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Daniel held back a groan. He’d bet Jodi would love to visit his father. Him and all the other farmers around town. And they’d welcome her, their reactions just like Pop’s. His unease amped up another notch. He’d better nix whatever she planned pronto. If good guys like Bud Layhee could be turned out of their family’s homes, then this wasn’t just about a way of life anymore. It was about lives. Period.
“Will she be at your class reunion Friday night?” Sue asked.
“It’s your tenth, right? Wow, that’s old.” A confused look crossed Colton’s face at Sue’s sudden frown. She was four years older than the oblivious object of her affection.
“I’m guessing she won’t miss the chance to talk to some of the farmers attending. She’ll probably be there.” Daniel drained the last of his milk and wiped his mouth. “But not for long.”
* * *
THREE DAYS LATER, Jodi stood on her aunt’s back porch and hugged a quilt around her shoulders. The chill air was fresh with dewy promise and filled with birdcalls. It’d finally stopped raining and the rising sun changed Lake Champlain’s rippling surface from onyx to periwinkle, and then a deep navy studded with white caps that glittered in the growing light. She sighed and wrapped the blanket tighter. It really was beautiful here. She eyed the lake again. As long as you only looked at the surface.
A door squeaked open and Aunt Grace joined her at the railing. “So did you miss your hometown?” She passed Jodi a cup of tea.
“No,” Jodi answered honestly. And she hadn’t. Since she’d left for college, she’d used the mental equivalent of a Magic Eraser and wiped her past clean. Yet somehow, Daniel had stayed with her. Her mouth quirked. Even his memory was stubborn.
Aunt Grace’s wire-rimmed glasses fogged when she sipped her tea. One of her curlers dangled over her ear. “Well. I’m glad you’re here, even if I wish you had a different reason.”
She sighed. “Aunt Grace, you know it’s the only way I can get the money for Tyler’s school.”
“We’ve got perfectly good schools here.”
Her hand covered her aunt’s and squeezed. “Not the kind that Tyler needs.” Her aunt meant well, but she was Tyler’s mother and knew best.
“I like this,” Jodi added after tasting the minty tea. “Peppermint Harvest?”
“Green Moroccan. Trader Mike’s is carrying it now.”
“Since when did Cedar Bay go international?” She couldn’t resist teasing her aunt, although the inclusion of foreign products at the local mom-and-pop store did surprise her. Yankees weren’t fond of change. Just look at Daniel. As the class valedictorian with a full ride to Cornell, he could have studied anything. Been anything. And what had he done? Gotten an MBA in agricultural economics and run right back to his farm. She took another sip of tea. Why did her thoughts so often turn to him?
Her aunt gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Stick around, honey. There’s a lot that’s changed. Not just you.”
She rested her head on her aunt’s shoulder. “And how have I changed?” It was clear that she had, but she wondered how people back home saw her. More confident. Self-assured. No longer an object of pity? And had Daniel noticed? Not that it should matter...but somehow it did.
A hand stroked the crown of her head. “Oh, honey. In lots of ways you’re still the sweet, generous girl you always were, but now there’s something a little—I don’t know—hard about you. And please don’t take that the wrong way.”
She pulled back, stung. “Hard as in strong or hard as in mean?” The former she’d be happy with but the latter...
Aunt Grace’s eye folds looked puffier than usual and she pulled a crumpled tissue out of the robe’s sleeve and blew her nose before answering.
“I don’t know, sweetie. It’s like Chicago put a coat of varnish on you that I wish I could strip away. Uncover your natural self.”
Jodi shook her head. Considering her aunt supplemented her deceased husband’s retirement by refinishing antique furniture, it wasn’t a bad analogy. It just didn’t apply to her.
She spread her arms. “Aunt Grace, this is the real me. I was never myself here.”
“It sure looked like you were enjoying those 4-H picnics, and no one’s beat your record for bobbing apples. Not even Jimmy Terry. With his teeth, we all thought he’d best you for sure.”
The competitor in her felt a flash of satisfaction, and then she remembered they were talking apples, whereas she’d closed multimillion-dollar deals. She’d definitely changed, and for the better. No matter what her aunt might be suggesting.
Aunt Grace lifted her tea mug while Jodi stared out at the red rowboat floating beside the dock. She remembered the gentle slide of the boat through Lake Champlain’s water and yearned for such a peaceful moment. How long since she’d done something just for herself?
“Do you still take it out?”
“When the arthritis isn’t acting up. Why don’t you go for a paddle? Take Tyler. You haven’t let him out of the house yet and everyone’s asking about him...and you.”
She glanced at the silent monitor perched on the porch railing. “He’s got allergies like you. Maybe when he’s better.” She gulped more of the minty brew and refused to imagine why she felt reluctant for the community to meet her son.
“Well, you should get out at least. You’ve been working all kinds of hours since you got here. Mailing out letters. Setting up meetings. Talking on your phone steady. I feel like we’ve hardly had time for a good visit. And I don’t think you’ve had a bit of fun.”
“I’m not here to have fun. The sooner I get this deal wrapped up, the sooner I can get Tyler home. The country isn’t good for him.”
“It isn’t good for him, or it isn’t good for you?” Aunt Grace’s eyes peered into hers, missing nothing.
Jodi glanced at the lake when a trill drifted in the morning air, the melancholy sound echoing her mood. A pair of loons swam past the dock, a small V rippling behind them. They were one of the bird species that mated for life. She’d once expected the same for her and Peter.
As if reading her thoughts, her aunt asked, “How’s Peter?”
“Suing to lower child support, actually.” The words poured out of her, unbidden. Why had she burdened her aunt with that?
Aunt Grace’s eyes sparked. “I don’t mind telling you, Jodi, I never liked the guy. How he wouldn’t accept Tyler’s autism diagnosis and acted ashamed of his own son. You both worked the same hours, but he didn’t lift a finger at home with Tyler’s treatment. It wasn’t right.”
Jodi sighed, remembering how hard she’d tried—but it’d never been enough, especially when she’d “spoiled” Tyler, according to Peter, with the extra attention required by his therapy plan and “wasted” her time in autism chat rooms and doing research.
“So he’s not going to help you pay for day care, then?”
She shook her head. “He won’t admit Tyler has autism.”
“Or visit him, either. And now he won’t even support his son. The man is despicable.”
Jodi agreed, though she wouldn’t voice her complaints. She shouldn’t have brought up the subject in the first place. He was still Tyler’s father.
“Tyler’s my priority now. There isn’t room to think about anything else.”
“Or anyone else.” Her aunt gently turned her by the shoulders so that they faced each other in the brightening light. “Listen, Jodi. Take it from me. Life is short, and while I understand that Tyler’s important, you’re important to me. Since Charlie and I couldn’t have any of our own, we’ve always thought of you as our kid, too.” Her tissue reappeared and she dabbed at her eyes. “I only want the best for you.”
Jodi caught her in a tight hug, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. It’d been a long time since she’d thought about herself, and it felt good to know her aunt cared. Since her mother had her hands full helping Jodi’s father with the post-traumatic stress disorder he’d developed after the accident, Jodi hadn’t burdened her mother with her problems. Their phone calls usually focused on lighter issues.
“Once I get Tyler settled and talking again, I promise I’ll get out more.”
But even as she said the words, she knew she never would. Her ex had accused her of caring more about her son than him, and maybe he’d had a point. When a child needed love and attention as much as Tyler, she couldn’t make room for anyone else in her life or her heart.
Aunt Grace smiled. “There’s my girl. And you can start tonight with your class reunion.”
She blinked. “My what?”
“Your ten-year class reunion. Didn’t you see your invite on the fridge? At least I think that’s where I put it. Anyway, it came here since they didn’t know your Chicago address. I was going to forward it until I heard you were coming.”
“Oh. I don’t know. I think I should stay home with Tyler.”
“I can watch him, and it’d be a great way to get out like you promised.” Her aunt rubbed Jodi’s arm. “See your old friends, maybe make some of the connections you’re fussing over for Midland.”
Her pulse sped at the thought of facing those who had called her a charity case and others who’d thought it. But those were adolescent insecurities, not the fears of a mature woman. She needed them to see her as a successful professional, someone they could trust and depend on to equitably handle the sale of their farms to Midland. Hopefully those old impressions hadn’t lingered.
Aunt Grace had a point. It would push her Midland plans along faster than waiting for next week’s town council meeting. Plus, she’d just been authorized to increase the offering price to a number they’d be crazy to refuse. But how to face all of them? See Daniel again?
A low snuffling cry crackled across the monitor. Tyler.
“I’d better go check on him.” Jodi took her aunt’s mug. “I’ll leave these in the sink. Oh, and, Aunt Grace?”
“Yes, honey?”
“If it’s not too much bother, would you mind looking for a copy of my old yearbook? I think I might have left it here.”
“Of course, sweetheart. I just want you to be happy.”
Tyler’s cry turned into a full-out wail and she hurried to the door. “Me, too, Aunt Grace. Me, too.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“GOOD TO SEE you, Melissa. How’s Rex doing? Any better?” Daniel ladled punch into a plastic cup as a DJ blasted another 90s hit. His ex-classmates filled the veterans’ hall with their excited chatter, scented candles on cloth-covered tables filling the muggy air with an evergreen aroma.
He peered around the tall woman and glanced at the empty doorway. When would Jodi arrive? Was she coming? He’d bet any money she wouldn’t miss this opportunity to talk up her company. And he’d do everything to stop her. After hearing about Bud Layhee, he was more resolved than ever.
“Turns out Rex picked up a tick, so we’ve got to treat him for Lyme disease,” the woman said, and moved aside to grab a napkin.
Daniel murmured something sympathetic, he was sure he did, but his attention was captured by the stunning blonde framed in the doorway. Wow. In a pink dress that showed off flawless skin and curves, she was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her.
An artificial rose pulled back her curls on one side, the gold strands gleaming under the soft twinkle lights strewn around the long, rectangular hall.
He tossed back a cup of punch, handed over the ladle and strode toward her. Looking that way, she wouldn’t make it two steps inside without admirers surrounding her. He needed to head them off before she got her Midland hooks into them. He could speak from experience; farmer bachelors were a lonely crew. A beauty like Jodi was fresh milk to a barn cat. A hungry one at that.
He arrived just in time to hear her exclaim, “You’re still pregnant?” to a nearly full-term Pamela Bates.
The glowing woman’s complexion paled. “That was my first pregnancy—in high school. This is my fifth.”
Jodi leaned in and murmured, “Then I suppose money must be tight on the farm?”
He shook his head at the frowning blonde as Pamela stomped away. “You’re unscrupulous.”
“And you’re vexatious. Go away.” She craned her neck to look over his shoulder, but he moved closer and blocked her view. At this distance, he could smell her perfume—something floral, but not anything that grew around here. It flooded his senses.
“Having fun?” He forced a light tone to cover the effect her proximity had on him. It was the best he could manage when her skirt brushed against his pant leg as she twisted for a better view of the crowd.
“Daniel. I’ve got work to do. Would you mind?”
He sidestepped with her when she made to walk around him. “Don’t mind at all. In fact, I’ll help.” Keep your enemies close, he thought.
Jodi snorted. “Thanks, but I can manage on my own. What?”
“What?” Daniel blinked down at her.
“You’re staring. Knock it off.” With her hands on her softly curved hips, her blue eyes flashing, she was irresistible.
And right. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. A song from their senior prom played, something acoustic and slow. He took her hand, loving the delicate feel of her fingers, the silk of her palm in his. She was a siren. Why was he answering her call?
“Dance with me and then I’ll leave you alone.”
“Hah,” she scoffed, and yanked her hand away. “I didn’t come here to dance, Daniel.” She pulled a yellow sticky note from the tiny purse that matched her dress and seemed to mouth the names written on it.
His eyes flew from the paper to Ted Layhee, one of the names she’d written down. Oh, heck no. The guy would be the first to sign up. He’d about said as much to his father, Bud.
“Let’s get you some punch, then.” He put a firm hand on her back and steered her through the crowd toward the drinks table. He could feel her toned back through the silky fabric of her dress and strove not to run his fingers up over her shoulder and bury them in that thick tangle of hair.
“Whatever game you’re playing, Daniel, it’s not going to work.” She took the punch and stared at the dancing, chattering throng over the rim of her cup. He followed her gaze and watched the former head cheerleader trying to rally her old squad into doing the Macarena, his old football buddies laughing and fist-pounding each other.
“Hey. I come in peace.” He forced his hand away and spread his arms wide. His eyes drank in the gentle cast of her features that glowed pink then orange in the revolving strobe light, her generous upper lip that begged to be nibbled on, her short, straight nose and her large, wide-spaced eyes.
“Said the big bad wolf.” She laughed, the throaty sound of it setting off alarm bells inside him. He knew he needed to leave her for his own sanity, but she’d only cause trouble on her own. Especially if she talked to Layhee.
“Evening, Daniel.” He tensed at the voice. Ted. “And if my eyes aren’t lying, this is Jodi Chapman. How are you, darlin’? You’re breaking my heart in that dress.”
“Oh.” She squinted at him for a moment, and then asked, “Ted?”
“That’s right! Knew you’d remember me from science class.”
“It was social.” Jodi’s eyes met Daniel’s over Ted’s shoulder and her mouth hitched up at the corners.
“Whatever.” Ted shrugged. “It was all the same to me. Hey, listen. I heard you were buying farms and wanted to talk.”
“Perfect.” She arched a triumphant brow at Daniel, Ted’s hand at her waist as he guided her away.
Daniel’s pulse picked up and he tugged at his tie. Not so fast, Ms. Jodi Lynn.
“Ted, isn’t your pickup the red 150 with the flame decal on the sides?” he called after them. Ted turned. “Because its lights are on. Meant to mention it earlier.”
“Darn. Had to give the batteries a jump just to get here.” Ted hurried off and Daniel unfurled his hands.
Jodi tapped her fingers on her hips and glared at him, her nose scrunching in a way that got his heart thudding.
“Was that the ‘help’ you mentioned earlier? Scaring off every person I talk to?” Jodi pulled her note out and scanned the list of names, her eyes lifting from it to the crowd and back again.
“I think you did a good job of that on your own with Pamela Bates. Plus, you should be glad I rescued you from Hands.” It had been Ted’s nickname in high school—earned for a reputation Jodi should keep in mind. “And who else is on that list?”
She turned her back, but he peered over her shoulder, the brush of her hair soft as satin against his jaw. He forced himself to focus and noticed a number written at the bottom of the list. That couldn’t be the price she was offering per acre.
He swallowed hard. With a number that high, who’d say no? This was worse than he’d imagined. Midland had put the best person on the job and armed her with an irresistible deal. He had to stop her. Now.
“Care to dance?” asked one of their classmates, a part-time crop duster and farmer, Frank Trudeau. Jodi smiled and Daniel recalled seeing Frank’s name on her list.
