Tempus: Book 1 by AD Ocien

Author:AD Ocien [Ocien, AD]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

XV

Rubbing her eyes, Claire leaned on the threshold of her door and yawned as she tightened her oversized sweater around herself. She looked off into the distance where she knew the sun rose that time of year. It had barely crested the horizon.

“I thought we didn’t have any invitations today. Why are you here so early?” she asked Niran who looked fully awake and like he’d been awake for hours.

“I have an errand I need to run, but thought you might want to join me,” was his response.

“No. I don’t want to run any errands if they involve my having to be up and ready to go at this forsaken hour,” she answered with a rough shake of her head.

“There’s a lavender field and you get to harvest honey from beehives,” he clarified.

Claire gasped with an excited smile and bolted up her stairs to change her clothes.

“Wear something you don’t mind getting a little dirty,” Niran called behind her.

“Okay! Give me ten minutes,” Claire called back to him as she dug through her closet.

A two-hour drive later, Niran and Claire rounded a bend in a long driveway that opened up to an expansive property. It had rolling hills, flower fields and was dotted with behemoth oak trees that looked to be hundreds of years old. At the end of the drive was a cobblestone cul-de-sac where stood three little houses. They seemed only big enough to have maybe one bedroom each and living space for one person. Though the homes were of a similar, idyllic countryside style, each had its own distinct personality - distinct, as it seems, as the three women who sat in the shade of the giant oak tree in the center of the cul-de-sac.

“You’re going to meet my good friends, Lea, Faye and Jean,” Niran explained as he found a place to park along the side of the drive. “They all live on this farm and tend the lavender fields over there and the honeybees over that way.” He pointed to different areas of the property beyond the houses.

“Friends?” Claire asked.

“Don’t look so surprised.” Niran laughed.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t picture you having friends.” Claire laughed, almost apologetically.

“I can’t say I had much choice in the matter. The friendship was kind-of thrust upon me. You’ll see what I mean when you meet them,” he explained with a smile.

“This place looks like it’s out of a fairy tale,” Claire breathed as she took in the landscape before her.

“They’re a little eccentric, but they do keep this place well,” Niran agreed.

As they walked from the car, Niran slowed his approach to the tree under which the three women made several attempts to stand, trying and failing to help each other. At his side, Claire smiled and held in a laugh at the sight of the three women struggling, yet laughing to the point of tears as they did. She looked at Niran who studied the women with the start of a confused grin.

“Stop it. They’re coming,” one said.

“Wait. My shoe,” said the other, breaking down into another fit of laughter.

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