The sun had just begun to make its appearance when she’d left home. It was a bright ball of light shining against the clear blue sky by the time she reached the farm. She parked and looked around. Cade’s truck was nowhere to be seen. Megan called a cheery good morning to the animals as she stepped into the barn. The dogs barked and put their paws on the doors of their stalls, so she let them into the corral, where they immediately began to run around and sniff the ground.
She had cleaned the litter boxes and was filling the food bowls when she heard Cade’s truck pull up. He walked into the barn a minute later.
“Well, this is a surprise,” he said.
“A pleasant one, I hope.”
“Definitely. I didn’t expect to see you here so early.”
“It’s Saturday, which means I don’t have to work, so I can take care of my responsibilities here.”
“You know I don’t mind handling morning duty.”
“I came for a second reason. Rebekah has space for two cats and one dog at the shelter. I plan on dropping them off later this morning.”
“Do you know which ones?”
“I think Bella and Felix for the cats.”
“The two troublemakers?”
Megan nodded.
“And the dog?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Pee-Wee.”
Cade nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”
Once the animals were fed, Cade turned to her. “What do you plan to do for the rest of the day? Besides stop by the shelter.”
“Nothing. I figured I play it by ear.”
“Do you want to spend some time here? Get a taste of real farm life?”
“I’d love it. If you don’t think I’ll be in the way.”
“Not at all. Come on.”
Before they went anywhere, they said good morning to Reginald. He poured them each a cup of coffee, and they talked while he cooked breakfast. Although Megan had eaten a bowl of cereal before she’d driven to the farm, she found she had room for the French toast, sausage and scrambled eggs Reginald made.
Reginald and Cade kidded each other throughout breakfast while Megan watched in amusement. There was something so sweet about the way Cade and his dad got along. It was easy to tell how much they enjoyed spending time together. Listening to the affectionate tone in Cade’s voice as he spoke to his father only made him more attractive to her.
So many people their age didn’t appreciate their parents and didn’t include them in their lives. It did her heart good to see how much Cade loved his father and the large part they played in each other’s lives.
After they’d finished eating, Megan offered to help with the dishes, but Reginald shooed her away. “It’s much too nice a day for you to spend it inside. Besides, I have a system.”
“Thank you for a delicious breakfast.”
“Anytime, Megan. Anytime.”
Megan wanted to believe that she truly was welcome anytime, but despite the joy filling her heart at his words, the experience with Tim’s family left her wary. Could she trust that his affection for her would remain even after the animals no longer needed to stay on his farm or would it vanish like mist when the sun rose? Though unsure if Reginald’s affection would last, Megan kissed his cheek, then followed Cade from the kitchen.
Megan played close attention as Cade showed her around the farm. There was so much to see and she didn’t want to miss a single detail. Up close, the endless rows of plants looked like a piece of art. The tomato plants were pretty enough to be used as landscaping. After walking among the growing vegetables, Cade drove along a dirt road for about twenty minutes. When he stopped, they were on a small hill. After they climbed from the truck, Megan walked around. Almost immediately she spotted a herd of cows. From this vantage point they looked smaller than they actually were.
She turned to Cade, who was looking into the valley, a proud look on his face. “How many are there?”
“Thirty-five hundred.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been thinking. I don’t want to interfere with your plans for your business, but I wonder if you’ve talked to Amanda Sylvester.”
The Sylvesters were a fixture in town thanks to their long-established restaurant, Main Street Grille. Amanda had managed the restaurant and run the kitchen capably for years but—as Megan had learned after befriending the cheerful brunette—she was in the process of starting a new business.
“About what?”
“She’s no longer running her family’s restaurant. She’s starting her own catering business. I think she’s the kind of client you’re looking for.”
“That sounds promising. I’ll contact her and see what we can work out. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“You’re both good people who want to provide the best for your customers. A partnership between you can’t help but be a success.”
Cade smiled, obviously pleased by her response, and they continued touring the farm. With every step she took, Megan felt more comfortable, both on the farm and with Cade.
When Cade had shown her everything, they returned to the barn. Megan was sorry to see the pleasant morning come to an end, but he had work to do and she needed to deliver the animals to the shelter. They crated the cats and Pee-Wee and put the carriers into the back seat of her car. She touched Cade’s hand. “Thanks so much for showing me around. I really enjoyed myself. I’ll be back in time to feed the rest of the gang tonight.”
“That’s a lot of driving back and forth in one day.”
“I don’t mind.”
“In that case, I’ll see you later.” Cade held the car door open for her, then closed it firmly after she’d gotten inside.
Megan glanced in her rearview mirror as she drove away. Cade was still standing there, watching her leave. She wondered if he was going to miss her while she was gone. Since she was already missing him, she hoped so.
She told herself to snap out of it. She’d rushed headlong into a relationship before and gotten hurt. There was no way she was going to make that mistake again. Besides, Cade was her client, and business and pleasure didn’t mix. Of course she was probably getting concerned over nothing. Although he’d become much more pleasant, Cade hadn’t shown the slightest interest in a romantic relationship. Heck, they were barely friends.
As she drove to the shelter, she couldn’t help comparing her growing feelings for Cade with her ex, Tim, and she was coming to realize that Tim had been right to end their relationship. They hadn’t been in love for a while. And with time to think as well as her reaction to Cade, Megan wondered if she’d ever been in love with him. She’d liked and admired Tim. He was one of the good guys. And they’d always had a good time together. But the truth was she probably wouldn’t have wanted to marry him if not for his family. She’d loved them all. More than that, she’d loved being part of a family again. Looking back, she knew that hadn’t been fair to Tim, who’d deserved better.
Five minutes later, she reached the shelter and pulled into the parking lot. Since it was Saturday there were several people milling around. Some were volunteers, but most were families in search of a pet to call their own. Megan hoped that someone would want each of the animals she was dropping off. She whispered a prayer that whoever chose these pets would treat them with the utmost love and kindness.
Megan opened the door and pulled out the two cat carriers. She was reaching for the dog’s leash when Birdie spotted her and rushed over to help. Megan smiled at the other woman. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Birdie looked into the cat crates. “And who do you have here?”
“That’s Bella and Felix. And this little fellow is Pee-Wee.”
“Welcome, friends.” Birdie straightened and then looked at Megan. “I imagine you’re wondering if Bunny and I have reached a decision about whethe
r we want to bring charges against Gator.”
Megan hadn’t planned on mentioning it, but since Birdie was the one to bring it up, Megan didn’t see a problem with having the conversation. “Have you?”
“Not yet. It’s just so hard to think about prosecuting our brother and possibly sending him to jail. He’s our flesh and blood. Family.”
“Nobody knows how important family is more than I do. But he embezzled money from you. I’ve already told you what I think you should do, and I won’t badger either of you. But I want to tell you one more thing. Don’t put more value on family ties than he does.”
“He’s our brother.”
“I know. And he was your brother when he stole from you.”
Birdie nodded and Megan hoped she’d gotten through to her. Megan liked both of the Whitaker sisters and hated to see someone take advantage of them.
Megan and Birdie took the animals inside, and a sweet faced volunteer got them set up for what Megan hoped would be a very short stay. She’d heard most of the animals were adopted quickly and hoped that would be the case for the sixteen under her care. They deserved homes and families. Love.
Megan stayed around to talk with a few of the volunteers she recognized from her earlier visits before going home. After taking a long shower, she returned to the farm. When she arrived, she stopped in and said a quick hello to Reginald before going in search of her charges. She spent a good fifteen minutes rubbing the cats and another twenty minutes or so playing fetch with the dogs. After giving them fresh water, she left them to their own devices.
During her search for the cats the other day, she’d seen a pond in the distance and now decided to wander there for a closer look. She’d taken a few steps in that direction when she heard Cade calling her name. She turned and waited for him to catch up to her.
“Hey,” she said.
He smiled at her. “Hey yourself. Where are you going?”
“I thought I’d take a walk to the pond near where we found the cats.”
“That sounds like a good way to spend the afternoon. Do you want company?”
“I’d love some.”
“Hold on a minute and I’ll get some bread to feed the geese.” He darted up the stairs and into the house. Megan noticed that Cade was wearing a different pair of jeans and another shirt than he’d had on this morning. And his chin looked freshly shaved. His fresh appearance made her doubly glad that she’d taken the time to shower and spritz on perfume before she’d come back.
Cade held up a half loaf of bread as he jogged down the stairs. When he reached her, they turned and walked side by side to the pond. Megan spotted a bunch of wildflowers and stopped to sniff them.
“You can pick some if you want.”
“Thanks.” She studied them for a second before pulling a couple.
Since they weren’t in any particular hurry, Megan stopped every now and then to pick a few flowers. By the time they reached the pond she was holding a colorful bouquet. She set it on the ground while Cade pulled several slices of bread from the plastic wrap. Megan took some and walked to the water’s edge. Several geese were floating in the water while others pecked at the grass.
Megan tore the bread into pieces and edged closer. She dropped a few pieces onto the ground. “Here, goosey-goosey.”
The geese turned and honking loudly began to walk in her direction. She dropped a few more pieces of bread and the geese charged her, honking all the while. They came from all directions and suddenly afraid, she threw the last of the bread at them then held up her hands to indicate that she didn’t have any more food. The geese didn’t understand that signal and kept closing in on her. There had to be at least two or three dozen of them and the circle closed in around her. Megan squealed and, tripping over a couple of the birds, ran away as fast as she could. The geese followed.
Cade was several yards away, tossing bread at the geese in the water, and he turned at her cry. Before he could take more than two steps in her direction, she ran past him and hid behind his back. Hopefully the geese would take one look at Cade and all of his muscles and back off. They didn’t. The geese kept coming, clearly determined to get even more bread.
Megan whimpered. What had she started?
Cade chuckled then set her away from him. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. Stay right here.”
She nodded, but she was still trembling.
Cade walked up to the geese, waving his arms wildly. “Shoo. Shoo. No more food here.”
As he drew nearer, still gesturing and talking loudly, the geese turned and began waddling back toward the pond. Finally they all got in the water and began swimming away. Once they’d sailed across the water, Cade smiled and walked to Megan.
“My hero.” She put her hands around his waist and hugged him tight, then reached up and kissed his cheek. She’d intended to keep things light, but when her lips touched his warm skin, electricity shot through her body, stunning her with its intensity. It was like grabbing a live wire. She sucked in a breath and got a whiff of his heady scent mingled with a hint of aftershave. He smelled so good. Their eyes met and held, and sexual attraction arced between them.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She leaned her head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath his cotton shirt. It felt so good to be in his embrace. She couldn’t imagine anything would ever feel better. They stood that way for a long moment before Cade eased back and set her away from him. Megan wasn’t sure what had gone wrong. Could she have imagined the heat in his eyes or the way his breath had hitched when she’d kissed him?
She didn’t think so. She knew he felt the same longing she had. But he kept his distance from her as they returned to the barn, and doubts began to take hold. Perhaps she’d imagined his reaction, seeing what she’d wanted to see. She’d been rejected before and didn’t want to feel that sting again. There was no way she would put herself on the spot by asking why he’d suddenly become cold. She might not like the answer. And since she’d be coming to Battle Lands Farm to care for the animals for the foreseeable future, it would be best not to open that can of worms. Besides, he was her client and off-limits. She needed to remember that.
* * *
Megan didn’t say much as they fed the animals and that was fine with Cade. With all the noise and confusion suddenly filling his head he wouldn’t have been able to form a coherent thought much less carry on an intelligent conversation. Sometimes it was best to be quiet rather than risk saying the wrong thing. In this case the wrong thing would be to ask Megan to come with him into town for dinner and a movie. Or maybe for a walk around the farm. He wanted her company for a few more hours. Or maybe for the night. Thoughts like that would lead him down a path he shouldn’t travel, so it was best to keep his mouth shut.
Megan was a city girl. And not just any city girl. She was a lawyer from New York City. That was two strikes against any relationship he and Megan could ever have. His former fiancée had ended their engagement a few weeks before the wedding day, then run away to Chicago with her lawyer boyfriend. Cade knew that some people might believe he was being irrational to group all city girls into the same category, or to feel a grudge against lawyers, but he knew he was just being practical.
Life on a farm could be lonely and isolated. His former fiancée, Deadra, had sworn she’d be happy living on his piece of land. She’d claimed that she could be happy anywhere as long as they were together. That all she’d needed was him. He’d believed her. Once the reality of living in his house had set in, she’d dumped him and returned to big city life where she’d been happy.
He’d grown up here and liked his life on the farm. The quiet solitude didn’t bother him. Though she seemed content now, Cade believed in his heart that that Megan wouldn’t be able to adjust to life here any better than Deadra had. It would be foolhardy to think otherwise.
; Megan had been in the area for a couple of months. The time she’d spent in Spring Forest could be likened to a long vacation. People visited places that were different from their normal lives in order to have new experiences. A small North Carolina town was definitely a novelty for her. No doubt she enjoyed spending time in such a charming town. But eventually she would get tired of the slower pace and crave the activity of New York once more. When that happened she’d be gone and Cade would be left behind. He would be a fool to open himself up to someone who was so wrong for him—especially a woman like Megan who made his heart skip a beat every time he saw her. It would be way too easy to get in over his head with her, if he let himself. But he wouldn’t. He’d been a fool once. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
That’s why he needed to keep her at a distance.
Chapter Eight
The next couple of days, Cade struggled to keep his attraction under control. The frustrating thing was no matter how much your head knew something was bad for you, it was nearly impossible to convince your heart. Not that his heart was what he was worried about. There was no way he could be falling in love with Megan at this stage in the game. He barely knew her. Right now he was in what could only be described as a serious state of attraction, and if he wasn’t careful, his body would get him into trouble.
She was just so beautiful. So witty and fun. Last night his father had invited Megan to stay for dinner and she’d said yes instantly. Though Cade should know better, he’d been glad when she’d agreed to stay. She hadn’t stayed for dinner since the day they’d walked to the pond. Instead she took care of the pets every evening and then left. Since he’d made up his mind to keep his distance, he should be glad, but he wasn’t. He missed her.
Reginald never let anyone touch his stove, but he’d accepted Megan’s offer of assistance and let her make the gravy. That might not be a big deal to anyone else, but for Reginald it was like giving her a house key.
The City Girl's Homecoming Page 9