Page 85 of Country Charm

I would be traveling and out of their hair. I’m not the type to typically have such isolating thoughts, but they are all now officially in a different place.

Honestly, I’m happy for all of them. They have the lives they dreamed of when they were younger.

What did I dream of?

A small cozy apartment I could call my own home, check.

A collection of all my favorite books, check, and then some.

A life where I didn’t have to answer to anyone, check.

A successful job, check-ish. I’m doing well at my job and currently have great a work-life balance.

A strong relationship with my closest friends, check.

A solid savings, check.

I have everything, too. A part of me is left wondering if the girls had bigger dreams than me.

Maybe not bigger, just different.

I climb into bed, ready for the weekend, and pull out the book at the top of the list next to the bed.Emma.Of course. I open the timeless pages of my first, first edition and read until sleep takes me.

Chapter Forty

Hunter

She’s here.

Somewhere among all these people who have flocked to my small town, Cassidy is hiding. It’s the day of Mary’s wedding, so neither Mary nor Cassidy have made an appearance, but with the wedding tonight they have to be close by.

All of the out-of-town guests for her wedding are making the best of the market—buying soaps, produce, local goods, and more.

We get busy during the summer months and the caps on both ends, but today was more than almost everyone could have planned for. Franny is the only exception; her parents saw an increase in people showing up to town last night and pulled all the stops out for today. Their stand is making a killing.

Although I know better than to expect any of the girls to show up when I’m sure they have a million things to do today, I keep a sharp eye out for Cassidy.

Jake is happy to be back at the market with me, he’s talking easily with each person who comes to the stand. Heseems to have aged in the last two weeks. Jake seems a little more independent and assured, carrying a confidence that I can appreciate from a young, growing man.

There isn’t an arrogance to tag along with it. Just growth.

“I wonder what these people plan on doing with the vegetables overnight?” he asks.

“Probably stick them in the fridge and forget about them,” I half-joke. I know my produce looks good, but I’m sure half of these out-of-towners will forget about it and let it rot on their way home. They could even forget it in the fridge at the place where they’re lodging.

Cassidy doesn’t cook, so if she couldn’t eat it right away, she wouldn’t waste it. I sweep my eyes across the crowd over and over, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but nothing.

Stepping out from under my tent, I look over to the bed and breakfast where she last stayed. I can’t say for certain she’s staying there, because she’d do just about anything to avoid a run-in with me. For good measure, I tip my hat in that direction before getting back to work.

The Writton farm is smaller than mine. They run a large orchard, but they also have multiple flower fields. The flower fields bring in some revenue, but I know they don’t count on it for a living.

They only started using their open fields for flowers in the last five years or so. I think it was meant to be a romantic gesture to propose to Mr. Writton’s now-wife, but she loved it so much that he kept it going.

Mary’s reception is being held here, and the setup says fairy tale farm wedding all day. A tall canopy tent withsheer coverings instead of thick traditional ones, string lights, bamboo chairs, lots of hanging soft fabrics, and a backdrop of flower fields. The girl knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to pay for it.

This farm isn’t rented out for events. We like to preserve our small slice of paradise. We like to keep things quaint and tight-knit. Mary had to have made an offer they couldn’t refuse. I would ask Cassidy, but she would have to talk to me to give me an answer.

I sit and look at the reception area for a moment longer before taking off and finishing the drive to my farm. I won’t ruin this day for any of them. I won’t be the reason Cassidy can’t enjoy herself.

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