Count On Me: Baytown Boys

by Maryann Jordan

  Scott was relieved that Lizzie was calm and ready to hear what he had to say. Of course, the fact that she was exhausted probably had something to do with her willingness to acquiesce. Whatever the reason, he wanted to press his advantage.

  Settling onto the comfortable sofa, he patted the cushion next to him and breathed a sigh of relief when she sat down close. They both shifted toward each other, setting their glasses of iced tea on the coffee table. Wanting to relieve her anxiety quickly, he jumped into his explanation.

  “I’ve had Gareth investigating Giordano Farms just to see if I could figure out what was Luca’s motivation for wanting to buy out your small farm. During that, Gareth told me the history of tomato farming on the Eastern Shore, which was not particularly fascinating to me, and a little history of the Giordano family, which was.”

  Glad to have her full attention, he continued. “Luca has two children, a daughter that is an accountant for their business and a son that’s finishing a degree in agricultural business. I decided to call the daughter, Careena, to see if I could ascertain why they are so keen to get your property.”

  “Do you think they’re the ones who had my fence cut?”

  Shaking his head, he replied, “Babe, I’ve got no idea. I’m sure it wasn’t the Giordano’s themselves, but I wanted to have an idea of how much they wanted this property.”

  “So, that was her today?” When he offered his nod, she asked, “What did you find out?”

  “I pushed as to why they would be so interested in a small farm and got the reply that this farm was right between two parcels of their land and it would be advantageous for them to have the whole tract. She implied that her father was somewhat of a benefactor by alleviating the stress on smaller farmers who were no longer able to compete. She could not understand why you would want to refuse their offer since you are now alone and implied that your life would be much better if you would take the money.”

  Jerking back as though slapped, Lizzie repeated, “Better? How would my life be better?”

  “The amount they are willing to pay would allow you to purchase a house, either in town or in the county. She seemed to think that without the heavy work and stress of the farm, you would be happier.” Watching her face grow red, he threw his hands up in front of him and said, “Obviously, she doesn’t know anything about you. What you want. What makes you happy. What your dreams are. She’s looking at this purely from her optic.”

  Lizzie snapped her mouth shut and looked away. He observed the flare of her nose and tight muscles in her jaw. Reaching over, he did what he had been wanting to do since he arrived on the farm… he took her hand in his and held it tightly.

  “Sweetheart, I believe in you. I believe in your dreams. I believe in your vision for this farm, which is your heritage. All I was trying to do is see if I could find out what the Giordanos were thinking. What I finally discerned was that she thinks by pressing forward, she’ll win her dad’s approval.”

  At that, Lizzie jerked, her gaze searching his as her brow scrunched in confusion. “I don’t understand, Scott. She’s got everything. You just have to look at her and see that. She’s beautiful and has enough money to be well-dressed and well-manicured and well put together. She drives a Mercedes and has a college degree. She could probably snap her fingers and get any man she wanted. I’m not saying she doesn’t work hard, but she’s probably had a lot of things handed to her.”

  Rubbing his thumb over her fingers, he said, “It’s true, she may have all of those things, but she made it very obvious that trying to gain her dad’s approval was extremely important to her. She implied it’s because she’s a daughter and not the son.” Shrugging, he added, “Quite frankly, I don’t know, and I don’t care. But I am going to have Gareth keep an eye on her. Maybe she, more than her father, wants you to sell. And right now, I don’t trust anyone who wants you to sell.”

  Snorting, she bit out, “A daddy’s girl trying to get his attention when it’s obvious she has his attention. I mean… at least he’s there. He cares. She works for him.”

  It slammed into him that she never talked about the father who abandoned her. “Oh, fuck, Lizzie, I’m sorry.”

  Her gaze jumped to his and she gave a little shake. “It’s not like I give my dad much thought. I was lucky. I was surrounded by love with Mom, Papa Beau, and Grandma. Even my stepdad is wonderful. But Ms. Giordano is trying such grand gestures to make her dad thinks she’s the bee’s knees when he probably already does. My dad could care less about me or this farm.”

  “Do you have any good memories of him?”

  She sighed heavily, her attention on her lap. “He liked to go fishing in the bay. He took me a couple of times when I was little. Even then, I knew he was goofing off when Papa Beau was working so hard. It didn’t take me long to refuse to go because I wanted to help on the farm.”

  “It really is your dream life, isn’t it?”

  He gave Lizzie a moment to let his words settle over her, and, as usual, she hid nothing. She looked at him and smiled, scooting closer until he could wrap his arms around her and kiss her forehead. Holding her tightly, he said, “Your dream for this farm is my dream, too. I’m in this with you, baby. I promise you can count on me.”

  She relaxed into him and they sat closely as the minutes ticked by, both reveling in the intimacy of the moment.

  22

  On top of everything else Lizzie was trying to do, she added walking the pastures to check on the fence to her early morning routine before letting the goats and alpacas out. Scott had spent the night again, and her lips curved slightly at the memory of their lovemaking. Strong and caring, he made her feel cherished.

  She had just let the animals out when she heard a car approach and turned to see Lia parking next to the house. By the time she had made it to her, Lia was holding onto Emily’s hand, the little girl straining to see the animals.

  “What brings you out today?”

  “I should’ve thought of this yesterday,” Lia replied. “It’s a teacher workday, and so I have the day off to be with Emily. I thought perhaps I would come over and we could finish up the details about the party.”

  Before she had a chance to continue her greeting, another car came into sight. This time it was Carrie and Jack who alighted from their vehicle.

  Waving, Carrie said, “I forgot to tell you that Jack has today off since it’s a teacher workday. I thought I’d let him help more.”

  “Fabulous! He can start by watching Emily if she’d like to pet the goats from outside the fence,” Lizzie said.

  Jack grinned and took Emily by the hand, carefully watching over the little girl as she squealed with delight. Looking at her two friends, Lizzie invited them into the house. “We can have some coffee while chatting.”

  Once inside, coffee cups filled and the three women sitting at the table, Lia and Lizzie finalized the plans for Emily’s party with Carrie excitedly throwing out commentary.

  After taking time in Lia’s office the previous day to look at the prices other similar farms charged for various events, they had agreed on the price for Emily’s party.

  Grinning, Lizzie said, “I’ve already had several more bookings for children’s birthday parties, and I sheared one of my alpacas last night. I’ve had offers for the fleece, and the buyer is willing to pay top price. I’ll never make a lot of money at my endeavor, but since I have few expenses other than just the farm, as long as I can save a little bit each year, I’ll feel like I’m coming out ahead.”

  Soon, Carrie hugged her goodbye. “I’ll come pick Jack up in a little bit. Make sure to put him to work. He’s strong and needs something to do.”

  Lizzie walked outside with Lia and the two sat in chairs underneath the shade of a tree while Emily finished petting the goats.

  “I hope you and Scott were able to work things out,” Lia said. “I know him, and he would never do anything to sabotage your relationship or the farm.”

  Nodding, she smiled. “We di
d. I was so upset yesterday when I heard what Ms. Giordano said. Plus, seeing her hand holding tightly to his and all that she is and all that I’m not just crashed down upon me.”

  Lia’s brow furrowed as she turned from gazing toward the pasture and looked at Lizzie. “All that she is and all that you’re not?”

  Lizzie was silent for a moment, then said, “Lia, I’m not running myself down just to look for someone to give me compliments. I like who I am. I like working on a farm. I like owning my own business. But I’m not blind. Ms. Giordano looked very well-tended, not like someone who works outside all the time. She drove a Mercedes, not an old clunker truck that barely runs. I try not to let those distinctions bother me, but I’ve been fighting so hard to keep my head above water, even when Papa Beau was alive, that I couldn’t help but wonder.”

  “Wonder what, sweetie?”

  “Wonder what Scott was doing with a mess like me he could have someone so put together.”

  Lia did not rush to offer assurances, but as Lizzie watched her, she appeared to be thinking carefully before speaking. Finally, Lia said, “I was so uncertain of Aiden at first. He had a reputation for being more of a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of man, and I was a woman with a daughter who needed stability.”

  New to having girlfriends that she could simply chat with, Lizzie was fascinated as she heard stories from her new friends, learning that when it came to relationships, everyone struggled with something. “What did you do?”

  “I watched and waited. I watched to see how he treated me and Emily and discovered that he treated us with love and kindness. And I waited to see if it would last. And it did. And once he had my love, I never looked back. I knew what I had and wanted to hold onto that. And he’s proven that I made the right choice every single day.”

  The two women held each other’s gaze for a moment, both slowly smiling with understanding.

  “Mama!” screamed Emily, standing near the gate with Jack. “Come and see the goats!”

  The heavy conversation over, Lizzie and Lia walked toward the pastures, enjoying the beautiful day. After Lia and Emily left, she put Jack to work mucking the stalls and doing general cleanup in the barn while she worked in the kitchen making her goat milk products.

  That evening, she and Scott, along with Jack’s help, sheared Cleopatra. They were almost finished when Carrie and Colt drove up, observing the procedure when Jack begged to help finish. She felt more confident this time, having learned a few tricks shearing Caesar the night before. By the time they finished, there was another massive pile of beautiful fleece on the tarp and another very skinny alpaca.

  “I can’t believe what they look like without all that fur!” Carrie cried out as Cleopatra headed into the pen with the other two.

  Scott wrapped his arm around Lizzie, and they walked the others toward their SUV. She smiled at the sight of Colt with one arm around Carrie and his other hand affectionately wrapped around the back of Jack’s neck. Her mind was suddenly filled with the vision of Scott always on the farm, his hand on the neck of their child. Her breath catching in her throat, she was glad the sun was setting and no one could see her blush. She and Scott were so new in their relationship, but the idea that he might be her forever stayed strong.

  Once their visitors left, she and Scott took care of the animals, putting them up for the night. He had flipped on the lights around the barn and she was grateful for the added security. “I’m really glad it’s illuminated out here. I have to admit that I feel more secure.”

  “Gareth had a friend in security that lives in Richmond. He gave them a call and they made it a priority to come out here and put the lights and… uh… in.”

  Her smile faltered slightly at his little verbal misstep, and she asked, “Lights and what?”

  Scrubbing his hand over his face, Scott replied, “I didn’t want you worried about the cost, but I also had a couple of security cameras installed at the same time. They don’t run all the time, but they are motion-sensored. They’re set for higher than a small animal, so if a fox or raccoon goes by the barn, they won’t turn on. It’s just an added precaution in case someone is skulking around.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “And when were you going to tell me this?”

  “Well, I was hoping never unless we needed the information that was on the cameras.”

  Huffing, she threw up her hands. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to tell me that you paid for this?”

  Turning so that she was facing him, he drew her closer and held her gaze. “Lizzie, I don’t know how to make it any plainer to you that you mean something to me. And that something is growing more every day. I can’t predict the future, but right now, I see this relationship continuing. And I hope to God you see the same thing.”

  His words soothed her ire, and she sighed as she melted into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and placing her cheek next to his heartbeat.

  “Good, I see that we’re on the same page,” he said. She leaned back and looked up at him, but he continued, “I want you safe and I want this farm safe. And right now, I’m suspicious that all these things are tied together to sabotage you. The goats getting out of the barn. The fence that was cut. These things worry me, and I’m gonna do what I have to to keep you safe.”

  Swallowing deeply, she felt tears prick her eyes. Barely whispering, she said, “I think I’m falling for you.”

  His smile widened as he leaned down, taking her lips in a deep, wet kiss. “Good, babe. Then we’re going to fall together.”

  A light fog clung to the ground in the early morning as Lizzie walked toward the barn, munching on a piece of toast. Her thoughts were swirling ever since she had woken from a restless sleep. Mark Antony needed to be shorn today, and she needed to gather all the fleece from the three alpacas and call her buyer. She needed to return several phone calls to confirm dates for two more children’s birthday parties. And she needed to find time to make a run to the feed store.

  Scott had not spent the night, having rushed to her place after work and leaving Rufus at his house. It had been on the tip of her tongue to suggest that he bring Rufus over and just leave him with her during the day. The dog would get more exercise, and she knew he would love being at the farm. She had hesitated, though, uncertain if it was too soon. Maybe if I’m brave, I’ll ask him today to let Rufus spend his days with me.

  It normally did not take her long to do a quick scan of the pasture fences to determine that they were intact, but with the fog, she had no choice but to walk closer to the perimeter, a task that added several more minutes to her already-busy day.

  Stepping inside the barn, she was met with the humming of the alpacas, their heads peering over the gate of their stall. Calling them by name, she laughed aloud at the sight of the two skinny necks of Caesar and Cleopatra next to the still full-fleeced neck of Mark Antony. Rubbing their heads, she said, “You might think your roommates look funny, but by the end of today, you’ll look just like them.”

  Leading them out of the barn, she let them into their pasture and hauled feed to put in their trough. Moving back to the barn, she let the goat kids out into their smaller field, petting them as she put their feed down as well.

  Returning to the back of the barn where the sheds were for the goats, she noticed a small hole in the fence near the shelter. Hurrying toward them, she was relieved to see her goats still contained in the pen. Rushing through the gate, she stood as they came to her, gently butting against her legs. She began counting and her heart pounded as she discovered she was missing two. Stalking toward the small hole in the fence, she could see where several wires had been cut and goat hair was stuck to the ragged edges of wire. Shooting her gaze out into the pasture, a sick feeling began to sneak through her stomach. Her heart pounded as she looked toward the distance and spied two lumps on the ground.

  The goats scattered as she hopped the fence and began running, each step bringing her closer to the nightmare. Two of her goats we
re lying on their sides, and it was easy to see they were not breathing. A small pile of plants lay nearby that had not been there the evening before. Unsure of the plants, she knew they had been placed there for a nefarious purpose. Some fucking person poisoned my goats!

  Jerking her phone from her back pocket, she dialed 9-1-1, and with a shaky voice reported what had happened, telling them that Sheriff Hudson and Detective Sims had been investigating problems at her farm. Once assured that someone was on their way, tears began falling as she dialed Scott. Barely able to speak, she once again managed to explain what she found. “Please come. I need you.”

  “Baby, I’m on my way,” he promised.

  Disconnecting, her whole body shook as she looked down and saw the foam around her goats’ mouths. Forcing her mind to one more task, she called Sam Collins, gaining the promise that the vet would be right out.

  Legs finally giving out, she dropped onto the grass next to the goats, her hands resting on either one as she sobbed.

  23

  That was how he found her. After racing to the farm, coming to a stop with gravel shooting behind his vehicle next to the house and running out to the field, Scott spied Lizzie sitting on the ground between two of her beloved goats, tears running down her face. He knelt down next to her, pulling her body into his, enveloping her in his embrace. Rocking her gently back and forth, he smoothed her hair away from her face.

  She burrowed in close to him as though trying to dig her way inside to protect herself from the pain raging all around.

  It only took a few minutes for Colt, Hunter, and two deputies to arrive. Right on their heels came Gareth and Katelyn, having been called by Scott as soon as he got off the phone with Lizzie. Scott looked up at Colt, uncertain what he should do.

  Speaking softly, Colt said, “Lizzie, I know this is hard, but I’m gonna need you to walk me through what’s happened here.”