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Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

“No, thanks.” Mitch cracked his knuckles and headed for the hall. “I can do it myself.”

TWELVE

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Bea rotated the heads of broccoli and squirmed. She needed to pee. Again. But she couldn’t keep taking breaks without raising suspicion, and the last thing she wanted was for rumors to start flying about her being pregnant before she’d even told her dad. If anyone so much as hinted at the truth, the news would make it back to her house before she did—thanks to the moosevine, as she liked to call it.

She’d mumble “hot coffee” through clenched teeth as if speaking about liquids wouldn’t make matters worse. Was there no limit to how many times a woman could pee in one day?

“Ms. Michaels, good to see you again.”

She turned to find her former teacher Mr. Jamison, the newsboy cap on his head and a large market tote hanging from one arm. “Good morning. Can I help you with anything?”

“No, no.” He chuckled. “I know exactly where everything is. How are you enjoying your visit back home?”

He gave special emphasis to the word visit. Part of her appreciated his refusal to treat her reappearance in Moose Creek as a foregone conclusion. Another part did not appreciate the pressure. Whether she liked it or not, she wasn’t going anywhere until some of Jeremy’s “ideas” took on a more concrete form.

She lifted one shoulder. “It’s a little strange to be back, living with my dad and working here. It’s almost like the past five years never happened.”

A piece of her heart broke off and fell to the floor. Why had she said that? If the past five years hadn’t happened, if she could go back to the first time she worked at the Food Farm, Mom would still be here. None of the horror of the diagnosis, the heartache of her loss, would’ve happened. But neither would Jeremy have happened. And she definitely wouldn’t be expecting a baby.

She involuntarily touched a hand to her belly, then quickly pulled it away.

Mr. Jamison didn’t seem to notice. “You didn’t enjoy Georgia State, I take it? They have so many great programs there.”

Bea wrinkled her nose. “It was a nice school, but we decided to move to Santa Clara when we got married.”

“And they don’t have any schools in Santa Clara?”

Her face warmed. “They do.”

He raised one eyebrow. “I see.”

But he didn’t. He didn’t see at all.

“That broccoli looks rather leggy, don’t you think?”

She turned a head over in her hands, noting the long, thin stems. “It’s hard to get good produce here, you know.”

He nodded sagely. Montana wasn’t exactly known for its favorable growing conditions. Potatoes did well. Soybeans and wheat. But fruits and vegetables? Not so much.