Tina saw Jake before he saw her. He was coming up from the creek with a muskrat in his mouth. He'd always been a good hunter whom she'd admired since they'd first met musta been 3 summers ago. He was part of the Johnson pack of dogs that her clan would sometimes sneak past to raid the chickens, but they were both just pups and they played that day.
Perhaps if it was a Shakespearean tale they would have been star-crossed lovers and as they had met over the years Tina had wondered but knew she had her own path to walk. Tina was to be the leader of her family, a respected coyote clan in the valley and Jake was - well, everyone's friend. A politician, a charmer, a good hunter and friend but not a mate.
As they greeted and sniffed each other Tina wondered what that scent was. It was almost like the spring wild flowers but with a sharpness on the nose -ewww! Jake knew from her scent she'd had her second litter that spring and was no doubt trying to feed both herself and the hungry pups. The Muskrat would go home with her. What could a fellow do, they were friends and always would be. As she loped away part of him wondered "gosh she always smelled so nice..." but his home was with Jane and Melissa even if that home was getting crowded with annoying creatures and came with baths -ewww!
One of those annoying creatures was Zeke. Zeke was a young white cockatoo whom Jane had adopted when the local pet shop had gone bust. It's said birds are descendants of dinosaurs and Zeke was pretty sure he was a direct link to Godzilla. He couldn't talk yet so most of his self expression was gleefully fluffing himself up and running around knocking whatever off of shelves in the farmstand. His favorite was knocking the boxes of tea that were stacked near his roost.
When 'Lil' Jane got off the school bus she was happy. She knew it was the last day of the school year and she wouldn't see her friends but rarely through the summer but she liked her job at the farmstand. 'sides Lil Jane was mostly a happy person.
Her Mom was best friends with her namesake Jane, the farmstand's owner, and had gotten her the job two summers ago. But Lil Jane quickly proved she was born for the job. Now, being born with Down Syndrome might have held her back in some ways but she quickly learned all the suppliers. Her disarming questions and listening got her a depth of knowledge about which tomatoes were just right for sauce and which a customer would find better on a salad. She knew to let customers know the melons would "be in soon" and she always made sure people knew she had helped her Mom pick the flowers that went into the soaps and teas that her Mom sold to the farmstand. She was a born saleswoman!
At home her mom and the neighbors just called her Jane but at the farmstand her ability to handle the two boys who worked there earned her the nickname Lil Jane. The boys liked to goof off and get into trouble when the boss was away and 'Lil Jane' knew their hiding spots and would hands on her hips shame them back into doing their work. The ladies who worked with Lil Jane liked her no nonsense attitude with the boys - the boys - well, let's just say they knew she would, "tell!".
Zeke was Lil Jane's newest project. It was love at first sight but a mother's love or maybe a big sister's. She had talked Jane into giving Zeke his own little area where he could roam outside his cage. It was her idea to get an old gumball machine and have Jack the sunflower guy fill it with seeds that people could buy to feed to Zeke. He hadn't learned to talk yet but Lil Jane knew he would - she was teaching him. If he would just quit knocking over the teas - even hands on her hips and a stern "bad boy!" hadn't broken him of that.
The reporter from the local news station that had covered the robbery had taken Jane out on a few dates. In what had to be the hope of perhaps furthering his cause he'd set up the feature piece on the farmstand with his boss. When the news van pulled up Jane brushed herself off and walked out to greet the reporter. The moment the feature reporter hopped out of the vehicle Jane knew it wasn't going to work. The feature reporter was a very pretty young woman but she stood a foot or more shorter than Jane. On TV Jane just knew she'd look like some sort of silly ostrich as the camera panned up to her. She needed a plan B - fast.
After introductions and thanking the reporter for coming out to do the story Jane apologized and explained she had to leave for about an hour "a little personal emergency". "Would the reporter mind doing the interview and story with her 2nd in command?" The two women never said a word about their height difference but the reporter sighed a bit in relief. Till Jane called Lil Jane over and introduced her to the reporter. The reporter lady almost got an eyebrow arched before the cameraman said "OK - I'm ready!" and Lil Jane started right in with "Saturday all the teas are 99 cents - Can't beat a deal like that!" She took the reporters hand and lead her to where the boys were building a mushroom display explaining that Jake (ostensibly the reason for the story) was off hunting right now but he's always right back. Jane snuck off. Lil Jane squeezed the reporters hand she loved her job and loved the spring and summer.
Perhaps if it was a Shakespearean tale they would have been star-crossed lovers and as they had met over the years Tina had wondered but knew she had her own path to walk. Tina was to be the leader of her family, a respected coyote clan in the valley and Jake was - well, everyone's friend. A politician, a charmer, a good hunter and friend but not a mate.
As they greeted and sniffed each other Tina wondered what that scent was. It was almost like the spring wild flowers but with a sharpness on the nose -ewww! Jake knew from her scent she'd had her second litter that spring and was no doubt trying to feed both herself and the hungry pups. The Muskrat would go home with her. What could a fellow do, they were friends and always would be. As she loped away part of him wondered "gosh she always smelled so nice..." but his home was with Jane and Melissa even if that home was getting crowded with annoying creatures and came with baths -ewww!
One of those annoying creatures was Zeke. Zeke was a young white cockatoo whom Jane had adopted when the local pet shop had gone bust. It's said birds are descendants of dinosaurs and Zeke was pretty sure he was a direct link to Godzilla. He couldn't talk yet so most of his self expression was gleefully fluffing himself up and running around knocking whatever off of shelves in the farmstand. His favorite was knocking the boxes of tea that were stacked near his roost.
When 'Lil' Jane got off the school bus she was happy. She knew it was the last day of the school year and she wouldn't see her friends but rarely through the summer but she liked her job at the farmstand. 'sides Lil Jane was mostly a happy person.
Her Mom was best friends with her namesake Jane, the farmstand's owner, and had gotten her the job two summers ago. But Lil Jane quickly proved she was born for the job. Now, being born with Down Syndrome might have held her back in some ways but she quickly learned all the suppliers. Her disarming questions and listening got her a depth of knowledge about which tomatoes were just right for sauce and which a customer would find better on a salad. She knew to let customers know the melons would "be in soon" and she always made sure people knew she had helped her Mom pick the flowers that went into the soaps and teas that her Mom sold to the farmstand. She was a born saleswoman!
At home her mom and the neighbors just called her Jane but at the farmstand her ability to handle the two boys who worked there earned her the nickname Lil Jane. The boys liked to goof off and get into trouble when the boss was away and 'Lil Jane' knew their hiding spots and would hands on her hips shame them back into doing their work. The ladies who worked with Lil Jane liked her no nonsense attitude with the boys - the boys - well, let's just say they knew she would, "tell!".
Zeke was Lil Jane's newest project. It was love at first sight but a mother's love or maybe a big sister's. She had talked Jane into giving Zeke his own little area where he could roam outside his cage. It was her idea to get an old gumball machine and have Jack the sunflower guy fill it with seeds that people could buy to feed to Zeke. He hadn't learned to talk yet but Lil Jane knew he would - she was teaching him. If he would just quit knocking over the teas - even hands on her hips and a stern "bad boy!" hadn't broken him of that.
The reporter from the local news station that had covered the robbery had taken Jane out on a few dates. In what had to be the hope of perhaps furthering his cause he'd set up the feature piece on the farmstand with his boss. When the news van pulled up Jane brushed herself off and walked out to greet the reporter. The moment the feature reporter hopped out of the vehicle Jane knew it wasn't going to work. The feature reporter was a very pretty young woman but she stood a foot or more shorter than Jane. On TV Jane just knew she'd look like some sort of silly ostrich as the camera panned up to her. She needed a plan B - fast.
After introductions and thanking the reporter for coming out to do the story Jane apologized and explained she had to leave for about an hour "a little personal emergency". "Would the reporter mind doing the interview and story with her 2nd in command?" The two women never said a word about their height difference but the reporter sighed a bit in relief. Till Jane called Lil Jane over and introduced her to the reporter. The reporter lady almost got an eyebrow arched before the cameraman said "OK - I'm ready!" and Lil Jane started right in with "Saturday all the teas are 99 cents - Can't beat a deal like that!" She took the reporters hand and lead her to where the boys were building a mushroom display explaining that Jake (ostensibly the reason for the story) was off hunting right now but he's always right back. Jane snuck off. Lil Jane squeezed the reporters hand she loved her job and loved the spring and summer.
A novel!
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