That was a good point. Penny was all about getting closure. “Okay, so if she’s on board and gets Emerson off the property, then what? Rose will still be there. They’re harvesting something this week. Uncle George called to see if I could help out, but I declined, so I wouldn’t risk making River uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, I’m aware. That’s why this week is going to work perfectly. Rose will be distracted. Emerson will be gone. And we’re going to lure River out to the café.”
“How?” Mathew hedged, not sure he liked this part of the plan.
His brother grinned. “Maybe my truck is acting up, and I can’t get it to start. She’ll have to come out to the café to take a look at it, and we can corner her then.”
Mathew grimaced. “Don’t say it like that. I don’t want to corner her.”
“Okay, we’ll invite her in for some coffee and conversation.” Jason chuckled. “It’ll be fine. You’ve given her some time to cooloff. Now’s your chance to explain yourself, apologize, and beg for forgiveness like your life depends on it. What do you say?”
At this point Jason’s hair-brained plan was better than anything Mathew could come up with. He sighed, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. Call Penny and see if she’s on board. Then we’ll go ahead with it.”
26
RIVER
The days seemed to bleed into each other. River couldn’t explain what had her feeling so…gray. She refused to accept that it had anything to do with Mathew and the way she’d felt betrayed by his silence. Because if she were honest with herself, she couldn’t say she understood at all what he might have been going through.
Penny had implied that Mathew went through a nasty divorce. Or that, at the very least, the end of their relationship had been hard on him. She knew better than anyone how easy it was to keep secrets about one’s past. She’d kept a lot of the nitty-gritty details of her own issues buried when she was around most people.
And that had included Mathew.
There were reasons why people kept the ugliest parts of themselves hidden. Especially when it came to impressing others. She’d liked Mathew from the start. He’d been a grump, and yet he’d made her smile. She’d been drawn to him, and therewas no way she would have let herself weigh him down with the traumas of her past.
Were there similar reasons for Mathew to keep a past relationship as important as a marriage from her? Victoria hadn’t seemed crazy when they’d met, but River couldn’t completely rule out that the woman might have issues. Mathew’s secret could very well relate to his need to protect his new relationship.
She sighed, realizing she’d zoned off once again when she should be working. Today was a slow day despite the farm being incredibly busy. Rose and Emerson continued to check in on her while they went about their work. So did the rest of Rose’s sisters. It was all hands on deck, and part of River wondered if she’d be more help in the fields than in the hangar.
“I’m heading to town,” Emerson called out from the doorway. “Want me to pick up anything for you?”
“Where are you headed?” River asked, propping a hip up against a cabinet.
“To… town?” His brows furrowed, confusion filling his features.
“No, I mean what stores. I’m not going to ask you to go out of your way for me.”
“Ask away.” Emerson chuckled. “I don’t mind. But in answer to your question, I’m grabbing coffee with someone.”
River wagged her brows with delight. “A female someone?”
A smile tugged at her friend’s lips. “Yes, a female someone.”
“And are you going to let me know who this someone is? Or will I have to get the Cliff Notes after the fact?”
He laughed. “You know her. But I’m not sure anything will come of it. The invitation was a little out of the blue.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “But who knows? Seeds have grown in stranger conditions.”
River snorted. “Yeah, okay. Go have fun on your date, Mr. Philosopher. And bring me back a croissant. I’m craving carbs.”
“You got it.” Emerson left, and River turned with hands on hips back to the hangar. The place could use some organizing. Then she could do a tune-up on one of the older tractors that hadn’t been taken out in a while. Anything to keep herself busy before she had to work on something else. George and Rose had told her she should advertise her services to folks around town who needed work done on their farming equipment and vehicles, especially since the auto shop was usually swamped with repairs for the vehicles in town.
Maybe she’d write something up and hand it out to the ranches and farms closest. She took a step toward the workbench at the far side of the hangar when Rose’s voice stopped her.
“Hey, I have a huge favor. You busy?”
Turning, River plastered on her widest smile. “I’m sure I can help out. Need some extra hands out there?”
Rose shook her head and a frown marred her pretty face. She scratched the back of her neck, then sighed. “Jason called. He said his truck was making a funny noise, and when he got to work, he saw smoke. I don’t know what’s going on, but he’s refusing to take it to the auto shop.”
