One Sour Grape by Jaclyn Tracey

Author:Jaclyn Tracey [Tracey, Jaclyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC027030 FICTION / Romance / Fantasy
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2023-06-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Pinky Swear

Tucked in the back seat of the truck with a video playing, Ava tapped the headrest her grandpa leaned on. “Grampa, can we stop at the farm? I gotta feed my horses. I think Daddy will be spending his honeymoon in jail.” Ava didn’t tell them everything. She wanted to find the star Ayden hid. He’d said something about chicken poop. Even missing he would always get the last laugh.

Standing in the barn staring down at the chicken coop Ava knew this wasn’t going to be pretty. She had to get the hay wrapped up yet too. Fall would be here soon. When had life turned her into an adult? Six going on twenty-six?

“I won’t be long,” Ava yelled over her shoulder.

Ava’s grandmother responded, “Okay. I’ll pack some belongings. Anything in particular?”

“Nope. Bet I’m out before you are.” Ava made it a game. A race. Her grandmother was all over it. The lady might have been in her forties, but Ava new fast and this lady made the Tasmanian devil look like he was dawdling.

The chicken poop! Even the giant rubber gloves she’d donned didn’t help. Ayden—guardian angel or mini demon in disguise? Ava clearly believed the latter of the two. Clothes pin on her nose she went for it. “It’s gotta be here. It’s gotta.” The texture reminded her of making meatballs, mushy. Slimy. With one last sweep through the mountain of manure, Ave’s hand brushed something jagged. Her breath stilled. Her fingers groped a sharp bulky item. Crouched on her knees Ava tugged—hard. With a slight sucking noise and no warning, the article broke free of the muck and sent Ava rolling backwards feet over head to land on her belly with a giant hunk of what looked like a block of greasy coal.

She wiggled free from one glove to rub her nose and tuck a strand or two of hair behind her ears. Her grandmother’s voice bellowed, “Come on, lovie. I want to get you settled…”

Seeing Ava emerge from the barn filthy her grandma stopped short. “Please tell me you’re not covered in what it resembles or smells like?”

With a half shoulder shrug Ava fibbed again. “I slipped in the dark. Nice huh?”

Ava’s grandma laughed. “You need a wash-off before we go any further.”

Off to the well they headed. Bent over the side of the round brick structure Ava’s grandma hoisted up a bucket filled with fresh rainwater. “Hold your hands out in front of you. You are messier than Ayden ever dreamed of getting. Good job.”

Ava giggled. “Gram, you look just like mommy. I miss her.” She watched her grandma turn her head for a second and gulp down a choking sound.

Barely able to respond her grandma whispered, “Me too, lovie. Me too. I should probably tell you how I met your mother. We didn’t have a conventional introduction. She never told you this?”

Ava shook her head no.

“Well, I used to keep books for the church and one Sunday night after mass I was locking up and I heard crying.

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