Page 1 of Harvest of Love
Chapter 1
Manny
Sunday Before Thanksgiving
I fought for custody of my son and won. Funny how victory still feels like defeat when the holidays roll around and the house is empty.
The judge called itfair—one holiday a year with his mother. Since she lived in another state, he ruled she’d have Tommy one whole week for Thanksgiving break.
I wish I could erase her from his birth certificate. From the face of the earth would be even better. But without her, he wouldn’t exist, so I’m playing nice.
“Doc?” the barista calls.
I shake away the thought. “Hi, sorry,” I say with a chuckle. “May I please get my usual?” I pull out my phone to pay. When I look up, the barista—who can’t be more than sixteen—stares at me, eyes wide.
“Sorry, Doc. It’s my first day. I’m a holiday temp,” the boy says, a deep blush creeping up his neck.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know where my head is today.” I reassure him with a smile. “One medium spiced pumpkin latte and a cranberry-orange muffin to go.”
Once I pay, I step aside and scan the cafe. It’s Sunday morning, and the streets of Azalea Creek are quiet. The summer crowds are long gone, and now, with winter closing in, only locals linger.
The bells above the door jingle, and my eyes follow the sound. Daisy Hart—my son’s nannyand the most mesmerizing woman I’ve ever met—walks in with two familiar faces. It doesn’t take them long to spot me and head straight over.
“Manny, hi. I thought you’d be in sunny Florida,” Rain González says, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
“No, Tommy’s there. But I didn’t see the point in going since I can’t spend time with him.” I force myself not to look at Daisy, who I’m sure has one of her tight yoga getups hidden under that oversized brown coat.
Rain nods, her sharp gaze flicking between Daisy and me. I hold my breath. She’s a hound for secrets, and the moment her gray eyes light up, I feel the blood drain from my face. I send up a silent prayer that she’ll keep quiet.
“So, Manny.” Ruin Bianchi—owner of Serene Lookout and my boss—jumps in like a last-minute referee. “What are your plans for Thursday? You know we’ll love to have you join us.”
I let out a loud, shaky exhale.
“That’s so kind of you, Ruin. But I wouldn’t want to impose. I think I’ll just hike in the morning and then have a nice meal at home while watching the game.”
Ruin immediately starts shaking her head, ready to push harder for me to attend their family gathering. Rain’s eyes glint with mischief, and I know I’m in deeptrouble. When the MacAllisters want something, they get it. Married or not, they’re still MacAllisters at heart.
“Are you flying to Massachusetts? Or are Xander’s parents flying down?” I ask, desperate to redirect the conversation.
“Oh, his family is already here. In fact, Gramps will be staying until next spring with us,” Rain says, laughter bubbling up between the three women.
I frown, realizing I’ve missed something.
“Oh, yeah. Granny and Gramps are an item,” Daisy adds, and I’m finally forced to look at her.
There hasn’t been a day since I met Daisy that I haven’t been caught off guard by her beauty, or by that easy, carefree way she carries herself. But she’s my son’s nanny. And Tommy’s the most important person in my life. I’d never jeopardize his happiness.
I can’t forget how she made his transition from the big, loud city to the quiet rhythm of small-town life easier than I ever could.
It started with something small, but it stuck with me—
“But Daisy, this seems way more complicated than what I’m used to. Can I just skip this homework and you can write me a note that the dog ate it or something?”I heard Tommy ask, his voice breaking at the end.
I can’t say I was an anxious kid growing up. I never had issues completing my homework. In fact, I enjoyed it. And until ten seconds ago, I thought Tommy did too.
What’s wrong with my child? It was the first thought that popped into my head as I came home after a full day at work.
Before I could barrel into the kitchen and simply force Tommy to sit down and finish, I heard a sweet voice bargaining with him: “I’ll tell you what. We’ll try our best to figure out these exercises. If we can’t, I’ll look online and see if any tutoring videos can help us.”
