A Peony for Your Thoughts

"A peony for your thoughts!" A soft voice spoke near me, breaking me out of my daydream. It was Eleanor Carter from the flower stall next to my location at the Farmer's Market. She was holding a beautiful, deep magenta flower, out to me. I reached over the display of organic tomatoes and took the offering.

"Thanks Eleanor." I responded to the pretty young woman as I took the flower from her. I had a little bit of water left in a bottle so I slipped the stem inside and sat it on top of my display.

"You were thinking about her again, weren't you?" She said, more as a statement than a question. The pity in her eyes was comforting, and irritating, at the same time. I wanted to move past the death of my wife, but it was so hard. So damn hard.

"Yeah." I admitted. "Thanks for caring. I'm glad somebody does."

"We all care Mr. Darling." She said. Sensing that I didn't want to talk, she turned and walked the short distance back to her stall. She stopped to adjust some of the flower arraignments that her family had out for sale. The Neanderthal instinct in me forced me to check out her twenty year old form, not that there was a whole lot to see.

Eleanor came from a very strict Pentecostal family. She and her mother both wore long skirts with loose, long sleeved blouses, every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. Their long blond hair was always up in a severe bun and neither of them ever wore any makeup. Even so, they were pretty women, with ice blue eyes and Scandinavian features. When they stood up straight you could see that there was some considerable flesh hiding under those loose blouses and I had noticed that Eleanor's skirt was filled out rather well below her waist. But those thoughts just led me to think about Claire...

...It was the summer before the diagnosis. It was July 5th to be exact, because I remember that we got up late because we had gone to town to see the fireworks the night before. It wasn't a market day, so I was hoeing around the tomatoes while Claire picked beans. When it got hot she would often wear a light sundress and it was always my favorite way for her to dress. I looked up from hoeing and was treated to a view straight down the drooping neck of her dress. Her pointy little breasts were hanging down so invitingly, the pink nipples coming almost to a sharp little point. She noticed that I wasn't hoeing and looked at me.

"Get back to work Mr. D." She said with a laugh, although she didn't make any move to hide the view.

I blew her a kiss and went back to work, although it was bit uncomfortable with the swelling in my pants. When I looked up again she had her back to me and I was treated to a view of her firm ass covered by the yellow cotton of her dress. My cock swelled even more. I laid down my hoe and moved up behind her. Grabbing her by the hips I pressed my crotch into her ass.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed as my cock pressed into the crack of her ass. "Is that a cucumber in your pocket or are you glad to see me?" She joked with a giggle.

"It is most definitely not a cucumber." I whispered into her ear is I leaned over and slipped a hand inside the arm hole of her dress. I palmed one of her soft, hanging breasts and felt her nipple harden to my touch. She let out a low moan and the sack full of picked beans she had picked fell to the ground.

"Oh God, you make me wet every time you touch me Scott." Claire moaned as I kneaded her tit. My other hand reached around and rubbed hard atop the mound of her pussy. "Take me now. Right now!" She almost screamed in her sudden need.

Claire's hands reached back and fumbled with my belt as I raised the hem of her dress up over her ass. She was wearing thin white panties that were so old they were almost see-through. With a yank I torn them from her body and tossed them into the bean patch. Claire whimpered in anticipation as I pulled my cock out of my jeans. She spread her legs and grabbed her ankles as I lined my cock up with her dripping cunt.

"Fuck me good, baby." She said. "I need it bad." She looked back over her shoulder and her eyes were smoldering with lust. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened as I slid my cock into her in one smooth motion.

"Fuck, you're soaked!" I blurted as I began to fuck her hard. She made no reply except to grunt each time my ball sack slapped audibly against her swollen clit. I held her hips tight as I slammed into her, giving her a hard, fast fuck; just the way she likes it when she gets this way. As I pounded her, her yellow dress slid down her back until it was bunched up around her neck. With one hand she pulled it over her head and dropped it to the ground. That hand didn't go back to her ankle, it went instead to her tits where she began to squeeze and pull her nipples.

"Oh yeah, here it comes! Here it comes! Don't stop baby, don't stop!" She cried out as her release approached. I began to feel my balls tighten too and I knew that we would come together standing amid the green beans on our small homestead farm. With a couple of last, hard thrusts the damn burst and I flooded her with my seed just as I felt her cunt clamp down on me as her own orgasm began. The rhythmic pulsing of her muscles seemed to milk my cock dry as I struggled to hold us both upright as we savored the feelings. As I felt her orgasm retreat, I helped her stand up and then I picked her up in my arms. Without a word, I carried my naked wife to the house.

I smiled as I remembered that the hoeing didn't get finished and the beans didn't get picked that day. "You're doing it again!" I heard Eleanor call from her stall. I looked up with a smile. "It must have been a good memory this time," she said, "you were smiling."

I nodded back at her. "It was." I replied. "A very good memory this time."

"That's what you need to remember." Eleanor replied. "Remember the good times. That's what Claire would want."

I nodded again but before I could reply a customer came up to my stand. I stayed steadily busy the rest of the morning and early afternoon and I didn't get a chance to talk to Eleanor again until the Market closed up at 3:00 pm. It always took Eleanor less time to pack up her flowers than it did my vegetables so by the time she caught up with me she was ready to go but I was still packing unsold squash into travel crates.

"Mr. Darling, can ask a favor of you?" She asked as I was toting a crate of squash out to my truck.

"Sure sweetie, what can I do for you?" I replied.

"Mom and dad are going to the flower show in Chicago Saturday," she began, "actually, mom is going and she's making dad go with her. But, anyway we've got a pre-packed shipment arriving here at opening on Saturday but I have to take mom and dad to the airport. Can you sign for it and set them out on the empty rack? I'll bring everything else early and all you'll have to do is set them out and watch the stall for me for a little while."

She knew I would do it. Her family and I have been watching each other's stuff for years when one or the other had to run an errand or something on Market day. "No problem Eleanor. Tell your folks to have a nice trip."

"Thanks, you're great Mr. Darling!" She said. With a wave she jumped into the old pickup that they used to bring flowers to and from the market and drove off. I waved and went back in to finish packing up my produce.

**************

The Farmer's market doesn't officially open until 7:00 AM, but old Bert who watches the place (and lives in an old RV behind the main building) lets us regulars in early to set up. I got to the market at about 6:15 that Saturday morning and Bert was already sitting in a lawn chair by the gate drinking a cup of coffee.

"Marnin' Scott." The old man drawled over the rim of his cup. "Look's to be fine day, don'cha think?"

"Yep, sure do." I said, slipping easily into a version of the local vernacular. "Bet it'll be right hot by midday though."

"Yep." Bert acknowledged. "By the by, young Eleanor said ta remind ya that thars a truck comin' this marnin'."

"I remember." I replied. "Have a good'un Bert."

"Ya too Scott." He replied as I drove my truck through the gate.

Eleanor's stall was already set up and, as promised, she had left an empty display for the arriving flowers. I got my vegetables out and then went and fetched Eleanor's cash register drawer from under the display where she had stashed it. I opened it up and it was fully stocked with start-up money for making change. Under the plastic drawer I found the small sign that told customers to see me for purchases and put it out on a small stand next to her cash register. The delivery actually showed up on time and ten minutes after he showed up I had the flower arraignments set out.

With the weather being good the Market was really busy. There was a steady stream of business, both to my booth and Eleanor's. I was so busy I didn't even begin to wonder about her not showing up to work until after ten in the morning. By eleven I was getting worried and by noon I knew that something was wrong. I was about to go ask Bert to call the Carter's when I heard the news.

"Did you hear what happened at the airport?" One lady standing at my booth asked another.

"No what?"

"One of them little commuter planes crashed." The lady said. "The news said it appeared to have engine trouble. Crashed into a hill over by the quarries."

"Oh my." The other lady replied. "Did anyone get out?"

"I don't think so."

I looked over at Eleanor's empty booth and I just knew that it was the plane carrying her parents. I sat down heavily in my chair. Oh God. Bob and Carol Carter were on that plane. I couldn't believe it. People that I had known for years. People I had spent hours talking to over our displays at the Market. Carol Carter had brought me dinners for almost a month after Claire passed when I was having a hard time talking care of myself because of the grief. And Eleanor, an only child and with no relatives that I knew of. Eleanor. Shit.

I got up to go and find Bert but he was already heading my way.

"I reckon ya heard da news." Bert said. "Ya want me ta watch ur boofs?"

"Yes, thanks Bert." I said. "Do you know where she is?"

"Na. Might try da airport." He said as he sat down in my chair. "Go on and see if ya can find dat youngin'. She's goin' ta need someone ta help her. I'll take care of ur stuff."

I squeezed his shoulder in thanks on the way by and ran out to my truck.

**********

I found her at the airport. She was sitting on a little bench in the small lounge that served as the departure and arrivals gate for the half-dozen commuter flights that flew in and out every day. Someone had given her a cup of coffee, but it had gone cold without a sip being taken. Eleanor was staring at the far wall while sheriff's deputies and airport people milled around. Two people with FAA shirts on were working at a makeshift desk in the corner. Deputy Carl Jones saw me come in the door and flagged me down before I could get to Eleanor.

"Scott." He said flatly by way of a greeting. "You here to get Eleanor."

"I don't know yet. I'm just here if she needs me." I said. "Does she have any family nearby?"

"She says not." He replied. "She has an aunt in Florida, but she can't get here until day after tomorrow. We've asked her if we can take her home but she said that someone will come and get her. When I asked her who she said 'I don't know.'"

"What happened? Do you know yet?"

"Best guess is that one of the engines lost power. There was a short mayday call. Couple of kids swimming at the quarries saw the plane flip over and nosedive. Scott, there was barely enough of the plane left to tell what it was. No one survived and they sure as hell didn't suffer."

"Thanks Carl." I said. "Let me see if I can help."

I walked over to the bench and sat down next to Eleanor. She looked over at me and tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. "They're gone." She simply said. I put my arm around her and hugged her.

"I know sweetie." Was all I could say.

"Maybe they'll see Claire in heaven."

"I'm sure they will." I replied as a pain twisted my heart, for her loss as well as mine. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded and stood up. I led her out to my truck and held the door for her. She climbed in and straightened out her skirt. I closed the door and came around to my side. I got in and started the truck.

"I don't know what to do Scott." She said, using my first name for the first time that I could remember. I reached across the bench seat and took her hand and squeezed it.

"I do." I said. "I'll help you take care of everything."

"Thanks." She said staring out the window. I put the truck in gear and headed for her house.

**********

As long I had known the Carter's I had never been to their house. Being a family of extremely conservative Christians, they really didn't entertain. They lived on several acres not far from my own small farm. Though their clothing bordered on the austere, their home was awash in color from the thousands of flowers planted in beds around the property. I lost track of the types I saw as I drove up to the modest ranch-style home that was set back a distance from the road. Try as I might I couldn't remember what Bob Carter had done for a living, all I really knew was that his wife had a small business growing specialty flowers that she sold to local florists, over the internet and at the local Farm Market. I got out of the truck and stared around at the sheer number of flowers blooming in the yard.

Eleanor came around the truck and stood next to me. "These are just Mom's 'yard plants'". She said. "Most of the flowers are out back. Come on, I'll show you." I followed the young woman around the house and was amazed to see four large greenhouses surrounded by gardens of flowers in various stages of growth.

"Wow. Your Mom has quite a setup." I said somewhat in awe. "If I had greenhouses like that I could grow fresh vegetables all winter long."

"Yeah. She made a nice bit of money growing flowers. Most of her business was large specialty orders. We would work our fingers to the bone when one of those orders came due."

"What I don't understand is why your mother bothered with the Farmer's Market when she obviously made a lot more money with her other ventures." I stated.

Eleanor turned and looked at me. "She liked the Market, that's all, and so do I." She hung her head down and spoke quietly. "Besides, when we were at the market, we weren't here where my dad was watching over us."

"He was pretty strict, huh." I said, not wanting to say speak badly of the dead but wanting her to be able to confide in me if she wanted to.

"That is an understatement." She said. "Don't get me wrong, I love... loved, my dad but his devotion to the church could be very confining."

I nodded my head. Eleanor led me to the house and let us inside. The inside was as austere as I imagined it would be. I noticed that there was no television in the living room and only one radio that I could see. I don't think they had bought new furniture or carpeting for a couple of decades. Eleanor stood in the middle of the kitchen and looked around. The house was deathly quiet. She turned to me with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I can't stay here by myself Mr. Darling, I can't." She said, breaking down into tears for the first time since I had found her at the airport. I pulled her to me and she cried into my shoulder for a good quarter of an hour. When she pulled herself together, she pushed herself away gently and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her dress.

"Do you have a friend you want to stay with?" I asked, "Or someone from the church?"

When I mentioned the church she twitched like I had shocked her but recovered quickly.

"No, I don't really have any friends." She replied.

"Well, then I guess we have two options. I can stay here with you or you can come stay with me until your aunt gets to town." I reasoned.

"Can I stay with you?" She asked.

"Sure. Why don't you go pack a bag for a couple of days."

"Thank you." She said and retreated down a hallway. I sat at the kitchen table and waited for her. She wasn't gone long, reappearing with a small overnight bag. "I'm ready." She said.

"Okay. Do you need to take care of anything here? Pets. Anything in the greenhouses?" I asked.

"No pets and the greenhouses are automated." She told me. "We can come check on things tomorrow, can't we?"

"Sure. Tomorrow will be fine."

Eleanor locked up the house and we headed for my farm.

**********

Eleanor had been to the farm a few times after Claire died when her mom would drop off some food for me but she had never seen more than the front room of the house. I pulled into the drive and parked in front of the detached garage and before I could shut the engine off my faithful black lab Max came lumbering from around the house to greet me. But when he saw Eleanor he spurned me and went directly to her. I started to warn her that he was going to jump on her but instead he just went up to her and leaned into her legs with his head down. Eleanor knelt down and put her arms around him and gave him a big hug. It was that damndest thing I'd ever seen, Max knew she was grieving and he went to comfort her.

Eleanor stood up and then Max came and jumped up for me to scratch his ears. After I showed him some attention he went right back to Eleanor. I took her overnight bag and led her inside to show her to her room. The house only had two bedrooms and she was actually going to be sleeping in the master bedroom. I found that I couldn't bear to sleep in there after Claire died and I had never gone back to sleeping there. So, I took over the spare bedroom and I had never even thought about moving back into that room. I showed her where she could put her things and made her some space in the bathroom and then I went outside to take care of my small menagerie of animals.

I was feeding the chickens and looking for eggs when Eleanor came outside. She had changed her clothes (still in a loose blouse and skirt) and washed up. Max followed along right her side. He hadn't left her since she arrived. Eleanor stopped and looked around, taking in the modest extent of my mini-farm.

"You have a nice place Mr. Darling." She said. "How many animals do you have?"

"I've got twenty chickens, six goats, three pigs, thirty rabbits, and one old dog." I said. Max looked at me reproachfully when I called him old. "After the fall butchering I'll be short three pigs and thirty rabbits though."

"Rabbit? Really?" Eleanor said with a sour look on her face.

"Don't knock it till you try it. They're tasty and I can get two or three meals out of each one." I replied. "Oh, and I've got a couple hundred catfish getting fat down in the pond."

"I like catfish!" She said with a quick smile, her grief temporarily forgotten. The smile faded quickly as reality settled back in. "I came out to see if you want spaghetti for dinner. I peaked in your cupboard and you've got everything I need for it."

"Eleanor, you don't have to cook for me." I said.

"I want to. I did all the cooking at home." She said and I could see that she needed some feeling of normalcy.

"Spaghetti will be great. I've got a few things to finish up out here and then I'll be in." I said.

"Okay. Dinner in an hour." She said and turned back to the house. I watched her walk away, Max trotting along at her side.

**********

Food that good had not been prepared in my kitchen since before Claire got sick. I didn't even know that I had the ingredients to make it in my cupboard. I ate three helpings. Eleanor blushed when I praised it, telling me that it was no problem, just simple spaghetti. We cleaned up (I helped even though she insisted that I didn't have to) and then I asked if she wanted to watch TV. A delighted look crossed her face as she said she would love to.