Crown Of Hearts: A Slice of Life Adventure by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub

That afternoon, we got news.

Marla and Dennis—the couple I’d met at the market—showed up with their first produce delivery. They arrived in a sun-faded blue pickup, the bed packed with wooden crates stacked with care. There was a painted sign hanging off the tailgate: “Wren’s Hollow Farm: Honest to Soil.”

Their spinach was still wet with dew. The carrots wore clean earth like war paint. Fat bundles of kale sat alongside baskets of green onions and baby beets, their roots still curling.

“This is the freshest delivery we’ve had in ages,” Lana said, inspecting a bunch of radishes with a chef’s precision.

“Just picked this morning,” Marla beamed. She was short, built like someone used to working the land, with a thick braid over one shoulder and dirt still under her nails. “We don’t sell anything we wouldn’t eat ourselves.”

Dennis, taller and quieter, nodded as he handed off another crate. “No chemicals. No shortcuts. Just hard work and weather luck.”

“What made you take the drive out?” I asked.

Marla smiled. “We’ve been on the edge of making a decision. The farm’s been just getting by since the co-op dropped our contract last year. Too small, they said. But Cassidy said your place was looking for real suppliers. That you cook with your heart and you don’t waste a single thing.”

I glanced at Cassidy, who looked modest but pleased.

“I said we’d use every damn carrot,” she shrugged.

Dennis grinned. “If we can get a regular account with the Crown, that steadies us. And if you like what you get, maybe we even add preserves and dairy in the next few months. We’ve got a neighbor with cows and the best gouda this side of the county.”

“It’s a win-win,” I said, clasping his hand. “We feed our people. You feed your future.”

Marla’s eyes shimmered just a bit. “That’s more than most folks offer these days.”

We unloaded the rest of the crates together, setting them in the back prep pantry. Ray came in halfway through and did a double take when he saw the tomatoes.

“Sweet gods,” he muttered. “We’re gonna need bigger menus.”

“You think you can work with this?” I asked.

Ray sniffed a sprig of basil. “Work with it? I’m gonna build a shrine to it.”

✽✽✽

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.