17. Kane
CHAPTER 17
KANE
“ Y ou know what would be really good?” Kane said.
Three days had gone by since Taylor’s initial suggestion that they put together a fundraiser, and so far, they hadn’t been able to think of anything. Now, though, as he washed the dishes, Kane was beginning to feel the spark of an idea. They’d made a lasagna for dinner using Chesterfield produce, and it had been fresh and delicious, and it had occurred to Kane that perhaps one of the best things he could do to help the Chesterfields might be to let everyone taste their food.
“You look like you’ve thought of something clever,” Taylor said. “Lay it on me.”
“A farmers market,” Kane said. “The Chesterfields could have it right on their property, and we could get people to come from nearby cities.”
“It’s a good idea,” Taylor agreed. “But do you think people would travel for that? Cedar Rapids must have farmers markets of its own, and I’m sure Iowa City does as well. Why would they come to this one?”
“We’d have to make it special,” Kane said. “We’d have to arrange for other attractions. Carnival rides. Maybe a petting zoo. We’d probably have to leave it operational for several days, too, so that word could spread.”
“How are we going to afford all those things?” Taylor asked.
Kane had thought of that too. “I’ll pay for it,” he said.
“You can afford something like that out of pocket?”
“No. But if you buy me out on the house, the way you’re planning to, I’ll have some extra funds to throw at the project.”
“You know I don’t have that money right now,” Taylor said.
“I know, but I figured if I took more of a token amount, instead of the value of the property, you might be able to swing it right now. Then I could use that money to pay for the attractions we’re talking about. Even if it isn’t half the value of the house, it ought to be enough to put on a farmers market.”
Taylor frowned. “I could give you about ten thousand right now,” she said. “But that’s nowhere near what your share of the house is worth.”
“I know,” Kane said. “But that would allow me to get this project done. I’d accept that amount if you would be willing to pay me right now instead of waiting, or trying to borrow the full amount. Would you be willing?”
“Well, it’s a great deal for me,” Taylor admitted. “To get the whole house for that kind of money? I’m just worried I would be taking advantage of you.”
“You would be doing me a favor,” Kane told her. “I’ve thought it through. This is what I want to do.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Taylor said. “But I also think we need to run it by the Chesterfields first, before we start making plans.”
Kane groaned. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
“Not looking forward to that part?”
He shook his head. “I wish there was some way around it.”
“Honestly, I think the best way to handle all of this is if we try to have the event on their farm. Then we don’t have to worry about renting space. But that can’t happen unless they agree to it, so we’ve got to run it by them.”
“They’re not going to be happy about seeing my face again.”
“I mean, probably not. But that’s what this is about. Making amends. Making things right after all these years.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, and Kane couldn’t help thinking how good it felt to be held right now. “Listen, I’ll be right by your side the whole time,” she assured him. “I know it’s hard to go back there after everything that’s happened. If it helps, I think you’re incredibly brave for doing it. I couldn’t be more proud to know you.”
It had been a long time since anyone had said anything like that to Kane. Proud to know him? He wasn’t sure anyone had ever felt that way, if he was to be completely honest. And the best part was that he felt he understood Taylor well enough to trust that she was telling the truth. She wasn’t saying that for some manipulative reason — she really meant it. She really was glad that they knew one another.
It was a thought that gave him unexpected strength. If Taylor could feel that way, it meant that there was hope that other people could too. Maybe he could be forgiven, not only by her, but by the rest of Miller Creek’s well.
Although, the fact of the matter was, getting the Chesterfields to give him a second chance still seemed like the longest shot in the world.
“Are you sure they know I’m with you?” Kane asked. “You definitely told them I was coming?”
“How many times are you going to ask?” Taylor asked as she pulled the car down the lane that led to the Chesterfield farm. “I told you they knew. You don’t believe me?”
“It isn’t that I don’t believe you. I just know it would be bad to take them by surprise,” he said. “It wouldn’t be fair to do that to them. If there’s even a chance that maybe they didn’t understand you were bringing me with you, I should probably wait in the car.”
“No, they know,” she said. “Trust me, okay?”
Kane looked over at her. She looked confident, but it was easy for her to say. What if the Chesterfields had misunderstood? What if he gave them the shock of their lifetime when he knocked on their door?
Taylor reached over and took his hand. “It’s all right, Kane,” she said gently. “This is fine. I told them you were in town, and that you wanted to come over and talk to them about something, and that if it was all right, I would be bringing you.”
“And they said okay to that? Really?”
“They really did,” she told him. “They’re nice people.”
“I can’t believe they’ll have forgiven me, just like that.”
“I don’t know if they’ve forgiven you or not,” Taylor admitted. “But they’re willing to hear what you have to say, and that’s the first step, right?”
Kane nodded. She was right. This was something that just had to be faced, no matter how difficult it was.
He got out of the car, knowing that once he had done that, there was no going back. They could easily see him from the kitchen windows. They would know that he was here.
The worst thing, he thought as he walked up to the front door, wasn’t the fire. The worst thing was that he had run away. All this time, he had let them live with the memory of him as someone who ran away from the problems he had caused. Now, meeting him again, of course they would be inclined to think the worst. Why wouldn’t they?
Taylor seemed to understand the fact that Kane wanted to be the one to knock on the door. There was something meaningful about taking that step himself rather than allowing someone else to do it for him. Even though he was intimidated, he raised a hand and knocked.
As soon as he’d done that, Taylor came up beside him and put an arm around his waist, as if to let him know that she was on his side. He wanted to tell her how he couldn’t have faced this without her, but the words wouldn’t come — and then the door was opening, and Jeff Chesterfield stood on the other side.
He was a little older than Kane recalled, of course, but still in very good shape — the years were being kind to him, even if the rest of life was not. Kane took a deep breath and found that he had no idea where to begin.
“Kane,” Jeff said. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen you.”
“Yes it has, sir.”
“No need for that sort of thing,” Jeff said gruffly. “Why don’t you come in? Taylor here told me there was something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Is Donna here as well?”
“She went out,” Jeff said.
There was something in his tone that let Kane know Donna going out hadn’t been a coincidence. She’d done it to avoid seeing him. That stung, but it was certainly fair enough. He followed Jeff into the house, and the three of them sat down at the kitchen table.
Once there, Jeff was quiet, and Kane could tell he’d gotten all the favors he was going to get. From now on, he was going to have to take the lead in this conversation.
He drew a deep breath and laid out the details of his farmers market plan. Jeff listened carefully, his expression betraying nothing.
When Kane was finished, he spoke. “We’ve sold produce on our farmland many times,” he said. “I’m not sure how what you’re describing would be any different.”
“We’re talking about trying to bring in a huge number of people,” Kane said. “And we wouldn’t only be selling produce. This would be the equivalent of a fall festival, lasting several days, I’m sure. I would pay to put it on — it seems the very least I could do. And all the proceeds would go to yourself and your farm. If you give us your permission to do this, that is.”
“I don’t know,” Jeff said. “If I’m honest, Kane, I’m a bit reluctant to let you back on my land in any capacity at all. I know it’s been a long time, but the last time you were here came at a pretty significant cost to me and my family.”
“I know,” Kane said. “If it helps you any, I don’t need to be on the land for this at all. I can just be the sponsor. I don’t have to be a part of it.”
“Jeff, I think this is a really good idea,” Taylor spoke up. She’d been quiet so far, but now she leaned forward to speak to Jeff, and her hand found Kane’s under the table. “I think you should hear him out. He and I have been talking about this for a few days now, and I think it would be a great way for you to earn some money for the farm. You’ve got to admit, you could use it. Even if you don’t want to accept help from Kane, this is a good idea.”
Jeff nodded. “I’m not too proud to take help from you,” he said. “And I recognize that you’re not the same rotten kid you were back then. Times change. People change. I know that.” He sighed. “I’m not gonna pretend it’s easy for me, having you back here, though. I’ll have to find a way to get Donna on board with this idea.”
“I can talk to her, if you think that would help,” Taylor said. “Donna likes me.”
“She does. You’re easy to like.” The implication being, Kane supposed, that he wasn’t. “I’ll speak to her. I think I can get her to understand why this is a good idea. In the meantime, why don’t you two put together some more details, and we’ll get together in a week or so and talk about what the whole thing is going to look like.”
“That sounds good.” Taylor got to her feet, and Kane quickly followed suit. His escape from this room couldn’t come too soon. He was glad he’d spoken to Jeff, and glad that Jeff was taking him up on his idea. But spending time in the company of the man he had wronged was still deeply uncomfortable, and he had no idea how he was going to get past that.