“I heard you had a big tour.”
“I did. It just ended actually. That’s why I’m home. Mom and Dad decided I was coming home for the holidays.”
“Oh, so you’ll be here for a while?”
“Yep. Guess we’re neighbors again.” She leaned back on the fence and propped one heel on the lower rung.
I tried not to notice her legs, but the wind kept kicking up making that distracting skirt ruffle each time. “I’m not mad about it.”
“Is that right?”
“People will be talking about you instead of me for a while.”
She laughed, the throaty sound making me sorry my costume was so damn tight.
“Pretty sure you still trump me on the gossip end. I hear you’re changing lives all over town.”
It was my turn to blush. I could feel the heat on my neck. “Just giving a hand up to people who need it.”
“Most people would take their millions and run out of here.”
“I’m not most people. This town just needed a little nudge. It’s starting to thrive again.”
“Your mom would be proud.”
“Thanks,” I said quietly. “I hope so.”
“She was always helping everyone else. I’m pretty sure she gave away more at your farm stand than she sold.”
I crossed my arms, the mask dangling from my fingertips. “Noticed that, did you?”
She shrugged. “She may have snuck me some strawberries so I could make my mom a special birthday cake. I was sorry to hear you lost her.”
“We got the flowers you sent us. You’re the only one who remembered she loved gerbera daisies.”
“She’s the one who taught me how to arrange flowers. How could I forget?”
My gut burned. “A lot of people forgot.”
She reached over and touched my arm. “I’m sorry, Tate.”
“It’s okay. My dad drove most people away when she was sick. He was angry. Still is, to be honest.” I nodded to the littlecabin past the fence. “He won’t stay at the main house anymore, so I built him this place.”
“Likes to be out here with his horses?”
I nodded. “After the Halloween maze is pulled down we’ll be setting up the trail of lights. People can either take our carriage or a ride on one of the horses.”
“Great way to use the farm.”
“Thanks. I hope so. I have big plans for this place.”
“Why?”
“Because I love Haven. Moving to Buffalo for school made me realize that. It wasn’t that hard for me to leave when Mom needed me to come home and help out. Then when I lost the farm.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “Takes money to make money. I wish it wasn’t so, but watching farm after farm around here inch toward bankruptcy just like we did made me realize things needed to change. Haven was going to turn into one more ghost town torn apart by drugs if we didn’t get our shit together. When I won the lottery, it seemed like a sign.”
