Page 14 of The Floral Arrangement

Dana’s brow furrowed. “Um, okay. Do you mind me asking why?”

“I promised I’d take her on a hayride.”

“Ah.” Dana glanced down at her watch. “Well, I’ve almost finished spreading manure here. Do you want to squeeze in with me, and I’ll show you the basics?”

My lip curled at the mention of manure, but I steeled myself.Think of Lottie.

I clambered up and squeezed next to Dana. The hard seat was clearly only designed for one large farmer, rather than two medium-sized women. Frowning, I took in the various levers and pedals before me. Dana walked me through them all before starting the tractor and continuing to drive down the field, narrating what she was doing as she went. I wrinkled my nose. Now we were in the middle of the field, the smell of manure was overpowering.

“Do you want a turn?” Dana glanced at me.

“Sure,” I replied. Yes, there were a lot of different things to remember, but I was used to mastering things quickly. Once I started driving, I was sure it would all come together.

Dana brought the tractor to a halt and shifted to the side so I could reach all the controls. I grasped hold of the large steering wheel and pushed my foot on the clutch before turning the rusty key and pushing down on the gas pedal. The engine revved loudly. I reduce the pressure, gritting my teeth. The gear lever was stiff and creaked as I moved it. I released the clutch, pushing the gas pedal down further. The tractor jumped forward, and I grabbed the wheel to avoid being thrown out.

“Good god, they should put seatbelts in these things,” I yelled over the rumble of the tractor.

“They do nowadays, but this tractor is old. New tractors are usually also automatic, have better suspension, enclosed cabs, and even air conditioning,” Dana responded.

I made a mental note to upgrade the tractors as soon as possible.

“A new one will set you back between fifty and a hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” Dana said, as if she’d just read my mind.

I winced. A tractor upgrade wouldnotbe happening in the immediate future.

I pushed the hand throttle to get the tractor to pick up pace.Why this damn thing needs a gas pedal and a hand throttle is beyond me.

“You’re veering left. You need to make sure you’re driving in a straight line, or the manure won’t be spread evenly.”

I twisted the wheel, and the tractor slowly straightened. Good god, this was clunky. I yearned for my Mercedes-Benz, with its soft leather seats, twin turbo-charged engines, and power steering.

I drove up and down the field until we reached the corner closest to the main road.

“Okay, that’s done now.” Dana yanked a chain. “I’ve closed the spreader. I think you’ve got the hang of it. Why don’t you drive back to the barn, and then we can drop off the spreader and hook up the wagon for your niece?”

I steered the tractor down the dirt road toward the barn, where Dana jumped off and disconnected the spreader.

“You know, if you’re thinking about buying some new equipment, I’d love to upgrade the irrigation system for the flowers,” Dana said as she swung herself back on the tractor.

“That won’t be necessary,” I replied, turning the tractor back on and driving toward the farmhouse where the wagon was parked.

While I kept my eyes focused on the road in front of me, I sensed Dana staring at me.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“We’re only turning a small profit with the flower fields. I ran the numbers, and we’d be better off leasing the land to another farmer for grazing than continuing to grow flowers.” When my new neighbor had told me over the weekend that he’d be more than happy to lease any land that I didn’t want for his cattle, I’d jumped at the suggestion. The passive income could be used to reinvest in the agritourism side of the business.

“You’re getting rid of the flower farm?” Dana’s eyes bore into me, a sharp bite to her tone. “I thought you were going to keep everything going.”

“No.” I frowned. The tractor drove over a bump, and I clutched the steering wheel tighter. “I told Jim I’d keep the farm going as an agritourism business. I never said I’d keep the flowers.”

“But it’s one of the best sustainable flower farms in the region—and the only one with a geothermal greenhouse. Jim worked so hard to establish it; you can’t just get rid of it.”

I pursed my lips together. I didn’t appreciate Dana’s tone. It was my money on the line. She should be thankful I’d bought the farm at all. “I can, and I will. I need to do what’s best for the bottom line.”

“But—”

“I’ve made up my mind, Dana. If I don’t increase revenue, the whole farm will go under. And you’ll be out of a job and a home. We need to streamline operations and focus on what the farm is best known for, and that’s agritourism. Not growing flowers. I’m planning to build a taphouse and event venue space to capitalize on our strengths.” Doing so would create synergies, as the café’s large kitchen could be used for catering both venues, and the existing café staff could also work functions as required.

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