Delving Beneath the Surface

Chapter 6

"Thistle?"

Verona kissed for her cat as she set his food on the ground. "Come on out, it's dinner time."

The bright orange tabby trotted around the corner, his bushy tail flicking back and forth as he stopped in front of the dish. He sniffed it once – twice. His lip curled back as he hissed at it. "Oh, don't make that face," Verona tutted as she trailed her hand down his back. He curved into the touch, flicking his tail once more.

She wandered back towards the kitchen sink. With everything cleaned and put away, she had finished all her work before dinner, which was a rare occurrence these days. Between running the farm and exploring the mines for artifacts, she hardly had any time for herself.

As she washed the dirt from under her fingernails. She wondered she should do with a whole night to herself. Read? Watch TV? Make a necklace? Haley complimented her shell bracelet the other day, and she had a few shells left over from her summer haul. She considered making her one to match. Or would Haley find a friendship bracelet too cheesy?

A knock on her front door pulled her from her thoughts. She shook out her hands before wiping them on the rag she had thrown over her shoulder. Haley would warn her if she decided to stop by – not that she would mind the company. Thistle wove in between her feet as she approached the door. A mildly irritated Sebastian greeted her on the other side of the door, a casserole dish in hand. The irritation melted away as soon as he saw her, replaced by something warmer. She leaned on the door jamb, arms crossed. "What are you doing here?"

"I come bearing a gift," he motioned to the dish, "courtesy of my mom, of course."

"I don't recall ordering a blueberry cobbler," she teased, "They're kind of out of season."

"Well, that's good," he said, "because it's a blackberry cobbler. Mom made extra and wouldn't shut up about it until I agreed to bring one down to you. So," he motioned with a flourish, "here I am."

He shoved the dish into her hands. She took it, still processing the situation. Robin happened to make an extra cobbler. She then forced Sebastian to bring it all the way down to her farm right around dinner time. The very same day she happened to give her a new recipe when they happened to run into each other at Pierre's. A recipe that she claimed was Sebastian's favorite.

That sounded... suspicious.

"Thanks for bringing it," she said, "I'm sure it'll be just as good as the last one."

"Better," he insisted, "it's not as sweet."

"Right. I forget you like things bitter and sad." They shared a smile and Verona felt another shift between them – just like at the festival a few weeks ago. Nothing like that had happened since, which may have disappointed her more than she wanted to admit. He never brought it up, and she was too afraid of what might happen if she tried. He was just beginning to open up with her. She wouldn't want to ruin things before they had a chance to begin.

She cleared her throat and said, "Thanks again."

"No problem."

That should have been the end of that, but Sebastian made no effort to leave. Instead, he peered over his shoulder at the small field she had cleared in the last few months. Just beyond that, she could make out the coop right along the tree line. She had scrounged up enough money for two baby chicks. There was still a long way to go before she had the farm up and running to its full potential, but it was certainly a start.

In the end, she just wanted to honor her grandfather and his memory. She hoped he was looking down on her and smiling – proud of the work she had accomplished in such a short period of time.