Farm To Table Read online

  Men Of Portland Series

  Book 2

  Farm To Table

  by

  Dakota Hart

  dakotahartauthor.com

  Copyright © 2019 Dakota Hart

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands and media are either created by the author or used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. It is for storytelling purposes only.

  Cover by: Imagine Rose Graphics

  CHAPTER 1 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 2 - Jack

  CHAPTER 3 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 4 - Jack

  CHAPTER 5 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 6 - Jack

  CHAPTER 7 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 8 - Jack

  CHAPTER 9 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 10 - Jack

  CHAPTER 11 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 12 - Jack

  CHAPTER 13 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 14 - Jack

  CHAPTER 15 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 16 - Jack

  CHAPTER 17 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 18 - Jack

  CHAPTER 19 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 20 - Jack

  CHAPTER 21 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 22 - Jack

  CHAPTER 23 - Lucy

  CHAPTER 24 - Jack

  Epilogue - Lucy

  End Card

  Chapter 1 - Lucy

  The plane was getting low over Portland and I saw the fog rolling in already. Aiden wasn’t kidding when he said this place was foggy and cold. I was excited though, fter spending the last month visiting Florida with our dad and stepmom, I was looking forward to feeling a chill in the air.

  The pointed tips of the pine trees were everywhere, visible by the thousands as the plane came down. I sighed, it looked beautiful.

  Hopefully it would provide me with the future I wanted. Especially if this job didn’t come through. I had applied for a job at a large sustainable farming development firm in Boston. I was going to find out sometime in the next few weeks if I got it or not. In the meantime I decided to check out my back up option; Portland, Oregon.

  My older brother Aiden lived out here and was riding a wave of success as a coffee mogul, opening his 14th store next month. I was so proud of him and excited to see all his locations, and his new girlfriend. He had met the girl of his dreams recently and finally gotten his spirit back after Aimee died. I was so happy for him and dying to meet the girl who had swept my brother off his feet.

  But I had other reasons for my visit, I had been thinking for a while that I didn’t just want to take my degree and work for a corporation. I had learned a lot about sustainable farming and now I actually wanted to farm!

  I had tended the family garden back in New Hampshire my whole life, growing lots of fresh veggies for our family dinners. But at college I hadn’t done any gardening and in the last few years it had sort of fallen by the wayside. I wanted to take it back up again and with its temperate climate and massive foodie scene Portland seemed like it could be just the place for that.

  I was brimming with hope and possibilities as I got off the plane and felt the rush of 60 degree air come through the doors and saw the giant sign in the airport.

  “Welcome to Portland”, it said.

  Chapter 2 - Jack

  Nobody tells you how lonely farming is. At least, farming a small homestead by yourself. When I chose this life I was only thinking about the joy of growing things, the soil under my feet and the good-ache from a day’s hard labor. All those things are in my life and I am so grateful for them, but it’s hard too. There’s a lot more to running a farm than just gardening. That’s more like what my employees Cara and Billy do.

  I guess it’s not totally lonely when they’re around, but they go back to Portland and live in apartments at night. For me at night, it’s just me and Toby; the barn cat. He’s good company, but I yearn for something more. Sometimes I’ll just be sitting out on my back porch, eyes wide looking at the constellations in the sky and drinking from my beer stein, and I’ll look to the empty rocking chair beside me and wonder if it will ever be filled.

  These thoughts have been getting heavier these last few months, maybe because I feel fall coming on and I miss having a warm body in bed next to me. Or maybe it’s just time, time for me to find someone.

  I look down at my phone and try the dating app again, swiping right over and over. I know, it’s so ridiculous, a farmer on a dating app. But it’s hard meeting people when you live out here, and I’ve realized I don’t want to be alone anymore. I want to share this life with someone.

  Finally, I swipe through and see someone. Her names Jessica. She’s got long brown hair and no make up, she feels natural, like me. I send her a message and soon we’re talking. It feels easy, free, and I start to have some hope. Maybe I don’t have to be alone after all.

  A FEW DAYS later I’m at Three Mares, a hip Portland restaurant that mostly does farm-to-table meals. I know the owner and cooks quite well as I’m one of the main stockists. I greet the wait staff amiably and they call me by name. Big oak wood tables, light bulbs hanging from the hammered copper ceiling, candles on the tables, it’s a wonderful restaurant. Rustic, charming, romantic. Perfect for a first date.

  I sit at one of the tables waiting for my date, nervous but excited. I’m wearing a big flannel shirt over a plain tee shirt and jeans, my long hair tied up in a bun behind my head. I’m not sure concerned with clothing or style, I prefer plants and animals. Nature doesn’t care what you’re wearing.

  I see a woman walk into the restaurant and it takes me a few minutes to realize it’s Jessica. She looks very different from her photos on the app. She’s wearing a tight dress with lots of glittering beads on it, super high glossy red heels and a lipstick to match.

  I wave to her awkwardly, suddenly feeling very under-dressed.

  “Hi, I’m Jack,” I said, standing up and holding out my hand.

  She looks me up and down and I can tell she’s not impressed. It seems like all she can do not to grimace. I subconsciously straighten out my shirt but there isn’t much I can do about my appearance.

  “Okay, yeah, I’m Jessica,” she says, nonplussed. I start to move to her seat to pull it out for her and she shoots daggers at me with her eyes. I back off and sit back down.

  It’s not off to a great start but I’m still going to try.

  “Well, you look a lot different,” she says, it’s clearly not a compliment.

  “So do you,” I say. “But, obviously, you look gorgeous,” I add.

  “Thanks,” she says dismissively. “I’ve never been here before, with this decor I thought it was a hardware store or something.”

  I laugh, it’s strained. “No, it’s a great place, one of the city’s best. It’s a farm-to-table restaurant.”

  “What’s that?” she asks.

  I’m sort of shocked to hear her ask this but I answer anyway

  “All of the ingredients are locally sourced from local farmers, and you can see where everything is from so you know it’s fresh and ethically sourced. See, it lists the farm right here,” I say, pointing to her menu.

  “Huh, that’s weird,” she says. I think she’s bored.

  “In fact,” I continue, swelling with pride “I’m one of the main farmers that supplies this restaurant.”

  “What?” she says, seeming alarmed “Why would you tell me that? That’s gross. I don’t want to think about you growing my dinner


  I’m dumbfounded. I’ve never had someone react this way, most people I know understand that farm-to-table is a necessary social movement to end GMOs, factory farming and save the environment. Then again, I do tend to hang out with a certain type of people. I had just thought Jessica was one of these people.

  “Sorry, I have a question,” I say, unable to help myself “why do you look so different from your photo?”

  “What do you mean?” she asks, irritated.

  “You were so natural in your photo,” I say, sadly. Tugging on my flannel impulsively.

  She laughs. It isn’t pleasant.

  “That was a dare,” she explains “I was saying how I didn’t think I was pretty without make up and my friend Sarah said that was bullshit. She dared me to put a no make-up selfie on that app and see if anyone replied.”

  “Oh, I see,” I say, dismayed “well, Sarah was right.”

  “Thanks,” she says. After a minute she looks at me “Why do you look so different?” she asks.

  “I don’t have many photos of myself,” I say, truthfully “that was from my sister’s wedding, that’s why I’m wearing a suit.”

  “Ah, I see,” she says.

  There is icy silence as we wait for the server. I can tell this is going to be a long, uncomfortable evening.

  Chapter 3 - Lucy

  I got a Lyft from the airport up to Aiden’s mansion in the mountains outside the city, I never got tired of coming to this place. After a month with parents I was so ready to hang with my brother again. The car dropped me off and Aiden’s gorgeous Siberian husky Max came running, his tail wagging and tongue hanging out. He jumped up on me, nearly knocking me over with his weight.

  Aiden wasn’t far behind, shouting

  “Down, Max!”

  “Don’t worry about it, I love this boy,” I said, smiling and burying my face in his soft fur. Max was literally the best dog in the world. I scratched him behind the ears and he wagged his tail back and forth in excitement.

  “Yeah, but if he’s hugging you, I can’t!” Aiden said, laughing.

  I laughed too and said “Fair enough,” and I picked up one of many tennis balls dotting the driveway and threw it across the yard. Max bounded off after it, his tail in the air and I turned to my brother.

  He was beaming, he looked better than he had in years. This girl must really be working some magic on him. The sad, lonely widower was gone and in his place was a vibrant, handsome, 30-something.

  I ran to him and we embraced, full of love. We stood back and said

  “You look great!” in unison. Then we both started laughing.

  “Great minds think alike,” I quipped.

  “Indeed!” Aiden said smiling and putting his arm around me. He frazzled the top of my head with his hand and I said

  “Knock it off, loser!” but there was no bite to my words as I batted away his hand, only affection.

  Although we had two step-sisters we loved dearly, as the only two from dad’s first marriage we always had a special bond. We remembered the early years, when mom was drinking and dad was away, when everything was hard. We had taken care of each other then and we never really stopped. Aiden and I were fiercely devoted to each other and that would never change. I knew he would always have my back.

  We walked into the house through the downstairs kitchen entrance and I smelled fresh cookies.

  “Did you actually make cookies for my arrival, are you kidding me?” I said, genuinely surprised and delighted as I saw the plate of warm, fresh cookies. “Best brother EVER!” I exuded.

  Aiden preened happily as he went over to the fridge and said

  “Milk?”

  I nodded happily, a cookie already stuffed in my mouth as he pulled down two glasses and proceeded to pour us milk from a large glass bottle.

  A couple cookies later I said

  “What’s this girl done to you? Smiles and cookies? Who are you?”

  Aiden laughed and his eyes lit up

  “I don’t know Lucy, I feel like a whole different person” he said, smiling “I’ve never felt this way.”

  “I’m so happy for you” I said, genuinely “I can’t wait to meet this girl, and give her the ‘if you hurt my brother I’ll murder you in your sleep’ talking to.”

  Aiden looked alarmed and said “Oh no Lucy, you can’t! She’s already so nervous to meet you.”

  “Okay, okay” I said “I’ll take it easy on her, for now. Where is she anyway?”

  “We’re gonna meet her at the Farmer’s Market in a few hours, she had work today.”

  I raised my eyebrows, remembering that Casey photographed half-naked men for a living

  “How’s that going?” I asked, “Are you okay with that?”

  Aiden nodded vigorously “Absolutely, she’s so professional. It’s photography, not sexual.”

  “Okay,” I said, not totally convinced “if you say so.”

  “I promise, you’ll see when you meet her.” Aiden said, clearly smitten.

  I smiled broadly and he started cracking up.

  “What?” I said, oblivious.

  “Your teeth are covered in chocolate” he said, gasping with laughter.

  “I hate you.” I said, gulping my milk.

  A FEW HOURS later we hopped out of his Range Rover at the busy farmer’s market. I stretched my legs as I hopped out of the car, happy to be walking around for a bit after my long flight. Aiden got Max out of the back and clipped his leash onto his harness.

  “This way,” he said, leading me towards the large outdoor market. I was already salivating. Fresh grown food was a bit of an obsession of mine. I would say I was more farmer than foodie though, I’m really just captivated with garden fresh fruit and veggies, there’s nothing like it. Once again I felt that yearning for the soil between my fingers and picking fresh fruit and nibbling on it in my own garden.

  For now I’d have to settle for this, and I was still very excited at that prospect as we headed into the market.

  My senses were assaulted by the smells from the food trucks on the borders of the market, and then the visual feast before me of delicious looking produce.

  “So, are you paying for this, cause I’m ready to get everything,” I said to my brother, knowing that money was never an issue with him.

  He didn’t answer, he was holding tight to Max’s leash and had stopped moving, his eyes drawn to something in the distance.

  “Helloooo, Aiden?” I said, waving my hand in front of his face.

  He shook his head, like he was coming out of a dream and said

  “Sorry, Casey is here.”

  Wow, I thought, that look was for her? I wish someone would stop dead in their tracks just to stare in wonder at me sometime. I admonished myself for my jealousy, but I couldn’t help it. I hadn’t had a boyfriend in a few years now. I’d just been so wrapped in school and work and family commitments. Plus, I guess I was kind of picky. Okay, really picky. I just wanted someone like me, kind, down to earth, obsessed with nature. Is that so much to ask?

  Casey walked up and she was even more beautiful than her photos online, which was impressive. Aiden folded her into his arms and I could see the minute they embraced, tenderly and passionately, how intense their connection was. I felt hot with jealousy, the envy flaring inside me like a furnace. I wanted them to be happy, I really did. I just wanted to be happy to.

  I tried to focus again on the moment, bringing up a fake smile

  “Casey, it’s great to meet you,” I said, holding out my hand.

  She clapped her hands together and said

  “Oh my god, it’s Lucy! Can I hug you?”

  I nodded enthusiastically and he came in for a hug, while Max pawed at her legs, upset that he hadn’t gotten his turn.

  “Okay, okay, you too Max!” Casey said, bending down to play with him.

  Aiden’s eyes met mine and I wiggled my eyebrows at him meaningfully. He gave me a look like “what’s that mean” and I shrugged. I didn’t r
eally know what that meant, I guess just that Casey seemed exceptional.

  She stood up and looked at me, her eyes sparkling and Aiden put his arm around her shoulder

  “Aiden tells me you’re really into local produce, this is the perfect spot to get that” she said, smiling. “Why don’t I show you around?”

  Aiden looked at his watch “Did you already get the fresh tamales?” he asked her.

  Casey shook her head “I just got here myself, my shoot ran long.”

  “How’d that go?” he asked.

  “Really well, I’ll show you the photos later” she said, smiling. I was still a little suspicious of her job but I didn’t say anything yet.

  “Awesome, I’m gonna run ahead and grab some, I wanna make sure they don’t run out, you know they’re always out in the first few hours of the market, those things are more addictive than coffee.”

  “You would know,” Casey said, laughing.

  Aiden smiled at her and they kissed. My envy reared it’s ugly head again as I saw their hands entwine, neither of them wanting to let go of each other so Aiden could go get the tamales.

  Would I ever find that kind of love? I doubted it.

  WE HAD A large bag of apples, a bunch of carrots, two loaves of wood fired bread, tubs of fresh chevre and hummus, a pound of kale and a large bag of micro greens. Casey had a rolling basket she had put most of it in. We’d had a great time so far, looking at all the delicious foods and chatting about our lives. However, the perfect tomato had eluded us thus far. Also eluding us was Aiden, who was lost in the crowd somewhere.

  “I’m really looking for a good heirloom,” I said, as Casey hopefully held out a basket of cherry tomatoes.

  She nodded “I’m not surprised.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

  She looked shifty “Nothing, I shouldn’t say,” she said.