Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
"Oh, none of that 'Mrs. Barton' business. It's Edith," the older woman said with a smile. "Come in, please. Frank's just getting cleaned up from the barn."
Hope followed them into the modest living room, watching Colin take in the worn furniture, the crocheted afghans, the family photos covering every surface. She tensed, waiting for a flicker of disdain, a tensing of his shoulders, any sign that he found her childhood home beneath him.
Her foster father joined them then, tall and lean, with leathery skin and kind blue eyes. "Frank Barton," the older man said quite simply as he extended a calloused hand.
Hope held her breath as Colin introduced himself and shook Frank's hand firmly. "It's an honor to meet the man who's responsible for teaching Hope to drive a tractor. From her stories alone, I can already tell she's a lot better than most of my ranch hands."
Frank looked as if he had received the greatest compliment. "My girl's always been one in a million."
Hope could only watch in amazement as Colin Soukoulis—billionaire CEO and revenge-seeking husband—went on to skillfully charm her foster parents over Edith's pot roast dinner. He asked Frank about crop rotation, listened to Edith's stories of Hope's early adulthood, and somehow managed to downplay his own wealth without lying outright. He was... perfect.
Too perfect.
By the time they moved to the porch for coffee and Edith's apple pie, Hope was thoroughly confused. This wasn't the cool, distant man she remembered or had come to expect from their brief exchange of emails. This was someone else entirely.
"Hope tells us you run that vegetable meat company," Frank said, settling into his porch rocker. "That's mighty impressive."
"Plant-based protein," Colin corrected gently. "And I've been fortunate. The right idea at the right time."
"He's being modest," Hope found herself saying. "Greenbright revolutionized the industry. Colin built it from nothing."
Colin looked at her in surprise, but she pretended not to notice this.
"Frank, why don't you show Colin your workshop while Hope helps me with these dishes?" Edith suggested, gathering plates.
Hope shot Colin an apologetic glance, but he was already rising to follow Frank.
In the kitchen, Edith hummed as she rinsed dishes, passing them to Hope to load in the dishwasher.
"He's handsome as sin," Edith remarked casually.
Hope nearly dropped a plate. "Mom!"
Edith chuckled. "What? These old eyes still work just fine. Though I'll admit, he's not what I expected."
Hope tensed. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, when you said 'CEO,' I pictured someone... colder. More corporate." Edith handed her another dish. "But that man couldn't stop staring at you." Edith's gaze turned knowing. "And it's the same for you. I saw how you've been stealing glances at him all night when you think nobody's looking." Edith dried her hands on a dish towel. "Love happens when you least expect it, especially at our age. Look at me and your father—married at forty-two, after we'd both given up."
"I know," Hope whispered, the lie burning her throat.
Edith squeezed her shoulder. "He's a good man. I can tell. The way he listens—really listens. That's rare."
Hope nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat.
When the men returned from the workshop, Frank was explaining the finer points of his latest woodworking project. Colin listened attentively, asking questions that made Frank stand taller, pride evident in his weathered face.
"We should get going if we're going to make our flight," Colin said eventually, checking his watch.
The goodbyes were lengthy and warm. Edith pressed containers of leftovers into Hope's hands. Frank clapped Colin on the shoulder.
"You take care of our girl," Frank said, his voice gruff with emotion.
"I will, sir," Colin replied, and the gravity in his tone sounded so real that Hope had to look away. "You have my word."
****
The road stretched before them, golden in the setting sun as Hope searched for words. "I appreciate how you were with them. It meant a lot."
"They love you very much."
"Yes." Hope's throat tightened. She adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. "About the pot roast—I should have warned you. Your company being plant-based and all..."
"I still eat ethically raised meat if the situation requires it." Colin straightened his sleeve, his voice cooling to that formal tone she was beginning to recognize as his armor. "It's factory farming I oppose."
The silence that followed felt weighted, full of unspoken things.
Colin shifted in his seat to face her. "What will you tell them when this ends?"
The blunt question hit like a physical blow. Hope stared straight ahead, unseeing. "That we wanted different things, I suppose."
"And what do you want?"
The question caught her unprepared. What did she want? Security, yes. A home of her own. But also...
Her fingers gripped the wheel tighter. "Someone to belong to," she admitted, the truth spilling out before she could stop it. "Someone who might want to belong to me, too."
Colin said nothing more as they reached the airport.