Betty's (Little Basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey

Author:Laurel Dewey
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FICTION/Contemporary Women
Publisher: The Story Plant
Published: 2012-04-10T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“But you didn’t hear that from me.”

The drive to Dottie’s ranch was a much-needed diversion. Nestled on the front seat of Betty’s car was a small cooler that held five beautifully decorated and wrapped chocolates. She didn’t want to be too forward and bring Dottie a dozen, but two chocolates seemed inadequate. Dottie lived about forty miles south of Paradox in an unincorporated rural area. The landscape was fairly monotonous, until Betty drove up over a long, two-lane ribbon of highway and descended into a verdant valley. The warm May days and rains had quickly transformed the expanse into a rich tapestry of alfalfa and various grasses, creating an emerald and jade quilt that draped across the panorama for miles.

Betty arrived at the impressive, rusted, iron front gate precisely at 12:55 and punched the intercom button. As she waited for someone to answer, she admired the exquisite, curved, wrought-iron sign that graced the entrance: Happy Valley Herefords. Underneath, burnt into a slab of wood, the sign read: Happy & Healthy Grass-Fed Cows since 1980.

“Hello?” a male voice asked, crackling over the intercom.

“Hello,” Betty said in her best pageant voice. “This is Betty Craven. I’m here to see Dottie…about a horse?”

“Yes, ma’am. She’s expecting you.”

The massive gate opened with a slow flourish. Betty drove her beat-up Taurus down the dirt road for nearly half a mile before turning into a cluster of shade trees, crossing a bridge and a slow creek, and arriving at a magnificent, two-story, log house. A large barn stood about a thousand feet past the house, and beyond that, stables and the enormous expanse of land where at least seven hundred cows and calves roamed freely. A stout man in his late fifties approached her, and she rolled down her window. He seemed to observe her with great care and a somewhat worried brow.

“Hello, ma’am,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m Hugh. I’m the ranch manager.”

“Nice to meet you, Hugh.”

He canvassed the inside of her car. “So, you’re interested in one of the horses?”

“Yes,” Betty said, realizing she hadn’t manufactured any suitable story to support this ruse. “But this is just an introductory meeting…with the horse.” He looked at her with a quizzical expression. “I don’t like to take it too fast.” The minute she said that, she wished she hadn’t. And before she could fall deeper in the bullshit, she heard the commanding voice of a woman, and saw her quickly walking toward the car.

“Hugh! I got this!” Dottie said with authority, as she approached the passenger side of Betty’s car. She opened the door and got in, after Betty quickly moved the cooler into the backseat. “Drive up to the barn and go around the side,” Dottie instructed.

Betty complied, but she couldn’t help noticing the grave look of concern on Hugh’s face in her rearview mirror. “I said exactly what I was told to say,” Betty offered.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dottie replied. “Hugh’s a good guy. Just overprotective.”

Betty was taken by Dottie’s authoritative manner. She had an aura of confidence about her but also gentleness in her eyes.

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