Community Gardens (Community Garden Series Book 1) by Karin Boutall Page B

flying
across the sound through unlimited space and sky. This was the place
where his father had earned his wings.
    On the way back, they stopped at Bridge Park where his father had
proposed. Zack hopped out of the car and skipped the length of the
pier. Midway down the pier, he squatted and looked through a crack to
search for fish in the murky waters.
    “ Look
Mom, crab.”
    Joan bowed to look, but recoiled at a whiff of dead fish. “Whew,
did you smell that?”
    “ Yeah,”
he continued to stare through the crack, undisturbed.
    “ It
didn't bother you?”
    “ Sure,
but it goes away fast.”
    Joan felt the slight breeze. The stench had passed quickly, like a
speck of dust caught in the wind. Had she held her breath for a
second, she wouldn't have noticed.
    “ I'd
like to give you something.” She pulled a small clutch from her
purse and handed it to him.
    “ It
looks worn out.”
    “ It
is. I've been hanging on to it for awhile. I meant to give it to you
sooner.”
    He opened the clutch and looked at the aviator wings.
    “ Wow,
Dad's wings.”
    “ I
think we should frame them instead of carrying 'em in my purse. We
can hang them near your collection of model airplanes.”
    “ Awesome,
thanks mom,” he said as he set the wings back in the clutch.
    “ You
ready for some kayaking now?”
    “ Yeah!”
Zack carried his excitement all the way to the launch site.
    At the shore, red, yellow and blue kayaks lined the beach in neat
rows, like soldiers preparing for drill. Along the beach, paddles and
personal flotation devices (PFDs) laid across the sand. A few
students adjusted their PFD straps making them fit snug. Others swung
and dipped their paddles through the air to practice stroke
technique. The smell of sunscreen, layered on thick and heavy,
competed with the ocean air. Compared to the morning's serene outing,
this group was as lively as a fourth of July picnic.
    It'd been a long time since she had enjoyed the beach, the sand, the
views. Instead, she had devoted all her time to launching the store.
Since Chris had passed away, she worked on little else except
restoring the gardens, house and trails. Then came the legal grind
just to establish a business. Now, with the launch complete and the
business working, she felt entitled to a relaxtion day. The break
from goals, planning and mindless busy work was a subtle reminder
that even though a part of her life was gone, she could move forward
and still feel alive. Perhaps there could be life after death.
    The thought of Cal suggesting this kayak trip made her smile. He had
been so confident that Zack would like the group. And getting Zack
interested in a new hobby before leaving baseball was smart, in her
opinion. “Always leave on a good note,” she thought. With
that in mind, she slipped on her wading shoes and headed to the
launch site. She watched Zack run toward Stephanie, Principal Stone's
daughter, as soon as he recognized her. She was the only person in
the group that either one of them knew, except for Cal. Then she
heard Cal. Her heart fluttered when she saw him standing with his arm
draped over Sara's shoulder. Why
is she here ? Joan willed herself to stay calm. She would
not let Sara's presence ruin a good day. It didn't matter, she told
herself, whether Sara was Cal Reardon's girlfriend or partner. She,
Joan Louen, didn't need a partner. She could manage on her own.
    As she approached, Cal dropped his arm from Sara's shoulder. Sara
squinted at Joan as if blinded by sun glare. Joan hid her irritation
behind the dark sunglasses she was wearing. How could Sara not
show up at council meeting after promising to do so? At the
moment, confronting Sara was not an option in front of Zack and his
friends. Instead, she would wait to demand an explanation and not
risk a scene.
    “ You
made it and I see you already know Stephanie,” Cal said.
    “ She's
been teaching me how to paddle,” Zack replied.
    “ This
is good news. Stephanie's a great