The City Girl's Homecoming Page 6

  “Finished?” Cade asked.

  “Not yet.” Megan knew how scary it was to be in a strange place. Mrs. Crockett had cried when she’d held her “babies” and said goodbye. The animals must have known that it was a final farewell because several of them had cried, as well. They had to be confused and unsure what would happen next. Although they’d been given food and warm beds, Megan knew it took more than necessities to feel at home. It took love and affection. Patience and caring.

  She walked over to Pee-Wee, a tiny elderly dog. Pee-Wee was cautious, preferring to hide behind the other dogs. It had taken Megan a while to win his trust, but once she’d gained it, the dog had allowed her to pick him up and carry him around. She picked him up now and then sat on the floor. “It’s going to be okay, Pee-Wee. I know this is a new place and you’re scared. That’s normal. But I promise you, I’ll find a new home for you where you’ll be loved and cared for again. It won’t be the same, but it will be good.”

  The dog looked deep into her eyes, and for a moment Megan believed Pee-Wee actually understood her. After a minute he barked once, then slid from her lap and climbed into his bed. He turned around a few times before lying down.

  Megan followed the same routine with each animal, assuring them that they would be fine. Although the dogs seemed to need her comfort, the cats had appeared bored by her speech. She knew they were listening, though. Being cats, they just didn’t want to let on.

  “Done?” Cade asked as she came out of the last stall, which Samson and Delilah were sharing.

  “Yes.”

  “I have to say I’ve never seen anyone settle animals in like that. Do you intend to do that every night?”

  She considered telling him about her experience in foster care and how scary it was go from place to place with seemingly no rhyme or reason. When she saw the mocking expression on his face, she decided against it. Perhaps he thought it was odd to comfort animals by promising to find them a good home again, and maybe it was. But she didn’t think he could understand how disconcerting it was to wake up in one bed in the morning and go to sleep in a different bed that night. After all, he lived on a farm that had been in his family for generations. His roots were as deep and well entrenched as one of those huge trees in his front yard. There were times when she’d felt like a tumbleweed being blown from place to place. Although she didn’t know about his mother, she knew his father was alive and well. Living his charmed existence, he wouldn’t be able to understand her reality. Not that she begrudged him the good life he enjoyed. She was happy for him. She just wished she could have held on to the one she’d had with her family for a while longer.

  She held his gaze. “It’s a new place. I just want them to feel comfortable. And I think you would want that, too. You don’t want them howling in the middle of the night.”

  “That’s very considerate of you, but unnecessary. I’m usually so exhausted by the time I fall into bed that nothing will wake me.”

  “Lucky for you.” That she did envy. She was a light sleeper and every little sound woke her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept through the night.

  Cade looked at her for a minute as if debating something. She waited patiently for him to make up his mind. “Would you like to stay for dinner? My father likes you a lot and I know he would enjoy seeing you again.”

  Surprised, Megan paused. She’d eaten dinner with Mrs. Crockett just about every night since she’d moved to Spring Forest, and she’d gotten used to have someone to talk to. Megan hadn’t been looking forward to eating alone tonight. Eventually she would be alone again, but it was good to be able to put it off for a night. “Thank you. I’d love to.”

  Chapter Five

  Cade led Megan across the backyard to the house, his mind a jumble of confusion. Why had he invited her to share dinner with him and his father? Hadn’t he decided that she was wrong for him and that he needed to keep her at a distance? But something about the way she’d talked to the animals, assuring them that they were safe and would find happy homes again, touched him. It had been so unexpected. She’d been so gentle. So loving. It was as if she’d been comforting children. Watching her go from one to the next had worn down his resistance to her, and the invitation had come spilling from his mouth.

  As she walked beside him, their hands brushed, and a jolt of electricity shot through his body. He steeled himself, determined to suppress the attraction he felt for her. The type of woman who wore floral perfume when she was going to spend hours on a farm dealing with cats and dogs didn’t seem like the type of woman who’d be happy around smelly cattle or a sweaty man who worked with them. He’d ignored that fact once before and suffered the heartbreak. He knew the second time wouldn’t be the charm.

  Cade held the kitchen door and let her enter. She didn’t appear surprised like she had when he’d opened her car door. Apparently the men she’d dealt with in the past lacked common courtesy. Or maybe she hadn’t expected a farmer to have manners.

  “Megan, what a nice surprise,” Cade’s dad said when he saw them. He gave the pot of tomato sauce a final stir, then wiped his hands on the towel tied around his waist.

  “Thank you. It’s good to see you.”

  “Are the animals all squared away for the night?”

  “Yes. Thanks to Cade.” Megan glanced at him and to his surprise, his heart swelled with pride at her words. He didn’t know why he reacted like she’d said he’d just invented sliced bread.

  “You did most of it,” he felt compelled to point out.

  She smiled brightly at him, and once more his body reacted in a way that displeased him. Unhappy with the way his heart lurched at her words, he didn’t return her smile, which eventually faded. He mentally kicked himself. Just because he didn’t like being attracted to her didn’t give him the right to make her uncomfortable, especially since he’d invited her to dinner. A good host should never be rude.

  “Dinner is just about ready,” Reginald said. “I take it you’re accepting my invitation.”

  “Yes. If there’s enough.”

  “There’s plenty.” Reginald turned and looked at Cade. He saw the twinkle in his father’s eyes and had no doubt what his father was up to. He was matchmaking. Didn’t he realize that was a terrible idea? There was no way his father could have forgotten how gutted Cade had been when his engagement ended. Surely Reginald knew that another city girl was the last thing Cade needed. “Show Megan where she can wash up.”

  “Follow me,” Cade said, turning and going out of the kitchen to the small powder room under the front stairs.

  Megan was quiet as they walked through the house. He opened the powder room door and stepped aside, waiting until she’d washed and dried her hands before he did the same. When they returned to the kitchen, dinner was already on the table.

  “It smells so good,” Megan said. “I love spaghetti.”

  Cade pulled out her chair and held it for her. She murmured her thanks and he nodded. Reginald had already taken his seat at the head of the table, leaving Cade to sit across from Megan.

  “The sauce is an old family recipe,” Reginald said. “Not my family, but someone’s. I found it in an old church cookbook.”

  Megan laughed. Her laughter was low and husky, just like her speaking voice.

  His father blessed the food and turned to Megan. “We don’t stand on ceremony here, so feel free to serve yourself.”

  They filled their plates with spaghetti, fried catfish, hush puppies and spinach, then dug in.

  “So how do you like living in Spring Forest?” Reginald asked.

  “I like it. I haven’t met very many people, but the ones that I have met have been very friendly. And I like working for Daniel Sutton, which is a plus.”

  “Where did you move from?”

  “New York.”

  “What do your parents think about you moving so
far from home?”

  Megan’s eyes lost their shine and her shoulders slumped. “My parents and big brother were killed by a drunk driver when I was fourteen. Both of my parents were only children and I had no other family. I was put into foster care.”

  “I’m sorry,” Reginald said.

  Cade’s mind reeled with shock. She’d lost her family and been ripped from her home and all that had been familiar to her. No wonder she was so caring with the displaced animals. She probably related to their plight because their experience was similar to hers. His stomach churned as he recalled making fun of the way she’d babied the animals. No doubt someone had said the same words to her. Or had she only wished someone had comforted her like that?

  “They were great parents and my brother was the best brother anyone could have. I try to live my life in a way that would make them all proud.” She lifted her glass to her lips and took a long swallow. He sensed that she wanted to change the subject. From the way her hand shook, he knew discussing her parents’ and brother’s deaths was painful for her.

  “I haven’t known you long, but from what I’ve seen, I’m sure they’re very proud of you,” Cade said. Just look at the way she stepped in to help her elderly neighbor, taking on the responsibility for sixteen animals. It took a special person to do that. It didn’t mean she wasn’t still a city girl with city girl sensibilities. And it definitely didn’t mean she was someone he should want to become involved with. It simply meant she was a considerate person.

  “Thank you for saying that,” Megan said quietly. She swirled the ice in her glass of lemonade for a few long seconds. Then she looked up at him. “Can you tell me more about the farm?”

  “Sure. What do you want to know?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know enough about farms to ask an intelligent question. Just tell me what you think would interest me. Or better yet, tell me what you like best about being a farmer.”

  “How much time do you have?” Cade asked with a laugh.

  “You’re the one driving me home, so...” she shrugged and her voice trailed off.

  He pushed his empty plate to the center of the table and leaned his forearm on the table. “I’ll give you general information about the Battle Lands Farm. I already told you how many acres we have. We employ twenty full-time employees who help care for the livestock and crops. Since our animals are organic, we allow them to graze on the open land. They need lots of space and water. We absolutely do not use any antibiotics or steroids of any kind. We do things the natural way. The humane way.”

  She nodded.

  Animal cruelty was one of the things that set Cade off. He took a deep breath and then blew it out. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go on a rant.”

  “Don’t apologize for caring about how animals are treated. It shows you have a good heart, which is something that’s often lacking in the world these days.”

  “In addition to a good heart, my son has a good head on his shoulders, which is why I want to transfer ownership of the farm to him and his brother,” Reginald said.

  “If you want, I can handle the legal work for you,” Megan offered.

  “Really? Then we would like to hire you,” Reginald said before Cade could get a word in edgewise.

  “Consider me hired.” Megan smiled and held out her hand for Reginald to shake. She then held it out to Cade, and he had no choice but to take it. Her hand was just as soft and warm as he remembered, and he wished he had a reason to hold it longer—which just made him drop it all the faster. “I’ll call you tomorrow to schedule a meeting with the three of you. That is, if your other son wants to be present as well.”

  “Sounds good. Chase lives in Raleigh, but I’ll call and see when he’s available.” Reginald rose. “I’ll leave you young people to talk. It was nice seeing you again, Megan.”

  “I really like your dad,” Megan said when she and Cade were alone. There was a longing in her voice, but now that he knew about her past, he understood it. No doubt she was missing her own father.

  “He’s a good man and a good father.”

  Megan didn’t respond. Instead she stared out the window. The sun had long since set and the moon and stars had taken over the sky. He wished he knew what she was thinking, but he didn’t have a clue. While she admired the night, he took the opportunity to admire her. Dressed in denim shorts that showcased her long, slender legs and a cotton blouse. She still managed to look elegant and sophisticated.

  Finally she looked at him. “I know you need to get up early tomorrow, so I suppose we should get going.”

  It was getting late, but he wasn’t ready for her to leave. He was actually enjoying her company. But it wouldn’t make good sense for either of them to stay up too late tonight only to be exhausted tomorrow. Not to mention that he needed to resist the attraction simmering beneath the surface. He’d been there and done that and was in no hurry to repeat that experience. But as they walked to the truck together, he couldn’t silence the hum of desire surging through his body.

  He heard her muttering but couldn’t make out her words. He leaned in closer but still was unable to understand what she was saying. “What did you say?”

  She blinked. “Sorry, I was talking to myself. I wanted to make a wish on a star, but there are so many of them I can’t figure out which one I saw first. So I was just telling myself that I should have paid closer attention.”

  “The sky is filled with stars. Just pick one and wish.”

  “If only it was that easy. The poem says first star I see, not any random star I happen to spot. I guess I could make a wish on any of them, but it wouldn’t come true. Only the first star is magical.”

  He was familiar with the kids’ rhyme and had wished upon stars when he was a boy. He didn’t know any kid who hadn’t. But he didn’t remember taking the poem as literally as she was doing. And unlike her, he hadn’t expected the wishes to come true. It had all been done in good fun. “Well, choose one anyway and maybe you’ll get lucky.”

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way. But that’s okay. There’s always tomorrow.”

  “What were you going to wish?” This was a ridiculous conversation, yet he was continuing it. Maybe knowing what she’d wanted to wish would help him understand her better. And for some unknown reason, he wanted to know her better.

  “I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”

  “I thought that only applied to birthday candles.”

  “It’s the universal law of wishes. Any wish that you reveal won’t come true.”

  “So does that mean you can tell people what you wished after they come true, or does that put a hex on all future wishes? Do the fairies or elves or whoever the wish-granters are know you won’t keep them a secret so they refuse to grant any in the future?”

  “It’s okay to tell after it has been granted,” she said seriously. “That testimony gives encouragement to others waiting for their own wishes to come true.”

  He shrugged. This was too deep for him. Maybe there was a book of rules. He still couldn’t believe he’d just had a conversation about wishes. Even more unbelievable was how much he’d enjoyed it. When they reached his truck, he helped her inside before getting behind the wheel and driving her home. Megan wasn’t turning out to be what he’d expected her to be. She was a bit of a mystery. He didn’t like leaving puzzles unsolved, so he knew he’d have to figure her out. She’d be coming to the farm every day, so he’d have time. The prospect of seeing her that often wasn’t an unpleasant one. In fact, he was actually looking forward to it.

  * * *

  Megan dropped her briefcase onto a chair in her living room, then dashed into her bedroom, kicking off her heels and unbuttoning her blouse as she went. A client had called with concerns just as she’d been leaving for the day. The conversation had last nearly forty-five minutes. Ordinarily Megan was glad to talk to clients—th
at was part of her job, after all—but today’s call couldn’t have come at a worse time. This was the first day she was going to Battle Lands Farm to take care of the animals. She’d phoned Cade’s cell twice to let him know she was running late, but he hadn’t answered. He probably thought she wasn’t going to show up, leaving him alone with the responsibility for sixteen cats and dogs he hadn’t wanted in the first place.

  She and Cade had gotten along well last night. She didn’t know why he’d had a negative opinion of her, but she’d arrived home believing she’d changed his perception of her. She’d hoped to build on last night’s progress by proving to him that she was reliable. Showing up late would no doubt have him thinking poorly of her again. She needed to get to the farm fast.

  Thank goodness she’d had the foresight to lay out her clothes before she left for work this morning, so it only took a minute for her to change from her suit into her jeans and T-shirt. At the last minute she grabbed a jacket just in case it got cool this evening, then ran to her car. As she drove down the street, she glanced at the house where Mrs. Crockett used to live and her heart pinched.

  Grace had kept her word and phoned Megan as soon as she and Mrs. Crockett arrived at the senior living facility. Megan had even spoken briefly to her former neighbor, who’d said she believed she’d be happy in her new home. And that she was glad to have Grace’s family nearby. Megan had been relieved, but she still missed the older woman who’d become a good friend in a short period of time. One more person Megan had loved and lost. But part of Mrs. Crockett was still here, in the animals she loved so dearly. And those animals were waiting for Megan right now.

  She drove as fast as she dared down the highway, her tension mounting with each passing minute. She didn’t take an easy breath until she saw the large sign announcing that she’d arrived at the Battle Lands Farm. She slowed and then pulled into the long driveway. Despite knowing that Cade was probably irritated with her, her heart felt lighter as she neared the house and barns.