He steered them to where the trees thinned to the southwest and eventually they emerged into the sunlight. He lifted a finger, pointing toward the circle of outbuildings where he spent the bulk of his days when he wasn’t in the fields. “Machine shed, small barn, henhouse. That big barn houses the air blower and packing equipment. And next to it is the cooling room.” He pointed the opposite direction. “Over that way is Lilian’s garden. She grows basically any vegetable you can think of, sells them at farmers markets through the summer and fall. Although with the kind of hours she’s putting in at the law office these days, I’m not really sure how much longer she can keep it up.”

He’d finally convinced Lil to leave the morning chores to him—and Indi, when she was around. But no way could he see to his sister’s garden too. Yet, he hated the thought of something she’d put so much heart into being let go.

Which encompassed his feelings about Muir Farm as a whole. No, they weren’t the bustling industry Carter Farms was, gulping up tracts of land up and down the state, but they’d never meant to be.

But there’d been too many hard years lately. Too many expensive repairs. And now that Carter’s outfit had started selling direct-to-consumer—at a lower price, too—things were only getting tougher.

With a grimace, he started toward the small barn. No time to dwell on worries now. Not when Melba needed milking and all the animals—the cow, Indi’s goats, the chickens—were waiting to be fed. There were eggs to be gathered and—

“Neil?” Sydney double-stepped to catch up to him again. “What do you do when harvest is over? In the winter, I mean.”

“It’s not downtime, that’s for sure.” He stepped into the dim light of the barn, Melba’s mewling letting him know he’d dawdled long enough. “There’s mowing and brush-cutting. Equipment maintenance. Rock removal—a bigger, ongoing hassle than you’d think. I take plant and soil samples to check nutrient levels. Scout the fields to monitor plant health. In the spring we rent bees to help with pollination. Plus, we’ve got the animals to take care of.” He nabbed the milk pail from a hook outside Melba’s stall.

Paused at the realization that Sydney’s steps behind him had stalled.

He turned to find her lingering a good ten feet away, wide eyes glued on Melba’s stall. No, on the black-and-white beast herself, innocently chomping away at a mouthful of straw.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of Melba.” He wouldn’t laugh. He wouldn’t. Not even a chuckle. Not even a hint—

Sydney’s hands, hidden by the long sleeves of his coat, found her waist. “You’re laughing at me again.”

“I am not. And for the record, I didn’t laugh at you earlier, either.”

“You were laughing inside. Just like you are now. Just like I’m pretty sure you were yesterday in the bathroom. Underneath that scowl you were wearing, anyway.”

Just about the only thing he’d been wearing. He could feel a grin attempting to break free. “Huh, I sort of thought maybe we were going to pretend that never happened. Save us both the embarrassment.”