Defending Hearts Read Online Free Page A

Jen—you know Jen Cooper, right? She helped set me up a little shop on a website that lets you sell handmade stuff. People tell me what size the child wears and her favorite color, and I knit a set for her and a matching one for the doll. I don’t make a lot of money, but I’d be knitting anyway and this way I feel useful in my own little way.”
    Alex smiled, making a mental note to photograph Ida knitting and posing with her creations. Her business would fit right into a story about weathering rough times. “I’m sure Gretchen would say you’re useful in countless ways.”
    “She’s a good girl. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
    He suspected, in this case, it wasn’t simply a commonplatitude. While he hadn’t seen a lot of the farm, he’d seen enough to know it would be a lot for Ida to have taken care of on her own after her husband passed away. Even without an expectation of the property providing a sustainable income for her, it would have been too much.
    “I happened to glance out the window on my way down and saw her on a four-wheeler,” he said. “She works all day out there?”
    Ida nodded. “She’s probably on her way to check on the pumpkins.”
    “Pumpkins?”
    “If you go shopping this fall and the stores are selling pumpkins, there’s a good chance Gretchen grew them. She’s always looking for ways to make the land earn money, and the pumpkins were even more successful than she’d hoped.”
    Alex couldn’t miss the pride in her voice. “I can’t wait to see them.”
    He’d been looking forward to delving into the emotional story of a town overcoming financial adversity, so it looked like he’d picked the right place to stay. Gretchen and her grandmother were perfect examples of Yankee resilience and ingenuity. The fact that he wouldn’t mind getting to know Gretchen a little better was just icing on the cake.
    —
    G retchen wasn’t surprised to see ham, scalloped potatoes and creamed corn on the table when she walked into the kitchen. Once Gram set her mind on a meal, she was rarely swayed. Earlier in the day Gretchen had been concerned her grandmother would get carried away making“company” meals for Alex, but right now she was starving and it smelled delicious and she didn’t care.
    Their new housemate came in from the living room as Gretchen was toeing off her boots, and he gave her a friendly smile. She returned it, feeling slightly awkward. She wasn’t emotionally demonstrative to begin with and had what Jen and Kelly called resting bitch face, so randomly smiling at people wasn’t really her thing.
    “Sit down and dig in, Alex,” Gram said from the stove. “We don’t stand on ceremony around here.”
    Gretchen watched as he gave her grandmother what the older woman would call a cheeky smile and shook his head. “I can wait for the ladies to sit.”
    “I knew you were raised right.” Gram gave him an approving nod. “I knew your parents, of course, before they moved away. Well, your stepfather, though I knew your dad, too.”
    Gretchen rolled up her sleeves and turned the faucet on to wash her hands. “You know everybody, Gram.”
    “Most everybody, I guess.”
    Once they were seated and served, Alex scooped some scalloped potato and ham onto his fork and took a bite. His eyes widened in appreciation, but he swallowed and wiped his lips before speaking. “This is delicious, Ida.”
    Gram beamed. “Thank you. It’s one of my specialties.”
    “I hope you didn’t go to any extra trouble for me.”
    “Not at all. You’ll find farmer’s wives—or grandmothers, as the case may be—like putting hearty meals on the table.”
    Gretchen was tempted to point out Gram hadn’t made scalloped potatoes in months, even though it was one of her favorite dishes, but she shoved food in her mouth andchewed instead. She took after her grandfather in most ways, and that included treating meals as times to eat, not chitchat. But she didn’t mind listening to