Page 13 of Unexpected Entanglement

“I hope so. I’m looking for either Kieran or Rowan Kelly,” Chris said. “Can you point out where I can find them?”

“What business do you have with them?” The woman straightened herself to her full medium height, and her face expressed deeper interest.

“I’m sorry. Miss…?” Chris inquired. He wasn’t going to be caught in an identity gaffe again. He still couldn’t believe he’d made a rookie mistake like that. Rae had only referred to her half-siblings as a group, not individuals. Perhaps because she’d always felt it was her versus them?

“Frankie Feldman, farm manager,” she replied. “And you are?”

“Chris Sullens. I need to speak with the Kelly siblings.”

“If you’re here to offer them money for this land, I’d advise you to not waste your time. They won’t sell.”

Chris raised an eyebrow as he smiled at Frankie’s directness.

Interesting. They must get a lot of offers.

“That’s not why I’m here,” he said.

“Why are you here, then?”

Chris sensed the protectiveness coming from Frankie.

“I’m not at liberty to say except to Kieran and Rowan,” Chris answered vaguely.

Frankie considered Chris for a few seconds before gesturing with her head for him to follow her. She walked to a stack of plastic basket trays and put the one she was holding into the pile before heading toward the farmland.

“It’s a beautiful farm.” Chris took in the expanse of the operation. “That lettuce is gorgeous.”

“Are you a chef, Chris? Because if you need us to supply your kitchen, I’m the one you need to talk to,” Frankie probed as they walked.

“No, not a chef. Just visiting and exploring the island,” he deflected. “Did I see a group of kids at the far side? Do you offer a children’s class or something?”

“We don’t have a formal activity, but children love seeing the animals. Our staff loves showing the goats and the chickens. We just added a couple of rabbits and guinea fowl for the kids. While they’re being entertained, their parents pick up produce, baked goods, and flowers. Win, win.”

“You have baked goods, too?”

“It’s not a big offering, but a couple of our staff members’ wives are excellent bakers. They’ve joined forces and provided us with great seasonal selections.”

“Aren’t you a bit too off the beaten track for retail?” Chris inquired.

“The bulk of our business is wholesale. We have contracts with businesses in North Haven and the surrounding islands on top of our local business. The folks in town can get our products in the downtown market or the farmer’s market during the summer. Our produce box subscription is also pretty popular.”

“Subscription? You deliver them to people in town?”

Frankie nodded. “We’re a small enough island that we can do that.”

Chris was quite impressed with the farm’s thriving business and was about to delve further when Frankie opened the door to a greenhouse and walked in. He followed behind her.

“Kieran,” Frankie called to a tall man studying a bed with plants growing on strings hung from the greenhouse’s roof.

The man turned toward them and frowned when he saw Chris.

Chris shouldn’t be surprised that the man had the same bright blue eyes as Rae. Except for his short dark hair, it was apparent that Kieran shared some DNA with her.

Neal Kelly’s genes are strong.

“This man is looking for you or Rowan,” Frankie introduced.

Chris extended a hand. “Hi, Kieran. My name is Chris Sullens. A pleasure to meet you.”

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