11. Sowing New Seeds
CHAPTER 11
Sowing New Seeds
F or the first time since arriving in town, Levi turned to the right from his driveway and headed north past Isla’s place. Phail was south of the farmhouse, and he hadn’t ventured much farther than the town since he’d arrived. Even though Isla was perfectly safe, he hated not having her beside him.
Branna and Piper had invited Isla and Hopper to the Saloon to brainstorm for decorating the place and setting the menu. The place would be locked up tightly, and the three dogs should be an extra layer of protection. Sean and Branna’s beast might be timid, but he looked like he could eat a moose. Falcon would also be there to ensure nothing happened to Levi’s girl.
His girl . He liked the sound of that. A lot. It hadn’t been a month, but Levi knew Isla was the woman he wanted. His grandfather had always talked about getting struck by lightning when he’d seen Gramma Lois. Perfect mix of sweet and sassy, with legs to give a man dreams for days.
It had always made Levi smile. He felt the same with his Glass Farmer. A sprite in overalls. A smile that sparkled its way into his heart.
For a second, he almost turned around and headed to the Saloon. But Isla would feel bad about him missing his opportunity to meet with Troy’s Uncle Stan and his friends. She was safe, and he had a mission.
Well, he had several, but this meeting would help him with the hops and the land. Because of the pouring rain, he couldn’t do much outdoors, anyway.
Levi followed the GPS instructions and took the right fork at the top of the road. He knew the left fork led to Midnight Lake, another place that interested him. He and Isla could make a date to visit out there one day.
The memories of their first date had him grinning. Demo Day in Phail had led to one hell of a date night. The woman was pure magic.
He shoved the sexy memories away as he pulled up to a small blue farmhouse near the end of the road. His truck joined two other beaters parked in front.
His cowboy hat kept the rain off his face as he stepped onto the gravel drive. The front door opened immediately. The man had a shock of white hair, but his shoulders were straight and his eyes bright. He looked enough like Troy that Levi knew this was his grandmother’s cousin. “Come on out of the rain.”
Levi hopped onto the porch and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Phail. Thanks for giving me some time today.”
The man laughed. “None of that Mr. Phail nonsense. You’re a friend of Troy’s. I’m Stan.”
“Nice to meet you, Stan. I’m Levi.”
He hung his hat on a peg in the hall, then followed Stan to the kitchen, where he met Maurice LeBlanc and Patrick O’Callahan, better known as Mo and Paddy.
As Levi sat at the ancient chrome kitchen table, he felt a part of him settle. Everything about this was familiar, from the worn furniture from another era to the lemony scent of well-used cleaning products to the camaraderie obvious between the men. He accepted a cup of coffee and thanked the men for meeting him.
“Troy tells us you’re from Kansas.”
Levi nodded. “Grew up growing corn and wheat. My family worked that land for generations. It was a good place to grow up, a good place to live.”
All three men nodded. Mo rapped his knuckles on the table. “Nothing like growing up on a farm to teach you all the important things in life. Work hard, help each other, play hard, raise a family.”
Paddy angled his head. “So, why leave Kansas and head to Vermont?”
Levi blew out a slow breath. Even though it had been a few years, discussing it hurt. “While I was deployed overseas, a tornado wiped out the farm and my remaining family with it.”
There was a solemn silence as the three men nodded, their gazes filled with understanding. He imagined they’d all survived tragedies of their own.
Stan patted Levi’s arm. “That’s hard. We’re sorry to hear you’ve been through that. How can we help?”
Just like Troy. Willing to reach out and ready to help. “Troy wants to start a brewery here with the rest of our military team. He wants me to grow the hops. It’ll be something I’ve never done before, and I do like a challenge. But the guys think growing one thing means you know how to grow all the things.”
Laughter filled the room. Paddy shook his head with a smile. “They don’t get it. Every crop has its own personality. Every piece of land, too.”
Relief swept through Levi. “Exactly. I was hoping to find someone here who understood that. I’m starting from scratch and don’t have my family’s wisdom behind me. I don’t have the generational knowledge of the land, the crops, and the climate. If I’m going to successfully grow hops, I need to know how the land reacts and what to expect from the weather. I’m hoping you all can tell me what it’s like to be a Vermont farmer.”
The three faces around the table lit up at his words. Mo rapped his knuckles again. “We’ve got lots of experience, and we’re willing to share. My farm was a variety of vegetables, with more than half the land growing potatoes. Paddy was split between hay and corn. Stan had the apple orchard out back. We’ve got all sorts of experience you can tap into.”
Paddy nodded. “Not too many want old geezer memories and opinions.”
Levi laughed. “I miss my old geezer network as much as I miss my family.”
Stan grinned. “Well, you’ve got a new old geezer crew now. Let the brainstorming commence.”
I sla didn’t think she’d helped even a little with the decorating or menu ideas for the Saloon, but she’d had a blast throughout the afternoon. Piper and Branna were smart and fun. They’d talked about everything from picture frames to flags to faucets. Chicken wings to pizza to margaritas.
Isla had zero knowledge of how to run a successful pub or saloon, but that hadn’t mattered. With Branna’s Irish background, she wanted some pub features while keeping the saloon vibe. “Everyone knows this place as The Saloon. I’d be nuts to change the name when it’s already marketing itself.”
Piper nodded. “You’d be fighting an uphill battle with that one. Troy says it’s been known as The Saloon for generations.”
That was fascinating. “I don’t think I ever paid attention to history before. Sciences were my thing, but knowing this place was an actual pioneer saloon is amazing.”
Branna nodded. “It is. I want to represent that history, but I also want to add things that represent the current town and its people. And I want some of my dad’s pub here, too.”
Isla felt the tug in her heart. Branna spoke of her dad with such love. He’d died tragically, and her mom had died in a drive-by shooting years before. Piper had lost her parents in a traffic accident.
She was the only one of the three with a surviving parent, but she hadn’t spoken to him in twelve years. The niggle that had been pestering her for the past year was growing stronger. It was time to reach out if she was brave enough.
She was a self-sufficient adult who needed nothing from him. But she wanted something. She wanted a connection and to know he cared. Did he? Even a little?
Isla doubted they’d ever have a shot at a relationship like the ones these women had enjoyed with their fathers. But if they could be cordial, she’d like that.
If she ever had kids, she wanted them to know their grandfather. It would be embarrassing to tell them she hadn’t matured enough to repair their relationship. And if she pictured a little boy with a dimple and a cowboy hat like his daddy, it couldn’t be helped.
Isla’s phone buzzed with a text from Levi, making her smile.
Branna laughed. “With that look on your face, there’s no doubt who that text is from.”
Piper grinned. “Must be a certain sexy farmer who walks with a cowboy swagger.”
Isla didn’t try to contain her own smile. “He’s got great swagger, and he’s on his way in.”
Sure enough, a knock had her turn to the door.
Sean’s whistle from where he was working on the balcony stopped her. “Make sure it’s Oz before you open the door.”
She nodded instead of rolling her eyes. These people were super protective. Not that she blamed them after hearing their stories. But there’d only been one incident with the ladder, and Isla was convinced that was aimed at a former owner. There was no reason for anyone to want her harm.
Branna called out through the door. “Levi?”
“It’s me.”
Her smile grew as she opened the door and found him standing on the front stoop out of the rain. Drops fell from the roof and from the brim of his cowboy hat. His lips kicked up at the corner, and his dimple popped out.
Unable to resist the cowboy swagger, Isla popped up on her toes and brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. “Hi.”
His hands moved to her waist and kept her from dropping back down. Then his mouth crushed hers in a kiss that was far from sweet.
When he pulled back, his eyes were dark. His voice rumbled through her. “Hi. Missed you.”
“Missed you, too.”
Sean whistled again. “Time for a beer, everyone?”
Levi locked the door behind him and slung his arm over her shoulder as they moved into the room. It was a heady feeling being part of a couple with this incredible man. Having friends to hang out with, working together to help each other. “How did it go with Stan and the other men?”
His grin told his answer before his words. “Amazing. They’re exactly the kind of people who can help me get to know the land and how farming works here in Vermont. I’ve issued an open invitation for them to stop by the farm whenever they want.”
“Do they know anything about hops?”
He shook his head. “No, but they’re hooked now. I’d bet they’re all going to be researching to see who can learn more than the other two.”
Sean grinned. “Sounds like you might have a few free laborers.”
Levi smiled. “They’ll always be welcome.”
Isla knew how much he missed his family and how much these men would mean to him. It also reinforced her desire to be braver about contacting her father while she still had the chance.