Rescued by the Farmer (12 page)

“Me-first world,” he echoed with a grin. “I like that. Do you mind if I use it?”

“Be my guest. Just don’t quote me, because your story should be about all of us, not one of us.”

“That’s a terrific attitude, Ms.—”

He trailed off, his questioning look making it clear he was expecting her to fill in the blank. But she wasn’t falling for that, and she forced a smile. “My name’s not important. The work this center does and the people who support that work are your real story. If you start singling a few of us out from the others, won’t that diminish the overall human-interest element for your readers?”

“Good point, but my editor’s going to ask who I talked to, and I have to be able to name my sources or she might scrap the whole article. It’s not just good exposure for us, but great press for a nonprofit endeavor like this. The more people who know about it, the more donations you’ll get to help you rebuild.”

She hadn’t thought of that. The center had been in dire straits even before the fire. Now, even if Animal Palooza was a raging success, some of that money would have to be used to replace the supplies that had been destroyed. That meant hiring the veterinarian the clinic so desperately needed would have to be delayed. Again.

While she was debating what to do, her newly activated phone chimed with a text alert, and on the screen she saw Drew’s name with the message
Geek boy okay or should I run him off?

The sarcastic tone made her smile, and she quickly texted back,
OK
.

Trying to be subtle about it, she glanced around and noticed him not far away, chatting with Cam Stewart about something or other. When she caught Drew’s eye, he flashed her one of those cute little-boy grins she’d come to adore. Returning the smile, she screwed up her courage and faced the reporter again. “I’m Bekah Holloway. I’m the kennel assistant and web designer for the center.”

“Interesting combination. How do you like working here?”

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

“From your earlier comments, I gather you’re not from around here. What’s it like living in such an out-of-the-way place?”

Lifesaving. Comforting. Fulfilling. All those answers flitted through her mind, but one in particular jumped ahead of them all. “Wonderful.”

He nodded, adding the detail to his notes. While he continued asking about the various animals housed there and how they were faring after their ordeal, she was only half listening to his questions. Because during the more personal section of his interview, she’d learned something about herself that hadn’t occurred to her before.

She wanted to stay in Oaks Crossing. Whether it made sense or not, she knew that was the right decision for her, not just for now but for the future. Because here, she’d be able to escape her past and begin building the kind of life she’d been longing for since striking out on her own after high school.

And she had Geek Boy to thank for her epiphany. Amazing.

Chapter Eight

B
ekah had just finished cleaning the grime off the lobby windows when a cute yellow convertible pulled into the rescue center’s gravel parking lot. It had been a week since the fire, and she was finally getting to some of the tasks near the end of what she and Sierra had dubbed The Recovery List. It was slow going, but before long she hoped it would feel as if nothing bad had ever happened.

When Lily opened the driver’s door and stepped out, Bekah wasn’t surprised to find the cheery car belonged to the equally cheery teacher. Even after long days when most people would be grumpy, Lily was one of the most upbeat people she’d ever come across. With his more reserved personality, Mike didn’t seem like the best match for his perky wife.

Then again, Bekah thought as she went to greet her visitor, with her disastrous personal track record, she might not be the best judge of something like that.

“Hi there,” she said, opening the door for her. “How are you today?”

“Crazed. The kids always get a little zooey this time of year, with the holidays coming up soon and all.” The assessment was accompanied by a wan smile, but Bekah couldn’t help noticing it was still a smile. The woman was incredible.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Can I get you anything?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Not food,” she clarified with a conspiratorial gleam in her blue yes. “A favor.”

Bekah couldn’t think of anything she wouldn’t do for the large, loving family that had taken her in when she needed them most. Nothing legal, anyway. “Shoot.”

Lily laughed. “That’s funny. You sounded like Drew just now.”

“No need to insult me,” she joked back, motioning for Lily to have a seat in one of the waiting room chairs. “What did you need?”

“I’m always trying to come up with ways to teach my students things without it coming off like a lesson out of a book. Six-year-olds respond much better to experiences than dry lectures.”

“Actually, so do most grown-ups,” Bekah pointed out. “How can I help?”

“They’ve all heard about the fire, and since they know I live at the farm, they keep asking me about it. Do you have any wild animals here now that you could bring into school so the kids can see one up close and learn a little bit about them? Most of them have pets, so I’m hoping to expose them to something they wouldn’t be able to keep at home.”

“Hmm...someone in a cage would probably work best for that. The kids wouldn’t be able to touch it, though.”

“That’s okay. The principal would prefer it that way, I’m sure. So would the parents.”

After sifting through her mental list of animals she cared for every day, Bekah hit on the one that had brought her here in the first place. “What about Rosie, our red-tailed hawk? She’s not very big, so her cage would be easy to manage.”

“That’s perfect,” Lily approved with a childlike enthusiasm Bekah envied. “When could you and Rosie come in?”

Panic flared in her throat, and she cleared it before trusting herself to speak normally. “You really should ask Sierra. She’s had a lot more experience with educational sessions, and she’s much better at that kind of thing than I am.”

“But you’re the one who found the bird,” Lily reasoned. “You’re the best person to answer the kids’ questions about where she came from and how her rehab is going. Oh, and be prepared for some gory questions about what she eats. These are country kids, so they’re well aware of what hawks hunt down for breakfast.”

“I don’t know, Lily. I’ve never done anything even remotely like this. What if I’m awful at it, and your students hate the lesson more than if you’d taught them out of a book? The whole thing could easily backfire on you.”

“Then we’ll try something different next time.” Patting her shoulder, the stunningly optimistic teacher smiled. “They’re kids, and you’ll be introducing them to something most of them have only seen from a distance. I’m confident they’ll love you and Rosie.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“The sun will still come up the next day,” she said breezily as she stood to go. “It’s not life and death. It’s show-and-tell.”

Reassured, Bekah stood and walked her to the door. “Well, since you put it like that, count me in. Just let me know when you want us.”

“I will. Thanks so much for your help.” And with a bright, encouraging smile, she was gone.

When she was alone again, Bekah went over their brief conversation, trying to figure out what had just happened to her. Basically, she’d been freight-trained by a slender woman who apparently was even more stubborn than her much larger husband. Maybe that was part of what appealed to him, Bekah mused with a smile. She’d always been criticized for her own obstinate character, so she’d assumed it was an innate flaw in her nature that she had to overcome if she wanted to make a relationship work. Could it be there were men in the world who actually considered it a virtue?

The thought had just flitted through her mind when a dark blue pickup whipped into the lot and parked next to her derelict hatchback. Weird as it seemed, she got the distinct feeling that Drew’s sudden appearance was more than a coincidence. When she allowed herself the time to consider how much things had improved for her lately, it had often occurred to her that her life had taken a significant turn for the better the day she met the charming Kentucky farm boy.

Not usually one to believe in destiny, she was beginning to suspect that it was more than an accident that had led her to this picturesque village in the middle of nowhere. While she’d decided that God had led her here to help the rescue center, she couldn’t help wondering if He’d also had a more personal reason for it. Maybe, she thought with a smile, He’d detoured her to Oaks Crossing because it was where she’d finally meet a man who would not only accept her as she was but encourage her to spread her wings.

When Drew strolled through the door holding a beat-up toolbox, he pulled up short when he saw her. “What?”

“What do you mean, what?”

“You’re smiling at me, and I haven’t even said anything yet. When a woman does that, it usually means something’s up.”

“Just smiling,” she assured him, hoping she sounded casual about the whole thing. The startling possibility was still rattling around in her head, and she wasn’t ready to share it just yet. “Did you come by for a reason?”

“I ran into Lily at the house earlier, and she told me about her plan to bring one of the rescued animals into school. It sparked an idea for me, and I wanted to run it past you before I mentioned it to her.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“This.”

Setting down the toolbox, he tapped something on his phone and called up a video of a wildlife presentation in a classroom. The handler held an enormous barn owl on a leather gauntlet on his arm while he explained the bird’s habits and where it liked to make its home. Clearly, it had a broken wing because it sat calmly, blinking its large eyes as it slowly swiveled its tufted head and assessed the circle of breathless elementary-schoolers.

“Rosie’s not tame like that,” Bekah reminded him. “It wouldn’t be safe to take her out in front of all those kids. She’d either hurt someone—” she ticked her index finger “—start flying around in a panic—” she ticked the next finger “—or hurt herself struggling to get loose—” one more finger.

“I know, but wouldn’t it be cool to record her visit and put it up on the website you’re designing? Pictures are great, but videos like this go viral in a few hours. Think of how much exposure we’d get for the center just by recording something you were going to do anyway.”

“There are rules about posting that kind of thing,” she pointed out, even though she was warming to the idea. “We’d have to get waivers from the school and the kids’ parents.”

“Lily can handle that part. You bring the hawk, I’ll bring the camera—it’ll be awesome. If we like the results, we can think about setting up a webcam out in the baby barn. Everyone who visits loves those little critters. Imagine what a hit they’d be online.”

He was so excited, she felt awful that her first instinct was to come up with reasons why his scheme wouldn’t work. In truth, it was a fabulous idea, and she didn’t want to ruin it by being the one negative voice in the room. But for her, there was more at stake than generating much-needed publicity for the rescue center and the fine work it was doing.

Drew seemed to pick up on her reluctance, and his bright expression dimmed considerably. “You’re worried about more than legalities, aren’t you? What is it?”

Bekah was torn between being honest with him and keeping her fears to herself. She wasn’t used to confiding in anyone, and she hesitated to do it now for fear of sounding paranoid. Then again, being supercautious and keeping her head down was what had kept her safe since leaving Cleveland.

While she hesitated, understanding dawned on his face. “You’re worried Richie will find you here. Is that it?”

Grateful that he’d saved her from having to voice it out loud, she nodded. “I told that reporter my name, and I’ve been regretting it ever since.”

Stepping closer, Drew gave her a you-can-count-on-me grin. “I promise, if Richie ever shows his slimy face within ten feet of you, I’ll take care of him.”

“It’s sweet of you to offer, but you don’t know what he’s like.”

“Ornery? Insane? Oh, wait,” he went on, eyes twinkling in fun. “He’s got two heads. With horns.”

Actually, the description wasn’t far off of how Richie had appeared in her nightmares. Used to, she added silently. Come to think of it, she hadn’t had one of those since the day Drew had handed her the key to her tiny apartment and given her something she’d begun to think she’d never have.

A place to belong.

Gazing up at this wonderful man who’d picked her up off the ground and helped her regain her footing, she sensed something flickering to life inside her. She hadn’t felt it in so long, she hardly recognized it, but it felt like hope.

“You still want to be my hero, is that what you’re saying?” All on its own, a smile was inching across her face, and this time she didn’t bother trying to stop it.

“Well, I’m not exactly Superman, but I’ll give it a shot.”

“Why?”

“Because I like seeing you smile.”

“Oh, you’re good,” she teased, which was very unlike her. “You probably say that to all the girls.”

“Only if it’s true.”

She noticed he didn’t deny that he’d said it before, and she appreciated his honesty more than she could say. A guy as good-looking and thoughtful as Drew must’ve had dozens of girlfriends over the years, and yet here he was, doing everything he could to make her feel better.

So, because she trusted him to keep his end of their bargain, she put aside her misgivings and decided to take a chance. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll do the video with Rosie.”

“Fantastic!” Hugging her quickly, he held her at arm’s length and nearly blinded her with a boyish grin. “This is gonna turn out great for everyone, Bekah. You’ll see.”

She did her best to return the smile, but in the back of her mind a well-entrenched voice cautioned her that it would be much wiser for her to stick to the shadows and avoid shining a spotlight on herself. She’d been doing that for so long, it had grown from short-term survival technique to long-standing habit.

Living in constant fear wasn’t something she relished. Eventually, she knew she’d have to put the past behind her and make a new plan for the future. In this tight-knit community, with Drew and his family supporting her, maybe now was the time.

And if not, she didn’t even want to think about how their little experiment would end.

Then she remembered the toolbox he’d brought in with him, and it occurred to her that he must have stopped by for a reason that had nothing to do with Lily’s spur-of-the-moment idea. “Did you need something?”

“Came to fix that cranky sliding door Sierra’s been harping on me about. I know you’ve been busy and all, but have you called your insurance company about replacing your windshield?”

“I don’t have that kind of insurance,” she confessed. “Glass coverage was more than I could afford.”

“You and me both,” he said in a way that made her feel slightly less pathetic. Opening the front door for her, he went on. “We can probably find one in a junkyard and get it installed for next to nothing. Meantime, I figured we could start with this.”

Reaching down, he picked up a can of gas he’d brought with him. It was a large one, and she suspected it held more fuel than she’d been able to buy at any one time all summer long. While things had been going fairly well, she’d tucked away as much money as she could, hoping it would last until she found somewhere to crash for a few months. Then her car had started acting up, and harvest season had drawn to a close, and the safety net she’d so painstakingly scraped together had vanished in a few short days.

Judging by Drew’s sympathetic look, he knew all that. Grateful that she didn’t have to explain it to him, she forced herself to look on the bright side as they walked over to where her car was parked.

“Gas is expensive these days,” she felt obliged to point out. “Let me know how much you gave me, and I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She’d learned that his cavalier attitude was part of his personality, but accepting handouts wasn’t going to help her become more independent. “I appreciate the offer, but I already owe you for the mechanic you hired, and now this. I’d feel better if you’d let me pay my own expenses.”

“Tell you what,” he replied with a slow grin. “Make me dinner sometime.”

The suggestion was ludicrous, considering her current living arrangements, and she laughed. “In my gourmet kitchen?”

“I’ve got a decent setup at my place, so we can get together there. You bring the ingredients, I’ll supply the pots and pans.”

It sounded cozy, but in the interest of being up-front with him, she hesitated. As tempting as spending an evening with him was, she didn’t want to create the impression that there was a possibility for more between them. “I don’t know.”

“Aw, come on,” he wheedled in a practiced tone that told her he’d done it many times before. “I’ll even take care of the dishes.”