“Thanks for agreeing to tour the farm property with me.” Maggie shifted in the driver’s seat of her car and glanced at Jake.

He flashed her a smile. “Of course. I’d love to see the place you’re considering.”

They pulled up in front of the farmhouse overlooking Bluebonnet Lake.

“Gretchen is going to meet us here.” She motioned to the property and the lake below. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

The lake drew his attention first. Blue-green waters lapped lazily at the shoreline. Just off shore, a man wearing a khaki fishing hat had his line in the water, ready to pull in the big one. It was a picture-perfect small-town lake.

He looked away from the lake and focused on the barn. The pictures on the online listing had made it look inhabitable, but in real life it appeared to be held up by bits of hay and dust. The farmhouse itself was a charming yellow Craftsman with white shutters and had been kept up. Flower boxes hung from the windows, although nothing grew in them. Fields surrounded the farmhouse and barn, the dirt barren and gloomy in the dead of winter. Muddy ruts covered the ground between the barn and house.

“I’m sure it will work out well.” He wasn’t sure how she’d pull it off, but he knew anything was possible with Maggie. And maybe the barn’s interior was in better repair than the outside.

She traipsed over to the barn wearing black boots covered with cute yellow ducks. He hung back a few steps behind her and couldn’t help but check her out as she picked her way between mud puddles. Even dressed in a raincoat and boots, she was beautiful. When they reached the barn, she turned to him, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

“I can’t wait until you see the inside. The floor space is huge. It’ll be perfect for ceremonies and parties.”

A car pulled up and Gretchen exited. She waved and strode over to them in rubber boots of her own. “Got my appropriate footwear.” She lifted her foot. “I don’t think my tan pumps will ever come clean from visiting this place on Monday.”

Maggie frowned. “Sorry about that.”

Gretchen flicked her hand in the air. “That’s a hazard of my job. I’ve lost many pairs of shoes over the years. Don’t even worry about it.” She gestured to the barn and turned to Jake. “What do you think so far?”

“Uh, it’s rustic.” He tried to keep his tone enthusiastic, but wasn’t sure if he’d succeeded.

Gretchen unlocked the padlock as Maggie stood at the door, bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to release the door handle. As soon as the lock clicked she flung the door open. The odor of dusty hay assaulted Jake. He hung back, letting fresh air enter the barn. Maggie went inside first, her words bubbling out faster than he could understand.

His first impression had been overly optimistic. Inside the barn, the rafters were covered in cobwebs and hay bales were stacked ten high in the corner. The wood partitions in the area where the farmer had thrown hay down to the cows were broken and hanging haphazardly.

“See how great it is?” Maggie spun around, scanning the barn.

“Um, it’s a large space for events. I’m sure it will be great when you get it fixed up.” He couldn’t figure out how even Maggie could get this mess cleaned up and turned into a space that other people would pay large sums of money to rent.

She grabbed his hand. He looked at her in surprise, but she didn’t seem to notice his reaction. He smiled slightly and allowed her to lead him over to a corner of the barn. Gretchen hung back by the door then went outside when her phone rang.

“Look. This is where I’ll put the bar. And then in the front, we can have the DJ or even a live band. There’s plenty of room.” She pulled him toward the back wall and let go of his hand to motion toward the full span of the barn.

“Close your eyes,” she ordered.

He closed them dutifully.

She put her hand on his arm and said, “Now, imagine a small stage here for a wedding. The wedding party stands here on either side of you. In front of you are all the wedding guests. And then your bride walks down the aisle toward you.”

In a flash, he could see everything she said. With the walls cleaned up and whitewashed, the space would be light and airy, with the high windows letting in plenty of light. He imagined the buzz of the crowd and then the sound of the wedding march. He shivered.

He’d never thought too seriously about his wedding before, but now he could see it as clear as day. In his vision, the barn doors opened, and there was his bride, illuminated by the sunlight behind her. She walked toward him, her curly red hair shimmering below the veil. When she reached him, she touched his arm. He opened his eyes. Maggie stood before him, not wearing a wedding dress, but looking as beautiful as she had in his vision.

He breathed in sharply. His daydream had been so clear. He focused in on her face. She smiled at him now, with an expression of joy.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Yes, yes it is.” Her face glowed and he knew in that instant that he wanted to marry her and be a father to Alex. Was there any chance she felt the same? Was he being crazy and this was guilt over not taking care of them earlier? What would Brian think?

“I’ve got to get some fresh air. I think the hay is bothering my sinuses.” He coughed for emphasis. Maggie nodded and continued to pace the room, probably plotting where each dining table would be placed.

He walked past Gretchen in the doorway, who looked at him with a knowing smile. She joined him outside.

“You’ve got a thing for Maggie, don’t you?” She wore a mischievous smile.

“Is it that obvious?” He toed the dirt and then looked her in the eye.

“Well, if that dreamy expression on your face whenever she touches you is any indication, you’ve got it bad.”

He grimaced. “Do you think she knows?”

“She has so much on her mind right now, I don’t really know. What are your intentions though? Are you planning on staying in Candle Beach? Maggie shouldn’t have to be disappointed by any man after what she’s gone through.”

“I agree. And I have no intention of starting anything with her that I can’t follow through on.” A thrill of excitement rose up from his stomach, paralyzing his throat for a moment. Was he committing to asking Maggie out?

Gretchen smiled and nodded. “Good. Maggie needs someone in her life that will care about her and Alex. I think you could be that person.”

“I hope so.”

He heard footsteps behind him.

“What are you two gabbing about out here?” Maggie picked a piece of hay out of her hair and twisted it in her fingers before tossing it on the ground.

“Oh, we were just discussing the history of this property,” Gretchen said innocently. “Jake was fascinated by the fact that this farm was one of the first settlements in the area.”

“Oh. Yes, that’s one of the things I love about it. I think customers will be interested in the history as well.” Maggie sounded giddy with excitement. She grabbed Jake’s arm again and Gretchen winked at him.

“Did you two want to see the farmhouse?”

He checked his watch. “I have a little more time. Let’s do it.”

The entered the house and Jake was more assured of the investment. The inside of the house’s condition matched the outside. It wouldn’t take much to make it livable.

“I like it.” He ran his hands over the wooden railing leading to the upstairs. It was solid, the way houses used to be constructed. The house was simple—three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs and a living room, kitchen and bathroom downstairs. “Would you want to live here?”

Maggie shook her head. “No, it’s too big for just Alex and me. I thought I’d rent it out nightly, either to guests at the events or in the Candle Beach nightly rental pool.”

They exited the house and Gretchen locked the door.

“I’ve got to get back to the office, Maggie. Let me know if you want to put an offer in on the property.”

“Thanks, Gretchen. I need to think about it for a while.” She turned to Jake. “You think it’s a good business investment, right?”

He turned away from the farmhouse and viewed the barn again. It hadn’t gotten any better looking. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he didn’t want to shatter her dreams either.

“It could be beautiful, but it will take a lot of work—and money. Do you want to take this on with everything else in your life?”

She stared at him. “I thought you’d be more supportive.”

“Maggie, I am, but I don’t want you to take too much on. You have the café and Alex. That’s a lot for anyone.”

She bristled visibly. “I know I have a lot of responsibilities. Don’t tell me I’m not making Alex a priority.”

He tried to touch her arm, but she brushed him away. He held his hand up in the air. “I’m not. I’d better be getting back to work now anyway. I think my lunch break is over.”

“Fine.” Maggie drove them the few minutes back to town in silence and dropped him off at the police station.

“I’ll see you later this week, okay? I promised Alex I’d play a board game with him.”

“Sure. I’ll see you then.” She drove off, leaving him wondering how everything had soured so quickly.

* * *

Maggie surveyed the side room at the Bluebonnet Café. It seated thirty if you really squished people into the small space. For Dahlia’s rehearsal dinner, that was what would need to happen if they wanted everyone to fit. She sat down at one of the tables with her notebook, ready to go over her lists for the party. The wedding couple would sit at the head of the table, with their parents on either side of them. Maggie and Gretchen would be at the other table with Garrett’s groomsmen, his best friends from college.

She frowned. The space was really tight. Candle Beach desperately needed an events space. Dahlia’s wedding would be held in heated tents on the Marina Park grounds, but that was expensive and less than ideal for most gatherings.

Was the old Sorensen farm the right venue though? It had potential, but Jake was right—it needed a lot of work. She’d never been afraid of hard work before, but with Alex and the café, she’d be overextended.

Who was she kidding? She’d arrived at her breaking point a long time ago and had somehow clung to the precipice. On one hand, it felt right to branch out from the catering business and have a venue to use for events. On the other hand, there were so many reasons not to buy the property. It would be expensive. She’d be tapped out on savings. It would be a huge risk.

She was usually risk averse, but this seemed like something the town could really use. And it could bring in more tourists, which would benefit everyone in the long run. It wouldn’t hurt to see what the bank said about a loan.

At lunchtime, she stopped off at the bank. She pushed the door open and inhaled the smell of paper and money, a scent she’d loved since her mother took her there to open her first savings account when she was five.

Lars Johnson, the bank manager, wasn’t busy and immediately ushered her over to his desk. “Ah, the old Sorensen farm. I remember when they had horses out there. We used to go riding with the Sorensen kids.” He smiled as he reminisced about the good old days.

“I want to make it into a premier location for wedding receptions, reunions, and the like. You know Candle Beach needs something like this.”

“Yes, it does. I completely agree.” He folded his hands in front of him on the desk. “So what type of loan amount are you looking for?”

Maggie told him the amount she needed. She lifted her bag and pulled out a folder with the business proposal she’d finished that morning. She pushed it towards him. “As you see, I’m projecting one hundred percent capacity on summer weekends and about fifty percent for winter weekends, not to mention the weekday events we’d have. I’ve been hosting events at the café, but demand is exceeding what I can provide.”

“I see.” He reviewed the stapled pages, then tapped some numbers into his computer and frowned.

“I’m sorry, Maggie, but while we can offer you a loan to purchase the property, the interest rate isn’t optimal. Unless…do you have anything you can use as collateral?”

Her heart sank. She didn’t own a house or anything. The only thing of value that she owned was the Bluebonnet Café. Bile rose up from her stomach. Was it worth mortgaging the café?

“I might be able to get some collateral for a loan. Can I think on it?”

“Sure, Maggie. Let me know when you decide. I know whatever you try, though, you’ll succeed.”

Maggie smiled. “Thanks, Lars.”

She exited the bank deep in thought. Losing the Bluebonnet Café wasn’t an option. She couldn’t risk it, but she didn’t want to give up on her dream either. Buying the farm property wasn’t a decision she could make on a whim.