Page 32 of One Sweet Day I Found You

Nine

“This is going to sound strange, but I have a favor to ask.” Courtney blurted it out before Nick could open his mouth andnotask her out again.

“Oh, yeah?” Nick said, hesitating. “Sure.”

“I have to write another story this week for the blog. It’s about a farm that’s supposedly somewhere nearby. I can’t think of the name right now, but it has all kinds of baby animals, and it’s open to the public. Have you heard of it?”

It was a unique attraction that brought in thousands of tourists each summer. Baby goats, piglets, fluffy yellow chicks, and more, Courtney had read. To Courtney it sounded like heaven. She’d rather not go alone.

“Oh, yeah, The Farmstead? It’s popular with the tourists. It’s just a few miles east.”

“Yeah, that’s it. Have you ever been there?”

“No. I haven’t.”

Well, this was awkward. “Oh. Uh…”

Nick ran a hand across the back of his neck a few times. “Doesn’t Kira have to go with you?”

“No, she and Sam went a few weeks ago. ButIhave to write the story.”

Kira had already done the shots and compiled her video. Sam had done a post on the same farm last summer, but with Courtney coming in to replace him, Beecham thought it would be nice to have a fresh perspective on the place. He’d told Sam to hold off and let the new girl write it.

Kira also had to visit fifteen more hotel properties this week for photos. She didn’t have the time to join Courtney.

Nick nodded.

He can’t take a hint, can he?She’d better open the door a little wider.

“So, I was just looking for someone to go with me. I’m supposed to immerse myself in these little outings as a traveler—not just ask questions of the owner. And I’d have an easier time writing about it from the authentic visitor’s point of view if I went with someone, because I doubt most tourists go there alone.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” A little grin cropped up on the side of his mouth. “Oh, so you’re asking me to go there with you?”

Bingo.

“Uh, well, yeah, if you have some time this week? I have to turn in the story by Friday.”

Courtney held her breath.

“I’m actually off this Wednesday. Would that work?”

* * *

It wasn’tlike Courtney to ask a guy out. But this wasn’t a date. Tell that to the butterflies throwing a rager in her stomach.

She threw her mini backpack over her shoulders, stuck a hand in the back pocket of her denim short shorts, and leaned against the trunk of her Camry. Nick would be there any minute.

But again, it wasn’t a date, she reminded herself. She had an assignment, and he could help her complete it. What she’d told him was true. She did need to visit The Farmstead like a typical tourist would. She could’ve done it on her own, but they didn’t want the solo traveler’s perspective for a family destination like this.

Courtney looked around. A long red barn lined the front of the parking lot. Historical cabins and a woodshed flanked it on the left. She could see horse stables and what looked like a vegetable garden from a distance. A sign near the road read “The Farmstead: A Living Museum of Rural America.”

The farm was located in the agriculturally rich interior of the Door County peninsula. On the way here, she’d passed orchards and vineyards. It was a beautiful drive. And The Farmstead seemed to be thriving.

She realized she didn’t know what kind of car Nick drove then turned as a shiny black Jeep pulled into the farm’s parking lot. Nick was at the wheel.

Wow, he looked good in a Jeep.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Courtney said, trying not to swoon as he walked up. Boy, if he didn’t rock a pair of jeans and a blue shirt, too. The slip-on sneakers were a nice touch.

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