Chapter 6
Catherine
Hayes took a thoughtful bite, giving us both time to reassess our positions in this battle of wits. “Hallie told me your mom passed not too long ago. I’m sorry to hear that.”
The change in conversation made the lovely flavor in my mouth turn sour. I reached for my wine to wash it down, but it tasted bitter. “It was unexpected, but I was able to be with her for a few weeks before she died.”
“How are you doing now?” Hayes’s eyes drifted to the freshly covered burial plot. “It’s a lot to handle.”
I knew he understood exactly what it felt like, but that didn’t make rehashing it any easier. “I’ve gotten through the worst of it, I think. Working through the mess of canceling phone plans, ending subscriptions, and closing out bank accounts is a nightmare.”
“Are you selling her house?” he asked.
“She rented. I have until the end of the month to finish moving out.”
“How’s that going?”
I twirled my fork, making a little nest of pasta. “Almost over, thankfully. I put the sentimental things into storage and sold or donated the rest.”
“What’s next for you?”
I paused, staring into my wine. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Hayes’s sharp eyes turned tender. “Life goes on whether we want it to or not.”
“It does,” I agreed. “I haven’t quite figured out what’s next yet.
I was working for a nonprofit, but it went under around the time my mom got sick.
I took it as a sign that I was supposed to be with her.
Sometimes blessings come in disguise. It sucked in every possible way, but time off is hard to come by.
I’m grateful I was able to spend every second I had with her. ”
“How does being Miss Virginia factor into everything?”
“I’m only Miss Virginia for six more weeks. I’ve finished most of my appearances and commitments. I hope to make more headway with my social initiative, but after that…”
After that, I had no idea what I was doing with my life.
Hayes cocked his head, patiently waiting me out.
“After that, I’ll pass on the crown to the next Miss Virginia and hopefully have a new job.”
But hope didn’t cut it. I needed a new job yesterday.
Death was not cheap. My mom had a little in her savings for a rainy day, but her medical bills had been obscene, so it vanished in a flash.
Along with my savings. I took out personal loans to keep things going, but the payment demands came faster than a new job.
Selling my mom’s car, the appliances, and some of the big pieces of furniture had kept me afloat temporarily. But my life raft was quickly losing air and I was about to go under again.
“Tell me about your social initiative,” he said, immediately pivoting. “What is it?”
“This feels a lot like an interview, Mr. Wilder,” I said, teasing him the way Hallie had. “If there are open positions at the Wilder Foundation, I’d love to throw my hat into the ring.”
Hayes chuckled. “Sadly, that’s Lewis’s territory now.”
I lifted my eyebrows.
“I inherited the estate, and Lewis—”
“Got the foundation?” I guessed.
Hayes nodded.
Dammit. If Lewis knew I was friendly with Hayes, there was no way I’d get my grant.
I pressed my napkin to my lips as I finished lunch. “During my year of service as Miss Virginia, I get to choose something I’m passionate about and turn it into a charitable endeavor.”
“What’s your endeavor?” Hayes asked.
“Connecting kids with hands-on learning opportunities in agriculture, horticulture, and ranching.”
“Like the Future Farmers of America?”
“Somewhat,” I said. “I used to be an FFA girl myself. I still volunteer with them. But there are tons of schools without enough funding for their existing programs. Some districts don’t have programs at all. I’ve spent the year fundraising and applying for grants. I even testified before Congress.”
“I feel like there’s a ‘but.’ ”
“It’s easier to get funding to areas where there are programs already started. But rural school systems like Honey Hollow don’t have their own programs. Because the town is so remote, it puts too much of a financial burden on kids for them to travel to participate in established programs.”
“You want to start your own?” he guessed.
“I do, but my dream is for it to be outside the school system, so kids aren’t restricted from participating based on where they’re zoned.
I still have a few irons in the fire, but it’s not looking good.
Land is hard to come by. Staffing and start-up costs are egregious.
I’ve poured so much time into researching it, but I don’t think it’ll happen in six weeks. ”
“Who says it has to happen in six weeks?” he asked as he set his fork and knife down.
“I hand over my title in six weeks. Being Miss Virginia is a big draw when you’re asking donors to write fat checks.”
There was a long pause as Hayes sipped his wine. “What if you had a different title?”
I lifted my brows. “This was my last year in the pageant circuit. Don’t get me wrong, I love the pageant world, but I need to find out what’s next for me.”
Hayes nodded in understanding.
“What about you?” I asked. “What’s next? Heading back to Maryland?”
“Actually,” Hayes said as he leaned forward, “I’ve decided to move to the estate for the time being.”
That piqued my curiosity. “Really? May I ask why?”
“I feel as though I need to be here to…keep an eye on things. I work remotely most of the time anyway, so I decided to make this my home base and commute to DC when the need arises.”
“What do you do?” I asked, feeling just a little silly for not already knowing. Walt always talked about how proud he was of both of his grandsons, but until last week, Hayes had been a figment of my imagination from almost twenty years ago.
“I work for the Triticum Group.”
Am I supposed to know what that is? The name makes it sound like he works for some scary, secretive group of mercenaries. “Forgive me, I’m not familiar with that company.”
He chuckled. “I’m an agricultural commodities broker. I facilitate the buying and selling of crops and livestock to support the global food supply chain.”
A smile grew that I couldn’t keep down. Nor did I want to.
“I wish I had run into you a year ago. You could have been my inside man in the private sector. I’d love to schedule a time to meet where I could pick your brain on ways to get kids excited about getting involved in the business of agriculture.
I’m sure you have a unique perspective that could inspire them and—”
“Stop being so fucking formal with me, Catie,” Hayes said with a lazy smile that was full of amusement.
My cheeks flushed. Hayes had respectfully called me Catherine or Cath since our first run-in at the funeral. But this was intentional. A reminder that we weren’t total strangers.
Hallie appeared in the garden to clear our plates and serve dessert. Peach cobbler and homemade ice cream.
She refused to look at me, but I didn’t miss the way she silently communicated with Hayes, using sharp eyes and quick glances.
I dug my spoon into the scoop of quickly melting ice cream. “After years of cotillion and pageant training, it’s hard not to be formal. Besides, you’re nothing like what I remember. We knew each other so long ago.”
Hayes nodded. “It does feel like another lifetime, but we do have history.”
I laughed as I loaded my spoon. “I wouldn’t call being passing acquaintances ‘having history.’ ”
“Ah, but that’s where you and I disagree,” Hayes said before taking a bite. He pointed his spoon at me. “Because I distinctly remember you making me a flower crown out of dead nettles.”
I laughed. “Excuse you, I made them for your grandparents. I can’t help that your grandma had just left the house to go into town and your granddad told you to put it on your head.”
The lines around his eyes creased as he slipped me one of those rare smiles. “I’m choosing to remember that you made it just for me.”
“Have you officially moved into the estate?” I asked. “How has it been living here—you know—without your granddad?”
“I have,” Hayes said as he swirled his spoon around the ice cream. “I feel like it should be sadder than it is. I think I’d have a harder time coming to terms with him being gone if I wasn’t here.”
“I get that.”
He took a steadying breath. “It would be a lot easier if I knew the estate would stay mine.”
That took me by surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Cards on the table?” He paused a beat and took a breath. “It’s why I asked Hallie to invite you here today. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
I set my spoon down, even though I was dying to finish my cobbler. “Is everything alright?”
Hayes rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. “Granddad left the estate to me in his will. But there’s some…language that calls into question if I qualify to inherit it.”
“What kind of language?”
“That the estate is left to me and my spouse.” He took a deep breath. “I have to be married to keep it from going to the next of kin.”
“Which would be Lewis.”
Hayes nodded.
I wrinkled my nose. “And the executor is taking that seriously?” I scooped up another bite. “It hardly seems enforceable. You should have a lawyer take a look at it.”
“I have,” Hayes said. “I’ve gotten second and third opinions, and everyone’s saying the same thing. If I’m not married, I risk Lewis doing something rash like getting married himself so that he qualifies. He’s already filed a petition with the court to contest the will.”
“Jeez,” I muttered under my breath.
“I need a wife, Catherine,” Hayes said rather bluntly.
“Do you want me to set you up? Miss DC is a really close friend of mine. You two might hit it off.”
Steel eyes locked with mine. “I was hoping it would be you.”
The spoon fell from my hand, clattering against the fine china. Little droplets of ice cream splattered across my cheek. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Me?” I dabbed my eyes and cheek with my napkin. “You had me going there for a second. Nice dramatic pause, by the way.”