Sometime Yesterday Read Online Free PDF Page B

great-whatever-many-times-grandfather used be the head gardener for the original owners.
    She had bragged about it when she was sixteen and her friends thought it would be fun to party in the abandoned house. So one stormy night, armed with beer, flashlights, and sleeping bags, they paired off and spread out throughout the rooms.
    She couldn’t help but grin when she also recalled that she made out with the head cheerleader, Missy, that night. If the other kids were scared and reported slamming doors and spooky knocking noises, she hadn’t heard them over her raging hormones. Van didn’t believe in ghosts. She had, however, believed in making it to second base with Missy Barnes.
    The state of the grounds on either side of the driveway brought her back to the present. Karen Small had come to the nursery earlier in the week. While Van was ringing her purchase, Karen mentioned that the new owner of the old Seeley place might need the services of a good landscaper because she was certain it would be too much work for an individual to take on by herself. Karen pulled out a business card and wrote the new owner’s name on the back of it.
    Van continued to the house and mentally made an automatic checklist of what was needed to restore the gardens. Maybe the new owner would trust her experience to design a new plan for the yard. Oleander trees, azaleas, and rhododendrons grown out of control encroached on the driveway; thimbleberry and oxalis grew haphazardly around the scattered coastal trees; weeds and grass as tall as an adult in some areas, ran through the acreage. The sweet smell of honeysuckle in the sunny afternoon wafted through her open window and Van took a deep breath. She loved the amazing beauty of the California coast and knew she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
    The house came into view and she admired the wraparound porch. She didn’t remember the house being pink before, but the color really stood out now. Definitely not a choice she would have made, but then again, she didn’t own it.
    By the time Van reached the door, she had already processed approximate cost, and how many of her crew she would need, though she wouldn’t know for certain until she saw the back of the house. She pulled the owner’s name out of her back pocket. The nursery did well, but she was excited about the scope of this job, and it would give her crew something to do during the summer. She reconsidered the size of the property and amended that estimate of time to continue right through the fall. They were booked solid for the next few weeks of spring.
    Van heard the click of the dead bolt opening and had to look down at the woman who answered the door. She was momentarily caught off guard. Damn, she was a sucker for a redhead. Especially ones with freckles sprinkled across their nose and eyes as green as diamond cut emeralds. She cleared her throat and handed her one of her landscaping cards. So much for her standard business pitch. The woman stared back at her. It was the woman from the store parking lot, the one whose pockets she admired.
    “Van Easton.” She finally managed to blurt out before she stuck out her hand.
    The woman shook her hand. “Hello.”
    Van cleared her throat again. “Mrs. Chambers?”
    A split second of sadness passed over her face. “Nope, someone else has that title now. Natalie O’Donnell. What can I do for you?” Her smile was polite, pretty, and soft.
    Van licked her lips, suddenly wishing she had some water. “Well, actually, Natalie, it’s what I can do for you.” She indicated the grounds with a sweep of her arm. “I ran into Karen a few days ago and she mentioned that you might need a landscaper.”
    Natalie twitched and looked around Van.
    Van backed up a step on the porch. The seconds ticked by into a full minute. What? Doesn’t she know what her yard looks like? “Ma’am?” Van saw a flicker of fear in her expression.
    “I could certainly use some help,” Natalie said. “The