Page 51 of Hometown Girl

His eyes narrowed. “But you don’t understand this farm, and that’s killing you.”

“That’s not true.” She and this farm were starting to become friends—at least she and the chapel were.

“You’re going to hire me to run the place, but I know more than you do, andthat’skilling you.”

She turned away and started off into the trees. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s not a bad thing to admit you were wrong about something.” He followed close on her heels.

“I can admit when I’m wrong.” As she trudged through the trees, she thought about the last time she’d messed up and how she had yet to tell a single soul. By definition, she absolutely couldnotadmit when she was wrong.

She moved forward, hoping eventually she’d land near one of the other barns she knew was back here somewhere. “I can admit I might have been wrong to assume you were the best person for this job.”

After too many long seconds of silence, Beth realized Drew was no longer behind her. His idea of a joke, maybe? Let her get lost in the woods on her own property and force her to ask for help.

“Drew?” She stilled and listened, but all around her there were only sounds of nature. Two birds had a melodic conversation overhead. “Drew?” she called out again, but still no response.

Her heart raced as she turned back in the direction she’d just come from. All around, she searched for signs of where he might’ve gone, until finally, in the distance, she spotted a lonely old barn. Was this one of theirs?

If so, maybe he’d known about it and wanted to see how badly it was damaged. Leaving her alone in the woods might’ve just been thoughtless, though that seemed out of character for someone who’d brought her coffee and pastries.

Maybe she’d irked him enough to make him leave.

The air felt thick, like a heavy cloud had settled right over this barn and where she stood. She stared at it, heart still pounding too loud and too fast in her chest.

“Drew?” She called out again, moving around the corner of the building, where she found the doors open and Drew inside with his back to her. He stood, unmoving, at the center of the hollow space—a small, dilapidated barn with a rickety ladder leading up to what she could only assume was a very unsafe loft.

He was like a statue where he stood, and she wasn’t sure if she should interrupt him.

“Drew?” She kept her voice quiet.

He turned, and for a brief moment, he looked like he didn’t remember who she was, as if he’d been immersed in some other world.

“Are you okay?”

He looked away, still seeming lost in a distant fog.

“I guess this is one of ours too, huh?” She met him in the center of the space. “I don’t know that this will be very high on the priority list, though. Doesn’t seem like one we would need right away, does it?”

He shook his head, but said nothing.

“I wonder what they used this one for. Horses, it looks like.”

Still, he didn’t respond.

Unlike the other buildings, this one appeared to have been cleaned out, at least partially. Maybe one of the workers had stumbled in here Saturday and swept.

“Drew?”

Finally, he met her eyes, and she saw something behind them she didn’t recognize. “Sorry,” he said, then turned and walked out.

Back on the path, it was she who wondered why he was walking so fast. She struggled to keep up with him as he strode back toward the main barn, Roxie at his side.

When they reached the yard, Beth finally caught up with him—or he finally let her. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s a lot of work,” he said, avoiding her question as he trudged on toward his truck.

“Too much work?” She watched him, wondering why he’d gone from cocky and teasing to awkward and withdrawn in a matter of seconds. Maybe he didn’t want the job after all.

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