This offended her slightly.
Ethan teased her for weeks.
The farm improved too.
Not into a showplace.
Ethan would have hated that.
The rebuilt barn was stronger.
The greenhouse expanded.
He replaced the old tractor eventually, though he spent three months researching before purchasing a used model.
Victoria offered to buy him a new one for his birthday.
He looked horrified.
“What?”
she asked.
“That is not a birthday gift.”
“It literally is.”
“It’s a machine worth more than my truck.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
She sighed.
“You’re impossible.”
He bought the used tractor himself.
Victoria bought him a heated seat cover.
He accepted that.
The Cedar Ridge project grew carefully.
More farmers joined the cooperative.
A second grocery contract followed.
Transportation costs declined.
Young people who once assumed leaving town was their only option found work in logistics, maintenance, food handling, accounting, and transportation.
Not everyone benefited equally.
No project solves an entire region.
Some farms still failed.
Some residents opposed development.
There were legitimate concerns about traffic and growth.
Victoria insisted that Hayes Global publish performance reports.
Ethan sometimes attended cooperative meetings and argued with her team.
She never asked him to stop.
One evening, almost two years after their first meeting, Ethan stood beside the same gate he had been repairing when Victoria arrived.
The hinge had failed again.
Victoria walked down from the house.
Lily, now nine, was behind her carrying a flashlight despite the fact that the sun had not set.
Victoria looked at the gate.
“You know, for someone who lectures me about infrastructure, this gate is terrible.”
“It has character.”
“It has rust.”
“You sound like corporate management.”
“I am corporate management.”
Lily held the flashlight directly into Ethan’s face.
“Helpful,” he said.
“You’re welcome.”
Victoria leaned against the fence.
“Do you remember what you said here?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“I say many wise things.”
“You told me a wife wasn’t some missing tool in your barn.”
“That does sound wise.”
“You laughed at me.”
“You deserved it.”
Victoria smiled.
“I almost left.”
“You should have.”
“I know.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
Ethan tightened the bolt.
Then looked at her.
“I’m glad.”
Victoria’s expression softened.
“So am I.”
Lily groaned.
“You’re doing the look.”
Ethan frowned.
“What look?”
“The married look.”
Victoria laughed.
“What does that mean?”
“You stare at each other and forget I’m talking.”
“That seems unlikely.”
“You do it all the time.”
Ethan pointed toward the house.
“Homework.”
Lily sighed dramatically.
“See? Romance ruins everything.”
She walked away.
Victoria watched her.