Her Surprise Hometown Match, page 15
“You realize that switching horses won’t stop me from asking questions.”
“A guy could hope,” he quipped.
She laughed. “I repeat. The origin of the scowl?”
“I’m not happy with how long it’s taking to get some of my ideas up and rolling. I thought we’d have more revenue coming into the farm by now.”
“In what way?”
“This time of year is perfect for outdoor farmers markets. I was hoping to cash in this season, but with the repairs I had to make on the barn, we’re behind. The town is filled with folks here for Oktoberfest and I don’t have any plans in the works to get them here to spend their money.”
“What about the trail rides?”
“Steady but not a huge moneymaker. Liz has done well scheduling lessons, so there’s that.”
“It comes down to drawing tourists?”
“Right now, yeah. Advertising the riding trails has been great, but we need to get the other avenues going.”
Juliette seemed to get lost in an avalanche of ideas as they circled the paddock a few more times.
“How’re you doing?” he finally asked.
She shook off her train of thought. “Both horses seem appropriate for the program. I have an expert I’m in touch with who can advise me from here.” She smiled. “If we start this up soon, it’s another form of revenue for the farm.”
Moving farther away from what he’d originally envisioned. Did it matter as long as they were making money? After all, the well wasn’t going to fix itself.
“Let’s cool the horses down.”
She nodded and after they’d gotten their boots on the ground, Juliette followed him to the grooming area. Again, she knew what to do without having to be instructed. Took a bit of the pressure off him that had been mounting all morning. When they’d completed the task, he took the leads and walked both horses to their stalls before rejoining Juliette, who was staring at a dog sitting at the open door.
“Hey,” Ty said. “Where’d he come from?”
She turned to him, her eyes wide. “He’s not one of yours?”
“Nope. Never seen him before.”
She rubbed her forehead.
“You okay?”
“Yes. I just...” She squinted her eyes. “He reminds me of another dog from another time.”
Ty walked toward the shaggy mutt. “Let’s get you—”
The dog took off.
Ty shook his head and turned back to Juliette, who had turned pale. Before he could ask what was up, she took a roll from her pocket and placed a mint in her mouth.
“That’s why you always smell so good.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What?”
Ty held out his hand for the roll. “Peppermint. My new favorite scent.”
Her face flushed as she handed it over. “Thanks for today. I can’t wait to go home and jot down my impressions.”
“I hope the horses can be incorporated in your program.”
“Me too,” she said as they walked to her car. “What are you doing later?”
“Meeting the guys at Smitty’s. There’s a football game on this afternoon.”
“Fun.”
“Said with all the enthusiasm of a person who doesn’t watch football games.” He paused. “Did you want to get together?”
“Thanks, but I have a date with a good book. I’m going to curl up in a comfy chair to read.” She lifted a shoulder in the direction of her car. “I should get going.”
He tossed the roll of mints her way. “Let me know what your boss thinks about using the farm.”
“I will.” She caught the volley. “And, Ty?”
“Yeah?”
“Try not to worry about the farm so much.”
If only he could. The smile on her face was meant to inspire confidence, but instead it brought deeper dread. To get his mind off the fate of the farm, he leaned over and tipped her hat back from her face. He ran a finger over her silky skin, holding back a whoop when she swayed closer. He tugged a stray curl around his finger, then, moving in, gave her a kiss he’d been dreaming about since she’d first arrived this morning. She placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself and he swore he heard her sigh. He smiled against her lips and felt her smile back.
A horse whinnied and Juliette stepped back, the tip of her tongue touching her upper lip. He groaned, then pulled her against him again. She ran her fingers through his hair, messing up his already unruly tangles. This time he ended the kiss.
“I could do that all day,” he said as he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist, wondering if he was building expectations, for both of them. Was being with Juliette too good to be true?
“And I’d gladly let you, but you have things to do, as do I.”
He sent her a mock frown. “Are you always this practical?”
“Are you always this charming?”
The frown turned to a grin. “All day long, darlin’.”
Over her shoulder Ty saw Colton headed in their direction.
“How about we finish this another time?”
“You’re so sure there will be another time?”
He sent her a smile sure to curl her toes. “Oh, yeah, I’d take that bet.”
With a laugh, she turned and walked to her car, leaving him with a strange longing in his chest.
CHAPTER TEN
TY STARED AT the television screen mounted on the wall in Smitty’s Pub, so lost in thought, he didn’t notice the quarterback pass the ball or hear the referee’s whistle blow on the play. He kept thinking about the farm, a possible solution to re-digging the well and how he had to decide where the money should go. The money he could only get if he sold the one possession that meant the world to him.
No, he couldn’t think about that right now. Not until he absolutely had no other option available.
With a sigh, he took a sip from the iced tea glass at his elbow. After Juliette had left the stable, he’d spent his time before coming to the pub crunching numbers and they still hadn’t added up to any solution.
“You see that play?” Adam asked, then tossed a handful of peanuts into his mouth.
“What play?”
“That’s what I thought.” Adam’s laser-focused gaze aimed straight at him. “Got something on your mind?”
Nothing Ty was going to talk about right now.
“Anything to do with a pretty redhead you’ve been spending time with?”
Ty narrowed his eyes. “Just come out with it.”
“What’s up with you and Juliette?”
“We’re friends.”
“Really.” Adam seemed to mull that over. “Friends who just happened to sneak out of The Perch last night? Without saying goodbye?”
“We didn’t sneak.”
“Good, because if you thought you had, you did a poor job.”
With a shrug Ty said, “I gave her a ride home.”
“So why was your truck still in the parking lot when I left?”
Ty held back his temper. “Since when did you become my father?”
“Since I’ve known Juliette for a long time.” Adam held up a hand when Ty wanted to argue. “Bottom line? I think you two together works.”
He leaned back in surprise. “You do?”
The problem of never having experienced a serious relationship made Ty question if he had what it took to give a woman as amazing as Juliette the kind of commitment she deserved.
“Sure.” Confusion wrinkled Adam’s forehead. “Don’t you?”
“I...” What did he think? That Juliette was on his mind 24/7? That he wanted to see where this attraction was going? Was his interest in Juliette written all over his face? “I’ve never been in a serious relationship.”
“The love ’em and leave ’em type, huh?”
Ty wasn’t sure he liked that conclusion. “Not in a bad way. I never made promises I wouldn’t keep. Everything was always very casual.”
“Juliette’s the one to make you change your mind?”
Was she? Yes, he liked her more than any other woman he’d ever dated. Liked how they clicked every day as he learned more about her. But was he feeling this way because he’d promised his dad to be responsible? Did that include a woman to settle down with? A lifetime of kisses in the moonlight?
He rubbed his forehead. The farm weighed heavily on his shoulders, and Juliette was the one area of his life that felt carefree, even with his struggles to understand what was happening to the guy who loved being single.
Ty blew out a frustrated breath. “She might be, but Juliette isn’t what’s bugging me.”
“The farm?”
Ty met Adam’s astute gaze.
“It’s more than I expected, but I can handle it.”
Adam hesitated before saying, “You know it’s okay to ask for help.”
He knew that. He’d known Adam long enough to see how the man had expanded his already thriving business to make it even more successful. He trusted Adam, but didn’t like anyone thinking he couldn’t carry the load. Still, he was new at this game and really needed to put aside his pride to make sure his family put their mark on the town.
“Do you remember when I talked about the farm when I first moved here? My idea of drawing tourist traffic?”
Interest gleamed in his friend’s eyes. “Sure. A common conversation among Golden residents.”
Okay, here came the tough question. “How do you handle change in plans?”
Adam leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “In what way?”
“Liz is handling the horseback riding lessons and trail rides, which is the lion’s share of our revenue.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“No. The problem is, how do I incorporate other ideas and make them equally successful? Shouldn’t I be focusing on one or the other?”
“It isn’t a matter of one or the other. Both will benefit the farm.”
“Okay, but my part isn’t panning out.”
“You expected it to happen overnight?” Adam smiled. “This isn’t like your rodeo career, Ty. You’re a natural on a horse. Have the personality to engage the fans. Those skills aren’t easily going to translate to a new skill set, like building from the ground up. Most businesses take three to five years to start making a profit. You have to be realistic.”
That’s what he knew deep down inside, but he couldn’t wait out the needed repairs. “So what do you suggest?”
“Patience.”
“Not in my vocabulary.”
Adam shrugged. “You want the farm to become a go-to destination? You’re going to have to learn to slow down. Take things a step at a time.”
Ty ground his molars.
“I get this is going to be difficult for you, but look at it like a new challenge.”
“Says the successful businessman. It’s like everything you touch makes money.”
“Because I know going into a project that it’ll take time to gain traction. The farm will produce revenue, Ty. You might have to readjust ideas. Give up old plans for new plans that are more advantageous at the moment. It’s not a one-size-fits-all perspective.”
“It has only been four months,” Ty conceded.
“Don’t look at it as a setback.”
He didn’t, but now he had a decision to make; how to pay for the new well without significantly reducing the remainder of their contingency fund. The only idea he’d been able to come up with to accomplish both nearly broke his spirit.
A cheer went up as the favorite team scored a goal.
“We’re missing the game,” Adam said.
Ty glanced around the room, finding all eyes on the television. “Go enjoy. I’ll be with you guys in a minute.”
Adam slapped him on the back, a nod to their camaraderie. “Give it time.”
If only he had more time.
With a sigh, he shook off the funk and ordered another drink, then sat back to watch the remainder of the game. A nearby table had ordered ribs and the tangy scent had his mouth watering. He grabbed some peanuts, debating if he should order food, but was caught up in the action on the screen. By the time he was finally immersed, his mind off his problems, someone sat down at his table. He glanced over to see Juliette’s smiling face.
He blinked. “Where did you come from?”
She pointed across the room. “The door.”
“No, I...” He shook his head. “Never mind. What are you doing here? I thought you were sticking close to home this afternoon.”
“I couldn’t get our conversation out of my head.”
A slow smile spread across his lips. “Which conversation?”
She ignored the bait. Smart woman.
“About how you want to speed up business at the farm.” She opened a screen on the tablet for him to view. “I made a list.”
A list? Why would she? Because she helped everyone in Golden, apparently, whether they asked or not.
He read over her bullet points. She’d put some thought into her ideas. He looked up to tell her so. As if out of the blue, his father and his new friends had pulled up chairs to the table. He glanced at Juliette and raised an eyebrow. “You recruited a committee?”
Her face turned an appealing shade of pink. “Not on purpose.”
“We ran into Juliette when we were sitting outside Sit A Spell,” his father cut in. “She stopped to visit and before we knew it, we were making a list of vendors to support a market at the farm.”
“And as luck would have it, Juliette was already thinking in that direction,” Bunny said.
Juliette scooted to the end of her seat, excitement lighting her pretty eyes. Her arm casually brushed his, bringing with it a jolt of awareness that kicked up when she was close by. Instead of the sensation settling down, it seemed to grow by leaps and bounds every time he was with her. He sucked in a breath and focused on what she was saying.
“Everyone knows different vendors who might be interested in a partnership with the farm. We’ll agree with the vendors up front that the farm gets a cut of the revenue for letting them use the space.”
Wanda Sue grinned at him. “If you want, we can set up a trial run next weekend.”
That soon? When he’d just been complaining to Adam that he didn’t know what to do next? This was too good to be true.
He held up his hand. “Is that enough time to get the word out?”
Mrs. M. leaned forward. “You do know who you’re speaking to, right?” She pointed to the seniors. “We are the heartbeat of Golden.”
He glanced at a grinning Juliette. “Actually, I didn’t know that, although, I know my dad likes you.”
“We get the job done,” boasted Adam’s aunt Bunny.
“Ty,” Juliette continued. “They have access to soap makers, honey products, the family who has a produce stand on Saturdays—who are looking for a permanent home, by the way. Plus, through the clinic, I know people who sell homeopathic products and Ivy will need a place to sell her jewelry soon. It’s a good time to jump on board.”
“But this weekend?”
“It’s not a big deal,” Judge Carmichael said. “We’ll spread flyers around town. We might get folks visiting Golden for the last two weekends of Oktoberfest to stop by, plus, our own townsfolk with be interested to see what you’ve done with the farm, so they will certainly show up.”
“And we have word of mouth,” Alveda said.
Juliette caught his gaze. “Plus, I did a little research before stopping for coffee and discovered another way to incorporate the animals on the farm.”
A little overwhelmed, Ty nodded for her to elaborate.
“This is an idea for down the road, but what about school tours during the week so students can go horseback riding? You can have goat races, which the kids will love. And if you get more livestock, like a cow for instance, you can show the kids how to milk.” The excitement rolling off her was contagious. “Ooh, and you can add a playground and maybe even a maze on the property.”
“A maze?”
“Especially in the fall. Kids love harvest festivals, but then in the springtime you could grow sunflowers and have an entirely different kind of maze. That will take more planning to implement, but it’s a goal to strive toward. What do you think?”
That Adam had pointed out Ty’s lack of patience. In order for the business to grow, it was going to take trial and error, and he had to be okay with that. “It sounds like a lot of work,” he warned his new associates.
Mrs. M. waved her hand. “Not to worry. We’ll lend a hand and what we can’t do, we know others who are capable.”
Isn’t this why they’d moved to Golden? For the small town support and friendships? Here it was, in play in real time. While the idea was intriguing, all Ty could see were dollar signs, and not in a good way.
“And if I get the therapy program up and running, you can have the proceeds.”
He reared back in his chair. “No, you’ll be doing the work.”
“But you’re giving me a place to bring the clients. You know I’ve been searching for a long time to find a home. Crestview Farm is it.”
A home. When Juliette said those words, it went beyond the business of the farm. It struck right to the heart. Would she ever consider living on a farm? Being a part of his family?
Whoa, getting ahead of yourself.
He faced the group. Tamped down his eagerness. He wanted this to work. Needed it to work. “You think we can put this together so soon?”
The group exchanged glances. “It’s the best shot we’ve got,” Mrs. M. said.
This wouldn’t be without sacrifice, Ty knew that. But he’d promised his dad.
“So, what do you say?” his father asked.
