Something About You

The professor excused himself and dashed out of the room. Kyla glanced around, looking ready to bolt out right behind him, but Miles wasn’t letting her get away so fast.

“So, tell me about this farm and your workshops.”

Kyla squinted her eyes and tilted her head. “Weren’t you listening to my presentation?”

“Unfortunately, we missed the beginning. I assume that’s when you talked about the farm.”

She hesitated a few moments before going on. “My cousin runs a working organic farm and bed and breakfast a couple of miles from downtown Danville. People come from all over to pick their own organic vegetables and fruits and have our chef prepare them the same day. I joined the staff about a year ago, and I started my nonprofit focusing on clean eating. I teach the benefits of growing your own food, no matter how small or large you start out.”

Miles nodded. “Impressive. That sounds like a nice place. And is it cooking classes you give?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“I teach that what we put in our food, land and water ends up in our bodies. I promote agriculture that is local, a manageable size, humane and socially just. I like to think about our future generations.”

Although she was being curt with him at the moment, Miles had a feeling she loved to talk about her work, given the right setting. He tried to ignore the people around them filling up the room for the next session and focus on the astute woman in front of him.

“You know, Ms. Coleman, my knowledge of organic farming is probably not as extensive as yours. And I’d bet the reason you oppose genetically modified ingredients is due to a lack of knowledge on your part. Before the conference is over, maybe we’ll each have gained a little more insight into both approaches. One may be as good as the other.”

Kyla chuckled and glanced down toward her shoes. “I don’t think so, Mr. Parker. It’s a one-day event. Maybe you should pay a visit to the Coleman Farm—you might learn something. I’ll even let you attend my workshop for free.”

“I just might take you up on that,” he said, seriously considering it.

The crowd around them grew even larger. Miles knew he had to leave to participate in another discussion down the hall, but the desire to leave Kyla Coleman wasn’t there, even though they were at odds. He wanted to get to know her beyond her obvious beauty.

Kyla smiled. “Come on out. I’ll be glad to show you around.” She pulled her tote bag up onto her shoulder. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you. I have another session to attend. Enjoy the conference.”

“You, too. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Miles quickly reached into his suit-coat pocket and whipped out a business card. “My card, should you ever find yourself in need of our services.”

She accepted the card, glanced at it and shoved it into her tote. “Thank you.”

As she walked away, Miles followed the graceful sway of her hips until she left the room. She wasn’t impressed with him, she might not even like him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d met his match.

Miles signaled to Brandon that it was time to move on. He tore himself away from a group of young female volunteers and joined Miles.

“Why’d you disappear?” Miles asked.

“You and that lady were going back and forth at each other about farm stuff. Man, I wasn’t trying to hear all that.”

Miles playfully grabbed Brandon by the neck and pushed him in front of him as they walked out of the room. “She invited me out to her farm.”

“I don’t have to go, do I?” Brandon asked.

“Boy, where I go, you go. I’m trying to teach you about business.”

“Looked to me like you had more than business on your mind when you were looking at her.”

Miles chuckled. “It’s strictly business.” What else could it be? he asked himself. Over a year ago, he’d turned his life around and vowed to be celibate until he met the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He was determined to become a man his father would have been proud of.

Chapter 3 (#ud95c44f9-6b9a-5036-9776-75c1b45efc31)

Kyla pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed. Since she’d moved into her cousin’s B and B for the summer, the smell of baking bread always woke her in the morning. Her Aunt Rita arrived at 6:00 a.m. to start breakfast, while Tracee usually pulled in around the same time to start baking. With Rita’s help, Tracee had stepped up her game since last year, baking pies, cakes, cupcakes, cookies and other gourmet treats that were sold in the new Coleman Farm U-pick store. And on Saturday mornings, like today, everything usually sold out.

Kyla had slept a little longer than usual this morning, and hurried to get showered and dressed in time for the morning tour. Hopefully they’d have a lively group today.

The kitchen was abuzz, with Rita and Tracee whirling around loading plates with fresh fruits, yogurt, organic pancakes, organic eggs and Tracee’s mouth-watering organic and vegan banana-almond bread. Kyla joined the whirlwind and grabbed herself a plate.

“Good morning,” she greeted her family.

Before anyone could answer her, the kitchen door swung open and Tayler Coleman, Rollin’s wife, backed her way into the kitchen with her hands full. “We need more food out there. These boys are gonna eat us out,” she said as she set two empty plates on the table. Then she looked up and noticed Kyla. “Morning Kyla.”

“Good morning.” Kyla loved and respected her cousin Tayler. She could listen to the story of how Tayler came to the B and B for a vacation, fell in love with Rollin and never left over and over again. Kyla wasn’t one to believe in fairy tales, but Tayler giving up her corporate VP position in Chicago for the likes of a little country B and B still amazed her.

“We’ve got us a couple of ballers out there,” Tracee said as she handed Tayler two full platters of food. “One said you invited him,” she added and glanced over her shoulder at Kyla.

Kyla frowned and looked up from fixing her plate. “I invited him?” she asked, pointing to herself.

“They asked about taking your workshop this morning, so Rollin invited them to breakfast,” Tayler added, before she backed out of the kitchen into the dining room.

Kyla frequently invited people out to the farm to see how her program worked. But for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine who Tracee meant by ballers. Curious, she set her plate down and walked over to the kitchen door, easing it open just a crack.

She could see a few of the guests, but couldn’t see who was sitting at the other end of the table. She heard Rollin talking to someone. But that wasn’t unusual, since he ate breakfast with the guests on many occasions. Then a voice she recognized made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

The World Hunger Day Conference was over three weeks ago, but that was definitely Miles Parker’s voice.

“Kyla. You okay, honey?” Rita asked.

Kyla let go of the door. “I’m fine.”

Tracee crossed her arms and peered across the room at Kyla. “So where did you go to meet a professional baseball player?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Kyla grabbed her plate and turned to leave the room. “I’ll be in the office if anybody’s looking for me.” She walked down the short hall to the farm’s office, and closed the door behind her. Rollin had converted the billiard room into an office big enough for two desks. He’d even purchased her a laptop.

She didn’t know whether to be excited, nervous or both. When she’d invited Miles to the farm, she was being polite. She never thought he’d actually show up. She’d assumed his interest in her program was out of sheer niceness to Professor Abraham. What did he stand to gain by taking a farm tour? His business wasn’t about organic foods; it was just the opposite.

As the farm’s assistant manager, she needed to check her emails and make a few business calls before the morning tour. She attempted to answer some mail, but she couldn’t get over the fact that the same Miles Parker she’d seen on the front page of the tabloids in the grocery store was in their kitchen eating breakfast. He was infamous for dating celebrities and seemingly doing whatever it took to get him and his buddies on Entertainment Tonight.

A knock on the door snapped Kyla’s thoughts back into place.

“Come in.”

Tracee walked in and closed the door behind her. “We have an idea. Right now Aunt Rita is in the dining room talking to Miles and his friends. Why don’t you get a picture of him while he’s here? We can display it in the dining room to show celebrities have eaten here, like they do in restaurants.”

Kyla’s eyes widened in horror. “I can’t ask him to do that. I don’t know that man. I met him once, and when I invited him out here, I didn’t actually think he’d show up.”

Tracee crossed her arms. “Well, he’s here. Rollin seems to know him, too. And he and his buddies are loving Rita’s breakfast. They ate a whole loaf of my banana bread. He’s not a paying guest, so the least he can do is give us a picture.”

As if Kyla wasn’t already uncomfortable with him being there, now Tracee wanted her to impose on him. She hoped he wasn’t the type of celebrity who hated fans requesting pictures. “Okay, I’ll ask. Since he knows Rollin, maybe he won’t mind. Now get out of here and let me finish these emails.”

“I’ll get my cell phone and meet you guys out by the truck. I can’t believe it, Miles Parker, here!”