Free Summer In Iron Springs by Margie Broschinsky

expected to hear from Jaxon and it was a good thing because he hadn’t emailed. She’d gotten one email from Elise saying that she saw Jaxon out with Laree Sharman. Phoebe thought she should have been bugged but she wasn’t. There was an email from her dad— Hope you’re settling in, I’ll call you soon —short and to the point. Phoebe had picked up the phone to call him but hung it back up. She wanted to know about the conversation she’d overheard but she wasn’t ready to talk to him yet.
    Nothing but drama was happening on Facebook so Phoebe shut down the computer and took Bandit for a walk. She let him lead since he seemed to know his way around. He took her to the row of cabins where Billy and the others lived and Phoebe took a minute to glance at each one. She decided Billy’s was the one with the purple and yellow flowers blooming in the wooden flower box attached to the porch railing. She smiled while she admired them. The other three cabins were free of color or decoration. Billy’s—or the one she was sure was Billy’s—also had a wind chime hanging on the porch. The sound it made was pretty. It, combined with a nearby finch’s melody and the rustling of leaves, created a peaceful song. Something about the feel of Iron Springs was growing on her.
    ***
    “You’re doing a great job, little lady!” Norm said when he came to check in on the progress she was making with the sprinklers.
    Phoebe glanced up at Norm, using her hand to shield her eyes from the beating sun. She didn’t respond to the compliment but there was a part of her—a very small part—that enjoyed hearing it. For her whole life, she’d worked hard to hear similar words come out of her father’s mouth. But all she got from him were lectures on how she ought to get serious about her future and start thinking of something productive to do with her life. What he meant, of course, was that she ought to do something other than painting.
    “Only three thousand more trees to irrigate before we start it all over again.” Norm chuckled.
    “Great,” Phoebe said before forcing herself to get back to work.
    Norm, as usual, was incapable of silence. He talked nonstop. He possessed more useless information than anyone she’d ever met and she was convinced that he planned to share it all with her all in one day.
    “You ever heard of Steve Jobs?” he asked as he watched her carry a load of pipes along the dirt trail.
    Phoebe gave Norm a flat stare. “No.” But I’m sure you’re going to tell me all about him.
    “Well, you’ll be interested to know that he worked in apple orchards as a kid. He liked it so much that he named his company Apple Computers.”
    “Wow.” Phoebe replied dully.
     
    ***
    After what seemed like an eternity of muddy and exhausting work, Phoebe checked her watch. She had been moving sprinklers for five straight hours. The sun was beating down on her and her arms were covered with scratches.
    “Time fo r lunch,” John announced as he and Billy headed toward the area where Phoebe was working.
    “Why are you always the one who announces lunch?” Billy joked. He patted John’s large belly and the two men broke out in loud laughter.
    As soon as she heard John mention the word lunch , Phoebe became aware of her hunger. She hadn’t eaten the toast Norm gave her that morning and she’d worked up quite an appetite. Ready to fill her stomach, she took off her gloves and followed the others to the truck.
    Stephen stood beside her while they waited for Norm to unload the lunch cooler. He smiled a wide, child-like smile at her. “You’re a hard worker,” he said.
    “Thanks,” Phoebe mumbled. At first, she was uncomfortable by the way the shy man stared at her. But the kindness in his eyes quickly settled her feelings.
    “You’re Bessie’s daughter,” Stephen glanced awkwardly at his worn out shoes.
    “Yes,” Phoebe answered. She stared off in the distance.
    “Bessie was nice to me.” The innocence in