Page 12 of Forever Enough
“What do you think about those orange trees?” Lou asked.
The change in subject caught me by surprise, but I was grateful for it.
“Um, I think they’re doing great. They’ll be ready to plant into pots this spring for sure.”
Lou nodded. “That’s a great idea; I’ll talk to the bosses about it. Oh, before I forget, Merit asked if we had any squash and zucchini ready. I told her we did. I need to run an errand later this morning, so would you mind picking some and bringing it up to the house for her?”
“I don’t mind at all.”
“Wonderful. Four of each, and if you see any good cucumbers, she’ll take some of those as well,” Lou said as she made her way toward the back of the massive greenhouse, where the office was located.
When I finished watering, I grabbed a basket and made my way to the area of the greenhouse allocated for vine plants. I picked the vegetables Merit wanted, thrilled to see such wonderful produce in the dead of winter. The things we could grow in the perfectly climate-controlled environment was endless.
On a whim, I added some strawberries and a few ripe figs. If Merit couldn’t use what I harvested, I knew Stella Shaw would for sure take what was left and make something amazing. I’d only met Stella twice, and both times, she’d brought me and Lou heavenly tasting baked desserts.
Other than visits from Stella and Lincoln Shaw, this side of the farm was pretty quiet. During the winter, we were staffed with just Lou and myself, along with Michael, Merit, and a couple farmhands for general maintenance. The ranch side, however, had a lot more hands to help with the cattle and horses. Since moving here, I’d turned down at least five invites from the ranch hands who’d asked me out, when they came to the farm to help with one job or another. Not that they weren’t good-looking or nice enough. None of them caught my interest beyond friendship.
“I’m heading up to the house, Lou!” I called out.
She popped her head out of the office. “Don’t walk to the house. Too much snow, and you have those terrible boots on. Take the truck. Ronnie plowed the road up to the main house and to the main gate.”
“Will do,” I said as I put on my coat, hat, and gloves and stepped outside. The snow had finally stopped falling, leaving behind the most beautiful scene. Pure white covered everything, and when the sun hit, it sparkled like someone had tossed out a handful of crystals or diamonds. It was truly one of the most gorgeous things I’d ever seen.
I was so glad Ronnie had snow-blown walk paths as well, making it easy to navigate around the farm to the truck. I wasn’t that great of a driver in the snow, though. The fact that Lou let me take the truck showed how much faith she had in my driving, even though I’d only driven in snow two other times in my entire life.
Making my way slowly over to the main house where the Littlewoods lived, I parked and jumped out of the truck. I reached in and grabbed the large basketful of goodies and smiled as I thought about what Merit would make with the fresh veggies and fruits.
Before I even got to the front door, it flew open and Avery appeared. “Mackenzie!”
Smiling, I lifted my gloved hand and waved. “Hey, Avery.” She opened the door wide, and I stomped my boots before making my way inside. “How’s your Christmas vacation been so far? Missing Paris yet?”
Avery shook her head. “Not missing it at all. Did I tell you I’m finished with school?”
“Congratulations,” I said as I handed her the basket and took off my coat. I’d met Avery when she was home for a few short days four months ago, and I’d instantly adored her. She reminded me of my sister Emily. When she exchanged the basket for my coat, scarf, and gloves, I asked, “Are you home for good then?”
“No, I wish. I have one more fashion show I need to do, then I’m all done. I’ll be heading back home for good after that, most likely the end of January or beginning of February.”
“Do you think you’ll miss it? Paris? The fashion shows?”
Avery thought for a moment. “Truthfully?”
“Always,” I said as we both started to walk through the house toward the kitchen. It was a beautiful ranch home with exposed wood logs, a stunning rock fireplace in the living room, and a gourmet kitchen I would die for. Although, I would hate to clean a house this big.
“No. I don’t think I will. I mean, when I first got to France, I was in love with fashion and soaking up the culture. I’ve missed so much while being away from home, though. It’s been a great experience, but now all my cousins are getting married and having babies. I’m missing out on all of it. I miss my parents too. I guess I’m just ready to be home.”
“Will you go to college here, then?”
“Most likely,” she said with a shrug. “I haven’t decided yet. I’d like to talk to Morgan and Georgiana about helping them with the boutique. Morgan mentioned something to me about coming on as a design assistant, but I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”
“You’ll figure it out,” I said with a soft smile.
Which faded as I walked into the kitchen, and I came to an abrupt halt when I saw Bradly leaning against the counter, looking even more handsome than he had last night in the barn. How could I have forgotten about him being home?
“Bradly.”
“Mackenzie,” he said with a wink that made my heart trip over itself and my insides melt.
“You’ve met?” Merit asked. At the same time Avery echoed, “You guys have met?”