May 17, 2024

Luck of the Irish - Chapter Eight

Chapter 8

Meggie, Saoirse, and Brady had taken one of the SUVs into town to pick up some end-of-summer supplies. Brady was one of Meggie’s friends from another Grove family and Sair enjoyed his big-brother teasing antics. They’d finished up loading the order from the bulk supply store and decided to check out the farmer’s market across the street.

“Let’s grab coffee first,” Meggie said. “Then we can go to the bakery stands and get a treat to enjoy while we browse.”

“I could use a coffee and some food,” Saoirse said. “And I’ve been craving some fresh berries. It’s berry season here now, right?”

“Just getting started, but yeah,” Brady replied. His brown hair curled against his collar and his brown eyes shone with good humor. “I could also see if the guy that sells whetstones is here. I gave mine to Micah when he got his first knife for his birthday last week.”

“You’re so sweet to your brothers,” Meggie said. “I’ll pay for the coffee, let’s go.”

The market spread out across a space the size of a football field with four paths north to south and four east to west. Everything from arts and crafts to fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, and even plants for your garden were set up in stalls that drew one in with bright displays and tempting aromas.

The three of them got their coffees and then stopped at a bakery stand and picked out a treat that Brady paid for before he left them to wander while he sought out the stand for knives and sharpening stones.

“Ma’s birthday is coming up. I should see if I can find something for her,” Meggie said.

“Oh, yes,” Saoirse replied. “I want to get her something. I’ve noticed she likes stained glass things, like the sun catchers she hangs in the windows.”

“She loves those,” Meggie replied. “And fabric art stuff. Quilts or crocheted things. I got her a set of crocheted table toppers last year that she uses in her rooms but doesn’t trust them out in the main house because the boys are rough on stuff.”

They wandered from stall to stall where Meggie picked up a lap quilt that she knew her mother would love, but Sair kept looking. It was about halfway through the market where she found a glass artist who had a window panel in shades of blue, green, and gold with a black raven, wings spread in flight, in the center. Each corner held a different colored triskele against a contrasting background color – blue with gold, gold with green, and so on.

Sair paid for the piece and asked the artist to package it up for her to retrieve when she was ready to go.

“Ma’s going to love that. It’s perfect,” Meggie told Saoirse. “Smart leaving it here until we’re done. It looks heavy.”

“Next time we come, I’m bringing one of those baskets on wheels,” Saoirse replied.

They started up the last row when Sair pulled Meggie close and leaned in to whisper near her ear. “See those two guys in the gray hoodies? They’ve been following us for a while now. They stop when we stop, then move on when we do, but they’re not buying anything. Just look over my shoulder, two stalls down. One has black hair, the other is bald.”