Page 25 of Hometown Girl

People liked friendly people. He’d try to be one of those. “What’s your plan for the old place?” He reminded himself to keep his tone light. He wanted to get in there and take a look around, but he didn’t want to come off as a creepy stranger trespassing on someone else’s property. It’d be so much easier if she’d let him in.

“You know Fairwind? I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“I used to come here with my parents when I was a kid.”

Molly hugged the flyers. “Wasn’t it special? That’s what I want to make it again. I thought we’d start with a Community Work Day. Willow Grove loved that old farm once upon a time. I just know they’ll love it again.”

Drew saw an opportunity. “Maybe I can help.”

“Really?” She grinned, and while he certainly didn’t presume to know either of the Whitaker sisters, they seemed about as different as they could be. He hadn’t purposely eavesdropped back at the diner, but no one in that place was exactly quiet. The other sister seemed uptight, like she’d spent too many days in an office.

Judging by her conversation with the loud woman who’d practically accosted her and then the waitress, she already had her ticket out of town in her back pocket. This sister, on the other hand, could’ve been Willow Grove’s spokeswoman.

“Do you have experience with any of this construction-type stuff?” She still smiled at him.

“I have a little bit.”

“But you’re not a local. You don’t have to put in a full day of work in a town where you don’t even live.”

“I know I don’t have to,” he said. “I want to.”

“Well, okay then. We’ll see you Saturday.”

He nodded as she gave Roxie another quick ear rub and walked away.

Molly was an idealist, but before long, she’d realize she was in over her head. He almost felt sorry for her.

But she wasn’t his concern. He had a clear goal: get into Fairwind, dig around, see if the visit shook loose any old memories and get back to Colorado.

He glanced at the flyer, a simple photo of the old farm with the words “Community Work Day” handwritten above it. The details were listed below, also handwritten. Simple, the way they did things here, not unlike the way he did things back at Elkhorn—but with a whole lot more baggage.

The work day provided the perfect opportunity to get into the old barn and explore.

If only he knew what he was looking for.

Maybe being back at Fairwind would fill in the gaps of his spotty memories, not that he was too anxious to relive that dreadful day. But if this is what it took to find that elusive closure, he’d do it.

Besides, he owed it to Jess.

Chapter Seven

Beth sat at her desk, latte in front of her, and prepared for another monotonous day at Whitaker Mowers. She didn’t often stop by Butler’s on her way to work, and she certainly didn’t drive to the office by way of Fairwind Farm, but after the week she’d had, she’d wanted to indulge herself a little.

Instead, she’d been accosted by craziness.

Darren Sanders, her father’s right-hand man, strolled through the office and stopped at her door.

“Beth. You got a minute?”

She glanced down at the sketch she’d been absentmindedly doodling in her notebook. The hand-drawn image of a large farmhouse with a wraparound porch stared back at her. Surely she’d lost her mind. “Sure.”

He closed her door and sat down across from her. “How are you?”

She’d been fine before he walked in, but now she felt uneasy. In all the years she’d been working at Whitaker, Darren had never once sat down in her office. “I’m fine, sir.”

“Mother’s doing better, I hear?”

“She’s recovering, yes.”

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