“The llama?”

“We’re going to have a llama too.”

Jane blew out a breath. “Sure. That makes total sense.”

“Well, in fairness, the farm already has a llama. More than one. And I think they’re actually alpacas.”

Jane frowned. “What are you talking about? You already have the farm?”

“We’re going to be using some space on Dallas Ryan’s farm. Do you know him?”

“Dallas? Of course I know him.” Dallas had been a year or two younger than Jane in high school. He and his brother and a couple of friends ran a huge alpaca farm a few miles outside of town. They had plenty of other animals too, and she thought they grew alfalfa for hay if not other grains for feed. “You’ve talked to Dallas about this?”

“Yeah, they think it’s great. The residents will still live here, but we’ll transport them out to our corner of the farm. We’ll have a greenhouse for the garden so we can use it year-round and a small barnyard and barn,” Dax said. “Dallas and his guys will help us out with the care of the animals as needed, but our residents will do as much as they can. I’m helping them out by renting the space and helping with some upgrades to the buildings and the road.”

Jane couldn’t believe how much they’d gotten done in such a short time. “Wow.”

“We’re going to be busy. With that and the new building project.” He motioned to the wall behind her.

Jane turned with trepidation. Sure enough. Architecture plans were hung on the wall detailing a complete remodel of the facility they were now in.

She rubbed the middle of her forehead.

“This is a new advancement in nursing home care as well,” Dax started. “Each wing becomes its own little community. There is a kitchen and living space in each, with the rooms surrounding the common area. There will be dedicated staff and smaller numbers of patients per staff members and—”

“Sounds good.” It did. Of course it did. But it was all making her feel even more restless and worried. Dax, the gaming guru, was going to oversee a nursing home? “I um… just stopped by to say hi.” She smiled at her dad.

She had to admit knowing he was here, hanging out with Dax, being kept busy, researching and offering ideas and input, and getting excited about something was pretty amazing. If it could be this way every day, she’d feel so much… lighter. Knowing he was happy and not sitting in his room by himself and was engaging and feeling valued made tears prick at the backs of her eyes.

And then what would happen when Dax moved on to something else? When this project was done and he was ready for a new challenge? Or worse, when this didn’t work out as planned and he shifted focus? What would that do to Jack?

She swallowed hard. “I’m going to head out since you guys seem to have a lot to do.” She crossed to where Jack was sitting and gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. She stepped back and looked at him for a long moment. “You look good, Dad.”

He smiled and put his hand over his heart.

“I love you too,” she told him, her voice thick.

She glanced at Dax, who was already up and out of his chair, on his way to the door.

“I’ll walk you out,” he said.

She nodded. She knew he’d want to know what their plans were for later. That wasn’t what their conversation was going to be about, however.

Jane was not excited about the goats. Or the llamas.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Dax had to figure it out. It was driving him nuts.

He’d planned to surprise her on Saturday, not just with farm animals, but with his whole plan for staying in Appleby long term and really, truly making a difference. Doing something important. Something meaningful. Something that would impact her family directly. Something he was really excited about and feeling great about.

He was going to make her father’s life at Sunny Orchard better, dammit. Lots of other people's too. He actually felt a strange tugging in his gut that told him this was where he wanted and needed to be, what he needed to be doing, that was bigger than Jack. But it was pretty fucking awesome that he got to directly make things better for one of the most important people in Jane’s life.

Or so he’d thought.

Until she’d walked in and looked like she’d just sucked on a lemon when they’d told her about the goats.

They didn’t talk as they walked down the hall, through the lobby, out the doors, and across the parking lots. They didn’t touch either.

Dax was wound tight and feeling annoyed before they even got to her car.

More specifically, he was feeling something familiar. Something he fucking hated.

He was feeling the way he felt when he’d just told his father about something new he’d done and was waiting for his father’s reaction.

And knowing it would be disapproving.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked before she could say anything.

She sighed and turned to face him. “You bought the nursing home.”

“I did.” He felt defensive. He hated that.

“That’s a little… much.”

Much. It was a little much? “Have you met me?” he asked.

She actually snorted. “Yeah. That’s fair.”

“Why is this bad?” he pressed. He just wanted to get to whatever was the problem here. He realized he was projecting some here. But he was definitely getting the same vibe from Jane that he got from his father when he’d done something big and unexpected that his dad didn’t quite understand. Or trust.

Jane took a deep breath. She did not rush to insist that it wasn’t bad. Dax’s gut clenched.

“You are making my dad really excited about this,” she said.

Dax nodded.

“You’re getting him involved. Getting him invested.”

“Right.”

“In something you just thought up a few days ago.”

Dax clenched his jaw.

She cocked her head. “I assume anyway? Considering you set foot inside a nursing home for the first time ever last week? I assume this stuff about getting nursing home residents involved in farming and remodeling facilities into smaller living communities is new to you?”

“It is,” Dax admitted.

“So it’s nothing you’ve ever done before. Nothing you have any experience in.”

“No,” he said tightly.

She nodded. “I’m concerned, is all.”

“About?”

“It not working out.”

“Why wouldn’t it work out? It’s worked out in other places. We have no barriers to making it work here.”

It looked to him like perhaps Jane was clenching her jaw a little as well. “How long did those other places work on the farm idea before it was successful?”

He frowned. “I don’t know. How long would it take? You get the animals and plants, and you take the residents out there and have them take care of it all. That doesn’t seem like a months-long endeavor.”

Jane took a deep breath. “They need a little more than just ‘taking them out there,’ don’t you think? They need assistance with things like handling tools safely and lifting and carrying things like buckets and feed bags. What if they can’t manage navigating the uneven barnyard with their wheelchairs and walkers and canes? What if they can’t properly latch the gates and the animals get out?”