“Welcome to the site of our new Community Garden.” Aisha had rehearsed saying it while smiling all morning.
The volunteers grumbled as they looked around. She tried hard not to let it bother her.
The fight to use the space and the minimal funding from the city had taken over a year, and the small victory came with certain conditions. The garden had to be aesthetically pleasing, and it had to yield a decent crop.
“I don’t even think weeds will grow in this.” For emphasis, Mr. Tanner poked the ground with a shovel. It barely made a dent in the hard rocky soil.
Aisha held up her hands to quiet the group. “I know it doesn’t look like much now, but if I can get a landscape architect on board with the project, we can turn this into something beautiful.”
“How are we ever going to afford that?” Aisha wished Mr. Tanner had stayed home.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I think I might be able to help.” Aisha turned to look at the man speaking behind her
“I’m Hayden Mills, and I’m a landscape architect.”
Aisha gasped. Hayden Mills was one of the owners of Mills Family Farms.
“Mr. Mills, it’s an honor to meet you, but I think you’re a little out of our price range. This project is tiny compared to the projects you handle.”
Mills smiled. He looked at ease in a nice pair of jeans and a polo shirt with the Mills Family Farms logo. He wasn’t dressed to impress in a silk suit or trying to dress down. Aisha smiled faintly as she thought of the celebrities on magazine covers in torn jeans and t-shirts.
“I think free is exactly the price point you are looking for.”
A few of the volunteers clapped, but most looked skeptical. They weren’t fond of outsiders. Mills Family Farms often made the news for their innovative farming methods and their donations to local food banks, but how much was real and what was just good PR? Aisha would be taking a big risk accepting Mills’ offer to help. She didn’t know anything about his motives or his understanding of the project, but what other choice did she have?
Aisha prayed her mouth wasn’t hanging open. She was so stunned she couldn’t be sure. Why was this man swooping in like a knight in shining armor? She had questions, but now was not the proper time.
He smiled at her, then turned his attention to the volunteers. “Do we have anyone here with carpentry skills?” A few people raised their hands. “That’s great because we’re going to build raised bed planters and bring in some decent soil.” Aisha noticed how easily Mills got and held their attention. “The raised beds will be easier on all our backs. We’re going to take advantage of vertical gardening using trellises and obelisks for vining plants like our tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans. We’ll also be using companion plants and pest repelling herbs and flowers.”
Aisha scanned the faces of the volunteers; even Mr. Tanner seemed impressed.
She glanced at the man beside her as he began passing around sketches for the garden.
“These are some preliminary sketches I drew up this morning when I learned about your project. I’m sorry there wasn’t time to consult you, Ms. Brewer.”
Hayden Mills was attractive. Early forties with gray at the temples, tiny crow’s feet around the eyes and dimples when he smiled. His bronzed complexion was from time spent in the sun not a tanning bed or one of those fake orange spray tans. He was lean and muscular.
Aisha looked at his hands. His fingernails were neatly manicured, but his hands were worker’s hands. She imagined they would feel slightly rough against her skin.
Where did that come from? She didn’t even know him.
His voice was deep and powerful, yet gentle. She was ready to believe every word exiting those lips, but why?
The more he spoke, the more attractive he seemed. Aisha looked away. Why did she always do this? Her last three relationships had started like this. Shouldn’t she know by now that when someone seems too good to be true it’s a red flag? Mills hadn’t given her any indication that he was remotely interested in anything except the project. Any relationship they had would be strictly business. Besides, he must be involved with someone. He might even be married.
Aisha’s reveries were interrupted by the arrival of three city council members, reporters , cameramen, and photographers. The Community Garden pilot project was a wonderful photo opportunity and sound bite even for Councilman Atkins who voted against it. Apparently, he was counting on people forgetting that detail unless the project failed. His presence was a grim reminder that if they failed the whole project would be scrapped and dozens of community gardens would never be approved.
Mills leaned over and whispered in her ear, “There goes the neighborhood. I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to explain my behavior after they leave.” He held up his hand to signal to the council members that he was still addressing the volunteers.
“Thanks for your attention today, and thanks for volunteering to help get this program established. If you go in the community center, Mills Family Farms has prepared a buffet lunch for you. Ms. Brewer and I will be joining you shortly.”
Aisha looked at him in surprise. Who brings lunch for 30 people? How did he know about the city council members and the press? Was this lunch part of a carefully crafted PR campaign? Did it really matter if it helped the Community Garden program?
For the next quarter of an hour Aisha posed for pictures and smiled so much her face was beginning to hurt. Then as quickly as they arrived the council members and the media were gone.
“You’re doing a good thing here. The more people who know about it the better.” He guided her toward the Community Center. “I hope they left some food for us. Make sure you try the potato salad. It’s one of my favorites.” Aisha nodded. “You don’t mind if I call you Aisha, do you? We’re going to be spending a lot of time together. You can call me Hayden or ‘H.’ Kern, my little brother had trouble saying my name, so he just called me ‘H.’ It stuck and pretty soon that’s all anyone called me .”
Could he be any more charming or infuriating?
***
Aisha watched as he made the rounds of the tables speaking with every volunteer before he joined her at one of the tables. The mood was relaxed and hopeful. What the hell was going on?
“Why so quiet?” He asked.
“What just happened? We’ve never met and suddenly we’re working on the Community Garden together. Where were you when I was fighting tooth and nail for funding?” Aisha searched his eyes trying to gauge his sincerity.
“I didn’t plan this. My sister Melanie got a call last night from her friend Gail Langford who is a member of the city council. She told Melanie Councilman Atkins demanded an emergency closed meeting to review some of the recently approved projects. The Community Garden project was at the top of his list. Atkins demanded the project be scrapped because you hadn’t found a landscape architect.” Hayden paused. “Melanie shared your proposal with me. I liked what I read, and how passionate you were about bringing the community together for a common cause. Our grandmother was just like you. She convinced the family to pool its resources and consolidate the land that had been divvied up for generations. Working together made sense. It makes sense for this project.”
Aisha thought for a moment before answering. “I’ve never been compared to anyone’s grandmother before, but she seems like a smart woman, so maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
“She was also beautiful.” Hayden pulled a photo from his wallet of a woman who vaguely resembled Aisha. “You even look a little like her, but I promise that’s not a come on. I really want to help. You have to believe me there was no time for anyone to let you know what was happening. Atkins had to be stopped before he found another excuse to shut the project down.”
“What were you planning to do if I said, ‘no’?” she asked.
“Honestly, I wasn’t going to give you that chance.”
***
After some debate, cement walkways were installed instead of brick or gravel to make the area more accessible.
Luke Tanner and his crew built the raised garden beds to Hayden’s exact specifications, while Hayden and his team tackled the trellises and obelisks.
Marigolds, petunias, basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic, onions, and thyme were planted first to repel garden pests. Tomato seedlings, pepper plants, beans. Squash, cucumbers, radishes and lettuce followed.
In the sunny left back corner, milkweed, lavender, butterfly weed, zinnias, Black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, asters, liatris, and phlox made up a colorful butterfly garden. Under the shade of an existing apple tree in the right back corner two wooden benches sat facing the butterfly garden. Hosta, impatiens, and begonias grew happily in the shade.
Brightly colored rain barrels collected water with their lids protected by padlocked screen lids to keep pests and trash out.
Hayden and the volunteers were just finishing hanging the solar powered tea lights when Aisha arrived.
“What do you think?”
Aisha hesitated a moment. “I think Councilman Atkins should get the first thing we pick from the garden. If he hadn’t tried to scrap this project, we probably never would have met, and created this together.”
Hayden laughed. “I’m okay with that as long as it’s a tomato, and I get to throw it at him.”