Page 126 of Hometown Girl

She’d even begun to think that living here, in Willow Grove, wasn’t a consolation prize. It didn’t make her a disappointment—it was a gift, like Birdie said.

How could she have been so wrong?

“Miss Whitaker, I’m sure you’re in shock right now, but believe me, this is nothing I can’t handle.”

If Davis bought Fairwind, it wouldn’t be a community gem anymore. It wouldn’t be a tourist attraction or a place for families to reconnect. It would just be a memory of what used to be.

Is that what You really want, Lord?

She looked down at the water pooling around her feet, thanked Davis and hung up, avoiding that earnest expression on the face of the man she loved.

She’d have to find a way to explain to Drew that all their hard work might have been for nothing. They might have to sell the farm to Davis Biddle—whether they wanted to or not.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Beth stood on the porch, watching as Ben’s truck pulled into the parking lot next to her Audi. Moments later, Molly’s VW Bug appeared at the farm’s entry.

A Whitaker family meeting was in order, and Beth had a feeling it wouldn’t go smoothly.

Yesterday’s storm had upended their plans, and her brother and sister needed to see it for themselves. She and Drew hadn’t discussed the future of the farm. He’d spent every waking minute since they’d left the chapel clearing away the debris that had rained down on their beloved Fairwind. Never in her life had she known someone to work with such diligence, especially for something that wasn’t his.

Why couldn’t they just crawl back underneath the chapel pew and pretend none of this was happening?

Molly and Bishop got out of the VW as Ben opened the door of his truck. Under different circumstances, it might have been a nice gathering.

Beth greeted everyone, the mood decidedly somber. “I asked Callie to join us too,” she said, watching her old friend’s car pull into the parking lot. “The bakery was one of the areas hit the worst.” She hated that she’d talked Callie into coming on this grand adventure with her and everything had fallen apart.

“I’ll show you guys the damage.”

They reached the main barn and took turns marveling at the harm the storm had done. Thankfully, most of the other outbuildings, including Birdie’s art barn, were unscathed. Beth would cling to that small miracle every time she looked at the hole in the main barn’s roof.

They stood in the doorway looking at the destruction as Drew cleared away all of the branches that didn’t belong indoors.

“Thank God you weren’t hurt, Beth,” Callie said.

“I’m fine. Drew’s fine. Even the animals are all fine,” she said. “But we have a lot of work to do.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Molly said.

Beth’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know Davis Biddle called you.”

Beth’s heart lurched. She could feel Drew’s eyes on her. Why hadn’t she told him about the phone call? Because she was actually considering taking the offer or because she didn’t want him to tell her to consider taking the offer?

It was an impossible decision.

“Who’s Davis Biddle?”

Beth couldn’t believe what she was hearing as Molly filled Ben in on Davis’s offer. Clearly her sister—the one who’d once fought tooth and nail for this farm—had given up.

Just like that.

“I can’t believe you.”

Molly turned to her. “What?”

“You think we should sell.”

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