Page 16 of Pick Me This Time

“No idea,” he said, his gaze becoming slightly unfocused. “Eric’s never talked about it much and neither has Daphne. Rachel has mentioned some stuff over the years, but I think it’s probably best to ask Daph about it directly if you want to know.”

“Yeah. Of course.” I nodded slowly, pushing away from the wall. “I was just curious, is all. If the opportunity ever presents itself, I’ll ask, but it’s not really any of my business.”

“You’re damn right about that.” He gave me a strange look. “You haven’t forgotten who she is, right?”

I scoffed. “Eric’s baby sister and your wife’s best friend. I was really just curious, Barbie. Relax. I’m just trying to get caught up on everything I missed around here.”

“A lot,” he said, sincerity in his eyes. He stood up after checking his watch again. “You missed a lot, but you’re here now. I’ve got to get going, but I’ll have that contract drawn up and I’ll call you.”

“Thanks, Jake,” I said. “I appreciate it. I’d feel a lot better if I went home knowing things at the farm were looking better.”

Hesitating behind his desk, he gave me another strange look. “Funny. I thought you were home. I’ll see you around, North.”

He shook his head, striding out from behind his desk and leaving me to follow him out of his office. I frowned, almost calling him back to ask what his problem was, but I’d already held him up for long enough. Whatever was going on, we could talk about it when he wasn’t on his way to a job.

I hadn’t come here to interfere with their work or their livelihoods, so I let him go for now, climbing back into Eric’s truck with his sister still on my mind. Curious about her, I drove by the bakery on my way back to the farmhouse, but I didn’t go inside.

I still didn’t plan on ever going in there again, and besides, I had no clue why Daphne kept popping up in my head or why exactly I was so curious about her. She’d grown up beautiful and all, but like Jake had just reminded me, she was not someone I should’ve been so damn curious about.

Shutting down that line of thinking, I pulled over at one of my favorite spots near the pond on the farm and checked my email out of habit. To my surprise, I had a message about a planning committee meeting at the high school tomorrow and I groaned.

I’d almost forgotten about the reunion again, but it seemed like my time here in Allisburg was going to be busier than I’d originally anticipated.

But I was finding that I didn’t mind it so much at all.