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Except it wasn’t safe, not really. Because Jo was there. My father’s infiltration had driven a fierce streak of protection in me. I wouldn’t let him hurt them.
But that meant I had to take control.
I won’t do any more damage than you will.
There was a way to head him off if I could find it. If I could get them to sign, if I could convince them that their farm would be safe, I could head my father off and save Dottie from any heartache.
But I knew he was right.
I would leave a mark on this place whether I meant to or not.
And somehow I doubted it would be good.
20
Frack You
JO
“Where are we going?” I asked as we took a slow and careful drive up a long dirt road in his Audi. “Isn’t this the Kohler’s farm?”
“It is.”
“And what are we doing here?”
“Having a picnic.”
I gave him a look, and when he glanced over at me, he laughed. And then I couldn’t help but smile.
We’d waited the other night until my mother was out of Merrick’s reach before heading to his place where he made good on his promise of the oral variety. While he was attending to his business that day and all day yesterday, my sisters and I had been busy working on a fundraiser dinner for the Lindenbach facelift. Poppy had the idea to have a big fancy black-tie dinner like they do in movies, sell tickets for a whole lot of money, ask for donations. Do a silent auction, that sort of thing. Thanks to the many weddings and such we’d hosted on the farm in the past, we had experience with events, which helped. Presley’s boyfriend, who had all the connections, had called in some associates from the major metro cities, and he’d secured donors from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. Most folks in Lindenbach didn’t have much to spare, never mind enough to restore Main Street to its former glory.
We’d thrown it together fast, but Jesse’s sister was eager to show Lindenbach her stuff, so she agreed to cater at cost. My family would provide entertainment, and we’d lined up a few speeches, as well as some proposed plans for the strip.
And it felt good. To help. To contribute. I loved this town like it was a member of my family, and with every store we lost, it slipped away a little more. Lindenbach was too important not to save, or at least not to try.
Poppy was alight with plans for the city that just kept on getting bigger. Like a movement to propose sanctioning expansion of our broadband and cell phone coverage or another proposing small business curriculum additions to Lindenbach’s tiny community college. She even had some grand designs to convince Old Mr. Creech to sell his farm to build a subdivision on so he could retire. Given the lack of affordable homes in the cities, she thought it just might bring some new industry to our town.
It was worth a shot, I figured. But before we could do much of anything, we needed to give our Main Street a face-lift, and that was going to take a whole lot of money—not just for the façades but to subsidize refurbishment inside the stores as well.
So Glow Up, Lindenbach was well underway.
Vainly, I was the most excited about the cocktail dress I’d gotten for the fundraiser dinner. That and the thought of Grant unwrapping me like a birthday present afterward.
Grant. A problem I kept telling myself wasn’t a problem at all. It was just what I wanted—something casual, without strings or promises or expectations. He was gorgeous, smart, funny, and willing to take his lumps and dole them out. He was also a superstud in the bedroom, which was not a fact to be overlooked. Especially since it’d been a good long while since I’d been dicked down so thoroughly.
Two years, if anyone asked. I hoped no one did. I didn’t like to lie, but I would.
But Grant’s most impressive magic trick was that somehow, for some reason, I wasn’t afraid of him. I didn’t think he’d hurt me or lie to me, which was probably naive. But the temporary nature of our relationship had kicked down a wall we both seemed to have, a wall designed to keep people out. And as I smiled at him with a fluttering in my chest, I remembered why that wall existed.
Enjoy it while you can. He’s leaving. It’s fine.
It’s fine. Everyone’s favorite lie.
I searched out the window for a clue as to where we’d be stopping, but my curiosity went unsatisfied until he pulled off the road next to a copse of cedars and elms. We climbed out, and Grant got into the trunk, reemerging with picnic supplies. He reached for my hand with a smile, and I took it like a lamb, trusting to the end.
