“You look different.” His voice is croaky, as to be expected from a man of seventy-nine.
“How are you feeling today?”
I change the subject, but his gaze remains on me. I pull out the blood pressure monitor from my bag and strap it around his arm. His gaze follows my every move.
“Your cheeks look brighter. You’re glowing.”
I lower my gaze so he doesn’t see me blush. Am I that transparent that even a sick man can tell what I’ve been up to?
“You’ve met a man!” He slaps his hand on the side of the bed. “I’ll be damned, the nurse is in love!”
“I need you to be still for a moment while I take your readings.”
He hoots with laughter and turns to his daughter. “There’s a young man involved. I’d bet my farm on it.”
My cheeks flame bright red, and I make myself busy taking his readings.
“How do you feel this week, Mr. Baxter?”
His face falls. “Not good.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Are you in pain?”
He shakes his head. “Only in here.” He taps his chest, above where his heart is.
I glance at Abby, and her mouth is set in a thin line. “We had another visit from the lawyers,” she says. “The same ones who wanted to buy the Reilly property.”
“It’s not them that wants to buy it,” says her grandfather. “Whoever wants to buy it is hiding behind them. I don’t do business with someone who won’t show their face.”
“Are you thinking of selling the farm?”
I glance at Abby again. They’ve got a lot of land they’re not using. It could be an opportunity for them to downsize.
“Heck no,” her grandfather says. “This land has been in my family for generations.”
But Abby looks away, out of the window. I wonder what the sisters think. They have the bakery now. Aside from the orchard and beehives, the farm hasn’t been worked in years.
And even with the bakery, times are tough at the moment. I’m sure the farm would get a good price.
“We’re not selling,” her grandfather reiterates, and I wonder if there have been tense discussions around the dinner table.
I finish up, and Abby sees me downstairs. “We don’t use all those empty fields,” she says quietly. “If someone wants them, I don’t see the harm.” She sighs heavily. “But we couldn’t do it to Pops. He loves this land. His history is here.
“Do all your sisters agree?”
She shakes her head. “No. We’re divided on it. So we told the lawyers no. They weren’t happy. Then they came back with a higher offer.”
“Isn’t that what they did with Lexi?”
She nods. “Someone wants the land around here real bad. Makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?”
As I drive back to Dean’s cabin, I’m thinking about what it could be about the land here that someone wants so badly. Dean’s training tonight and Kieren will be with him, giving me a few hours to myself. I rub the tension out of my neck and think about the bath I’m going to run. Then I’ll put dinner on, chicken pasta,so they have something substantial and high in protein when they get back from training. How easily we’ve settled into this new life. I like the ease of it. I could get used to it here in Dean’s cabin, the community of Hope and the opportunities for Kieren.
As I pull up in front of the cabin, my phone rings. It’s Dean, and I smile as I pick it up.
“Is Keiren with you?”
My blood freezes. “He should be at training. He was getting a lift with Thom.” I mention the name of Kieren’s new friend at school. They’ve been going to the training gym together. Thom takes him straight from school, and Dean brings him home.
