Swanson Farms

Chapter 6

Later that night Zach and Jackie decided to have a bon fire, and they started it almost right after dinner. Seth sat beside his mom in the family room while everyone chatted. Now that it was dusk and it was starting to get cooler out I took Bailey upstairs and changed her into warmer clothes, choosing a pair of plaid pyjama pants and one of my old high school sweatshirts.

I walked down the stairs and saw Seth look up at me, before he looked back at his mother.

"Jackie texted me and said that Zach's brother's are going to stop by for the fire." I said, looking at my parents. They nodded,

"Alright, don't be too loud after midnight." I nodded, before glancing at Seth,

"Would you like to join us Seth?"

He shrugged, "Ain't been to a tail gate party in a while. Sure." He got up and followed me over to the mud room. We pulled on our boots and I grabbed Bailey's diaper bag, then we went out to front,

"So you driving over there?" He asked and I nodded,

"Yeah. I don't know exactly when Bailey will get tired and I don't like depending on someone else for a ride."

"Fair enough. You mind if I tag along?" I nodded and unlocked my truck, putting Bailey into her car seat.

Seth sat in the passenger seat and we rode in silence for the whole way. The music started to get loud when we were almost there and I could see all the different cars and trucks that were parked there.

I saw Jackie wave from where she was sitting on the back of Zach's old truck and I pulled up beside his truck. I wasn't quite sure how Bailey would react to the loud music and how loud everyone was talking, so I made myself a quick promise that if it was too loud for her I'd leave rather quickly.

She started to fuss right away and I sighed but Jackie nodded understandingly,

"We'll try and keep some left overs for you, okay?"

I nodded and put Bailey back in the truck waving at some of my old friends from high school.

"You know, I know a nice place we could go to..." Seth said. He scared me briefly, I thought he'd already gotten out of the truck.

"Well... Where's that?"

"Come on. I'll direct you."

*****

I pulled up to a small Tim Horton's in town, and I looked at Seth, confused.

"Trust me on this. Go to the drive through and help yourself. I'll get a large double double."

I nodded and ordered myself a small Ice Cap and ordered Seth's double double.

"Get me a Boston Cream doughnut? Get yourself one too." I added the Boston Cream and a Sour Cream Glazed doughnut. Seth handed me a ten dollar bill to cover the cost and I handed him the change.

"Park over there." He said, nodding at the darkest park of the parking lot. I followed his instructions and parked, and Seth got out and pulled the tail gate down, sitting on it and laying back, looking at the stars. I got out slowly and followed him, sitting on the tail gate as well.

"Do you come here often?" I asked and he shrugged,

"More often than not I suppose..." We were quiet for a few moments before he looked at me, "So what made you go to Toronto?"

"How did you-" An then it dawned on me. Jackie had probably told him at one point, "My ex was a real piece of... work. And I guess I realized that I couldn't... Wouldn't be the one stuck with him for the rest of my life. I partied a little... Well a lot.. And I came home just before Bailey was born."

"Why wait so long?"

"I was working at one of the busiest bakeries in town, I learned a lot of different techniques that have helped a lot with running my business here."

"Nan told me your bakery is still relatively new."

"Yeah, I opened it as soon as I got home. I needed to get it up and running and have customers before Bailey was born."

"Did you leave her with a babysitter?"

"Some days I left her with my mom but most days I brought her with me until I trained the girls enough to handle the bakery themselves. Then I started taking more time off."

"I guess the farm is the least of your worries?"

"I grew up a farmers daughter... My dad was a big time lawyer so we often went weeks without seeing him. It was tough for us, but we made it work. The farm was my life, but the bakery is my dream and Bailey is my entire world. I guess for now the farm has to get put on the back burner for a little while."

Seth nodded, finishing his doughnut, "Makes sense if you  ask me."

I looked at him curiously and he shrugged, "The farm may be your life but the thing that will ultimately keep you happy is the bakery. It'll provide you with the money you need for Bailey. Don't get me wrong, Bailey will be the light and joy of your life. But without money... You can't do much."

I knew Seth was right. For now I could put the farm on the back burner and focus on getting my family settled.