Page 104 of Hometown Girl

Either way, she couldn’t force him to trust her with whatever it was he wouldn’t say. Some things a person had to work out on their own. Even if they didn’t know it at the time.

And some things, a person didn’t want to admit to, no matter how much time passed.

Drew seemed to understand that. He never made her say more than she was ready to say. She would try to offer him the same courtesy.

“The grill should be hot enough,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “I’ll get the burgers on.” He vanished onto the patio through the side door, giving her a few minutes to compose herself. She pulled two plates down from the cupboard, gathered silverware and two cans of Coke and headed outside.

“I thought we’d eat out here?” Beth stood on the patio, wondering if Drew knew how handsome he was or if he was one of those guys who didn’t think about it. It all seemed pretty effortless—his clothes, his hair, his five o’clock shadow.

A refreshing change.

Michael had been so into his looks, sometimes she felt like he was the girl in the relationship.

“It’s a nice day for it,” Drew said. “Though it feels like rain.”

“I would never wish away the rain,” Beth said, thinking of the orchard, “but I’d be awfully happy if it held off till after we ate.”

“Agreed.” Drew returned to the grill while Beth set the little café table on the patio with the plates and silverware, suddenly aware that this meal felt more formal than their usual grab-something-from-the-fridge-and-stand-on-the-porch-to-eat-it meals. Typically, they talked business as they ate thrown-together sandwiches and chips straight from the bag, and often, they were surrounded by other people.

There she went, overthinking again. What difference did it make if they sat at a table to eat? This was just lunch with a friend.

A very, very good-looking friend.

When the oven timer went off, she pulled the pan of vegetables from inside, sprinkled them with Parmesan, dumped them into a serving bowl and grabbed a container of potato salad from the refrigerator. She came back outside and found Drew standing at the table, a plate of burgers in his hand.

“It smells good,” she said.

They sat down, and she became even more aware that they were now expected to carry on a conversation until the food in front of them was gone.

How was she going to do that?

The lunch started off quiet, and Beth searched her mind for topics he might not find eye-gougingly boring, surprised when he cleared his throat and started the conversation himself.

“You still thinking about an investor?” he asked between bites.

“Only if we have to. I’m trying to set up a meeting with this Davis Biddle guy so I can figure out what he really wants.” Beth had spent too many hours pondering why someone like Davis would pay for the upkeep of the orchard, and when she came up empty, she’d decided to set up an appointment and ask him outright. No sense speculating when he kept popping up in their plans.

Drew swallowed a bite of his first burger. “I’ll go with you.”

She paused midbite. “You will?”

“If it’s okay with you.”

“Of course, but it’s not necessary.” Beth knew she needed Drew on the farm, but the business side of things she could handle.

“I know it’s not,” he said. “But I’d like to size the guy up for myself, if it’s all the same to you.”

She laughed. “Don’t trust my judgment?”

“Don’t trust him.”

Beth watched as Drew started in on his second burger. “You don’t?”

He shrugged. “Something doesn’t sit right about it, is all. I kind of feel invested in this place myself, but I won’t give you my opinion unless you ask for it.”

For the first time in her life, it didn’t bother her one bit that a man insisted on protecting her. She found something about it rather charming, actually. Chivalrous.

“You’re a walking mystery,” she said before she could stop herself.

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