The police didn’t provide much hope of catching the yard wrecker. The extent of damages wouldn’t be completely evident until daylight.
Cowboy and I stood at the front door talking to the chief of police.
Matt stuffed a little spiral notebook in his shirt pocket. “While we try to solve a murder, your case won’t get much attention. Contact your insurance agent about the damage, and see a doctor if you’re hurt. I’ll look into your case later.”
“Matt, don’t you think the two incidents could be connected?”
He laughed. “Not for one minute. See you ‘round.” He sauntered toward his car.
A tall figure appeared, running on the sidewalk. My heart stuttered. Nobody would try to hurt me with a police car in front of my house.
The runner was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and a ball cap. Not a hoodie, but that’d be easy enough to toss.
Matt looked toward the other man and spoke.
The runner waved to me while talking to the police chief.
Jake.
Woof. Woof. Cowboy barked a friendly greeting.
The two men parted, and Jake walked to me and loved on my dog. “Hey, there. I heard you got into a scuffle.”
“Yeah. Matt says he’s worked with lots of dogs and thinks Cowboy is okay.” I ran my hand over Cowboy’s head. “If he’s limping tomorrow, I’ll call Dr. Erb’s office.”
Jake stood. “I meant you. Are you okay?”
I glanced down at my dirty black blouse and skirt. “Yeah, but the baseball bat wasn’t much help. I swung and missed. The thug pushed me down and got away.”
Jake swiped at the perspiration beading his forehead. “I see you’re safe, but are you okay? Physically and emotionally?”
I pressed my lips together. Leave it to Jake to ask how I was handling the invasion, or attack, or whatever you called it. My legs shook. “Do you want to come in? I can get you a glass of water.”
“Sure.” He followed me to the kitchen, grabbed a paper towel, and swiped his damp face. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
I poured two glasses of water and passed one to him. “I’m physically okay. Might need to go to the batting cage and work on my swing, though.”
He chugged his water. “Emotionally? Don’t try to convince me this didn’t affect you. It’s bound to have rocked your equilibrium.”
I leaned against the counter, and Cowboy lay at my feet. “Honestly, I’m devastated. I’ve dreamed of being a flower farmer for years. Step by step, I bought this property with enough land to grow flowers. It took years of hard work, but I transformed my yard into raised beds to grow flowers. My goal was to grow more flowers every year. The countless hours and money poured into the land, and my business were demolished in a short time.” The attack on my gardens felt like a knife to my heart.
“Sounds bad, but all situations look darkest before the morning.”
I threw my shoulders back. “You know what? Standing around and feeling sorry for myself won’t fix this problem.” I stormed out of the kitchen and toward the bedroom.
“What are you going to do?”
“Change into something else, then see what I can salvage. Thanks for stopping by, Jake. If you don’t mind, lock the door on your way out.” In no time, I ditched my dirty catering outfit and pulled on my garden clothes. The sound of a door shutting comforted me. Jake wouldn’t try to dissuade me from working on my yard in the dark. I didn’t have time to argue.
After turning on all the upstairs lights, I ran downstairs and turned on every possible light. For protection. To discourage the previous intruder. “Cowboy, you need to rest your leg. Let’s get you in the crate.”
He obeyed without a whimper, and I rewarded him with a treat. “Good boy. I’d rather have your company outside, but you’re injured. This is best for you.”
My phone vibrated, and a message appeared from Jake. I’m in your backyard.
I walked out. “Jake, what are you doing? I thought you left.”
He appeared with one handful of snapdragons and a clay flowerpot. “I thought I’d help, but it turns out I don’t know exactly what to save. If it has roots, I’m picking the things up.”
Tension eased from my shoulders. “Seems like you know what to do. I’ve got extra gloves in the shed. The hardware store was having a clearance sale, and I bought a bundle of all sizes.” I walked to the small woodshed, where a bag of garden gloves sat in a box on a shelf.
“Go ahead and grab two extra-large pairs and a smaller one. Brett and Celia are on the way over with coffee and a hankering to help.”
Sophie would’ve been the first person I’d have called if she didn’t have a big Sunday order. “That’s so nice.” It was hard for me to ask for help, but my business was on the line. Pride wouldn’t stop me from saving my flowers.
When the others arrived, we devised a system for sorting and replanting what I thought might survive the attack. Fighting doubts and worry was easier with a group surrounding me. Alone, I probably would’ve been a big ole blubbery mess.
After a few hours, Brett said, “Emma, we’ve tackled as much as I think we can in the dark. I can close the shop tomorrow, er, I guess today, and be back in a few hours to continue.”
I stepped closer and touched his arm. “You’ll do no such thing. Go home and get some sleep. You’re still recovering from surgery, and yet you showed up and helped. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.”
“It ain’t no thing.”
Celia joined us. “I’m heading home later today. My assistant started having contractions, and the doctor told her to stay in bed for a few days. Is there anything else I can do now?”
I hugged her. “No. Go get some sleep and enjoy what time you have left with Brett and of course, your brother. We’ve been through a lot in a short time.”
She held me tight. “You can say that again. Take care, Emma.”
Jake tugged off his gloves. “Why don’t you crash at my apartment? That way, you won’t wake any guests up at the b-and-b.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” Celia nodded. “Thanks for the offer, Jake.”
“Let’s roll. Emma, we’ll see you later.”
“Thanks again, y’all.”
I locked myself inside and headed upstairs. After showering, I collapsed in my comfy bed. Every bone in my body ached, but after our hard work, there was a chance the attack on my gardens would only be a setback. Not an end to my business. I thanked God for good friends and promptly fell asleep.