Cade sighed. Apparently he wasn’t as immune to his father’s plotting as he’d believed. Something in his chest had torn when Megan told them about losing her entire family. He couldn’t imagine how she’d endured the pain. He’d wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there when his mother died. Even then he’d still had his father and Chase. She’d lost both parents and her brother in one fell swoop.
Cade knew his father was playing dirty, but what he was saying was true. Megan had no one. Cade didn’t for a moment imagine that she was friendless—she was too caring for that—but it was possible she hadn’t made close friends yet in Spring Forest. That would make for a lonely life. “I’ll show her around.”
“That’s good of you, Cade.”
He aimed his fork at his father to make his point. “But it won’t be right away. I really am swamped around here. And every free minute that I have, I spend trying to make the farm-to-table plans a reality.”
“You’ll do it. I have complete faith in your abilities.”
“Thanks, Dad.” As Cade basked in his father’s praise, he realized how fortunate he was. He still had his father’s love and support. “And I’ll find time for Megan.”
“Good.”
Not that it would be a hardship. Who would find it difficult to be around a beautiful woman with a kind heart? That would be easy. The hard part would be keeping himself from doing something foolish like falling for her.
* * *
Megan closed her office door and quickly changed into a pair of faded jeans and a pink-and-green-striped top. She’d brought the clothes with her just in case she got held up at the office again. It was important to her that Cade knew she respected his time. Although she didn’t have a clear picture of what his day entailed, she knew it was important and time-consuming. Running a farm sounded interesting and she wanted to know about his job. Hopefully he would tell her more.
She was still trying to get to know him, which wasn’t easy. He hadn’t been very friendly when they first met, but she had been pleasantly surprised by his attitude yesterday. He’d been very kind to her, and to the animals. She hoped that the Cade she’d spent time with yesterday was the real one.
She grabbed the hanger holding her suit in one hand and opened the door with the other. Stepping into the hall, she waved goodbye to Daniel, who was on his office phone, then left. Once in the car, she rolled down her windows and let the sweet breeze blow in.
When Megan arrived on the farm, she drove to the back of the house and parked near the barn. She looked around, but Cade was nowhere to be found. Her heart sank, but she reminded herself that he had to work. Hadn’t he told her that he was too busy to take care of sixteen cats and dogs? Pushing aside her disappointment, she looked for the cats. She’d expected them to be lazing in the sun, but they weren’t. Perhaps they were in the barn playing with their toys or in the cat mansions. She looked in the stalls, but they were empty. She searched the entire barn, but they were nowhere to be found.
“Now, where did you get off to?”
Megan picked up her pace as she headed for the corral. The dogs and Samson were there and they greeted her enthusiastically. She rubbed each of the dogs while Samson wound around her legs. Although she hadn’t really expected the other cats to be here, she’d hoped. “Where are the other kitties?”
She turned in a slow circle, hoping for a glimpse of the missing felines. Nothing. She was going to have to search for them. Although she’d been concerned about the dogs getting lost on the farm, it had never occurred to her that the cats would be the ones to wander away. What if they got lost and she couldn’t find them? Or what if they ended up with the cattle and got squashed or stampeded?
Megan’s knowledge of the layout of the farm was limited to the house and barns. There were acres and acres of land she hadn’t even seen, much less explored. Since she had no idea where the cats would go, she chose a random direction and walked that way. It was slow going because she stopped and listened for purring every few feet. After fifteen minutes of fruitless searching, she was about to turn around when she heard meowing. She followed the sound and found the cats lying in tall grass. She called their names, but of course, being cats, they didn’t deem her worthy of a response. Princess did look up before licking her front paws.
There was no way she was going to be able to carry them all, so they were going to have to walk on their own. “Okay, little kitties, it’s time to go back.”
Bella was nearest to her, so Megan nudged her. The cat gave Megan a dirty look before standing. Megan then proceeded to poke all of the other cats until they were standing, although some of them were only stretching. Megan had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any better than this. “Let’s get back to the barn.”
Megan took two steps but none of the cats followed her. Dogs were so much easier. She considered running back to the barn and getting some treats, but decided against it. What if the cats decided to wander somewhere else while she was gone? She might not find them again. Going back, she began to push the cats in the way she wanted them to go. Some followed but others sat back down, and Felix went in an entirely different direction. Megan chased after him. “Oh, no you don’t.”
After about ten minutes of chasing cats and urging them into the right direction, Megan had barely moved more than a hundred feet. At this rate she’d never get back to the barn. She began to sing a fast song. Perhaps playing the role of the Pied Piper would encourage the cats to follow quickly. It didn’t.
“This is so ridiculous,” she said to no one in particular. The cats certainly weren’t paying her any mind.
“I agree.”
Cade’s voice startled her and she jumped and turned to look at him. There was a wide grin on his face. She was transfixed by his smile for a few seconds, which was long enough for two of the cats to sneak off in opposite directions. “Come back here, you rascals.”
She chased after Felix while Cade sprinted after Bella. They caught their cats and brought them back to the other five, who had begun to wander off. Fortunately they hadn’t gotten too far. Rather than put down their escapees, they carried them to the yard, using their legs to prod the others in the right direction.
Once they were back in the yard, Megan heaved a heavy sigh. “That was nuts. It was like...”
“Herding cats?” Cade offered.
Megan laughed. “Yes. I never really gave much thought to that term before. I’ve used it, of course, but I’ve never thought what it would actually be like to try and herd cats. Now that I know? If I never have to try that again it will be too soon.”
Cade laughed with her. The sound sent tingles shimmying down her spine. What was it about this man that made her feel so giddy and light? So happy and peaceful? She’d never experienced anything like this with Tim and they’d been engaged. Now she wondered how big a role his loving family had played in her attraction to him. His mother and sisters had been wonderful and she’d loved being included in their group. But Tim’s touch had never made her knees go weak. Kissing him had been pleasant but not earth-shattering. Just casually brushing against Cade made her knees turn to goo and left her questioning her ability to stand.
“I wonder what made them decide to venture so far away from the house,” Cade said. Clearly he didn’t understand felines any better than she did.
“I don’t know. But whatever it is, I hope they don’t do it again tomorrow. They made dinner late.”
Megan filled the water and food bowls, then hurriedly completed her cleanup duties. While she worked, she lectured the cats about wandering off. The speech was more for herself than the cats because she knew they weren’t listening. Still, she felt better having warned them of the dangers in the world.
When she was finished with the cats, she went outside, closing the barn door behind her. She found Cade in the corral, throwing balls to the dogs. He rubbed them briskly whenever they brought t
he balls back. He took off running a few times and laughed when the dogs caught him. He seemed so carefree, unlike the grumpy man she’d first met.
Samson climbed the fence and walked along the top rail until he reached Megan. She picked him up, then rubbed him. Although she liked all of the animals and tried to treat them all equally, she loved Samson a little bit more.
Cade tossed the balls a few more times, then let the dogs keep them. He wandered over to the fence, Delilah by his side. When he reached Megan, Cade climbed over the fence, then stood beside her. “Your favorite?”
“There’s just something about Samson. He’s such a cool cat.”
“Don’t tell the other dogs, but Delilah is my favorite.”
Smiling, Megan pretended to lock her lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“Do you have plans for the night?”
“Not at all. If I’m lucky I’ll find something on TV worth watching. If not, there’s always sleep.”
“Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Surprised she took a deep breath before answering. “Yes.”
“Then let’s put the dogs and Samson in the barn and get going.”
Once the animals were settled for the night, Megan walked toward the house. Cade put a hand on her arm, stopping her. “My truck is over here.”
“Oh. I thought you meant your father’s house.”
“No. I meant my house. Do you want to change your answer?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I still want to have dinner with you.”
After they’d gotten into the pickup, Cade drove down a back road Megan hadn’t known existed. It was mostly dirt with grass in the middle, so maybe it wasn’t so much a road as a path. As they bumped along, Megan looked out the window at the beautiful farm. She was impressed by what she saw. There were acres and acres of tomatoes, peppers, bush beans, onions, and other plants that she couldn’t identify. Until this moment she hadn’t had a complete grasp on just how big a farm this was, nor had she appreciated just how much work it had to take to keep it going. Cade carried a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. The farm provided the livelihood for him and Reginald as well as their employees’ families.
Megan looked at him with new appreciation. “This is absolutely amazing.”
He seemed almost embarrassed. “Thanks.”
They drove a few more minutes before Cade slowed and parked in front of a pale yellow house. Unlike the main house, this one was small. Quaint. She loved it on sight.
Cade opened the front door and she stepped into a small entry that opened onto a decent-sized living room. She’d expected him to have leather furniture or no furniture at all, so she was pleasantly pleased by his fabric sectional and coordinating chair. A breeze blew through the open windows. There were no window treatments, but if she had the view he had, she wouldn’t cover it up with curtains or blinds either.
She followed Cade through a dining room and past a flight of stairs, which led to the second floor. He pointed out the powder room before they reached the kitchen. It was modern with soapstone counters, glistening appliances, and a large farmhouse sink. On the floor near the back door were two stainless steel bowls filled with water. She looked at Cade and he shrugged. “I told you I really like Delilah. I brought her home with me yesterday. Of course she wouldn’t come without Samson, so he came, too.”
Megan smiled. Cade was more of a softy than he’d let on. “Where did they sleep?”
He grinned sheepishly. “I brought their beds home with me last night and took them back to the barn this morning.”
“Why?”
He laughed. “I didn’t want my dad to think I was playing favorites by bringing home two animals and leaving the rest.”
Megan wondered if he would do the same thing tonight but decided not to ask. She didn’t want to be disappointed if he said no. She’d rather live with the fantasy where Cade let Samson and Delilah move in with him permanently and they all lived happily ever after. Of course there should be a woman in that picture as well to complete the family, and for a brief moment she imagined being that woman. She forced the thought away. It would only lead to disappointment. For all she knew, Cade had a girlfriend.
She turned her focus back to Cade, who was pulling pans from cabinets. “Do you need help with dinner?”
“No. I actually enjoy cooking. My mother insisted that Chase and I learn how to cook. I’m pretty good if I do say so myself.”
Megan’s mother had begun to teach her how to cook, too. Unfortunately the lessons had ended when her mother died. None of her foster mothers had been interested in spending time in the kitchen with a silent kid. It wasn’t until she met Tim and began spending time with his mother that she once more had someone devoted to helping her improve her skills. Now she was a pretty decent cook, and though her repertoire was small, the meals she put together were quite tasty.
“What are we having?”
“Chicken marsala, mashed potatoes and a salad made with vegetables I picked from my backyard garden today.”
“Impressive. Do you really have your own garden or are you talking about the farm vegetables?”
“I have a garden for my own personal use. And we have a several greenhouses as well.”
“This farm is amazing.”
He pounded the chicken until it was flat and then dredged it in flour. A moment later he had it cooking in the pan. “There’s more that I want to do.”
“Like what?”
“Have you heard of the farm-to-table movement?”
“Yes, but I only know the basics. It’s where farmers sell directly to restaurants, right?”
“Yes. The produce is freshly picked and is used immediately. The food is fresher so it has more nutrients and tastes better. There’s no middle man so the restaurant’s cost is lower, which allows them to charge less for their meals. The lower price in turn allows more people, especially those with lower budgets for dining out, to enjoy a delicious meal they might not otherwise have been able to afford. It’s a win for everyone involved.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. When are you going to start it?”
“I’m working on it. I’ve solidified the plans and I’ve worked out the harvesting schedule. With the greenhouses I can provide produce all year round. Now I’ve just got to get some contracts and of course market to potential customers.”
“I would be happy to draw up the contracts for you. I am a lawyer, after all.”
“Are you any good?”
He winked at her when he asked his question, but even though Megan knew he was kidding, she answered him seriously. “Yes. I received my undergraduate degree in finance and my law degree from Howard University. I graduated summa cum laude both times. I was hired by a major law firm in New York, where I worked for almost three years before I moved to North Carolina last month.”
“Impressive. I guess that’s your way of saying you can handle my piddling contracts.”
“No. That’s my way of saying that if you trust me to draft your very important business contracts, you’ll be hiring someone who is qualified.”
“Okay. In the words of my father, consider yourself hired.”
They talked about sports and favorite television shows while he cooked. Though he didn’t need her assistance cooking, he was more than happy for her to set the table. When he told her he had a flower garden, she cut several blooms. He didn’t own a vase, so she arranged them in a glass pitcher. She was setting them on the table just as Cade announced that the food was done. He served her first and then himself.
She felt his eyes on her as she took her first bite. Her taste buds reacted immediately. “This is absolutely delicious. You have to give me the recipe.”
“I’ll do that.”
They continued their conversation, moving on to favorite books. Megan was surprised to di
scover that she and Cade both favored mysteries, although he also liked true crime stories, a genre she would never touch. By the time they finished their dessert of mixed fresh berries and sweet cream, Megan felt they were on their way to becoming friends.
As it was getting late, he drove her back to her car. She’d told herself not to ask but she couldn’t help herself. “Are you taking Samson and Delilah home with you?”
He grinned. “Yep.”
“Good.” She was glad that Samson and Delilah were going to be sleeping in a house tonight. It was as if they were creating her fantasy family. Oh how she wished she could make her own fantasy about becoming part of a family come true, too.
Chapter Seven
The next few days were enjoyable and they sped by. After completing her legal work at the office, Megan would change clothes and head to the farm for what was rapidly becoming her favorite part of the day. After she’d finish her chores, she and Cade would toss the ball to the dogs, letting them run around and burn off excess energy. If the cats were inclined, Megan and Cade would give them attention, as well. Once all of the animals were settled for the night, she and Cade would either eat dinner with Reginald or the two of them would go to Cade’s house and cook dinner together.
Today was Saturday and Megan didn’t have to go into the office. Even so, she got up early, ate a quick breakfast, and drove to the farm. It was her intention to arrive early enough to feed the animals so Cade wouldn’t have to. He’d said he didn’t mind doing it, but she didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness any more than she already had. Yesterday Rebekah told her that the shelter had room for two cats and one dog, so Megan could bring three of Mrs. Crockett’s animals to the shelter. Now Megan was faced with deciding which ones would get the opportunity to find a new family right away and which ones would have to wait. She pondered the question for a while, then decided the ones who’d have a harder time getting adopted would be the ones to go first. That way they’d have more opportunities to find a home.
The City Girl's Homecoming Page 8