“A deal, then?” Max extended his hand, which Zack shook.

Max left Zack and Bob at the club. He had other matters on his mind. Earlier, Jose had approached him about retiring from the dairy and opening a small restaurant at Bella’s Park. Jose would run it with the help of Anna’s cousin Irena, a mature woman who currently lived in Charlotte.

“Mama mia! Irena muy buena cook.” Jose had smacked his lips and rolled his eyes. Irena had recently lost her husband. If Señor Max did not object, Jose proposed building, with Señor Max’s permission, a small addition for Irena at the back of their house, which was located to the side and back of the barn. Max had promised to discuss this with Señora Hannah and get back to him.

Jose’s announcement stupefied Max. How would he run the dairy without Jose? Could he handle the dairy and Bella’s Park alone? Maybe Hannah could run the park, and he could devote himself to the dairy. He could hire a new foreman and train him. Heck! The thought depressed him. Jose knew what he was thinking before he said a word. They’d been a team for many years.

Creating Bella’s Park had changed his life and his thinking. He loved working with Hannah. His days were shaped by the hours they spent together, and at the end of the day he relaxed by walking through the gardens with her, beautiful gardens that flourished under her green thumb. Now he must return, find Hannah, and discuss Jose’s proposal with her.

Max found Hannah at home and asked her to walk with him on the hillside behind the barn. He could think best up there away from phones and interruptions. They walked awhile, then stood where the land flattened and ran in a wide shelf. Below them in the valley a light mist settled, blurring trees and houses, creating a fairy-tale landscape.

“Look, Max, the valley’s been transformed by the mist and this marvelous afternoon light. Amelia would be thrilled. She should be here to photograph this.”

“I guess she should be,” he replied. “But right now, I’ve got several things we need to talk about, and I don’t need Amelia hanging around.”

“All right then, talk.”

As his words spilled out, Hannah turned to face him. “Hold on Max, slow down. You’ve asked Zachary to explore the seven hundred acres and do an informal survey. Fine, but he’s not a surveyor. I’d figured he’d take a hike and make a few notes.”

“Of course he’s not a surveyor. Whatever he does, we’ll have more information than we have now. It was your idea, remember?”