AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When Cal had signed with the Tetons—a total fluke since he’d been a walk-on, not a draft pick—he’d warned the family that things could change. He could get traded after his contract, or in the middle of it. He was a pawn in the NFL game. Maggie frowned. She’d miss her annoying little brother. They all loved having him near, and she knew he’d hate being away from Thistlestone. He may have been born and raised in Cascade City, on a charming cul-de-sac filled with oodles of free-range children, but he was a farmer and rancher at heart.
Lucas was probably the same. At the farmers’ market, she’d heard pride in his voice when he talked about his family’s farm in the valley. He’d had a boyish gleam in his eyes when he and Nanna had talked about bees. His enthusiasm had been real. It wasn’t an act to get Nanna to like him. Lucas didn’t need to be disingenuous to win someone over. People flocked to him like bees to honey.
Including you, she admitted. He was caring, charming, tall, handsome, interesting, and generous. The whole desirable package and everything she wanted in a man. But that didn’t mean she liked him. Anytime he was around, she was on high alert and couldn’t relax.
Maggie wished Lucas well, that he stayed injury-free and played with the Tetons for as long as he wanted. She could want the best for him without wanting anything to do with him. Without wanting him.
She just needed to get through the festival. Once she won the baking contest, everything would be easier. She’d have the money for the down payment, and she’d be so busy buying Brewster’s that Lucas being in her life wouldn’t matter. He’d be like a speck on a distant planet. In her orbit, but inconsequential.
It all hinged on her winning. Maggie’s chest tightened and her breathing increased as she thought about the competition. About baking in front of a crowd. She put her right hand on her chest, forcing herself to breathe slower and not think about everything that could go wrong. And all the eyes watching her every move. Critiquing her. Judging her. Announcing that her baking was good but not good enough for the prize money.
“You can do this. You will win,” she said out loud. An hour earlier, she would have believed it. But now? With Lucas competing? The man who won everything? Maggie didn’t have that much confidence and she worried that all her dreams and sacrifice would collapse under the heat of competition like an over-beaten cake batter.
Chapter 6
“Dinner was delicious, Mom, thanks.” Lucas stood and dropped a kiss on her cheek. They’d already cleared the table and put away the few leftovers. He grabbed the last piece of apple pie, a beer for his dad from the refrigerator, and the bottle of wine they’d opened earlier. He topped off his mom’s glass and added the last few drops into his.
“Shouldn’t you be going?” his dad asked, raising his brows as Lucas cut into the pie. His mom smacked his dad’s arm, but Lucas laughed. Next to Jon Rodriguez, Bash was the epitome of social grace and small talk.
“I’ve got a few minutes. It’s good to be home, and I’d hate the pie to go to waste.”
His mom snorted. “Like food’s ever gone to waste in this house. It’s a miracle we ever had leftovers when all of you were at home.”
“I’m a growing boy, Mom.” Lucas licked the back of his fork.
“How much more growing does coach want you to do?” his father asked. Lucas was on the smaller size for a center, a disadvantage that always worried his father. But Lucas made up for it with determination and field sense. He was very good at reading his opponents.
“They’d like me to add a few more pounds.” Lucas shrugged as if it were no big deal.
“You had a good opening game last night, but with a few extra pounds, you could have made the line stronger.”
“Maybe.” Lucas didn’t want to encourage his father’s analysis.
“And stayed on your feet better.” Now that he could agree with. Every muscle had screamed at him as he’d hobbled to the bathroom that morning. This afternoon’s light practice had eased some of the soreness, but not enough. Lucas lingered over his pie as his mom caught him up on the family gossip and discussed his niece’s upcoming birthday party.
“Is the blueberry patch done for the season?” Lucas asked his father.
“Yes.”
“Are you planning to till under the oldest rows or give them one more season?”
“Not your concern, Lucas.” He sounded annoyed. “You focus on football and let your brother and I worry about the farm.” His mom sighed as they slid into their continuing battle of Lucas wanting to be involved in the farm and its future and his dad saying no. He didn’t want Lucas in the berry fields. He wanted him on the football field.
“What about after football?”
“You have a lot of years left, and when you retire, I’m sure you’ll have lots of opportunities.” His dad shrugged as if Lucas’s future success was a sure thing. Lucas didn’t agree. Anything could happen during a game or practice. No one was immune. Even Coach Mack’s son, CJ Mack, had a career-ending injury that included being carted off the field on a stretcher.
“But wouldn’t it be better if I could plan for my retirement now?”
“Do you have something in mind?” his mom asked.
Lucas shoved his empty plate aside and leaned forward. “There’s a large coffee shop in Old Town, Brewster’s, that’s for sale. Lots of parking and a perfect location for a restaurant. Lilliana hates working under that new chef at the resort, and she’s talked about having her own restaurant.”
His father looked slightly interested, his mother less so, but that didn’t surprise him. She didn’t like the uncertainty that came with running a family business, and she hated having Mother Nature as a business partner. A very silent partner who held most of the cards. Mom would hate it, but if it made her children happy, she’d support it.
“It would be perfect for some farm-to-table dishes, and we could feature our own produce,” Lucas said. Jon took a long drink of beer, his eyes fastened on Lucas, but he didn’t squirm. Of the men in the family, Lucas was the one with vision. Unfortunately, his father and brother, Jon Junior or JJ, thought his visions looked more like pipe dreams. They were comfortable playing small, but Lucas knew the farm was capable of a lot more, especially if they let him help.
Jon nodded his head and rubbed his chin. “It might have potential. If the price is right. I’ll talk to JJ and see what he thinks.”
