LITMIR.BIZ

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his love of design with his love of growing things. And Tim, after being away for many years, had finally come home to a parish in California not so far from where he grew up. And he was reunited with his closest friends.

      When Tim came back it was to find his best friend struggling with a failing marriage. And while Beau was so happy to have Tim close by, he found the good father at odds with his assignment in his new parish. Tim wanted to help the needy, the hungry, the disenfranchised of the world and here in Mill Valley he was tending the wounds of people with plenty of money and access to everything they might ever need by way of health care, private education and luxuries. True, the well-to-do were not without problems, but Beau knew Tim longed for grittier work. He felt he wasn’t as useful as he could be.

      They talked for a while about the vegetable garden and fruit trees, laughed a little bit about how Tim’s boss, the bishop, just wanted him to get people back into church. “He wants the confessional bubbling 24/7 and while there are plenty of Catholics in the parish, they’re more like you,” Tim said. “Not too worried about having a priest guide them and intercede with Christ for them. And most gave up on church doctrine a long time ago.”

      “Your ego must be bruised,” Beau said with a laugh.

      “I’m bored,” Tim admitted. “There isn’t enough challenge.”

      “It’s a rich parish. Surely you can find something to do with the money!”

      “This isn’t my dream job, Beau. In fact, sometimes I question my calling. Or better to say, sometimes I ask myself if I’ve done all I can do in this—”

      Someone was walking through the garden and the men turned to see a lovely woman standing not far from them.

      “I’ll be damned,” Beau said. “Lauren!” And he smiled, thrilled to see her.

      * * *

      Lauren left work a little early. It was a beautiful spring day and she wanted to stop at Divine Redeemer and see how far along the gardens had come. It wasn’t Tuesday, she told herself. There was no harm in it. But inside she knew she wanted to see him. Just to hear him talk about the gardens. Or his boys. She wondered how his life was going. Maybe he would talk a little about his divorce. If she felt comfortable and even a little secure, she’d ask him how they broke it to the kids. Cassie’s graduation was a mere week away. After that event and the celebration, when things had calmed, Lauren was going to stir it all up by telling her daughters her plans.

      She was terrified.

      The garden was looking so beautiful. In this part of the world, the humid spring brought everything to life in such a rainbow of colors. She sighed deeply. It made her feel calmer just looking at it.

      Then she heard the laughter of men. She rounded the corner and there stood Beau and another man. Dear God, they were both hunks. Tall, broad-shouldered, lean. Beau had thick brown hair and the other man, straw-colored. Both had strong, tan arms; both held gardening tools—a hoe and a shovel. She just filled her eyes with them. Must be Beau’s assistant or one of the church maintenance men.

      “Lauren!” Beau said, and there was no mistaking the delight in his voice. Her heart soared and she smiled back.

      “I never expected to run into you here,” she said. “I wanted to check out the garden. I haven’t been back here in weeks.”

      “Lauren, this is my friend, Father Tim. Tim, this is Lauren. We met here one afternoon. I was replacing a few plants and she was enjoying the garden. Then we ran into each other again at a fund-raiser.”

      “Nice to meet you,” the priest said. Oh, he was much too handsome to be a priest. She immediately decided a bunch of women probably sought his counsel. Regularly.

      “Nice to meet you, too. It’s all looking beautiful. You must have dozens if not hundreds of people spending time here.”

      He shrugged. “When there are daytime functions at the church. Sundays, lots of people wander through. A few people come just to see the gardens. Surprisingly few, considering how beautiful it is.” He gazed around thoughtfully, leaning on his hoe. “We need a fountain. Maybe I’ll suggest it to the board. That’ll give them something to discuss for a year and a half.” He chuckled.

      “I guess you like to get personally involved,” she said.

      “On a day like today, when I have no appointments, it’s a good excuse. You must live around here.”

      “Mill Valley. I work in Oakland so this is on my way home. I discovered this garden a long time ago. My grandmother was a master gardener. She’s gone now and so is the garden, I’m afraid.”

      “How have you been?” Beau asked.

      “Well. And you?”

      “Great. I have a kid about to graduate high school. My youngest.”

      She loved the way he talked about his stepsons as if they were his very own. “And I have one graduating college in two weeks. My baby.”

      “You must have been seven,” Father Tim said with a laugh.

      “Very nearly,” she said. “I was quite young when I married and had children. And here they are—grown. My nest has been empty for a while now but with Cassie’s graduation coming up I don’t see them coming home except for visits.” She took a breath. “It’s bittersweet.”

      “I’m finding it only bitter,” Beau said with a laugh. “Drew has no interest in leaving me anytime soon. He’s going to UC Berkeley and it’s close. Close enough to commute.”

      “He’ll change his mind in short order,” Tim said. “Once he sees all the good times on the campus, he’ll get interested in leaving home.”

      Beau thought about this for a moment. “I’m not sure I take comfort in that idea. Trading one set of problems for another.”

      “You wanted to be alone, remember.” Tim laughed.

      “Show me what you’ve got going on here,” Lauren asked of the men.

      They gave her a nice little tour, introducing her to the lettuces, cabbages, root vegetables, tomatoes and potatoes. Melon and squash vines were growing, flowers appearing where there would be fruit. Cucumber, beans and zucchini vines were snaking all over. Beau had a pumpkin patch started and Tim showed her the ancient apple trees that surrounded the church.

      “Impressive,” she said. “The bounty. You guys do good work.”

      “I’m only part-time,” Tim said.

      “So am I. I didn’t plant the vegetables,” Beau said. “I tried to give them a design that would maximize their space.”

      “You have quite a kale farm going there,” she said.

      “You know what I heard about kale? That if you chop it and add coconut milk it’s much easier to scrape into the trash.”

      She laughed but then she said, “I have some good recipes for kale. Kale and quinoa.”

      “Mm. Sounds delicious,” Beau said, making a face.

      The three of them talked about vegetables and flowers for about fifteen minutes while Tim and Beau spread fertilizer. Lauren, wearing a skirt and low pumps, couldn’t get into the dirt, though she wished she could join them. She did bend over and pull a weed here and there.

      She looked at her watch. “I’d better head home. I was going to stop at the store and I always get sidetracked...”

      “I’ll walk you to your car,” Beau said.

      “It was nice meeting you, Father,” she said.

      “I hope to see you again, Lauren.”

      Beau kicked the dirt off his shoes before starting down the walk. At first he had his hands in his pockets but within only a few steps, his right hand rested at the small of her back. It felt so protective somehow, as though

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