“I’ve been thinking,” Amanda said slowly. “Would it be okay with you if I came back to the farm and took a few pictures? I’d like to put them on my brochures and website so I can show my customers how fresh the ingredients I use actually are.”
“Of course. That’s a good idea. I think I’ll take some of my own for potential clients who aren’t able to visit the farm.” He mentally added create brochure and possibly add a video of the farm to his website to the list of things he needed to do in order to promote his business. He’d known starting a business wasn’t going to be easy, but there were things he hadn’t even considered like advertising on an almost nonexistent budget.
When he’d decided to start the business, he’d promised himself that it would be able to stand on its own right from the beginning. He wouldn’t pull money that they needed to run the farm to get his own private business up and running. He’d been confident that once word got around about his new venture, local restaurants would seek him out. Now, though, he knew that he would have to actively market the business and cultivate relationships. More drains on his time and more reasons he shouldn’t be thinking of Megan. Relationships required time, which was something he didn’t have right now.
That was one of Deadra’s main complaints. She’d said that he worked too hard and never had time to spend with her. But when they did spend time together doing something she enjoyed, like dining at fancy restaurants or attending parties thrown by one or another of her swanky friends, she’d gotten upset that they couldn’t stay until the crack of dawn. She’d refused to understand the life of a farmer. He’d been willing to make sacrifices for her, but she’d been unwilling to reciprocate. She didn’t believe in compromise. Since the breakup, he’d realized that they hadn’t ever been a good fit. It had been a painful but necessary lesson. City and country just didn’t mix.
Once he and Amanda had completed their business and he’d refused her offer to stay for dinner, Cade said goodbye to Ryan and Dillon and then headed for home. It was about time for Megan to arrive. His heart thumped at the thought of seeing her again. She’d looked so sexy in her suit. Where once he’d been turned off by her professional wardrobe, he’d been turned on this afternoon. Of course he knew she wouldn’t be wearing the suit when he saw her later. That would be impractical. But she looked sexy in her jeans and tops, too. The truth was, she’d be sexy no matter what she wore.
When he pulled up to the farm, he was surprised that her car wasn’t there. He checked his watch. She should have arrived by now. Dread pooled in his stomach. There was only one way from the town to his farm and he’d traveled that road. If her vehicle had broken down he would have passed it, but he hadn’t. Still, something could have gone wrong on her drive from her office to her house.
He was pulling out his phone to call her when his father stepped out of the house. Cade hesitated. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe she’d gotten held up at work again. And really, she wasn’t all that late. He was just anxious to see her again.
“How did your meeting go?” Reginald asked.
“Great. I have my first client. My business is official now.”
“Glad to hear it. I knew all of your hard work would pay off.”
Cade glanced at his watch and then looked around. Something was different. It took a minute for him to figure out what it was. The dogs weren’t in the corral. He looked at his father. “Where are the dogs?”
“Megan came by earlier and fed them. They’re in the barn now, all settled for the night.”
“She didn’t stay.”
“No. I tried to get her to stay for dinner, but she said she couldn’t tonight. It’s a shame, too, since I really enjoy her company. I did convince her to take a plate with her, so I know she won’t go hungry.”
“Did she give you a message for me?”
“No. Was she supposed to?”
“No.” Cade shoved his phone into his pocket. He wasn’t going to call her now. There wasn’t a need. She was fine and dandy.
“I figured you’d said whatever it was you needed to say at your meeting this afternoon. Was I wrong?”
“No. We said everything we needed to say.”
“Good. Well, come on in and get some dinner. I made roast beef that will melt in your mouth, mashed potatoes, and a green salad.”
That was one of Cade’s favorite meals, but it was hard to summon up much enthusiasm for dinner. He’d gotten so used to having Megan around in the evenings, taking care of the animals and then eating dinner together. It felt strange not having her near. She was becoming very important to him. He had tried to keep his distance from her, and had even pushed her away. So why was he disappointed that she’d taken the hint?
He’d told himself that he wouldn’t be a fool again by falling for a city woman, but perhaps he was being a fool in a different way. What kind of man pushed away a woman he was attracted to? A woman who clearly had a kind heart and whose word he could trust? A stupid man, that’s who. A man who was afraid to live and love. Well, Cade Battle had never been afraid of anything and he was done being a fool. He looked at his father. “Do you mind saving me some dinner? I need to run out for a while.”
“Sure.” Reginald went back into the house.
Cade jumped into his truck and drove to Spring Forest. Megan had told him where she lived so he had no trouble finding her house. Her car was parked in the street, so he pulled behind it and climbed the short flight of stairs to her front door. She’d put two chairs and a small table on one side of the porch and a small bench on the other. Two large potted plants were on either side of the door. It was quite the homey space and he was curious to see what the rest of her house looked like.
After he rang the doorbell, he tried to organize his thoughts. He knew he’d given Megan mixed signals these past few days and had a lot of explaining to do. Hopefully she would be forgiving and willing to start over. And maybe she’d be interested in discovering whether they could be more than friends. He still was not certain she was going to stay in town, but he knew he’d regret not taking the chance.
“Hey, Cade. Is something wrong? Did you have a problem during your meeting with Amanda?”
He looked up at the sound of her voice. When he saw her, it took all of his control not to stare. She’d changed out of the sexy red suit as he’d expected. Instead of the jeans and top that she normally wore to the farm, she had on a floral sundress that bared her shoulders and hit midthigh. She wasn’t wearing shoes and her toenails were painted fire-engine red to match her fingernails.
The words she said struck him in the chest. Naturally she’d gone straight to business, assuming that was the only reason he’d be here. He’d taken the personal off the table by the cowardly way he’d treated her. Instead of talking to her, telling her how he felt and sharing his doubts, he’d backed off and left her to guess the reasons why. Disgusted, he shook his head. He’d been such a fool.
“No?” She opened the door. “Come inside and tell me what happened. I’m sure we can find a way to straighten it out.”
“What? No. Everything went fine.” She was still holding the door, so he stepped inside and followed her into the front room. There wasn’t an overhead light, but several floor and table lamps were lit. Framed photographs were scattered over the tables and a portrait hung over the fireplace. There was a paperback book lying on the beige sofa. She swept it up, glanced inside as if checking the page number, then set it on a teak coffee table.
“Have a seat.” She gestured vaguely as if giving him the option of sitting on the sofa or one of the two chairs in the cozy room. He chose a comfortable-looking chair and she sat on the sofa. “If everything went okay, then why are you here?”
“I went home and you weren’t there.”
“I stopped by and took care of the animals. You can ask Reginald, he’ll tell you.” Her voice sounded defensive as if she expected him to accus
e her of lying.
“He told me. He also said that he invited you to stay for dinner but you turned him down. Why didn’t you stay?”
She shrugged. “No reason. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the farm. I just felt like coming home. Don’t get me wrong. I love Reginald. I think he’s the best. He’s not at all like my father in looks or personality, but there’s something about your dad that reminds me of mine. But even so, he’s not my dad and the farm isn’t my home. I don’t want to get too attached to either of them.”
Her tone was very definitive and her direct words didn’t leave room for misinterpretation. But just because her words were true now didn’t mean they would always be true. The farm wasn’t her home now, but it could be in the future.
“We both like having you there.”
“Thanks. I hate to think that I’ve been forcing my company on reluctant hosts.”
“You haven’t.”
Megan smiled, and for the first time since he’d stepped inside her house she seemed relaxed. That was good because he wanted her to be happy. But it was bad for him because he was just as confused now as he’d been before he’d shown up. And since he wasn’t sure about anything, perhaps he shouldn’t try and discuss his feelings now.
They talked for a few more minutes, saying nothing of import, before he stood. “It’s getting late so I’d better get going. See you tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
He walked beside Megan to the door. When they stepped onto the porch, he was tempted to kiss her good-night, which was insane. They hadn’t been on a date. When he got in his truck to drive away, he looked at her house. She was still standing there, so he waved before pulling off and driving away.
* * *
Megan stood on her porch long after she could no longer hear the sound of Cade’s truck engine. She was puzzled as to why he’d stopped by. He hadn’t said anything he couldn’t have told her the next time they saw each other. Perhaps he wanted to make sure she’d gotten the message. She couldn’t have missed it. She was smart enough to know a brush-off when she saw one. And she’d seen one this afternoon. He’d actually shaken her hand.
She’d been hurt and even a bit surprised, although she shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t the first time she’d been welcomed into a family and then shunted aside when she was no longer needed. She’d done their legal work so he was ready to kick her to the curb. For a while she’d allowed herself to believe that this time she’d be loved and wanted. That she mattered to someone. To Cade. She’d fantasized about being a part of his family. She’d even shared her deepest feelings with him. Then he’d backed away from her so suddenly her head was spinning. She should have known better. No one wanted her for keeps.
Well, there was no changing that. And sadly it wasn’t a total shock this time. After all, Tim and his family had tossed her away. Then she’d been devastated. Now she was merely disappointed. She was losing hope that there was a family for her. Not to replace the one she’d lost. No one would ever replace her beloved parents and brother. But she still longed for people who would love her. People who would celebrate her victories and help her get over her failures. People who would turn a house into a home.
That’s why she was so determined to find good homes for Mrs. Crockett’s animals. Once they’d been loved and had a good home. And just as happened with her, their home and family had been taken away from them. They were all in need of a forever home.
Speaking of home, she grabbed the mail from her coffee table. She’d gotten a letter from her landlord earlier today. He was selling the house and wanted to give her an opportunity to buy it before he put it on the market. She did like the little house. Her furniture fit perfectly. And she liked the neighborhood. It was quiet and within walking distance of the stores where she liked to shop. But there was something about buying the house that seemed so final. It was as if she was giving up on her dream of ever having a family. Buying a house where she would live alone seemed like a lack of faith in the future. Though her hope was waning, it wasn’t totally gone.
She knew that idea was totally irrational. Buying a house was a good investment. Why should she continue paying rent to someone else and have nothing to show for it but a stack of receipts when she could make the same payments to herself and end up with a nice piece of real estate? It might make financial sense to buy a house, but she just wasn’t sure.
It was just such a big decision. One she didn’t want to make on her own. She could discuss it with Daniel, but that would mean mixing her personal and professional lives. Even though she and Daniel had a good relationship, he was still her boss. She didn’t want to give him the impression that she couldn’t make a decision on her own. That wouldn’t be doing her career any favors. Who wanted an indecisive lawyer?
What about Cade? She pushed the thought aside. She wasn’t going to start making him more important in her life than she was in his. She’d traveled that road before and it was a dead end. She would have to decide whether or not to buy the house on her own. Fortunately she didn’t need to make a decision right away. Her landlord had given her thirty days to decide. Surely she’d know which direction her life was taking her by then.
Chapter Eleven
“It’s okay, sweet puppy,” Megan called from across the barn, careful to keep her distance. Two days had passed since Cade had shown up at her house. Neither of them mentioned the conversation. It was as if they were both pretending it had never happened.
“Did you just call that dog sweet?” Cade asked, shaking his head. “No one would call that skunk-smelling animal sweet.”
“I’m trying to make him feel better.” She took a few cautious steps toward Tiny, who was whining pitifully.
“I’m not sure words are going to do it. That dog stinks.”
“Shh.” Megan stooped down in front of the dog and quickly covered his ears with her hands. This close, the dog smelled even worse, and she gagged and blinked back tears. She’d never smelled anything this bad in her life.
“He didn’t understand a word I said,” Cade protested. He filled two metal tubs with warm water.
“Still, he has feelings.”
“He’s slightly odoriferous. Is that better?”
She glared at him. “Not much.”
“Fine. Would your puppy’s delicate feelings be hurt if I said he is in desperate need of a bath?”
“I think those words would be acceptable.”
“Good. So let’s get to it.”
“I only hope a bath helps.” She didn’t know how or when it happened, but Tiny and Gumball had dug a hole under the corral fence. Then, when no one was around, they’d squeezed under the fence and run off into the woods, where they’d had a run-in with a skunk. Apparently the encounter hadn’t gone the dogs’ way because they’d raced back to the corral with their tails tucked between their legs and reeking of skunk. They smelled so bad that the other dogs wouldn’t let them come near. Poor shunned Tiny and Gumball had cowered and cried.
Megan lifted Tiny into a metal tub while Cade lifted Gumball, a slightly larger dog, into another one. The dogs struggled for a minute, fighting to get out of the water. Finally they relaxed and allowed Megan and Cade to smear on a homemade mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish washing liquid.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” To Megan’s nose, the smell had gotten more intense, but that could be her imagination. She’d tried breathing through her mouth, but then she’d begun to taste the odor, which was infinitely worse. She’d rather hose off the dogs from a distance, but the soap had to be scrubbed in—and anyway, she knew that would only make Tiny and Gumball feel unwanted.
“It will. Trust me.”
“I always thought tomato juice was the way to get rid of the smell.” She looked at Cade as she rubbed the little dog’s fur. A clump of suds dropped into the water and Tiny tried to eat it.
“And then you’ll smell fresh as daisies,” Megan said, including Tiny and Gumball in her promise. The dogs whined in response.
“Actually, they’ll smell like wet dog.”
“Well, wet dog will smell like daisies as far as I’m concerned.”
Cade laughed and her stomach lurched a little. There was something about him that appealed to her as a woman. He was so sexy. But more than that, he made her heart happy. Being with him felt like home. And not in the physical sense, although she did enjoy being on the farm. There was something soothing about being outside in the open air. Relaxing on the glider in the shade of the trees had been the best. She’d do it every night if she could.
Being with Cade made her believe she could create a new family. Of course, that was before he’d decided that he didn’t want a relationship with her. He’d run hot and cold the entire time she’d known him, as if uncertain about his feelings for her. Evidently he’d made up his mind and didn’t want her. She didn’t know what she’d done to make him feel that way, but there it was. And she’d tried to attach herself to other families enough times to know that it didn’t work. She would have to content herself with being Cade’s friend. Too bad her heart and body didn’t seem to agree with that plan.
The City Girl's Homecoming Page 12