Page 50 of Hometown Girl

He took off in the opposite direction from the church, toward the outbuildings. “You gonna have animals?”

Was he changing the subject on purpose?

Beth groaned. “I guess. Molly wants them.”

“Don’t sound so excited.”

“I’m not much of an animal person,” she said. She glanced at Roxie. “No offense.”

He looked at the dog, then at Beth. “She’s tough. She can handle it.” He stopped outside a small barn near the pumpkin patch, with rows and rows of apple trees behind it. “This is where the animals were, right?”

She nodded. “Petting zoo.”

“Smart if you want kids to visit.” He studied her. “Unless you’re not much of a kid person either?”

Beth met his eyes. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“But you don’t have any?”

For someone who didn’t say much, he sure asked personal questions. “No. Do you?”

He shook his head.

“So, we’ll want to repair this barn and make sure it’s safe for animals. And then I guess I’ll have to figure out what animals to put in a petting zoo. And where to get them. And how to take care of them.”

He laughed. “Why’d you guys buy this place, anyway?”

The question took her off guard. But it was a fair one.

“You think it was a mistake?” She started past the animal barn toward two other outbuildings, neither of which she’d even been inside.

“I didn’t say that,” he said behind her.

“Despite what it looks like, this is a good investment.” She tried not to sound defensive.

“For the right investor, sure.”

“And I’m not the right one?” She turned and faced him. Only then did she realize he stood almost a foot taller than her. “You don’t think I can handle this.”

Calm down. Your insecurity is showing.

His eyes widened. “Not at all. I’m betting you can handle just about anything you put your mind to.”

Why did that sound like an accusation when he said it?

“But?” she asked.

He shrugged, almost as if he couldn’t be bothered. “You don’t really seem like the farming type.”

She hugged her portfolio to her chest. She’d read up on farming, orchards, what it took to restore old buildings. She’d crunched numbers and researched other businesses like Fairwind. Still, the fact was she was just as clueless as Molly, and Drew Barlow knew it. She didn’t like that at all.

She could pretend to know the lingo all she wanted. That didn’t make her an expert. Not yet.

“Is that right? What type do I seem like?”

He bent over and pulled a long blade of grass from the ground, then tore it into pieces as he spoke. “Bossy. Lots of money. Always in charge. You give the orders and people do what you say.”

Bossy? Just because she was a leader didn’t mean she was bossy. She planted her free hand on her hip.

---