Alec, one of Hopkins’ Farms’ seasonal part-time staff members ran up to Paige, his face tense. “We have a problem.”

She stifled a groan. Opening week had gone off without a hitch, but then today had been full of problems. “What’s wrong?”

“The tractor won’t start.”

“Mark said it ran fine this morning.” She glanced in the direction of the line, but vendor tents blocked her view. “What about the one on standby?”

“I’m not sure ma’am. I don’t think they have one ready.”

She inhaled a calming breath. “Can Mark fix this one?”

“Yes, but it could take upwards to an hour.”

Her eyes widened. “We can’t have the hayride down an hour. People come primarily for the pumpkin patch, and that’s how they get there.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Hopkins, but Mark thought you should know.” Alec’s hands dangled awkwardly at his side. “What can I do to help?”

“Let me think a minute.” She closed her eyes, focused on the problem at hand, and evaluated the situation. “How many people are in line now?”

“About forty.”

“Were they informed there would be a wait?”

Alec nodded. “Yes. Missy has them occupied for now, giving the speech about a pumpkin’s life cycle. When I left, she was telling them the difference between the male and female blossoms.”

“That only buys us five minutes.” Thoughts ran rampant in her mind. “Can you grab a golf cart and meet me at the storeroom?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He turned away and sprinted toward the equipment barn.

Paige walked at a brisk pace to the storeroom behind the newly constructed restaurant. Aggravation toward her brothers grew. Dad had told them many times to have one of their other tractors on standby, so why didn’t they have a backup? She tamped down her irritation, realizing it did no good. Maybe there was a good explanation.

That didn’t matter now. What did matter was giving their guests an outstanding experience, and that wouldn’t be accomplished by an hour’s wait in the hayride line. She unhooked the carabiner from her belt loop and singled out the key she needed, unlocked the storeroom.

She hurried to the shelf where they kept apple cider from a neighboring orchard and grabbed several bottles before crossing the room to where the paper goods were stored. She pulled a package of sample cups off the shelf, then went outside.

Alec had just come to a stop, and Paige deposited the items in the back of the cart. She ran back inside and took several bags of apple chips out of a bin. After tossing them carefully next to the other products, she jumped in the passenger seat. “Let’s go.”

As Alec drove, she made a list on her phone of the products she’d taken so they could be marked out of inventory this evening. The monetary loss was small compared to what they stood to lose from unhappy customers.

The cart hadn’t come to a complete stop before Paige waved her younger sister over.

Missy, wearing braids and overalls to play the part of a farm girl, hurried to her. “What are we going to do? They're getting restless.”

Paige pointed to the supplies. “I brought apple cider and chips. Can you start handing out samples while I talk to Mark?”

A relieved sigh escaped Missy. “Great idea. You’re awesome.”

“Let’s see if it works first.” She shot her sister a nervous smile, then went in search of Mark.

He had the tractor hood up and his head underneath, fumbling with something on the engine—she couldn’t give technical names of the parts if she tried.

She approached from the opposite side, giving him the chance to spot her without being stunned and accidentally jerking his head up to collide on the metal. “What’s going on?”

Mark stepped back and stood upright. “Nothing I can’t fix, but I have to remove several parts to get to the problem.”

“How much longer until you’re done?” She fought the urge to press a hand against her hip.

“Twenty minutes tops.” Sweat beaded on his forehead, a sign he’d been working hard to fix the issue.

“Why didn’t we have a backup?” The question came out before she could stop it despite the fact she’d promised herself she’d wait until later to ask.

“We did, but Josh noticed the hitch had broken. It’s not safe to use as is, but Statter’s Supply has one on hold for us.” He twisted his lips. “Didn’t think it would be an issue to wait until Monday.”

All the negative feelings toward her brothers faded away when she realized she’d been wrong about them. “I owe you and Josh an apology for all the bad thoughts I’ve had in the last ten minutes.”

Mark laughed and tilted his head toward the tractor. “Anything else before I get back to this?”

“No. I brought apple cider and snacks to hand out. Hopefully, that will keep everyone happy.” She slapped a hand to her cheek. “What about our guests already at the patch?”

“Josh is on it. He drove down on a cart and announced there would be a delay, offered to bring back anyone in a hurry on the cart.” Mark gave a pointed look to the walkie-talkie clipped to his pocket. “I heard from him right before you came over, and he said everyone’s content wandering through the fields and climbing the haystacks.”

“Good.” Relief flooded her. So far, the breakdown hadn’t been the catastrophe she’d first imagined. Thank you, Lord, for understanding guests.

She returned to the line and helped Missy hand out the treats. The cider and apple chips were a hit among the patrons. Many thanked Paige after she handed them each a sample, and only one person complained—a tired-looking mom with two small children.

Understanding the customer’s frustration, Paige apologized profusely. “If you’d like to enjoy the other activities we offer while you wait, I’d be happy to gift you a pass that allows you first access to the next ride.”

The woman’s face softened. “I’ll wait here, but thank you.”

“What is your name, ma’am?”

“Becky Davis.” The mom pointed to the tallest child, then the other. “These are my daughters, Haleigh and Shana.”

Paige smiled at them and knelt. “Do you like ponies?”

“Yes.” Haleigh’s head bobbed with enthusiasm. “Shana and I love them.”

“Did you know we have pony rides here?”

Shana’s eyes turned to saucers. “Really?”

“If it’s okay with your mom, you can each have a ride, compliments of the farm.” Paige stood to her feet, amused by the wonder on the girls’ faces. She’d never forget the thrill of riding on a pony as a young child.

“Can we, Mom?” Haleigh clasped her hands together in a plea.

Becky nodded. “We’ll do that after we choose our pumpkins.”

Satisfaction spilled into Paige. Although she’d rather not have any unhappy customers, she found pleasure in reversing any negativity. “I’ll leave your name at the ticket booth. Whenever you’re ready, stop by there and they’ll have tokens waiting for you.”

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” Becky’s smile contradicted the sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry for snapping a few minutes ago. The girls miss their daddy who’s deployed, and they were up all night. I’m exhausted, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“No apology needed. We want all our guests to have a good time in an efficient manner.” She nodded her head in the direction of the tractor. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

Paige moved toward the end of the line until she found the next customer who hadn’t been served yet. While she’d been talking to Becky, Missy had taken care of most of the other guests. She saw a little girl with dark chestnut hair that matched that of the man standing next to her, but he faced away. The girl’s dad? A middle-aged woman also stood with them.

“Would you care for a sample of cider and apple chips?” She extended the plastic plate she used for a tray.

The lady took a set of samples and handed them to the girl, then took a set for herself. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Would you like some, sir?” she asked the man as he turned around. Her mouth gaped when she saw his face and recognized him. “It’s you.”

He squinted his eyes and stared at her. “Who?”

Inhaling a gulp of fresh air, she felt all the anger from that day two weeks ago rush back into her being. She hadn’t realized that day how attractive he was. His hair color nearly matched hers and was cropped short. Soulful brown eyes peered at her, as though trying to remember how he could know her, while his cupid’s bow mouth twisted into confusion.

Stop thinking he’s cute. He’s a jerk, and that takes precedence over any good genes he inherited. Besides, that girl is likely his daughter which means he’s probably married which means you have no business noticing him. For a split-second, she contemplated tossing the rest of the cider in small cups at him, payback for what he’d caused to spill on her, but she regrouped. “You couldn’t get off your precious phone at the walking path in town and ran into me, knocking my drink from my hands. My new boots are ruined from a stain on them, thanks to you, and you couldn’t even bother to make sure I was okay.”

“Oh.” Awareness dawned on him, and his jaw dropped.

“Wesley Matthew Caldwell, please tell me that isn’t true.” The woman to his right narrowed her eyes. “I raised you better than that.”

Paige couldn’t stop her smirk. Apparently, the woman was his mother and had no problem putting him in his place.

He held out a hand in defense. “It’s true, but not how it sounds.”

“Then how exactly was it?” She braced a hand to her hip, forgetting momentarily that he was a paying customer.

His mom crossed her arms. “Yes, please enlighten us.”

The little girl, oblivious to the friction between the adults, tapped on the plate. “May I have more please?”

Slammed into proprietor mode by a sweet voice, she forced a smile to the surface and handed the girl another cup of cider. “Yes, you may.”

Wesley arched a brow and looked at the girl when she didn’t respond except to take the cup. “What do you say, little miss?”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re welcome.” She didn’t have her answer from Wesley, but regardless of the rudeness he’d shown that day, it didn’t give her a right to treat him poorly, especially since he was a guest to the farm. “The hayride will be starting again soon. Enjoy your day.”

“Wait. I didn’t get to explain.” Wesley tried to stop her with a gentle touch to her shoulder.

She slid out from under his touch and rebuffed him with a backward glance. “It’s water under the bridge. I have work to attend to.”