Lana watched as Cassandra raced to the front door, then came back in and stomped up the stairs. Shaking her head, she went back to her work, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Lana was glad that she’d landed this camp, but if she’d known that Cassidee was Cassandra Riddick, she might have thought twice about it, to save her sister, Lorna, some distress.
Upstairs in her room, Cassandra went for her phone. Another of the camp stipulations, was no phones during sessions, in addition to no assistants or PR reps. She promised herself that no matter how much publicity she needed, she would never do this again. However, on the final day, the press coverage was scheduled to be off the charts with television and print, so hopefully it would be worth it this time.
“Winston Gardens,” Jamal answered.
“Why did you give my check back?” Cassandra demanded.
“I left a note,”
She frowned. “I gave it to you!”
“Let’s not make this into a situation,” Jamal said calmly. “I told you, we’re good.”
“I told you that if you took the check, we had a deal. You didn’t take the check, so deal’s off.” She snapped.
“Goodbye, Cass.” Jamal told her.
Cassandra heard the call end and stared at the screen. She turned at the sound of the knock on the door and answered it quickly.
The young man, Russ smiled at her. “Your bath salts, you ordered.” He held up the crystal jar.
“Hey handsome,” Cassandra smiled.
He blushed. “Hey,”
Cassandra took the salts and continued to smile. “I still owe you an autograph.”
“I wasn’t supposed to ask you about that.”
“It’s fine, come on in.” She turned and walked away.
Russ stayed at the door, holding it open. “I’m not allowed inside the rooms.”
She turned back. “Let me get that for you.”
Russ waited, looking around the hall while Cassandra took the pen and pad on the nightstand and wrote a note. She watched him watch her come back across the room, and hand him the paper.
“Thank you,” he said, taking it with a huge smile.
“Now, if I need a favor from you, you owe me one,” Cassandra said slowly.
He nodded. “Anything…”
She laughed softly. “That’s good to know.”
“Thanks again,” he said, holding up the piece of paper.
“You’re welcome, Russ.”
Cassandra closed the door and smiled.
******
Jamal put his phone back into his pocket and continued to walk around the land he’d designated for his marijuana crop, checking the soil. Soon after, he was joined by his father and the two men hugged, after he stood to his feet.
“Hey Daddy,”
“Hey son,”
The pair stood looking eye to eye. “What brings you out here?” Jamal asked.
“Do I need a reason?”
Jamal shrugged. “I don’t know.”
His father nodded. “I came to check on you, after seeing you with that girl last night.”
“It’s cool. That was a one-time thing.”
“Is Lorna okay with that?” the sheriff asked.
“Yeah, she’s fine. She knew I was talking to Cass last night,” he explained. “Cass wanted to have a sit-down for old times’ sake.”
“You got into a lot of trouble with her,” his father reminded him.
“Cass didn’t make me do anything that I didn’t want to,” Jamal told him. “I’m responsible for my own actions and she can’t make me do anything now that I don’t want.”
The sheriff smiled sadly. “Sending you away was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I thought it was best.”
Jamal bent back down to the soil. “I was so mad at you.” He shook his head. “But back then, I was mad at everybody and everything. I did need some anger management.”
His father sighed. “I should’ve helped you manage your grief better.”
“You were going through your own pain,” Jamal said crumbling the dirt in his hand.
“That’s no excuse,”
Jamal glanced up. “Just like there’s no excuse for my behavior. You gave me chance after chance and I disappointed you every time.” Jamal laughed. “Then the one time, that I really hadn’t done anything, was the one that set you off.”
“I wanted you to be a productive citizen, maybe even become the next sheriff,”
Jamal laughed again and spread the earth beneath his hand. “I’ll pass on that.”
His father crouched down to his level. “How are you doing now?”
He looked at the man that he resembled so much. “I’m doing good, Daddy. I’m out here prepping the soil for my next venture.”
“You’re expanding the gardens?”
Jamal stood and nodded, dusting off his hands. “Yeah, I’m growing a new crop.”
“Of what?” his father asked, standing and looking around the empty land.
“Marijuana.”
The sheriff froze. “What did you say?”
“I’m submitting an application with the State to become a licensed Medical Marijuana grower.” Jamal explained.
“Why in the world?” his father asked frowning.
Jamal took a deep breath. “Because it’s a growing business. One that can make me more than enough money to take care of Lorna and have a family.”
“Jamal, you’ve just won the town back over, why would you want to cause this type of mayhem?”
“It doesn’t have to be mayhem. I bought this land and I own it. I can do whatever I please on it.”
His father shook his head. “Does Lorna know about this?”
Jamal nodded. “Yes, and she’s helping me with the business.”
“Son, there are many other crops you could grow,” the sheriff offered.
“It’s legal Daddy, and I’m not hurting anyone.”
“It may be legal, but many feel it’s immoral,”
Jamal shook his head. “Well, they don’t have to use it, but people with cancer and other ailments find it a way to make their lives bearable.”
“Are you going to start smoking it again?” his father demanded.
“I’ll test my product, but that’s not why I’m growing it.”
His father’s eyes narrowed. “This is that girl’s idea?”
“What girl?”
“Cassandra.”
Shaking his head, Jamal answered. “No, this is my idea and I’m going to get the ten thousand I need to submit with the application on my own.”
“You’re going to bring all kinds of thugs and criminals to Grayling,” his father warned.
Jamal laughed. “Daddy, I was buying illegal weed in Grayling nine years ago. How do you think it got here? Missionaries?”
“Well, I don’t want any more here,”
“You won’t. I’m not into illegal means. Gangs and cartels target competition. I’m not messing with their street sales,” Jamal explained. “And I know all the connects around here and we’re cool.”
His father frowned. “Connects?”
“I’m not a snitch,” Jamal told him. “But I have talked to them about not involving the kids. I shouldn’t have been able to get that so easily at my age.”
“You shouldn’t have been able to get it at all,” his father countered.
“I wish I wouldn’t have needed it at that time,” Jamal said quietly. “But it was either that or lose my mind. I needed something to chill me out. When I met Lorna, I slowed down some, but when I met Cass…I went to the extreme.”
His father listened as he continued. “I don’t have any problems with people who smoke. Cannabis is a plant that’s been here long before any of us and will be after we’re all gone. It has healing properties and only close-minded people would begrudge seeing someone else’s pain alleviated.”
The sheriff sighed. “They may try to run you out, over this,”
“They can try, but as long as Lorna Sable is here…I will be, too.”
“How has her family reacted to this?”
“I don’t think she’s told them.”
His father shook his head. “You always wanted to do things the hard way.”
“I just want to do them my way,”
“I don’t know if I can protect you from this…”
Jamal placed a hand on his father’s shoulder. “I’m a grown man and I don’t need your protection anymore. In fact, you protected me too much. It’s time for me to stand on my own.”
“I’m proud of you Jamal and your mother would be proud, too.”
Jamal closed his eyes. “I miss her so much sometimes.”
“You were only nine when she died.”
He squeezed his lids tightly before lifting them. “I remember she’d make me sugar cookies with sprinkles at Christmas time and we’d build a snowman, then come inside and have them with some milk.”
The sheriff smiled. “She loved you to death.”
“I loved her,” Jamal whispered. “And she would want me to follow my dreams. She always told me that all I ever needed was in my hands.” He looked at his palms. “I didn’t know she meant it literally.”
“You do a great job with the garden. Everybody loves your arrangements and your work ethic,” his father complimented.
“I do my best.”
“Well, I’m not going to keep you. Let me know what’s going on with your application so that I can be on top of things around here,”
Jamal nodded. “I will Daddy. Take care…”
“I’ll see you soon,” his father promised.
Jamal walked his father to his squad car and watched him drive away. Quietly, he looked around his land and felt determined, before heading into his office. Inside, Jamal went over his orders and turned on his computer.
Later, in his greenhouse, he checked on his inventory and thought about the arrangement he’d make for Lorna tomorrow. This morning he’d left her bouquet in her office and hadn’t seen her since their encounter in the dining room with Mrs. Langston.
Last night, Jamal had held his love in his arms underneath their stars. When he’d been in the detention center, Jamal remembered looking out of the window at night thinking about Lorna, wondering if he would ever see her again, let alone sit under the night sky with her.
She’d laid her head on his chest and nestled close to him, making Jamal determined to never return to their status quo. Lorna was who and what he’d always wanted, and he made it known. Being able to bestow love on her in an intimate way, was his ultimate wish fulfilled.
His phone rang again and he hoped that it wasn’t Cass again. He’d had more than enough of her shit at this point and couldn’t wait for her to haul ass out of town.
“Winston Gardens,”
“Hi, Jamal…”
He looked surprised. “Lorna…something wrong with the order?”
“No, the order was fine…as usual.” She told him. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“Okay,” he said slowly.
“Can we talk about it tonight? It’s about your business.”
Jamal paused. “Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I’d just like to discuss it, when we’re both free,” Lorna told him. “You are free tonight?”
He smiled. “I’m always free for you, Beauty.”
“We don’t need help in the kitchen tonight, so do you want me to come out to your place?” Lorna asked.
“Nah, I don’t want you driving into town after dinner. I’ll come to your place.”
“Okay, I’ll bring dinner home with me,”
Jamal felt his heart tingle. “I like the sound of that.”
“I know, we sound like an old married couple,” Lorna laughed.
“That sounds very good to me.”
She sighed. “Bye Jamal…I’ll see you tonight.
“Bye, Beauty.”
Jamal disconnected the call and sat his phone aside. Walking down the aisle inside the greenhouse, he surveyed the selection, before creating something for a very special woman.
******
Lorna hung up the phone at the front desk, and looked up as Russ came through the lobby all smiles.
“Hey Russ,”
“Hey, Lorna,”
“How’s it going?”
Russ grinned wider. “Great!”
“I’m glad that you could help out in the kitchen tonight,” Lorna told him.
“Me, too.” He agreed. “And I get to see Cassidee,”
Lorna kept herself from frowning. “You know you’re not allowed to bother the guests.”
He nodded. “I know, but Cassidee is cool.”
Lifting a brow, she asked, “She’s cool?”
“Yeah, she gave me her autograph,” he said, pulling the paper from his back pocket.
Lorna took the paper and read the words before actually frowning.
To Russ…My handsome new friend at the Sable Inn. –Cassidee
Handing the paper back to him, Lorna said, “Be careful, Russ.”
“Careful?” he asked, putting the paper back in his pocket.
“We like you working here, and we don’t want to have to let you go for breaking the rules,” Lorna warned.
“I didn’t ask her for it,” he defended. “She gave it to me when I delivered some bath salts to her room.”
Lorna nodded. “I’m going to make a note that you are not to deliver anything else to her during her stay.”
He looked sad. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’m not saying that you did,” Lorna consoled him. “I’m protecting you and the Inn.”
Russ sighed.
“Russ, you’re nineteen. You’re taking college courses and just starting your life. You don’t need any kind of scandals to get you off track,” Lorna explained. “Cassidee will be gone in a few days, but your life will go on.”
He looked at her for a minute. “Okay, Lorna.”
She smiled. “We love having you here. I’m glad my father hired you.”
“I appreciate the job,” Russ told her. “Mr. Sable is bomb.”
“Yeah, I think so, too.” Lorna agreed. “You can make sure the dining room is set up for the dinner hour.”
“Okay,”
Lorna watched him walk away and shook her head. Picking up the desk phone, she called her father’s office.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Daddy, it’s Lorna.”
“Yes, Lorna?”
“Are you busy?”
Lloyd smiled. “No, I was just about to call Lavender.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Lorna apologized. “I wanted to tell you about Russ.”
He sat up. “Is he in trouble?”
“Cassidee gave him an autograph, one that I think was inappropriate, but I’ve instructed him not to deliver anything else to her room. I don’t want the Inn getting sued for some type of harassment, although he says, that she offered him the autograph.”
Lloyd sighed. “This week needs to go by very quickly.”
“I agree,” Lorna said. “I put a note in the system about this, so everyone will know.”
“Okay, and I’ll talk to Russ,”
“I already warned him,” Lorna relayed.
He nodded. “This is a different kind of talk.”
“Oh, alright…”
“I’ll be out to help with the dinner service,”
“With you and Russ tonight, I told Jamal that we didn’t need him.”
Lloyd laughed. “He’ll probably show up anyway, just to see you.”
“I’m going to see him later.” Lorna said quietly. “Jamal told me about your conversation with him earlier today.”
“We have an understanding,” Lloyd told her.
“I see,” Lorna agreed with her father. “You know that I’m not a little girl anymore, Daddy.”
“Lorna Sable, you will always and forever be my little girl.”
She smiled. “I love you.”
“And I love my girls…”
“I’ll see you in the dining room.”
Lorna worked the dinner service, along with Lena and her father, while Lana and Derek were home, allowing Lana to get some rest and care for the growing Sable baby. She felt Cassandra’s eyes on her during the entire meal, before making her way to the kitchen after dinner was done.
Lorna was stacking items in the pantry, when she felt a warm hand on her back.
Turning, she looked into a handsome face, before a pair of firm lips pressed against hers.
“Hello, Lorna.”
“Well, hello…” she whispered, rubbing a thumb across his lips.
“You have to hurry up because I think Mrs. Langston has a GPS on me,” Jamal whispered.
Lorna laughed. “I’m done and I’m ready to go.” She took his hand. “Let’s go out the back, I don’t want to run into your friend.”
She began to walk and Jamal stopped her. “Hey, you don’t have to avoid her.”
“I don’t want to start our evening on a bad note, because she’s on the top of my list for people that I don’t really like,” Lorna told him.
Jamal frowned. “What happened?”
“She gave Russ an autograph, calling him her handsome new friend…”
He shrugged. “Maybe that’s what she always writes?”
Lorna smirked. “Okay, I don’t trust her and I’ll probably never stop doubting any of her motives.”
“Alright, don’t trip,” Jamal said, hugging her. “Let’s go eat.”
She returned his hug. “I told you I didn’t want to start on a bad note.”
Jamal took her hand. “Whatever you want,”
The couple stopped in the kitchen, where Lorna picked up the packaged dinner plates, and after grabbing her jacket, they headed to her home. Jamal carried the items in one hand, while holding hers with his other. The chill in the air made him smile.
“It’s going to snow soon,” he told her.
She laughed. “You really love the snow.”
“I do, it reminds me of my mother,”
Lorna squeezed his hand. “I don’t know if it’s harder to have memories of your mother or to not really have known her at all.”
“You were a baby,”
She nodded. “Yeah, sometimes I wish I had memories of her, but I really don’t.”
“I’m glad for the memories that I have of my mother,” Jamal said quietly, as they walked. “They kept me company a lot.”
Lorna looked up at him. “Then, I’m glad you have them, too.”
Jamal touched his cold lips to hers and they continued until they reached her porch. Lorna gasped and slowly climbed the few stairs.
“Jamal…”
“Welcome home, Beauty.”
She looked around at the trail of colorful flower petals that led to her door, then back at him.
“You’re so sweet,” Lorna told him.
Jamal held out his hand for her key, and when she placed it in his palm, he opened her door to more petals inside.
“Lana let me in,” he explained. “Because I wanted to surprise you.”
Lorna put her hands to her face and stepped inside, seeing the petals leading all the way to her bedroom. She kicked off her shoes and followed them, finding a beautiful arrangement next to her bed. Lorna sat on the mattress and touched the flowers and greens so beautifully put together.
Jamal came to stand in her doorway in his socks, jeans and flannel shirt. Lorna turned to look at him with a soft smile. Sitting back on the bed, she beckoned him to come over. Lorna watched as Jamal slowly crossed the room. She held out her arms and he gladly fell into them, kissing her with unleashed passion.
Lorna rubbed the back of his head, when he broke the kiss to stare down at her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Thank you, Lorna.”
She held him in her arms while they connected with one another.
“How was your day?” Lorna asked softly in his ear.
Jamal turned his lips to her face. “My father came to the gardens.”
Lorna froze. “Is everything okay?”
“Cass.”
“He was concerned about you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, and his concern grew when I told him about becoming a marijuana grower.”
Lorna groaned. “I can imagine that it did.” She turned to look at him.
“People act like marijuana is the path to hell,” he said frustrated, and moved next to her on the bed.
“I think people just don’t have information, Jamal.” Lorna said touching his face. “I mean, when you first told me, I didn’t think about it the way you had. I’m so accustomed to marijuana being something that can send you to jail.”
“That has been the case for jails full of black men, so I can understand that,” Jamal replied. “But I also understand how many fortunes have been made off of things that the people in control and power, have shut us out of...”
“They did the same thing with alcohol. A slave named Nearest Green taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Today, Jack Daniel’s descendants are on the Forbes list as billionaires and where is Mr. Green’s family?” he told her. “Not on the Forbes list…”
Lorna blinked. “You read Forbes Magazine?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I read Forbes and I plan to be in there one day, running a successful multi-million-dollar business.”
She stared at him for a minute, then said, “I really haven’t seen you at all.”
“Do you see me now?”