“Where’s Abe?” Cal asked.
Kenny glanced over his shoulder toward the west field. “A couple of cows wandered off the property, and he’s taking care of that.”
Cal shielded his eyes and searched the field. “What happened?”
“The wind the other night must have blown down part of the fencing. I’m going to help him now.”
“Let me know if you need another set of hands,” Cal offered.
Kenny glanced toward the greenhouse. “Will do. But I think you’re about to be busy. Mr. Muldowney and the governor are on their way over.”
Mabel sucked in a sharp breath.
Showtime!
She’d been in the barn feeding Cal the Goat when the governor had arrived, and her father and Cal greeted him. She’d seen the man and his mini entourage pass by but hadn’t met him yet—a good thing because her cantankerous goat had gotten his muddy hooves all over her skirt. She’d sprinted up to her room to get changed. Sure, she lived on a farm, but that didn’t mean it was okay to be covered in goat prints and smell like the inside of a barn when the top official in the state swung by.
She glanced at the table, looking country chic with the flowers, the special sweet tea, and the blue checkered tablecloth she’d found folded under a heap of dishtowels. From the little she’d overheard when the group passed by, she’d learned that this was the governor’s last stop, and with it being one hell of a hot day, she was hopeful the man would be up for something cool and sweet.
“At least, take a glass of iced tea, and bring one to Abe,” she said, pouring two cups and handing them over to Kenny, who drank down his glass in one gulp before heading off to help his brother.
Never a dull moment on the farm!
She met Cal’s gaze. “I hope the governor likes sweet tea.”
“It’s perfect, Mabel. And it’s because of you,” he said, tracing his finger down her jawline.
“It’s thanks to the entire town. Remember, I don’t even know how to turn on the tractor, let alone head up an effort to change the way an entire group of people farm. I don’t know the first thing about yields and…” she trailed off, recalling something odd she’d seen on Cal’s whiteboard.
“And what?” he pressed.
“And the number on your board hasn’t changed,” she said, eyeing him closely. Another week had gone by in a whirlwind, but she’d noticed that the pink number had remained the same.
“Which number?” he asked with a sly grin.
“The pink number. It’s been stuck on fourteen ninety-three. It usually ticks up by one each day,” she supplied.
“I was counting something, but I’m done doing that,” he answered with that same crafty grin.
With hands on her hips, she gave him her best broody glare. “What were you counting? It’s driving me crazy!”
He held her gaze. “I started counting the day you left Elverna.”
Holy whiteboard revelation!
Her mouth opened and closed as if she were a flounder.
“Why didn’t you stop counting when I’d arrived?” she asked, needing some clarification.
He took her hand. “I was counting the days until I could tell you that I loved you.”
This man!
She still hadn’t unraveled her feelings about what it meant to give up dreaming about visiting faraway places. But it had to mean something that a man loved her so much that he’d counted the days until he could share what was in his heart.
“I was gone for over four years, Cal,” she said, hardly able to believe what he’d done. “You kept a tally of all those days?”
He brushed his thumb across the back of her wrist. “It kept you close to me even when you were miles away.”
She reached for the M. “Cal, that’s—”
“That’s one heck of a greenhouse,” a booming man’s voice called as her father and the governor joined them with Duke and a few aides trailing behind.
She pulled her hand away. They were still keeping their relationship under wraps, and, even now, she wasn’t sure how she would break it to her father. And there was the matter of that shotgun.
“This must be your Mabel, Elias,” the governor said, then shook her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. We’re so happy to have you in Elverna!”
The governor was a big man with a warm countenance. He fanned himself, removed a handkerchief from his pocket, then dabbed his brow as a photographer snapped pictures, and a few of his aides hung back, glancing at their phones.
“That wouldn’t happen to be lavender honey iced tea, would it?” the man asked with a glint in his eyes.
She gestured for everyone to sit. “How did you know?” she asked, pouring him a glass.
“My wife and her friends follow Eat Elverna on social media. I believe you posted about this summer beverage not too long ago.”
“We did. Why don’t you take a sip and tell us what you think?” she replied, handing him the glass, then pouring one for herself, her dad, and Cal.
“Are all the ingredients from Elverna?” he asked, eyeing the tea thoughtfully.
“They are,” Cal replied. “The lavender is from the same greenhouse you visited, and the honey is sourced locally from the Martinez farm.”
The man took a long sip, then set the near-empty glass on the table. “I’d say that you have really stumbled upon something here in Elverna.” The man turned his attention to her. “Your father tells me that Cal’s led the town in sustainable farming while you’re in charge of the marketing and social media.”
Mabel shot a glance at her dad, and he tossed her a wink.
A wink? When did her dad start winking? She most likely had Claudine to thank for that.
She focused on the governor. “That’s right, sir, but the entire town should be credited with the success.”
The big man sat back in his chair and glanced around. “I grew up in a town much like this a little east of here. It’s hard to beat the country.”
Cal nodded. “I would agree.”
“Your father tells me that you left New York City recently,” the governor said. Was he fishing for something? Had they done a background check before coming to the farm and learned that she’d skipped out on a few months’ rent?
She stiffened. “Yes, I moved back a little over a month ago.”
“You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl,” the man replied before finishing off his tea.
“Something like that,” she answered as relief washed over her. Still, she had loose ends to tie up when it came to her former life.
One of the aides cleared his throat. “Sir, I hate to cut the visit short, but we’re on a schedule.”
The governor chuckled. “Always on a schedule.”
“We appreciate you visiting our farm and Elverna,” her father said, shaking the man’s hand.
“You’re welcome here anytime,” Cal added.
The governor’s gaze panned between her and Cal. “What you two are doing is important work. Many of the communities out this way have been hit hard. It’s good to see a success story. If you ever need any help cutting through any governmental red tape, don’t hesitate to reach out,” the man said, then pulled a card from his breast pocket and handed it to Cal.