Sorry I missed you. I thought you might enjoy these.
Justin
So he was still keeping track of her. He must have wondered where she was. Or maybe he knew. A conversation with Clara would have filled him in. Where was he now? Huntsville - looking for her? Inexplicable relief overshadowed the usual annoyance at that idea. Would she have been disappointed if he had gone back to California? Probably, but only because it would mean Denton was right. But then, Keaton wasn't seeing her because he was attracted to her. He was merely doing what he was being paid to do. To that end, he also served a purpose for her - a person in a sea of strange faces that she could trust.
With the supplies put away, she set up the fan she had purchased, and turned it on low. Dropping to one of the benches, she opened one of the books and leafed through the colorful pages, pausing when she recognized a plant. The description under "huckleberries" was basically the same as blueberries. Another page informed her that the opaque green berries on the thorny vines were gooseberries. Both were edible.
She lifted the hair off the back of her neck and read on, but the sticky heat was too distracting. A cool shower would help. The water bill was going to be outrageous. Selecting a pair of shorts and a halter-top to wear around the house, she searched for something to hold the hair off the back of her neck. A piece of string she found in the kitchen would suffice.
Grabbing a towel, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Closing her eyes, she turned her face up to the shower of warm water.
What had prompted Keaton to bring the books? Did he suspect she was getting bored, or did he assume she would be interested in them because of her profession? If it hadn't been for this trip, she might never have known how well she was suited to her job. She had always found herbs interesting, but until now they were simply mystery medicines. Seeing them grow in the wild was exciting. This was where man had made his first medicines - not from dried herbs on a store shelf, but from the forest itself.
She toweled off and hurriedly dressed. After a quick supper, she grabbed the herb book and stepped outside. Again the forest beckoned, but she resisted. Too many snakes - and next time she might wander so far she wouldn't be able to find her way back.
Even the lawn contained a surprising amount of herbs. Edible plantains grew everywhere. All this food underfoot and what did mankind do? Mow it down, plow it under and plant food that had to be tended. She worked her way toward a little yellow flower and leaned down to examine it.