The City Girl's Homecoming (Furever Yours Book 5)

by Kathy Douglass

  “Cade still outside?” Birdie asked.

  “No. He left. He had something to get back to,” Bunny said.

  Birdie only grunted. Megan hadn’t known Birdie long enough to know what that sound meant, but apparently Bunny did.

  “Exactly,” Bunny replied. “I wrapped up some chicken and cake for him for the road.”

  Working in tandem, the sisters filled three plates to overflowing. Once they joined her at the table, Megan spoke. “I have some information for you.”

  “Not at lunch, dear. We never discuss business at meals. It’s not good for digestion,” Birdie said. “There’s plenty of time for that later.”

  During her years of practice, Megan had had many business lunches and dinners. And she’d always discussed business between bites. Most times business had been wrapped up before dessert. But then, that had been in New York, where everything moved at a much faster pace and no second could be wasted. Some days there had been barely enough time to breathe, much less eat a leisurely meal. But she was in Spring Forest now, and clearly, they did things differently here.

  Since discussing business was forbidden, Megan picked up her corn on the cob and took a bite. It was delicious. Before moving to North Carolina, she’d shopped at farmers markets twice a week. She’d been impressed by the fruits and vegetables she’d purchased there, which tasted so much better than anything she’d bought at the store. But as good as that produce had tasted, it didn’t compare to this. She’d never enjoyed such flavorful food before, and her taste buds smiled with pleasure.

  “How are you adjusting to small-town life?” Birdie asked.

  “It’s different from New York, but I enjoy it. I like the peace and quiet and the sense of community. I like the way everyone pulls together to help those in need.” Not that she hadn’t experienced a sense of support and community in New York. She’d had two good friends she could count on. And they would continue to be her friends whether she lived in the same building or in an entirely different state. But she’d needed a change. She’d had to get away from Tim, her former fiancé, and his family.

  She and Tim had met on their first day of law school and quickly fallen in love. They’d gotten engaged after they’d both passed the bar. His parents and his sisters had welcomed her into their family. She’d spent holidays and vacations with them, and they’d always made a big deal of her birthday. She’d been so sure that after all those years of bouncing from place to place in foster care, she’d finally found a family again.

  Then she and Tim had broken up. Since the breakup had been friendly, Megan had believed she would remain friends with his family. She’d been wrong. She’d made excuses for them when they stopped returning her calls. But when her birthday came and went without acknowledgement, she’d realized they’d well and truly cut her from their lives.

  She’d decided that the best way to deal with the painful situation was to make a clean break. On impulse, she’d written the names of the forty-nine other states on slips of paper and placed them in a hat. She’d pulled out North Carolina and had begun her job search there. Last month she’d been hired by Daniel Sutton, turning his one-man law firm into a one-man-and-one-woman firm. Sutton Law Office was very different from the five-hundred-lawyer firm where she’d worked before. It was a change, but not an unpleasant one.

  While they ate, Megan and the Whitaker sisters chatted about Furever Paws, the animal rescue the sisters had founded on their property. The shelter, which was run mostly by volunteers, provided a necessary service in the community. Lost or unwanted pets were housed until new families could be found for them. The shelter held adoption fairs providing opportunities for the humans and animals to meet.

  Once they’d eaten their cake and finished their sweet tea, Megan was able to steer the conversation to the reason she was here—their finances. She pulled a file from her leather bag and then looked from one sister to the other. Life had taught her that there was no such thing as sugarcoating bad news. Since Birdie and Bunny were going to be hurt, there was no use in beating around the bush.

  “Well, ladies, I’m afraid what I have to say isn’t good. Your brother Greg has been embezzling from you.”

  Bunny gasped and clasped her hands together against her chest.

  Birdie shook her head. “Are you sure? I can’t believe Gator would do that to us. Can you, Bunny?”

  “No.” Bunny’s voice was barely over a whisper, but Megan heard the pain there.

  Even though Megan had expected this response, her heart still ached for them. Bunny didn’t want to believe anything bad about anyone, and Birdie had a blind spot when it came to her baby brother. Nothing he did would ever be wrong in her eyes. Even now, faced with evidence of his crimes, she still referred to him by the family’s old, affectionate nickname.

  Megan had the proof that he’d been stealing from them for years, but whether she could convince the sisters to do anything about it was anyone’s guess. Still, she had to try. Bunny and Birdie were more than her clients. They were her friends. They were friends of the community. They cared about everyone and everyone cared about them.

  “I have proof,” she said, passing over copies of the documents to each of them. Neither sister touched the stacks of papers. They barely looked at them. “This is the information from the forensic accountant I hired. I have time to go through everything now and answer any questions you have.”

  “I’m sure you do. We just aren’t ready to think about any of this right now,” Bunny said. “We need time to process what you’ve told us.”

  “I understand that, but it’s important that we act sooner rather than later.”

  “We know, but we have other things to deal with right now and can’t handle another.”

  “Like what?” Megan knew the news must be hard for them to grapple with, but putting off thinking about it wouldn’t do them any favors—not when they were at risk of losing their home.

  “Rebekah,” Bunny replied immediately, and Birdie nodded.

  “What about her?” Rebekah was the director of the animal shelter and one of Megan’s new friends.

  “There’s something going on with her,” Bunny replied. “She seems a little run-down and tired these days. I came upon her the other day and she looked positively ill.”

  “I saw her a few days ago and she looked fine to me,” Megan said, hoping to end this discussion so she could get the sisters back on track.

  “Do you think it could be stress from dealing with Grant?” Birdie asked as if Megan hadn’t said a word. “That nephew of ours is such a perfectionist. He might be putting pressure on her.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Bunny said. “We should talk to him and make sure he knows how much we like Rebekah and how pleased we are with her work.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Megan said. “But what are we going to do about your money? If Greg continues to steal from you, you’ll be in big trouble. It’s possible that you could lose everything, including your home, the rest of your land and the animal rescue.”

  At that bit of grim news, the sisters stopped talking about Rebekah and Grant and gave her their full attention. Birdie looked at her sister and then back at Megan. “Go on.”

  “I’d like to set up a trust that would protect your property and money that your brother currently doesn’t control. Once we gain control of the rest, we’ll be able to protect that, as well. And if neither of you is interested or feels qualified to act as trustee, I’ll hire one for you.”

  The sisters shared a long look. “That would be all right,” Birdie said finally.

  “Great. I’ll take care of that right away. Now, the second thing we need to discuss is whether or not you want to bring criminal charges against Greg.”

  “I don’t know. I can’t imagine putting my baby brother in jail,” Birdie said.

  “Your baby brother is robbing yo
u blind,” Megan pointed out. “If we hadn’t caught him in time, you could have ended up on the street.”

  “Still...we need time to think about that.”

  “Good enough.” At least she’d gotten them to take the first steps to protect themselves in the future. “Take your time and consider what I’ve told you. In the meantime, I’ll get busy setting up the trust. I’ll make sure that your brother doesn’t have the ability to make financial decisions for you any longer. Your assets will be protected, although I can’t promise we’ll be able to get any of your money back. No doubt it’s already gone.”

  “Okay.” Birdie picked up the documents Megan had given to them and tried to hand them back.

  “Those are your copies,” Megan said. “I have my own. Read them over at your leisure. If you have any questions, I’m always available to answer them.”

  “Oh, there’s no need for that, dear,” Bunny said. “We trust you. It’s good to know we’re in such good hands.”

  Megan didn’t bother to tell the older woman that it was that kind of blind trust that had landed them in the mess they were in. At her age, she wasn’t likely to change. But since Megan was trustworthy and her boss Daniel was as well, she knew the sisters truly were in good hands. No one else would be able to harm them anymore.

  Megan stood and grabbed her briefcase.

  “Don’t tell me you need to leave right now,” Bunny said.

  “I’m afraid so. Thanks again for lunch. It was wonderful.” Megan walked beside the sisters to the front door. Before Megan stepped onto the shady porch, Bunny gave her a hug. Surprised, Megan froze. It had been a while since she’d been the recipient of such open affection. Pushing down unexpected emotions, she returned the hug, then walked to her car. As she drove away, she hoped the sisters would take her advice and bring criminal charges against their brother. Family was a precious thing, and anyone who took advantage of their siblings deserved to be punished.

  As she headed for her office, her thoughts drifted back to Cade Battle. He was probably the best-looking man she’d ever seen, and undoubtedly the grumpiest. Still, he’d been kind to Bunny so she knew he couldn’t be all bad. Not that it mattered. He clearly didn’t like her.

  And she couldn’t help wonder why it bothered her so much that he didn’t.

  Chapter Two

  As Cade turned from the driveway onto the road, his stomach growled in protest. He’d looked forward to lunch with the Whitaker sisters all morning. Birdie and Bunny were fabulous cooks and baked the absolute best desserts. While he’d been knocked around as he fought to get the pig into his truck, it had been the thought of the delicious meal waiting for him that had kept him going. And then Ms. Susie Sunshine in her power suit had come along and ruined it all.

  Cade had seen her around town a few times over the past month. Who could miss her? Tall, with a curvy body and a stunning face, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. Their eyes had met and locked on one of those occasions and his mouth had gone dry. He’d ignored the reaction. It had only taken one look at her impeccable makeup, gorgeous hair, perfectly manicured nails and stylish clothes to instantly know the type of woman she was. He’d once been in love with her type. He’d been left heartbroken by her type. He needed to avoid her type.

  She had city girl written all over her. There wasn’t the slightest doubt in his mind that she’d moved to Spring Forest because she was running from something. Perhaps she thought that a change of scenery would fix whatever was wrong with her life. But once she’d recovered from her broken heart or lost job or whatever it was that had sent her here, she’d hightail it out of North Carolina so fast she’d leave a trail of smoke behind her.

  Just look at her clothes. She dressed as if she was still living in the city. He knew she was a lawyer, but Daniel Sutton was, too, and he didn’t walk around wearing three-piece suits. No, he dressed like he was a member of the community, not someone who was passing through on the way to someplace better.

  Cade had made the mistake of believing his former fiancée could be happy living a quiet life on the Battle Lands Farm. Deadra had sworn that she loved him and that sharing her life with him was all she wanted. Then she’d left him for a slick Chicago lawyer and hadn’t looked back. He’d been fooled once by a pretty city woman. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Despite knowing the danger she presented to his emotional well-being, there was something about Megan Jennings that appealed to him. He’d heard her gasp when Little Piggy had charged him, and knew it was because she’d been afraid for him. Though clearly her fear was rooted in her concern for a fellow human and not him specifically, her reaction had warmed his heart. It didn’t change the fact that she was a city girl. And it certainly didn’t mean he would let down his guard with her. Still, it was proof that a caring heart beat beneath that designer suit.

  Frowning, Cade turned on the radio, hoping the music would erase all thoughts of Megan and the sound of her laughter from his mind. It didn’t work. Despite the singer’s voice and the sound of the drums and bass, he could still hear Megan’s sexy alto voice. Just hearing her say his name had been enough to set his imagination racing in the wrong direction. And he could still picture her sparkling eyes. But none of that mattered. He didn’t have time for a woman, even if he met one who would be happy living here. He had plans.

  Cade switched off the radio and drove the rest of the way home in silence. When he reached the farm, he signaled and turned into the driveway beneath the iron sign announcing the Battle Lands Farm. Rather than stopping at the front of the house, he continued to the back to where the barns were located. The pig, which had been relatively quiet, suddenly began to snort and move around as much as it could in the truck bed.

  The back door of his father’s house opened and he stepped outside. Although his dad was in his midfifties, he was still strong as an ox. With his father’s help, it would be a lot easier to get the pig out of the truck than it had been to get it in.

  “So, this is our new guest,” his dad said, with a smile. Reginald Battle took being a good neighbor to new heights. If there was someone he could help, he did without hesitation. If he couldn’t help, he didn’t rest until he found someone who could. Never once in his life had Cade seen his father reject anyone’s request for assistance. While their farm wasn’t an animal rescue, they constantly took in animals that the Whitaker sisters were unable to accommodate. The pig was just the latest in a string of goats, chickens and geese that had come to reside on their farm. This was their first pig. And given how difficult it was to get it into the truck, Cade hoped it would be the last.

  “This is him.” Cade shook his head and grinned. “Bunny called him Little Piggy.”

  Reginald roared at the name. “She didn’t think that one through.”

  “Not at all. Anyway, I want to get this pig settled in the barn. This little trip has set me behind on the work I planned to do for the day.”

  “Then let’s get this one into his new home.”

  Cade backed the truck up to the barn, and then he put the ramp in place. He and Reginald exchanged looks and at his father’s nod, Cade lowered the tailgate. The pig wasted no time in going from the bed of the truck into the barn. Once they got the pig inside, Cade heaved a sigh of relief. His father had already filled the feeding troughs with food and water. Reginald always claimed being a good neighbor didn’t cost a thing, but Cade knew that wasn’t true. In this case, it cost valuable time on top of maintenance costs, such as extra feed. Battle Lands Farm was profitable and could easily absorb the cost. Cade, on the other hand, got the same twenty-four hours as everyone else, so he would have to work faster and harder to make up for lost time.

  “So, how are your plans going?”

  “Not bad.” Cade was developing a farm-to-table business. He’d convinced his father to go organic several years ago, believing it was better for their cus
tomers as well as the environment. The business was what he should be focusing on instead of how sweet Megan Jennings smelled. “I’ve just finalized the marketing plan and I’ve determined how much produce I’ll have available for this year’s trial. I’m also working on a delivery schedule. But, none of this will make a bit of difference if I don’t have any customers. Then I’ll end up selling everything to grocery stores again.”

  “I know you don’t like doing that.”

  “No.” Cade worked hard to produce the best fruits and vegetables. He wanted the people who ate that food to get the best flavor and the maximum amount of nutrients. That meant dining on the food within a day or two of it being harvested, not after weeks. In order to accomplish that, he needed to have local clients in the restaurant business who shared his vision. He would continue to provide produce at the farmer’s market that was held at the Granary’s parking lot from late spring to early fall. But he wanted to move the business in this other direction, as well. Until he had enough clients for his farm-to-table produce, he would continue to supply grocery chains.

  “It’ll work out. I’m sure of that. Once you put your mind to something, Cade, you always find a way to make it happen. You’ll figure this out, too.”

  Cade appreciated his father’s support. Of course, it would be easier to pull this off if his mind was focused on his plan and not the very beautiful and oh-so-wrong for him Megan Jennings.