Page 16 of That One Night
“What kind of questions?” Emery asked. She’d been here for just over a week now, spending most of it collecting paperwork and trying to get as much detail about the farm as she could to answer all the realtor’s requests.
“I saw Chrissie Fairfax at the dress shop,” her mom murmured. “She was saying how strange it was that you were here and your fiancé wasn’t. It’s not like Charleston is a million miles away. He could at least come down on a Saturday afternoon to see you.”
Emery’s stomach tightened. For a minute she considered coming clean. But she couldn’t stand the thought of the tears and the recriminations.
Through the window, she could see Jed gearing up to leave for the evening. It felt like the reprieve she was looking for. She jumped up from the table.
“I need to speak to Jed before he leaves,” she told her mom. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Her mom frowned. “Oh, of course.”
Rushing out into the sultry early evening air, Emery found herself glancing at the farm cottage on the other side of the lane.
She hadn’t seen their new neighbor since the day his goat had stolen her clothes. She hadn’t laundered his t-shirt either. It was still under her pillow. Last night she’d pulled it out and smelled it like some kind of weirdo. The aroma of earth and cologne had taken her right back to the field. To the darkness in his eyes as he’d stared at her, standing half naked.
To the way she’d felt alive like she hadn’t for a long, long time.
It was a good thing Trenton didn’t know aboutthat.He probably would have a hissy fit they would hear within a ten-mile radius.
“Hey!” she called out, spotting Jed standing over by the pasture, in a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt, the way most farmers dressed. He turned around, giving her a beaming smile.
“Hey, Emery girl. What’s up?”
She forced a smile on her face, trying desperately to think of something to say.
Actually, I’m trying to escape from my mom and you’re a convenient excuse.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. “I was wondering how your family was doing,” she said lamely.
He blinked, like he knew she was lying. “They’re all good. We had another grandbaby. My youngest daughter’s child.”
“Congratulations,” Emery said, genuinely pleased for him.
“Thank you.” He beamed. “Want to see a picture?”
“Yes I do.” She smiled while he pulled out his cell – an old battered iPhone that she would lay a bet once belonged to one of his six kids. His thick, calloused fingers took a while to find the photo, but when he did his smile widened even more as he held it out to her.
“They named him Samuel Jedidiah. After me.” He looked proud as punch at that.
“He’s a beauty.”
“He really is.” He cleared his throat. “And how are you doing with getting all that information you need?”
“I’ve found nearly all the paperwork. Dad’s filing system left a lot to be desired.”
“He was a doer, not a paper man,” Jed told her.
“I don’t suppose you know when he sold off the top field, do you? I need that information.”
Jed rubbed his chin. “A couple of years back I think. Let me look through my own paperwork,” he said. “Times have been hard. Costs keep going up and crop prices keep going down. Your dad made the decisions he needed to keep this placegoing.” He looked at her, his expression soft. “Your mom, too. It’s been hard on her, I guess. Trying to keep this place going when she has no idea where to start. It’ll be good for her to move on.”
“It will.” She nodded. “Thank you for staying on and helping her. It means a lot.”
“No problem, kid.” He ruffled her hair and it sent a rush of warmth through her. “I’m glad you’re back. You’ve made your mom happy, and I haven’t seen her happy in a long while.”
Her throat tightened. “Thank you.”
“And she’s so excited about your wedding. Maybe she’ll get to show photos of her grandbabies around soon too, huh?”
