A Farm Fresh Romance Series 1-3 (A Farm Fresh Romance Box Set)

by Valerie Comer

  She stared after him. She wouldn’t chase him down, cling to his arm, cry on him. Not when he’d clearly rejected her.

  She dropped on her knees beside Domino and buried her face in his coat.

  So this was how it felt to be on the other end of the stick.

  **

  “You’re a fool, boss.” Jess’s hands sat firmly planted on her slim hips.

  How could a girl barely five feet tall take up all the available floor space in his trailer? Noel stared at her. Only one beer. He’d bummed it off one of the guys while he’d been smart enough to know that if he went to the bar, he wouldn’t stop at one. He’d been right. One wasn’t enough. “Don’t talk to me that way.”

  “I’ll talk to you any way I want. You know better than this. You quit drinking, remember?”

  He shrugged and tipped the can back, but he’d already drained it. “Your point is . . .?”

  Jess planted her hands on the dinette and leaned into his face. “You asked her to marry you, and she turned you down.”

  Laughter snorted out of him. “In your dreams.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Then what?”

  “It’s none of your business. All I ask you to do is handle everything with Claire and the kitchen until we leave Galena Landing. I’ll take some of the other stuff off your back to balance things out.”

  “And if I say no, deal with Claire yourself?”

  “Then you’re fired. I’ll get Wade to do it instead. All of your duties.”

  She smirked. “Nice try, boss.”

  “I mean it.”

  She searched his face, and he could only hope she didn’t see the battle going on inside his head. “I was hoping you called me in here to offer me dibs on buying Enterprising Reforestation.”

  Noel scowled. “Now why would I do that?”

  “I thought maybe you’d come to your senses.” Jess grabbed the empty can from his slack hand. “Turns out I was wrong.” She headed for the door.

  “Jess. Will you do it?”

  She swung around with the knob in her grip, her eyes blazing at him. “It’s not like I have any options.”

  “Sure, you do.”

  “Right. Help you hide from the only woman who’s ever gotten under your skin, or get fired? What kind of choice is that?”

  He tried for the crooked smile that usually won his way with Jess. It’d worked on Claire, too. That smile didn’t seem to be anywhere in his repertoire at the moment.

  Jess huffed. “Okay, I’ll do it, but under one condition.”

  Like she had room for demands of her own. He raised his eyebrows. “I’m all ears.”

  “If you change your mind —”

  Noel couldn’t keep the sour laugh from bubbling up.

  “I mean it. If you change your mind any time in the next year and decide Claire is worth it, which I’m here to tell you she is, then you will sell me Enterprising Reforestation for a really good price.” She named a figure.

  “You want me to lose my shirt?”

  “I’m not that stupid, boss. I know what you bring in and what the expenses are. I know you’re banking money on every job.” She raised her hands as though in self-defense. “And that’s as it should be. You take the risks and it’s your company.”

  “But that’s —”

  “No risk to you to shake on this deal, boss. You made up your mind you’re walking away from this town never to return. You’ll never have to make good on it.”

  She had a point there. He slapped his hand on the table. “You got it.”

  Jess’s hand plucked his off the dinette and gave it a firm shake. “Don’t forget. You’re a winner either way.” A moment later the trailer door clicked shut behind her.

  Noel sank his head into his hands. He’d never expected winning to feel like this.

  Chapter 24

  The mess tent lay silent, even with a couple of dozen people in it. After weeks of listening to the chatter and the laughter, Claire could hardly believe it was the same place.

  Tony peered out of the mobile kitchen and glanced back at Claire. “Did somebody die?”

  Claire shook her head and finished tossing the salad. “You done with the veggies?” Normally she delighted in the potatoes, parsnips, and turnips mashed together. Today they looked as blasé as she felt, like off-white mush. Yummy.

  “Yeah. Want me to start loading the serving counter?”

  “Please. The meatloaves are ready to go out, and so is the roasted asparagus.”

  “I’ll be glad when asparagus season is over. Seems like all we’ve had since we started cooking here.”

  She cut him a glance. “You’ll soon get your wish. It’s the vegetable in season. What’s in the cooler is the last of it.”

  Tony scooped the mashed tubers into rectangular tubs that fit in the heated serving counter while Claire carried the rest of the meal out. She whisked the cloth off the plates and cutlery then clanged the gong.

  Tired workers drifted toward the counter.

  A diesel engine roared to life. Claire’s jaw tightened. She would not stare after Noel’s truck as he left the camp for Galena Landing. No way would she make their spat any more obvious.

  “Hey, where’s the boss going?” Wade asked.

  A couple guys shrugged.

  Jess elbowed her way closer to the front. “He needed something from town.” She eyed Claire.

  She had to know something by the look on her face. Claire tried for a smile, but it wasn’t forthcoming.

  Tony plunked the last serving tub in place.

  Claire backed up. “Tony, can you keep an eye on the counter tonight? I’ll start the cleanup.”

  In her peripheral, Tony’s chest puffed with pride. Claire pulled her gaze away from Jess and fled back into the cook trailer. Normally she dealt with the crew and let Tony clean the kitchen. Not today.

  Outside, the scrape of metal spoons in metal tubs accented the quiet talk amongst Noel’s employees, normally a raucous bunch.

  She turned the tap on full blast, not even caring about wasting water, and leaned over the sink. Tears threatened to flow. She blinked them back, hard. Tony might have something he needed to fetch. He couldn’t find her in here blubbering.

  Jess’s voice rose above the rest, saying something about Noel, and Claire strained to hear. What was the official story? The crew certainly knew of the spark between their boss and their chef. Wade, James, and the others had grinned knowingly at her more than once.

  Claire squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, God, what should she do? Two more weeks of this avoidance treatment? She’d never asked to fall in love with Noel Kenzie in the first place, but once she had, her life filled with exotic flavors. Now it seemed as insipid as an unsalted egg and as monotonous as day-in-day-out asparagus.

  She hadn’t even had the opportunity to refuse him herself. The mountaintop didn’t count. They both knew that wasn’t a real rejection. His words had rushed the fledgling relationship. She’d needed time. He’d needed to figure out exactly what he wanted.

  But this. This smacked of permanence. It would be entirely possible for him to avoid her for two weeks. Even if he returned for his sister’s wedding, it wasn’t like he needed to talk to the caterer. She was staff. Hired help. Just like here.

  The pots would not wash themselves. The crew’s lunches for tomorrow would not fix themselves. It wasn’t fair to Tony to make him pull her weight as well as his.

  Claire brushed her bedraggled hair away from her eyes and began to scrub.

  **

  Florescent lighting bounced off the yellow walls of the diner. Noel stared at the hamburger in the plastic basket in front of him. A guy really shouldn’t have to put up with meals like this, not when he’d gotten a whiff of meatloaf mixed with other tantalizing aromas moments before. Would it have been so impossible to get Jess to bring a plate to his trailer?

  But that was halfway to admitting he was wrong, and he couldn’t do that. Claire would notice and read something into it.
Jess would crow. The crew would wonder more about dinner trays than a trip off Elmer’s property. Maybe.

  He picked up a few French fries, dunked them in ketchup, and tossed them back. Lukewarm, grease-soaked, and coated in twice too much salt. Oh, the cost of his pride.

  A shadow loomed over his table and he looked up, startled.

  “Noel Kenzie?” The gray-haired man held out his hand.

  Noel wiped his on a paper napkin from the dispenser before reaching out to shake. “Yes, sir. Mr. Graysen?”

  The old guy’s eyes crinkled when he grinned. “That’s me. Ed. From Galena Gospel Church.” He hefted the tray he held in his left hand. “Mind if I join you? The wife’s gone to visit her sister for a week, and I got tired of cooking myself bacon and eggs.”

  “Sure.” Noel waved at the brown plastic bench across from him. “Have a seat.” What else could he say? He didn’t really want the guy’s company, but it seemed rude to deny it. And it was pretty obvious he’d just parked here himself, with his burger still whole.

  Bacon and eggs. Well, that was another solution, probably a better one than the diner offered. He’d raid the Super One and cook for himself for a couple of weeks. That would sure beat the alternatives.

  He eyed the burger distastefully and took a bite. Lukewarm congealed fat. Could he even finish this meal?

  Ed Graysen had a big bite of his burger. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and winked at Noel. “Just what a fellow needs every now and then, eh, Noel? We have to keep the likes of those Green Acres girls from finding out.”

  Noel raised his eyebrows.

  “They’re all over the healthy food, you know. They get most of their stuff from other farmers around here.” Ed grinned. “They’re good cooks, too. At least Claire sure is. They invited me and Mona out a few times for a Sunday lunch.”

  Did everything come back to Claire in this town?

  Noel took a large bite, hoping that if he filled his mouth, it wouldn’t seem rude not making small talk.

  “Say, isn’t Claire cooking for your work crew?” Ed frowned over his burger. “I must have misunderstood. Mona says my hearing isn’t as good as it once was. It must be from all the practice I’ve had tuning her out over the years.”

  Noel supposed Ed meant to make a joke, a comrade type thing. He forced a chuckle and ate a few fries.

  “No, I’m pretty sure that’s what I heard. Didn’t I see you helping her get groceries for your crew that one day?”

  The guy was like a bulldog. Much as Noel did not want to talk about it, there didn’t seem to be much choice. “Yes, she works for me.” He started a mental count, wondering how long before Ed put two and two together.

  Ed’s bushy eyebrows shot up to where his hairline used to be. He leaned back against the plastic seat and squinted at Noel. “There seems to be more to this tale than meets the eye, son. Do you want to talk about it?”

  When had a man ever called him son in a voice like Ed’s? Never. His dad only whined and manipulated to get what he could from having a boy. Ed’s voice rumbled with concern and honesty.

  For an instant Noel wanted to spill it all on the old guy’s shoulders. Pour out frustrations about his dad, share his jealousy over Zach’s relationship with his father, and Zach’s delight in the coming baby. Zach wanted to do the whole circle once again.

  But what was Ed to him, really? Just an old geezer he’d never see again once he left this town. And he could guess Ed’s answers. All about letting God run things. That was fine when you were eighty and had one foot in the grave, but not for him. Noel still had plenty of aspirations for life. He wasn’t ready to settle down in one place, with one woman — with God.

  He’d taken so long in deciding whether to form an answer that Ed began eating again, though the man watched him with a worried expression. Finally Ed said, “Can I tell you a story?”

  Noel shrugged. He balled up the remainder of his burger in its greasy wrapper and pushed the plastic basket away, fries and all.

  “I was born in the 40s, during the war.”

  Noel did the math. Ed wasn’t quite as ancient as he’d assumed.

  “Things were pretty good in the 60s. The world was wild and free if a man was willing to seek out opportunities. I spent a while in Alaska, drinking hard, partying hard, but I couldn’t get Mona’s sweet face out of my mind. I still didn’t want to come back to Idaho though.”

  Despite himself, Noel was intrigued. “Why not?”

  Ed grimaced. “She wrote me every week, you know that? She had such elegant penmanship and wrote on stationery with flowers pressed between the pages. Smelled mighty fine.”

  Noel waited.

  “At first I thought I was running from her. That I didn’t love her as much as I ought to. Maybe if I stayed away she’d find somebody else, somebody that deserved her more. I had this ideal man in mind for her, someone hardworking and respectful. Someone who would honor her.”

  The story seemed to hit close to home, only in Noel’s case it was true. Claire really would be better off with some other guy. As for Ed, obviously he’d been meant for Mona.

  Ed parked his elbows on the table and leaned closer. “The problem wasn’t Mona. It was God. I didn’t want to admit I needed Him in my life. Oh, you know, it’s not that I didn’t believe in Him. I did. Nowadays many folks think He’s a fairy tale. I happen to know that’s not the case.”

  The old guy’s eyes creeped Noel out. Like they peered into his soul or something. He feigned nonchalance. “Oh, yeah. I believe in God. No problem there.”

  “The demons also believe, and tremble.”

  Noel reared back.

  “I startled you, I see. It’s a verse from the book of James. God requires more from us than simply acknowledging His existence.”

  Here it came. Aiming down both barrels.

  “He loves you. He died for you. He wants to give you peace and meaning.”

  Claire had said the same thing. Peace. Could the old guy in the sky really provide that? Because Noel could use some.

  “Have you ever prayed for God’s forgiveness, son? Given everything over to Him? If not, He’s waiting for you.”

  “Uh, yeah. About that. Thanks for —” He almost said nothing. Noel surged to his feet and picked up the tray with the remnants of his meal. “Nice to run into you this evening.” If God were real, Noel ought to get zapped for lying.

  “I’ll be praying for you, son.”

  Noel gave Ed a curt nod and strode for the door. Just what he needed—somebody else interfering in his life.

  **

  A knock sounded on the mobile kitchen door. “Claire? You okay?”

  Jess.

  Was she ready to talk to Noel’s foreman? Not really. If she were being honest, she hoped Noel would come in when he returned. Maybe tell her he’d thought things through and that he really loved her. Maybe that’s why she’d sent Tony home early and told him she’d finish up.

  It certainly hadn’t been for a heart-to-heart with Jess.

  “Claire? You still in there?”

  She sighed and moved toward the door. “Yes, I’m here.” When she pushed the door open she was surprised to see dusk had fallen. Morning would come way too quickly. She needed some sleep.

  Oh, elusive sleep.

  Jess blinked at the brightness and pushed past Claire blocking the doorway. “Noel asked me to get your supply list for next week.” Jess leaned against the sink and crossed her arms.

  That stung. Yeah, he’d said he’d turn everything over to Jess, but she hadn’t really expected him to mean it. “I’ll have it for you tomorrow. First thing.” Which meant, of course, she needed to take stock of the kitchen before she left tonight. Good thing the menu was already written and posted on the corkboard.

  Claire reached for a pen and paper and opened the first cupboard, her back to Jess. If Noel’s foreman planned to park in here and stare, she might as well get started right now.

  “It’s none of my business what you and
Noel fought about.”

  Claire didn’t even turn around to acknowledge that one.

  “He’s a really good guy. A keeper.”

  “He’s all yours.”

  Jess laughed. “For the right girl. That’s not me.”

  “Apparently not for me, either. Thanks anyway.”

  There was a little scuffling sound from the sink area. “Two more stubborn people I’ve never met.”

  “Oh, I doubt that.” Even as the words came out of Claire’s mouth, she knew she was wrong. Noel certainly was stubborn, but maybe — just maybe — she had a bit of a streak in there herself. Not that it mattered, because Noel could out-stubborn her like she was a bowl of Jell-O.

  Jess sighed. “So both of you are planning to stay miserable.”

  Claire turned around.

  The girl was no taller than Jo. Must be something with those J-people. They also both wouldn’t let go of something once they had it in their teeth. “Look, Jess. Thank you for caring. I’m not sure why you do, but I appreciate it. Except it doesn’t change anything, all right? Noel’s made his decisions and the rest of the world gets to abide by them. You want somebody to talk to, go find him.”

  Jess narrowed her eyes. “Okay, that tells me a lot. It’s Noel being pig-headed, as usual. What did you say to set him off?”

  Claire’s hands slipped to her hips. “I honestly don’t see that it’s any of your business.” Maybe this wasn’t the most Christian way to act, but what was Jess’s problem, anyway? “I’m sure he’s like this every place you guys go, right? Finds some girl, makes her feel special for a while, then dumps her. Too busy moving on to the next job, the next big thing. Well, you know what? I’m not playing his game. I’m just not. I’ll get you that list in the morning, and when Enterprising Reforestation moves off my mountain, I’ll be glad. You get that? Glad. Because my life will be back to normal and I won’t have to put up with this any more.”

  Claire whirled back to the open cupboard and her head collided with the door that stood ajar. Man, that hurt. Like she needed physical trauma on top of emotional pain. The tears she’d managed to hold back — just barely — began to pool and flood her eyes. No. She was not going to cry in front of Noel’s foreman. Not happening. She stiffened to keep her shoulders from trembling. Waited for footsteps across the floor and the sound of Jess letting herself out of the kitchen.