Page 137 of Hometown Girl

If anyone could change Bishop’s mind, it was Molly. He’d pull the moon down for her if she asked.

“This goes against every bit of police training I have,” he said. “But I’ll give you a few minutes alone with him before I come in.”

Beth nodded a thank-you to Molly and then turned to Drew. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

He held her gaze for several seconds. “Positive.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Beth called Davis and asked to see him right away. She explained that they were desperate and had made a decision, but they had a few questions before they could finalize the deal.

As expected, he invited her right over. She and Drew arrived ten minutes later, with the understanding that Bishop would come after twenty minutes. Knowing Molly, she’d likely sneak into the back seat of the squad car when he wasn’t looking—to her, this was all terribly exciting.

To Beth, it was nauseating. Her stomach rolled as Drew shut off the truck’s engine.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“I’ll be okay,” he said. “Long as you’re okay.”

“What if Monty was a tool his father used?” Beth asked before they got out of the truck. “What if Monty delivered Jess to his father?”

Drew looked away. Thinking about it had to hurt. Walking in there, asking questions—all of it would hurt. She hated that he had to go through this.

They walked to the door, which opened before they could knock. Davis’s assistant welcomed them in, ushered them into the office and left them alone.

Beth’s eyes scanned the framed photographs on the mantel, the desk, the wall. “Don’t you think it’s odd that he doesn’t have a single picture of his family? If I didn’t know better, I’d have no idea Davis had a son at all.”

“Yeah,” Drew said. “It’s odd, just like everything else about this guy.”

But he wasn’t odd. Not really. Davis Biddle was a little arrogant, but otherwise a completely normal guy.

Minutes later he entered, walked straight to his desk and sat down. “I hear you’ve come around, Miss Whitaker. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, really. Farmwork isn’t for everyone.” He smiled. He was almost charming. “If I didn’t have the money to hire out all the work, I probably wouldn’t take it on myself.”

Beth pressed her lips together. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are your intentions for the farm?”

Davis laughed. “This is a piece of land, Miss Whitaker, not a daughter I’m trying to marry off.”

“It’s more than a piece of land to me,” Beth said.It was supposed to be my second chance.

“I understand the sentimentality of a place like Fairwind Farm, Miss Whitaker. I really do.”

“So are you going to restore it and reopen it?”

“I don’t want to mislead you.” He folded his hands on the desk.

“So you’re going to buy it and level all the buildings?”

“That’s more likely. Though, the orchards are producing well. Walter tells me they’re worth keeping. Probably worth expanding. We get the outbuildings out of the way, we can give ourselves a lot more room for the orchard.”

“Seems like small-time for someone like you,” Drew said.

“I guess I’m just trying to get back to basics, Mr.Barlow. Maybe you’d be interested in staying on as the grounds manager?”

Drew’s jaw twitched.

“It’s interesting you said you worked out an agreement with Harold about the orchards,” Beth said.

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