“Go. Just go.”

“I don’t know.” I swallowed. “I need to think.”

CHAPTER 16

Meg

At five minutes after nine, the sun was shining. The market was filled with people pushing strollers, sampling apples and cookies, carrying bulging bags of carrots and cabbage, collards and kale. The air smelled like Christmas, pine with a hint of cold, as if the tree sellers at the end of the lot had brought the mountain air with them.

I lowered the Explorer’s rear seats, making a play space in the back of the SUV, spreading out blankets and pillows, unpacking board books and blocks, arranging the twins’ car seats like chairs around a plastic play table behind the cargo net.

“This is your fort,” I said. Making it a game.

DJ smiled and crawled under the table.

“Is a tent, Mommy,” Daisy said.

I smiled at her in gratitude. “That’s right. It’s your tent to play in while Mommy’s working.”

“Nice setup,” Carl Stewart said behind me.

“We camping,” Daisy informed him with pride.

“Good for you.” Carl glanced at me. “No fair, using your cute kids to sell cheese.”

I unzipped their jackets, unpacked snack cups and juice boxes for each of them. “You could rent them. For the right price. Sell more sweet potatoes.”

He grinned. “You should bring them to the buyer’s meeting.”

I turned. “What meeting?”

“I mentioned your operation to my buyer at All Seasons. Talked up the family farm angle, said how you were taking over from your ma. He said you should call, set up a meeting. If he likes you, he’ll kick your product profile over to the specialty buyer—their cheese guy. You interested?”

“Carl, that’s amazing. But . . .” All Seasons? I shook my head to clear the dollar signs dancing in my brain. “We’re not big enough.”

“They don’t want big. They’re looking for local. Anyway, Abby was talking about expanding. Before she got sick, I mean.”

“But wouldn’t she need . . .” Inventory. Employees. “A business plan?”

He smiled. “I reckoned you’d be helping her with that.”

My mind spun. “I could.” I could. The prospect made me dizzy. “I’d have to talk it over with her first.”

“Sure. You decide you want to go for it, I’d be happy to walk you through the process.”

“That . . . That’s incredibly generous of you.”

He winked. “Hey, you’re helping me. I’m just returning the favor.”

My mother needed money. Getting into All Seasons was like an answer to a prayer. A solution to all her problems. If I could do it.

Daisy was feeding Cheerios one by one to DJ.

“Excuse me, are you open?” a woman asked.

“Yes, ma’am. What would you like to try?”

“You’re Coach Brooke’s wife, aren’t you?” she asked as I rang up her purchase.

“I’m just the car guy,” John had said the night of Sallie’s party.

I smiled. “Meg Brooke. Yes. Hi.”

She nodded in satisfaction. “I thought I recognized you from Patrick’s season. I’m Lisa Roberts,” she added. “Patrick’s mom. His brother Jason is a freshman on the team now.”