Hometown Heart Beat: Spring Flings and Engagement Rings by Amberlee Day

Author:Amberlee Day [Day, Amberlee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Appletree Cove Publishing
Published: 2021-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

The next few weeks proved busier than Ronnie could have hoped—because she liked busy. She developed an editorial routine with the paper, including her weekly trips walking down to the Cornucopia to covertly collect Vanna’s flash drive. Just Ask Chrissy’s column topics ranged from family drama to advice on where to shop for unique gifts, but Ronnie had to give her credit. Vanna’s writing voice was clever and entertaining, not what Ronnie would have guessed.

Besides covering city hall news, McGee was in heaven working on an investigative piece. When Ronnie discovered there had been a Ponzi scheme scandal in neighboring Charlottesville back in the 1980s, she helped McGee see the potential for long-term fallout. Ronnie was helping him with the research and coming up with current angles he could explore.

Ronnie’s feature writing kept her busy, too. So far, she’d covered the town quilting guild, a local aviators club, and the school’s upcoming fundraiser. Easy stuff, and she’d met more locals than she’d thought lived in Harvest Ranch.

Aunt Doe, still in her cast, had learned to run the farm and household one-handed, naturally. Ellie had her chores to do, which Ronnie was happy to see she dove into with a good attitude. Neither of them was used to vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms, since Clay’s child support included more than enough to cover the expense of a housekeeper back in the city. Ronnie’s sense of independence didn’t keep her from enjoying that perk, but jumping in and helping Aunt Doe didn’t feel like as much of a burden as she’d worried it would. Was it the sense of a job well done or the novelty that appealed to her? Probably the latter.

It was late March, and Starla kept her promise to come for a visit. On the drive from the bus stop out to the farm, Ronnie couldn’t stop smiling at her friend. “I can’t believe you’re here. I haven’t seen anyone in pink skinny jeans and four-inch heels in forever.”

“Then I’ll have to be sure to leave an impression while I’m here,” Starla said, batting her ultra-long lashes.

“You even manage that in the city. How’s the salon?”

“Oh, you know. An endless stream of the needy coming to my door and walking out fabulous.”

Ronnie smiled. She knew that by needy Starla meant her customers in need of a new hair color, manicure, or brow threading. “Lucky for them you’re there to help.”

“Yes, they are lucky. In fact, I brought some supplies to give you a little pick-me-up while I’m here.”

“I hoped you would.” Ronnie beamed. Her hair had started to feel like the dry grass in the fields.

“Now, tell me about the Harvest Ranch romance scene. You’ve been annoyingly quiet about that. Are we still liking Mr. Six-Pack for the love interest, or have you finally met the town doctor? Or carpenter, or whatever, as long as he’s gorgeous.”

A nervous giggle fluttered up Ronnie’s chest. What was it about hanging out with her glamorous best friend that made her feel like

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