratching around in the dirt that connected her with nature.
Row upon row of gnarled fruit trees stood forlornly in the long grass. Blossoms hung heavily on some of the limbs, and she lifted her face to smell their perfume. Bees lazily collected the pollen as they tripped from flower to flower. She sipped her tea and breathed it all in.
“Cooeee.” A spritely older woman came out of the kitchen door and waved her hand as she hurried toward her. “Hello. So sorry to barge in like this. Phew, you’ve done so much to the old place, and you’ve only been here a couple of days.” She stopped in front of Sassie and held out her hand. “Beth, Beth Cooper. How lovely to meet you.”
“Uh, Cassidy O’Leary, but my friends call me Sassie. Would you be related to the young man with the penchant for pulling down old buildings who came through earlier then?”
Beth frowned. “I suppose that would be my son, yes. I have to tell you, I don’t agree. This is a charming old house.”
Sassie shook the offered hand and grinned as Beth scrutinized her. Her hair was a mess and her clothes backyard rags for working, not greeting visitors. There was bound to be a streak of dirt down her face and her nails were torn, but she was happy in her own skin. “Meet with your approval, do I?”
“Oh, my dear, I didn’t mean to stare, but you are quite stunning and you most certainly meet with my approval. And that lovely lilting Irish accent—the boys in town won’t know what hit them when they meet you.” She tucked her arm through Sassie’s and walked back toward the house. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here earlier to welcome you to town, but I was tied up at the ranch. I wanted to invite you out to dinner one night when you can tear yourself away from your work.”
“That’s very kind of you, Beth. I think this is going to keep me going for some time though.” They walked into the kitchen, Sassie admiring her handiwork and Beth no doubt wondering how long it was going to take to look like a home again.
“You’ve done so much already. Mrs. Barker would approve of what you’re doing. Nobody wanted anything to do with the old place, so it sat empty for years and years. Such a shame. It was a stunner in its heyday.”
Sassie smiled. “Well, I’m hoping it can be again. I’m rather keen to turn it into a bed and breakfast.”
Beth turned to her, a spark of interest in her eyes. “What a great idea. And you have that lovely, big back garden. I can see it now. You’ll be the talk of the town for saving the old place.’
Sassie shrugged. “I don’t know about that. It seems I have to run it past zoning before I even think of getting a permit, but hey, if that’s what the man says, that’s what I’ll do.” She placed her cup on the window ledge. “Can I offer you a cuppa, Beth?”
“I wasn’t sure if you had any facilities yet, so I brought a thermos of hot coffee and some scones.” Beth took the cover off of her basket and grabbed the thermos. “Walk me through what you’re going to do and then we can sit outside in the sun, have a snack, and get to know each other. What do you think?”
Sassie smiled. “I think I’d like that very much.”
After a tour of the rooms and a brief description of what Sassie had planned, they ventured out to the garden. Together they sat under a shady tree and Beth poured coffee. “Have you met any of the locals yet?” She opened the container of scones and broke one in half before she generously dolloped on jam on it. She placed it on a small plate from the depths of her basket before passing it over.
Sassie took the plate, marveling at the woman’s organization skills. “Not really. I’ve done everything over the phone so far, like the dumpster.” Sassie took a bite of the scone and moaned. The light, fluffy texture almost melted on her tongue. “Oh my God, these are just perfect. Like little bundles of clouds they are, Beth. I do hope you’re not against sharing recipes? I want all of the surefire winners I can find for when I start having guests.”
“Happy to share. How did you come to buy out here in Cooper’s Crossing, Sassie?” Beth
