Chapter Nineteen

Lila woke to the sounds of birds chirping outside her window. She pulled back the soft quilt and got out of bed, stretching her arms and legs and letting out a big yawn. Moving to the window, she pulled back the sheer curtain to peer outside.

When she'd arrived last night, she'd barely been awake as Tony and Jake led her into the hotel. Actually, the sign outside had proclaimed it a "Rooming House," and the rustic interior did little to belie that name. Still, the bed was comfortable, and she couldn't wait to explore the rest that this small town had to offer.

She'd been delighted to discover an antique claw foot tub in the cozy bathroom, even if she'd been too tired to use it last night. Lila picked up her phone and checked the time, wondering if she could squeeze in a hot bath before breakfast. Her phone told her it was nearly 10 am.

Shit! She never slept this late. Then she had to remind herself that back in Oregon it was 7, the time she usually popped out of bed. No time for a hot bath then, but enough for a quick shower. Unfortunately, it took almost five minutes for the old pipes to give up their limited supply of hot water, so Lila had to hurry to dress. She remembered Tony had told her that they would meet for breakfast at 10, and she was already late.

Lila pelted down the rickety stairs and found her way into the small dining room. The furniture consisted of one long table with ten chairs positioned around it. Jake and Tony were seated at two, but the rest were empty. Either the rooming house didn't have many lodgers, or they'd all gotten down to breakfast much earlier.

"Good morning!" Tony said, giving her a friendly nod as she took her seat.

"Sorry I'm late," she mumbled. "I didn't bother to set my alarm because I hardly ever sleep in, but I forgot to account for the time difference."

"No worries," he replied. "Our appointment isn't until noon, so relax."

Relaxing wasn't something that came easily to Lila, especially when she was late. Tardiness never failed to irritate her, especially if she was the one who made others wait.

Her negative thoughts were forced out of her head by a heady smell that was making its way toward them. A large older woman made her way into the room, carrying a big round tray that she settled on the table.

"Mornin', ya'll," she drawled as she set the plates before each of them. Lila's mouth watered at the delicious spread laid out in front of her. Biscuits and gravy. Fried potatoes. A pile of scrambled eggs covered in thick slices of melted cheese. A stack of bacon and several sausages. And a big glass of cold milk for each of them.

"This looks amazing," Lila breathed, causing a smile to wreath the woman's face.

"Why thank you, Miss Lila."

Tony picked up a piece of sausage, bit into it, and groaned. "Damn, Mrs. Wheaton, this is going to wreak havoc on my cholesterol count and probably add five pounds to my ass, but I think it might be worth it."

Mrs. Wheaton laughed, then swatted at him with the towel she'd pulled off her shoulder. "Mr. Tony, you watch your language."
"He apologizes," Jake put in with a slow smile before turning to his boss. "Besides, your ass might look even hotter with the extra five pounds."

Lila tried hard to keep her jaw from dropping. Was Beckham's assistant hitting on him? She couldn't miss the heat that ignited when their eyes met.

"Oh, Lordy," Mrs. Wheaton breathed, then bustled back out of the dining room, taking the empty tray with her.

Lila focused on her plate, noticing that she was near starvation. She almost inhaled her food, then looked around, embarrassed, as she patted her face with her napkin. Tony and Jake were paying her little attention. They were too wrapped up in each other.

It didn't matter to her if they were gay, not one whit, but she thought it strange that a manager and his assistant would be this open about their desire for each other. Pot calling kettle, her mind spouted. You weren't exactly subtle in your desire for your last boss either.

Touché, she thought, then smiled. They looked like they'd make an adorable couple.

"So tell me about this appointment," she said after swallowing the last bite of bacon.

Tony set down his fork and smacked his lips, an unlikely gesture coming from such a stylishly turned-out a man. "One of our stipulations is that the food used to prepare the award dinner comes from local sources. We want to showcase what this small town has to offer. So we're off to a nearby farm to shop for supplies."

A farm? Lila was used to picking up her supplies from slick retailers. The closest she'd gotten to a farm was the weekly Farmer's Market she'd visited to buy items for the menu at the restaurant she'd used to work at. At least it'll be fresh, she mused, but wondered how she'd find all the ingredients she needed for her normal gourmet dishes.

They headed out of town, and Lila only had time to notice a few storefronts before they were off the main drag and into the surrounding countryside. Although it was December and most of the trees were bare, the weather was cool without being frigid. Not unlike an Oregon winter, she mused. She was warm enough in the heat of the car and her navy blue button up coat.

Thoughts of the date made her realize that the Christmas holiday was only a week away. Another Christmas spent alone, like every other since her mother had passed. The thought was depressing like never before. She'd become accustomed to spending holidays alone when she'd accepted her perpetually single status, but it seemed her time with Alex Drake had changed her perspective.

The SUV came around a curve and a wide vista opened before her, jarring her out of her maudlin thoughts. A lone barn stood in a burnt-orange field of grass, the structure of aged wood dominated by the huge leafless tree beside it. Behind the field lurked a forest of empty trees, under a blazing blue sky littered with fluffy white clouds. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and Lila paused to soak it in before the vehicle put the view behind them.

As they drove the winding roads, the conflicting scenery built a perplexing impression. Gravel roads peeked out from beneath towering trees. Run down houses and a few trailers, the yards of which were dotted with rusted-out cars and other detritus, popped up between the occasional large, well-run house or farm. The Mountain Home Foundation had certainly picked an interesting small town to honor, although she supposed this year's selection did embody small-town America, warts and all.

It was nearly a half hour before they reached their destination. The black SUV pulled under a beam supporting a home-made wooden sign proclaiming their entrance to Happy Hollows Farm. Lila craned her head to catch sight of two horses, one white, the other dappled gray, as they ran across the field, the fog-covered mountains behind them providing an achingly beautiful backdrop.

The SUV came to a stop and her companions jumped out, Jake hurrying to open her door before she could do so herself. Lila carefully stepped out of the vehicle and onto the gravel driveway, avoiding the puddles that peppered the drive. Her head came up at the sound of squeaking door hinges. Out of the white-paneled farmhouse came two people, a man and a woman, who hurried down the steps and toward their guests.

"You must be Lila," the woman said as she came forward, her hand extended. Lila took it, wondering why she'd been greeted first.

"Hello," Lila replied, hoping her confusion wasn't evident on her face.

"Howdy," the woman replied with a smile which vanished when she seemed to take in Lila's expression. "And ya'll must be the foundation boys." She extended a hand to Jake, who shook it, then handed her off to Tony.

"Indeed," Tony said, "I'm Tony Beckham, and this is my assistant, Jake Dawson."

"Pleasure," Jake added with a quick bob of his head.

"I'm Ruth Anne," she said, then threw her thumb over her shoulder to point out the man behind her. "This here's my husband Chucky. We run the farm."

"Thank you for agreeing to assist us," Tony said, moving forward to take Ruth Anne's elbow and steer her in the direction of the nearest barn. "It would be great if you could show us some of the things you have to offer."

"Of course. Come on, ya'll," Ruth Anne said, pulling away from Tony to lead them toward the barn with her husband trailing behind them.

The barn's interior was dark, the smell of hay and animals strong but somehow pleasing. They came up to a pen, in the center of which lay a large pig, on its side, a couple of snorts coming from its wet snout.

"We got Handsome here, he's a little over a hunnert and fifty pounds on the hoof. Should serve at least a hunnert people or so."

Lila's eyes widened. They were talking about a living, breathing pig. She was used to buying her meat packaged, or from the butcher, where the animals had already been cut into their appropriate portions. She'd never considered how to cook a whole pig before.

"If you like 'em, we'll butcher him the night before and git him all ready to roast. Whaddaya say, Lila?"

She looked at her hostess, hoping her alarm wasn't too apparent. Ruth Anne stared back, a wide smile on her freckled face, her bright red hair hanging down on either side in twin braids. "Very nice," she finally managed to choke out.

"All right. Now come down here, and check out Winston."

Ruth Anne led them to another paddock, where her husband Chucky was leaning over the railing to stroke a small cow's head. "Winston is about four hunnert pounds of high-quality veal. Well-muscled with a good finish."

Lila stared into the cow's big brown eyes and couldn't imagine cooking little Winston. "Veal's a very rich meat," she starting, wondering how she'd talk her way out of ordering the animal's death. "I'm not sure if that would be the best option for the dinner."

Ruth Anne smiled and gave her a small nod. Yeah, she's not buying it. Lila swallowed, feeling guilty for all the times she'd cooked veal in the past. The Happy Hollow farm was turning out to be an eye-opening experience. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up walking out of here a vegetarian.

"And if we're roasting Handsome," she said, trying to sound more professional than she felt at the moment, "then Winston would be too much meat."

"Of course," Ruth Anne said, leading them back out into the morning sunlight. "Don't need to roast a hog and butcher a calf, I agree. But I reckon you might want another option besides Handsome." She eyed Tony up and down. "For them few folks who don't eat pork."

Tony laughed and Jake put his arm around him. Lila almost blushed and turned away, following Ruth Anne around the side of the barn and to wide fenced-in area behind it. A small coop stood in the middle of the little yard, and all around it clucked a mass of fluffy white chickens with red crests and waddles.

"We got a mess of chickens. Just tell me how many you need. Fresh eggs too."

Lila watched as Ruth Anne grabbed a bucket from her husband and began tossing feed to the chickens. They ran over to the side of the fence, raising a fuss, and Lila almost laughed. Chickens were a little easier to deal with. She'd cooked plenty of whole chickens, and somehow their beady little eyes were easier to discount than Winston's wide, innocent brown ones.

"If you'd rather do fish than chicken," Ruth Anne was saying, pulling Lila's attention back to her, "I know Stinky and the boys can usually pull up a mess of catfish without too much work. His dad's got a couple ponds that he keeps stocked."

Stinky and the boys? Catfish was a ways from seared tuna and salmon fillets, but it wasn't outside her realm of experience. And it would go nicely with the southern-inspired meal she was currently contemplating.

"Enough of the protein," Ruth Anne said at last, leading them away from the chicken coop. "Let's look at the produce."

They walked down the long gravel drive until they reached a small outbuilding. The front had flaps which were pulled down, above which hung a sign advertising "Farm Fresh Fruits and Vegetables." The stand was closed for the day, it seemed, but inside held a treasure-trove of delights. Fat ears of corn, piles of red and gold apples, green beans, snap peas, peppers and onions and potatoes.

"We've had a mild winter so far, which enabled us to get in a late planting and so's we got a batch of fresh ones for you to choose from."

And what a hard choice it would be. "This all looks wonderful," she said to her hostess. Ruth Anne rewarded her with a warm smile. "If'n you want, start piling up your choices in these crates, and I'll git the boys to haul 'em down to the truck for ya."

Lila wasn't sure how long she spent in the produce stand, selecting the best and freshest items and piling them in the provided crates. When she'd finished picking the final apple, which she was already visualizing baking into a delicious tart, she realized that her hands were cold. She brought them up to her mouth and cupped them, blowing in them to bring back some warmth. Then she realized her nose was just as cold, and probably red to boot.

"Come on inside," Ruth Anne said as they trailed behind the men who were lugging the crates toward the SUV. "I got some apple cider on the stove. It'll warm ya right up."

Lila followed her hostess inside, shrugging out of her coat and moving to stand by the logs burning in the fireplace. Ruth Anne hustled into her kitchen, leaving her guest to look around the farm house.

The living area was comfortable, a wide, well-used sofa and a couple of recliners that had seen better days. An afghan covered the back of the couch, and a small quilt rode the back of the recliner. The walls were dotted with pictures, most of them of the farm.

Lila turned to the mantel and the array of family pictures placed there. She saw what must have been Ruth Anne and Chucky on their wedding day. The couple were smooching in front of a trellis covered in vines and white roses.

Her eyes moved down the line of pictures, stopping next at another photo of a couple, this one older. A dark-haired woman sat in the front of the frame, an older man behind her. The woman was big, bigger even than Lila's mother, but her face was kind if a little haunted. The man behind her stared off into the distance, a frown on a face that once might have been handsome, before the ravages of time. Neither of the photo's inhabitants were smiling. Compared to the joy she'd seen on Ruth Anne's and Chucky's faces in their wedding portrait, this picture was definitely a downer.

A larger picture held the center position of the mantel display. It was of a family, all gathered together outdoors, perhaps at a picnic. The same large woman sat in the middle, but a wide smile was on her face. Around her were a half dozen girl children in various poses. Lila quickly recognized Ruth Anne, the only redhead in the lot. Behind the girls and their mother stood two males, one the same grizzled man from the previous portrait, the other a young man, really a boy on the cusp of manhood.

Lila stared at the boy, overcome by a strange feeling of familiarity. He wasn't smiling, his expression was serious, dark brows hanging over light eyes, capped off by an unruly mop of dark hair. There was something about him...

"Here ya go," Ruth Anne said, stealing back her attention by handing her a cup of warm cider. At the same time the front door opened and the men came back inside, Ruth Anne fussing around them before she returned to the kitchen to fetch more cider.

"Well," Tony said, putting a hand on Lila's shoulder. "What do you think? Can you make something spectacular out of the farm's offerings?"

Lila bit her lip in consideration. The ingredients she'd been offered were superb, fresh, and certainly edible. Although they weren't quite what she had been expecting, she realized that they fit perfectly into a celebration of small-town America. Although she'd have to work hard to revise her menu, she thought she could really make the farm's products shine and keep the spirit of the town at the same time. "Without a doubt," she answered with a smile. "I can't wait."