The Promise (Thunder Point #5)(87)

“Wow, you’re so irritable. You miss her, I guess.”

“Of course I miss her,” he said. Then he looked at Devon with earnest eyes. “Listen, I know you love Peyton. She’s been amazing here and I hate to see her go, but I think we should be realistic. I don’t think she’s going to stay here.”

“Oh? Really? Is she going to take that job in Seattle?”

“She hasn’t said. But there’s also San Francisco, near her sister. She and her sister are very close, and there’s a new baby.”

“What did she say to make you think she won’t stay here?” Devon asked. “Because I kind of got the impression she was real happy here.”

“I think this worked out for her for a while. But we know it’s not the pay she deserves, and her talents exceed the needs of this little clinic.”

“I’ve never heard her complain,” Devon said. “You’re acting weird. You’re hiding something.”

“I’m not hiding anything, don’t be ridiculous. I think that if we’re practical, we should accept that Peyton has bigger fish to fry.”

“What fish? See, you’re being very strange. I’ve gotten pretty close to Peyton, and she never mentioned any bigger fish to me.”

Scott took a deep breath. “It’s very reasonable that Peyton would be attracted to a high salary, and she can command one. It’s not a crime to like nice things. I like nice things, too, but this is more my speed. This is where my heart is. I happen to like what I do. But Peyton grew up a poor farm girl. I’m sure she’s striving for a lot more, and I don’t blame her.”

Devon was staring at him. Her mouth hung open. “Did you really just say that?”

“Say what? I just said a lot of things.”

“Scott, Peyton isn’t motivated by material wealth. And she’s not a poor farm girl....”

He chuckled. “I guess that car is just a red herring....”

“That car of hers isn’t that big a deal to her. She said she kind of regrets it. But forget about the damn car—she’s thirty-five and in a high-end career field. She hasn’t had anyone to spend her money on except her parents and nieces and nephews. She bought herself some nice things. But not because she’s a poor farm girl!”

“I don’t know about that....”

“Well, I do! Is that what you think? That Peyton is just a poor girl who has wanted some rich stuff her whole life?”

“I admit, I considered that possibility.”

“Well, I think you’re very shortsighted. Maybe blind. I’m going to do you a big favor. I’m going to get the kids and take them out to my house. I’ll get them fed.”

“I have to take them with me to the game tonight. I’m the team doc, you know that. You’re going with me, right? So if I’m needed for an injured player, there’s someone for the kids?”

“Of course I am. But right now I think you should do yourself a favor and research a couple of things. You don’t know your girlfriend. She knows you, but you don’t know anything about her.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Start by researching farms,” she said, pointing at the computer. She pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “Maybe Oregon farms.”

“I’ve been to the farm, Devon.”

“You went to the farm and still didn’t see it? Remarkable. I’ll see you at the house. If you have time, run by your house and grab some hoodies for the kids—it will probably be cold out there tonight.”

“Sure,” he said. “See you in a while.”

“Google, Scott.”

“I have some patient notes to look over.”

“Suit yourself,” she said. And then he thought he heard her mumble something that sounded like idiot as she went out the door.

Stubbornly, he sat at her desk, looking through his notes on the computer rather than getting online. He’d keep the office open for a little while longer in case someone stopped by. He finished his charting, but it was too early to go over to Devon’s to drive them all to the game....

So he looked up Oregon farms. Whoa. He read that the industry was worth over five billion dollars? Okay, fine—divided by several thousand farmers, right? Chief producer of Christmas trees, pears, berries, right up there with potatoes. Most of the farms were family owned.

He plugged in Lacoumette and came up with lots of references. Big family, involved in local and community services, business and politics. There was the winery—Uncle Sal, as he recalled. Lacoumette Farms? Oh, boy. It was one of the biggest farms in Oregon. So big that it would dramatically affect the agricultural economy if it collapsed.

Then there were articles about their product. Pears, potatoes, berries, wool. One of the most successful family-owned farms in the state, its profits were estimated in the millions.

But Peyton had told him how she grew up. They were all required to work very hard. Paco took them from the breast to the field. She worked through college. The house was not ostentatious——it was an ordinary farmhouse. Modest. It was built to accommodate a very large and ever-growing family, but it was far from upscale. The trucks he saw around the place were old and looked like hell. And now that he knew Paco and Corinne, he found it hard to believe they spoiled their kids, flung money at them. Their kids were forced to earn their way.