Laura was already waiting for him.
Emma had cooked a going-away meal for her and had invited him over. He wasn’t about
to miss out on that, especially since it would be two weeks or more before he’d see
her again.
“Very well. I’ll give you your time with Laura.” She sniffed. “But tomorrow you and
I are going to talk.”
Sawyer picked up Cora’s bags again and headed for the front door. “Can’t wait,” he
muttered.
“I heard that.”
“Finest meal I’ve had in ages.” Wagner patted his round belly. “Beefsteak and onions.
Can’t beat that.”
Johnny forced a chuckle, just as he’d had to force himself to eat his favorite meal,
which had been cooked to perfection. “Just aiming to please.”
“Please you did.” His wife, Lois, who was as small as Wagner was large, wiped the
corner of her mouth with her napkin. Despite her size, she’d put away the food with
as much gusto as her husband. “I’m surprised you’re such a good cook, Mr. Mullet.”
Guilt slammed into him. “I can’t take the credit. A friend of mine made the meal.”
“Oh? Well, I wish she were here so I could thank her.” Lois looked at Johnny. “She
is a she , correct?”
“Ya.” Remorse snowballed in his gut. He had dismissed Katherine as if she’d been a servant,
his personal maid. Only after she left did he notice the little things she’d done
to make tonight special for his guests. The flowers. New dish towels. A bread basket
that Lois had called “charming.” Stuff he wouldn’t have thought about, yet Wagner’s
wife had noticed and seemed to appreciate.
But he needed to get Katherine out of his mind or he would blow this deal. “Are you
ready to see the property?” he asked, giving off what he hoped was a confident, commanding
demeanor.
“Sure.”
Half an hour later Wagner, Lois, and Johnny went back into the house. Again Johnny
was struck by how clean and tidy it now was. Sure, there was still more work to be
done, but at least it was neat. The scent of supper still hung in the air.
All smiles, Wagner sat at the table. “I’ve seen enough. True, things are a little
shabby, but the outside is as clean and well kept as the inside. Shows you’re serious
about making a go of it. Let’sreview the business plan. You all right with that, Lois?”
She nodded, scooting her chair closer to her husband.
Johnny rose and pulled a red folder out of a kitchen drawer and handed it to Wagner.
“Here’s a copy of my business plan.”
Wagner slipped his reading glasses out of the pocket of his shirt and put them on.
He and Lois read the plan together, both of them nodding at certain points almost
at the same time. Johnny gripped the edge of his chair. He couldn’t tell from their
blank expressions what they were thinking.
Finally Wagner put the plan back in the folder and closed it. He set it on the table.
“This is a decent plan. It could use some tweaking, but I can see you’ve been thinking
about the future.”
“Yes. I want to make a success of this farm, Mr. Wagner.”
Wagner held out his hand. “Please. Call me James. I’m always on a first-name basis
with the folks I do business with.”
Johnny relaxed his grip. “Does this mean you’ll invest?”
“We’ll have to discuss it, of course.” Lois smiled. “We’ll get back to you as soon
as we’ve made a decision.”
Johnny’s smile slipped a bit. He should have known they wouldn’t instantly agree to
something this big without giving it some thought, and hopefully some prayer. When
he had bowed his head to give thanks for the meal, they had both joined him, which
fortified his belief that the Wagners weren’t in his life by accident.
“I understand,” he said. “Take the time you need.”
Just don’t take too long .
After they left, Johnny went back inside to the living room,collapsing on the old couch he’d picked up at the thrift store the day after he moved
Emma had cooked a going-away meal for her and had invited him over. He wasn’t about
to miss out on that, especially since it would be two weeks or more before he’d see
her again.
“Very well. I’ll give you your time with Laura.” She sniffed. “But tomorrow you and
I are going to talk.”
Sawyer picked up Cora’s bags again and headed for the front door. “Can’t wait,” he
muttered.
“I heard that.”
“Finest meal I’ve had in ages.” Wagner patted his round belly. “Beefsteak and onions.
Can’t beat that.”
Johnny forced a chuckle, just as he’d had to force himself to eat his favorite meal,
which had been cooked to perfection. “Just aiming to please.”
“Please you did.” His wife, Lois, who was as small as Wagner was large, wiped the
corner of her mouth with her napkin. Despite her size, she’d put away the food with
as much gusto as her husband. “I’m surprised you’re such a good cook, Mr. Mullet.”
Guilt slammed into him. “I can’t take the credit. A friend of mine made the meal.”
“Oh? Well, I wish she were here so I could thank her.” Lois looked at Johnny. “She
is a she , correct?”
“Ya.” Remorse snowballed in his gut. He had dismissed Katherine as if she’d been a servant,
his personal maid. Only after she left did he notice the little things she’d done
to make tonight special for his guests. The flowers. New dish towels. A bread basket
that Lois had called “charming.” Stuff he wouldn’t have thought about, yet Wagner’s
wife had noticed and seemed to appreciate.
But he needed to get Katherine out of his mind or he would blow this deal. “Are you
ready to see the property?” he asked, giving off what he hoped was a confident, commanding
demeanor.
“Sure.”
Half an hour later Wagner, Lois, and Johnny went back into the house. Again Johnny
was struck by how clean and tidy it now was. Sure, there was still more work to be
done, but at least it was neat. The scent of supper still hung in the air.
All smiles, Wagner sat at the table. “I’ve seen enough. True, things are a little
shabby, but the outside is as clean and well kept as the inside. Shows you’re serious
about making a go of it. Let’sreview the business plan. You all right with that, Lois?”
She nodded, scooting her chair closer to her husband.
Johnny rose and pulled a red folder out of a kitchen drawer and handed it to Wagner.
“Here’s a copy of my business plan.”
Wagner slipped his reading glasses out of the pocket of his shirt and put them on.
He and Lois read the plan together, both of them nodding at certain points almost
at the same time. Johnny gripped the edge of his chair. He couldn’t tell from their
blank expressions what they were thinking.
Finally Wagner put the plan back in the folder and closed it. He set it on the table.
“This is a decent plan. It could use some tweaking, but I can see you’ve been thinking
about the future.”
“Yes. I want to make a success of this farm, Mr. Wagner.”
Wagner held out his hand. “Please. Call me James. I’m always on a first-name basis
with the folks I do business with.”
Johnny relaxed his grip. “Does this mean you’ll invest?”
“We’ll have to discuss it, of course.” Lois smiled. “We’ll get back to you as soon
as we’ve made a decision.”
Johnny’s smile slipped a bit. He should have known they wouldn’t instantly agree to
something this big without giving it some thought, and hopefully some prayer. When
he had bowed his head to give thanks for the meal, they had both joined him, which
fortified his belief that the Wagners weren’t in his life by accident.
“I understand,” he said. “Take the time you need.”
Just don’t take too long .
After they left, Johnny went back inside to the living room,collapsing on the old couch he’d picked up at the thrift store the day after he moved
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