Mary smiled at Joe and sipped her black coffee. She liked Duncan’s Doughnuts and Diner—though she worried when and if the owners would be sued by the big corporation for trademark infringement. Better not to call attention to that idea.
It was an old-fashioned diner, with big high-backed upholstered booths and a counter where you could eat alone in peace or have a chat with the server. The noise from the kitchen was fun to listen to—lots of energy as orders were called out, the cook heckling the waitstaff part of the entertainment. Looking around at the characters in the diner that morning, she could tell a lot of Cedar Falls business got done here.
“So, Joe, I called one of the partners at my firm in New York. She does a lot of work in this area. Just not the kind that would be on your side of things.”
“Big-shot lawyers. Always tough.”
“She gave me some tips and I did a little digging.”
“Find anything? It’s the damnedest thing—there’s very little about who’s behind this push. We know it’s a foreign company and that they want to put some sort of high-tech whatchamacallit factory there. But no one has any details—not the state or our congressman. Not even the local Chamber of Commerce. At least none they’re willing to give us. Hell, even the governor won’t return my calls, and we went to high school together.”
“Well, she told me to follow the money. So I started down a trail. And I came up with a company I’d never heard of.”
She handed him a folder with her notes.
“Ever hear of these guys? Intermedium? Seems like they are based out of Washington, D.C.”
Joe took out his reading glasses and gave the papers a once-over.
“That doesn’t surprise me. I’ve had a suspicion that this wasn’t on the up and up. It seems like there’s a push and pull from insideandoutside of our country.”
“It seemed a little odd, I agree. But I couldn’t find a direct paper trail that would tell us what actual company is trying to buy up all these farms.”
“Mind if I keep this? Could come in handy with our team of lawyers.”
“Absolutely. And if I find anything else out, I’ll send it to you.”
“That’s really kind of you, Mary. I’m sure you have lots of other things to do instead of helping an old farmer.”
“It was a pleasure. It’s been sweet getting to know you and your family.” She did not specifically mention his son who had typed his number into her phone at the end of the night when they’d had dinner at the Taylor farm. She had laughed when Dot changed his name to “Hot Cop Jake” in her contacts after she’d left her phone unlocked on the kitchen counter.
Joe signaled for the check and handed a fifty-dollar bill to the waitress.
“Keep the change, Peg.”
“Thanks, Joe. Give Grace my best.”
“You bet.”
They got up to leave and Joe held the door for her. On the sidewalk they enjoyed a few more moments together in the sunshine.
“Another beautiful day in paradise,” Mary said.
“When we start the corn harvest, we’ll have you all back up to the house for a party.”
“I’d love that,” she said, and leaned in to kiss his cheek goodbye. She started to walk away when she turned back and called out to him.
“Mr. Taylor? One question—what would I wear to a corn harvest?”
Joe looked at her. She was wearing a navy pencil skirt, a white silk blouse, a red scarf, and nude heels. “Something casual. So I’d say... not that.”
“Got it.” Mary nodded.
They both laughed and went their separate ways, her billing hours, and him tilling fields.
Chapter 36
That week, Dot hosted a Democratic get-together at the Cedar Falls Community Center to watch the results come in from the Virginia primary. The race was still coming down to two candidates—Governor Ramsey Stone of Kentucky and State Senator Lucia “Lucy” Lopez of Georgia.