Emma
“Emma, I know I said this the other night when we had dinner together, but it bears repeating. I’m thrilled that you had a wonderful vacation, but we missed seeing your face around the farm.” Anna beamed at me from her seat on the steps of her front porch, where she was watching me cavort with the baby goats . . . who weren’t so much babies anymore.
“I can’t believe how much they grew in just over two weeks.” I caught one little girl and scooped her into my arms, nuzzling her soft head. “Thanks for covering my part of the care while I was on vacation. I thought about asking Jenny to do it, but I figured she might be more trouble than she was help.”
Anna chuckled. “She’s not exactly farm-friendly, that one. Sweet girl, salt of the earth, but she doesn’t know one end of a pitchfork from the other.”
“You’re not wrong.” I sniffed. “Did Deacon tell you that she and Nico are moving up north?”
“He did.” Anna’s voice gentled. “That’s going to be hard on you, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “They’re leaving tomorrow morning. I’m going to eat dinner with them tonight after I come back from . . .” I trailed off. “Doing something else I’m not looking forward to.” I hugged a passing goat. “Playing with these cuties is the high point of this day. No question about it.”
“Ah. Are you going to see Noah?”
I turned my head sharply to stare at Anna. “How did you know?”
“Oh, sweetheart, that wasn’t a far leap. It didn’t take a psychic.” She sighed. “You told me before you left for Virginia that you were having a lot of mixed feelings. I figured you’d probably made up your mind.”
“I think I have.” I scratched another goat friend on the back. “I’m almost positive it’s the right thing to do, and that’s something, isn’t it?”
“I’d say so. We can never know for sure about matters of the heart. We have to do the best we can.” Anna leaned back on her hands. “Noah’s a very good man. It would be easy to talk yourself into believing he’s the one for you. You’d have a very comfortable life with him.”
“Funny, that’s very much like something my mother said. Only she used the wordsafe.”
“Oh, I’d say safe and comfortable are pretty dang close to being the same in this situation. And there’s nothing wrong with choosing safe and comfortable, Emma. Plenty of women have done it and lived contented lives.”
I squinted up at her. “I sense abutthere.”
Anna laughed. “Butyou have never struck me as someone who desired comfort and contentment above passion and adventure. You remind me of myself.”
“That’s quite a compliment.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Anna stretched out her legs. “You might not think so now, but my Jimmy was a brave choice back in the day. I had my pick of fellas. And I could’ve gone away to college, too. My father wanted that for me. But whatIwanted was right here, living on his family farm. The wild-eyed Girard boy who promised me excitement and never-ending love, even if we never left this town.”
I smiled. “I can see that. Jimmy’s quiet sometimes, but I see echoes of the wild-eyed boy.” I hesitated. “Deacon was at the cabin when I got home from the airport the other night. Did he tell you?”
“Oh, was he?” Her tone was entirely too innocent to be for real. “I bet that was a real surprise.”
“Hmmm.” I crossed my arms. “Anna, I texted you when my flight was coming back. You had to know that I was going to be getting home that night. But you sent him over to take care of my plants.”
Anna gave me wide eyes. “I didn’t know what time you’d actually get back to the cabin. I figured you wouldn’t want to mess around outside if it was already dark.” She paused. “Did he behave himself?”
“He did. He helped me carry in my bag, and we had talked a little. I showed off my cabin.” When her head tilted and one eyebrow raised, I shook my finger. “And that was all. Conversation and a glass of water. It was very . . . nice. Relaxing.” I thought for a moment. “It was a relief. I’d say it was the first time in over a year that I felt totally at ease with Deacon. Like our old selves.”
“Good. You two should be friends.” Anna spoke firmly. “That’s all I want for you.”
My eyes narrowed. “Is it?”
Clearing her throat, the older woman stood up. “My, is that the time? You know, Emma, if you’re going to drive clear over to Tampa and then be back for dinner at Jenny’s, you’d better get a move on. Don’t worry about the goats. I’ll put them back in their pen.”
Rising, I brushed off my butt. “You’re not fooling anyone, Anna Girard.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Emma dear.” She kissed my cheek. “Now, drive safe, and hug Noah for me. And give Jenny and Nico my love, too.”
Rolling my eyes, I walked around the house toward my car. I was dreading my next visit, but what I’d told Anna was true: I knew what I had to do.
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