Hinted (Moonlit Lake Matchmaker ~ Book 1) NEW EDITION

My life needed a time-out. Or a do-over.

After my dream of taking New York by storm as a fashion designer dramatically imploded in one fell swoop—culminating with a warm splat on my head—I realized if the city had no more love for me, I might as well go home.

Returning to Moonlit Lake feeling like a failure was bad enough, but when I walked into the local bar, the first thing I saw was the love of my life, Rowan, whom I hadn’t seen in fourteen years, on his knee proposing to someone else.

Not exactly the welcome home I expected.

Letting him go the first time was my biggest regret. One I never got over. I’d do whatever it took to get him back. Maybe opening a clothing boutique in town would show Rowan I was back to stay, and prove I wasn’t a failure.

Starting over in my hometown wouldn’t be easy, but surely my luck was changing. When you’ve hit rock bottom and washed the pigeon poop out of your hair, things can only get better, right?

Wrong!

Hinted is a sweet, second chance, romantic comedy with small-town charm, a meddling matchmaker, swoony kisses, and a touch of mystery. All the fun and feels, without the spice or swears.

PRESENT DAY ~ MOONLIT LAKE, MN

Box of veggies held tight under one arm, I took a swig of water from my bottle then set it on the porch railing to knock on Tillie’s door.
“Rowan needs a wife.”
Water sprayed out of my mouth. What? They were talking about me? I set the veggies down and pressed my ear to the warm wooden door and wiped my face with the back of my hand.
Tillie’s words made my chest tighten. What in the world?
Even though it might be true, she had no business talking about it like I was the next community project for her ladies’ book club or something. Hopefully, that wasn’t the case. Everyone knew that club thrived on love stories, but not those found in books. Though I wouldn’t put it past Tillie to cook up something like that.
I definitely did not want or need help from those busybodies.
Which was precisely why I didn’t tell anyone that I’d joined an online dating site for “Farm Folks Only.” Farmers meeting other farmers, or people wanting to date farmers. I hadn’t realized we were such a hot commodity that we needed our own dedicated site, but apparently so. 
My best friend, Nash, would say they wanted to exclude us and our smelly clothes from the regular dating pool. I scraped manure from the bottom of my boots on the boot scraper conveniently located next to Tillie’s door and sighed. Yeah, it could be the latter.
I leaned against the wall next to the door, and my gaze floated across the backyard and Tillie’s gardens. Spring bulbs and flowers were blooming, but most things were either still dormant or just starting to poke through the soil. Leaves were emerging on the trees. This was my favorite time of year—a hopeful time. And maybe there could be hope for my bleak personal life, too.
Just don’t tell Tillie.
Tillie Devine was more like a grandma than a neighbor to me and had been one of the most influential people in my life. I brought her fresh produce, eggs, and cheese, at least once a week, depending on what I had available. Visiting her was usually the highlight of my week, which didn’t say much about my social calendar.
But who was she talking to? About me? Should I interrupt? Keep listening?
My mom’s voice carried through the screen door. “I know, Tillie. He’s thirty-four already and still very single. Rob and I had five kids by the time I was his age. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever get any grandchildren.”
Here we go. The grandchildren thing again. I was tempted to drop Tillie’s box of veggies right there on the porch and leave.
One of Tillie’s workers was weed-whipping her yard near the building where I stood. The buzzing noise made it so I couldn’t make out everything that was said. One part I caught stopped me cold.
“Tell him about a special clause in the trust. Before he runs out of time.”
My jaw tightened. My teeth clenched. What was Mom talking about?
Tillie gasped. “Honey, that’s horrible.”
“Oh, I know. I’m just”—that blasted weed-whipper buzzed right next to the step, drowning out what Mom was saying—“if he doesn’t marry by the time he’s thirty-five, it goes to the next in line.”
“You mean he’d have to marry right away or lose everything?” Tillie asked.
What? Tillie’s words sucked the air right out of my lungs. I grabbed onto the doorframe to keep my knees from buckling. I couldn’t have heard her right. I could lose the farm if I don’t get married?
My parents knew how much the farm meant to me. How could they do this to me? There has to be some kind of mistake. They wouldn’t try to strong-arm me into something like this. Would they? 
“Yep,” my mom agreed. “Wouldn’t that…” Buzzzz. 
Ugh. Wasn’t that guy done yet? And doesn't he realize I can’t eavesdrop with all his noise? 
Thankfully, the worker moved on to the flower gardens, and I brought my ear to the door to listen in again.
Tillie said, “Willowbrook Farm means everything to Rowan. He’d never let it slip away from him. What a dreadful thought.” 
Understatement of the century. This was way beyond dreadful. 
My body felt numb and heavy, and my breathing ceased for longer than is likely good for a living human being. My heart thundered in my neck and my face felt hot.
Anger. Betrayal. Disbelief. All pulsed through my veins.
It took a couple minutes for me to calm down enough to walk in the door, and every ounce of my control to hold in all I was thinking and feeling. Yes, I wanted marriage, kids, the whole shebang. But on my terms and in my own time. I envisioned having a family on the farm, like my parents did, but I didn’t want to be pressured into it. 
I understood better than most that not everyone was cut out for farm life. And since I wasn’t looking for a love match, but a partner to work with me on the farm, this dating site suited my needs to a tee. 
In fact, I’d already been matched with several good candidates. My perfect partner could be just a swipe away.
Imagining Mom and Tillie’s reaction to finding out that I’d beaten them at their own game, gave me a perverse satisfaction.
Even if there was a trust clause, which I wasn’t sure I believed, I definitely didn’t want my mom or Tillie matchmaking for me. No way. They meddled in my life on a daily basis. I wasn’t about to let them try to find me a wife. 
“Tillie. I brought you some goodies.” I placed the box of food on her table, then using my best poker face, I greeted my mom. “Mom. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
“Tillie needed a little extra help restocking her inventory of herbal products, so I offered to help out.” Mom tried to play it off like nothing was amiss. She barely looked at me and was focusing solely on her task. 
Mom stood next to Tillie at the counter, pulling leaves off the stems for Tillie to grind. My mother was a natural beauty with her long curly hair tied back at the nape of her neck. Never one to care about makeup or how she looked, she was all about comfort and practicality. Her honey blonde hair was streaked with silver, but she looked as beautiful as ever.
Tillie ground herbs with her mortar and pestle. She was a tiny sprite of a woman with her white hair cut straight across just below her chin. Her face lit up when she saw me. “Rowan, what a sweetheart you are. One of these days, some lucky woman is going to snatch you up, and what a wonderful husband you’ll be, just like your dad.” 
I bristled, fighting hard not to react.
Mom’s brow lifted, and her head cocked as she waited for my response. 
I schooled my emotions and ignored her blatant hints. “I don’t know about that, Tillie. The farm keeps me plenty busy.”
Tillie clucked and shook her head in dismay. “Oh, I’m sure it does, but the farm won’t keep you warm at night. You need a good woman by your side.”
Subtle Tillie, real subtle.
I had to admit, a restlessness and a yearning had been building inside me. It would be nice to have someone to share my life with. But I would make that decision myself, not have it forced upon me. Good thing I’d already had my own plan in the works.
It was true, dating hadn’t been a priority for a long time. Too many other things to deal with everyday. Working the land all day, I was dead tired come nightfall. Besides that, nobody in our small town interested me in the least.
Finding a potential life partner seemed like a monumental task. Who had time for all that?
Meeting someone on a dating site had proved to be much more efficient.
Tillie wiped her hands on a cloth, tapped her finger against her lips, and pointed to me. “I was thinking about this just this morning while I was drawing my oracle cards for the day.”
Even though I didn’t completely buy into all of Tillie’s mystical ways, I was curious to see if her cards could help make sense of this madness.
“Oh, yeah? And what did the all-knowing oracle say? I hope it was good. If not, maybe you could reshuffle to find me a better future.” 
She tossed her kitchen towel at me. I caught it before it landed in my face. “It’s not nice to tease an old lady, Rowan. Don’t you know that?”
Mom laughed and continued her prep work. 
“But you’re not old, Tillie. You’re ageless, and you have the energy of someone a quarter your age. I don’t believe the normal rules of human physiology apply to you. I’m not even sure you’re human. Maybe you’re fae and immortal.”
She laughed, her voice jingling like bells. “Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? Imagine all the adventures I’d have… and all the matches I could make.” She winked at me, and I restrained my eye roll. The last thing I needed was Tillie messing with my love life. My mom was bad enough. 
I needed to distract her in hopes she’d forget about my life. “Adventures. What adventures would you go on if your fabulous self lived forever, Tillie?”
Tillie was a hoot. Nobody really knew how old she was because she wouldn’t tell, but Mom suspected she was in her eighties, maybe even nineties. You couldn’t tell by looking at her, though. And I never knew what she’d be doing or what would come out of her mouth when I visited. Never a dull moment with Tillie.
“I’ll have to give that some thought.” She looked upward for inspiration, a wistful expression adorning her face. “I’ve always imagined it’d be fun to skydive or hang-glide over a tropical island like Hawaii or Bali, where I could enjoy the view of the mountains, rainforests, and ocean below me. That would be heavenly.” 
The blissful look in her eyes made me wish I could grant her wish. But she’d be booking a flight with the smallest encouragement. I opened my mouth to tell her how dangerous something like that would be for someone her age. 
“Another thing I’d like to try…” Tillie’s face lit up like the sun. “I saw a video on TikTok of a woman doing the most beautiful aerial yoga routine hanging from silk scarves, and I thought that would be glorious. Don’t you agree? Maybe I’ll do that. Can you imagine me spinning around in the air with colorful scarves whirling all around me?” Her eyes sparkled with delight as she twirled around the room with her arms out wide. Then she stopped, and her extended finger caught another idea. “Oh, and I’ve also seen them do some of the most spectacular dances spinning around a pole.”
I coughed at the thought of Tillie pole-dancing and rubbed my eyes to delete the image now seared into my brain. 
Tillie turned to my mom. “Honey, we should find a class to learn how to do that. Do you think one of your girls would know? Maybe we could make it a girls’ night out.” She clapped her hands.
Mom laughed, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I’m up for that. My luck, I’d fall and break a hip and you’d have to carry me off the stage.”
“Nonsense. You’re almost sixty years old. About time for you to let loose.”
“I had six babies, Tillie. I know how to let loose just fine, but with my feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you.”
Okay. Time to change the subject. I put my arm around Tillie and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t you always say life is an adventure, Tillie? It’s all in how you live it.”
“Yes, you’re quite right. When you’re in the energy of love and joy, even the most mundane tasks can feel like an adventure. A lot of that depends on who you’re with. Which brings me back to finding someone for you to share your life with, someone who brings joy and love to your life.” She smiled warmly and patted my cheek. “I’m so glad you came by today. Aren’t you curious about what the cards said?”
“I’m curious,” Mom said. “If he doesn’t want to know, you can tell me.”
“Hush, Honey. This is Rowan’s reading, not yours,” Tillie scolded, waving her off.
Even though it was nearly impossible to dissuade Tillie once she set her mind on something, I had to try. “I’m not sure, Tillie. Isn’t it better to live in the moment with surprise and wonder about what might happen?” 
“The cards won’t predict your future. They’ll just give you hints about your direction. Seems to me like you could use a little direction. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The need to do something, to make a change in my life and take my next step, had been growing stronger lately. My parents talked about retiring and traveling the world, leaving me in charge of the farm. I didn’t want to do this alone. I wanted a partner to share the load. Besides that, I was lonely. I had no intention of remaining a bachelor my entire life, and this was a family farm, meant for a family. It was my responsibility to keep it that way. Which was why I prayed my online dating idea panned out. 
But was it the right decision? Was I on the right track?
If there really was some crazy trust clause involved, that raised the stakes even more. If it was true, why hadn’t they said anything to me?
The urge to ask about this warred with my need to process and handle this in my own time, without anyone else interfering. 
I would do my duty to protect the farm, but I’d do it in my own way. This was my decision, and I didn’t want everyone else in my life weighing in on it. The plight of being a part of a big family in a small town. Everyone had opinions—wanted or otherwise.
The mental turmoil was already wearing on me. I groaned. “Fine, what does the mighty oracle say about my life?”
“Come over here, and I’ll show you.” Tillie grabbed my arm and led me to a table on the other side of the room. It displayed a lit candle and an assortment of crystals surrounding three cards lying face up in a row. 
The first one read, “Make a Decision”.
The second said, “Heal the Past”. 
And the last one said, “Seed the Future.”
“So, what comes to mind when you see these cards?” Tillie clutched her hands to her chest, her brows almost disappearing into her hairline in expectation.
I studied the card a little longer. “These messages could mean a lot of different things.”
“Right. But what do they mean to you?” she prodded.
The words that came to my mind as soon as she said that was… the decision to get married. I definitely wasn’t going to admit that to her or my mom, especially not after what I’d overheard. So I shrugged. “I don’t know, Tillie. What do you think it means?”
“It seems to be hinting that it’s time for you to settle down, let go of the pain that’s kept you stuck, and plant seeds for the future you want.”
Whoa. 
Her interpretation sucked the air right out of my chest. My mouth opened, but I lacked the words for a response.
“Or maybe the seeds of the future were planted in the past.” She patted me on the chest. “Just follow your heart, and you’ll figure it out. You have a big heart, my boy, and a lot of love to give. Don’t give up too easily.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s all I’m gonna say. I probably already said too much. Your path is what you choose it to be. I pray you’ll choose one filled with love and joy because that’s what life’s all about. You deserve love, you know.”
I frowned at the cards. “We don’t always get what we want or what we deserve, though. Do we?” 
“I said this to your mom years ago, and the same is true now. When we give up hope, we give up on life. Do you remember, Honey?” 
My mom nodded. “Yes, it was right after I met Rob and didn’t think I was good enough for him.” 
Tillie looked me square in the eye. “Don’t let your past disappointments determine your future, Rowan. They don’t deserve to drive your bus, so don’t give them the keys.” 
Her words slammed into me like a brick to the chest. Regrets about my past and fears about my future collided. I stumbled back a couple of steps before regaining my balance and composure. I tried my best to hide my emotions, which wasn’t easy around these two. Time to make a quick exit. 
Tillie scurried off to the kitchen. “Here, take some fresh muffins I made this morning.”
“I can never turn down your baked goods.” I picked a muffin from the basket and lifted it in salute. “Thanks, Tillie. This will be gone before I’m out of your yard.”
“Then take a couple more. I have plenty.”
I leaned over and kissed her wrinkled cheek. “This is all I need, Tillie. You don’t want me to get fat. Do you?”
“As if that were possible. You work so hard, you’ll burn it off in fifteen minutes.”
“Have a good day, Tillie. Bye, Mom. I’ll see you soon.” I slipped out the door before Tillie fed me more. Or worse, gave me more advice.
The thing about her advice was that it was so on point it made me uncomfortable. Needless to say, I couldn’t take any more today. My mind was spinning as it was. 
A clause in the trust? About marriage? It seemed impossible. No one had said a thing to me about it. Anger crackled along my veins. I should confront my mom. No, I should talk to my dad. I shoved my trembling hands through my hair. I didn’t have time for any of that. I was almost thirty five, and perfectly capable of making my own life decisions. If it was time for me to get married, I’d push all other feelings aside and focus on that.
The farm was my entire life. I’d do whatever it took to keep it safe.
Years ago, I gave up on romantic ideas, knowing love was not part of my plan. The only person I ever loved and considered a future with was long gone and never coming back. No, love was not in the cards for me, no matter what Tillie said. The risk was too high.
But if marriage didn’t have to be about love, but about common interests…  about the farm? Then I was all for it.
As I explained on my dating profile, the woman I was looking for needed to be someone who loved the farm and would be as invested in it as I was. Someone who would make a good partner and share the load with me. I gazed out over the land I loved so much. A woman with curly red hair blazing in the sunlight was herding the goats through the gate and into the next field for them to graze.
She lifted a hand to wave at me. 
I drove the cart over to talk to her through the fence. “Hey, Becky. How’s everything going?” 
“I’m about finished here. If only I could get the golden girls over there to give it up and join the others.” She gestured toward the few stragglers who seemed content to stay where they were, uninterested in moving to the other pasture like the rest of the herd. “Apparently, they don’t think the grass is greener on the other side.”
A low chuckle tumbled out of me. ”You’ll talk ‘em into it. I have no doubt.”
Becky Hader and I had met on Farm Folks Only and had gone on one date. We had a good conversation over dinner from a taco truck in the park. She seemed nice enough, but the connection I’d hoped for just wasn’t there. I told her so, too. No point in wasting her time, or letting her hope for more. We shook hands, wished each other well, and moved on. 
To my surprise, she showed up at the farm a few weeks later as our new farmhand. My dad had hired her without knowing we’d gone out. A bit strange, and awkward, but it was fine. After all, it had only been on one date. No big deal.
Becky had a pleasant personality and was a hard worker. I appreciated that. She also had a way with goats that seemed almost magical.
“Do you still need help harvesting lettuce and asparagus for the community boxes?” she asked, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at me.
“Yeah. I was headed over there now and could definitely use the help.”
“I’ll be there in a few.” She smiled sweetly before returning to the stubborn goats. “And if you’re nice to me, I’ll even put on my Texas Two-Step playlist. I know how much you love that.”
I shook my head and groaned. “I’d rather listen to the Chipmunks than that garbage.”
“Really? I can arrange that.” She winked and hustled off toward the goats.
It’s too bad things hadn’t worked out for me and Becky. She would have been a great candidate for wife and life partner. Even though I wasn’t looking for a love match, I wanted more than a marriage of convenience. I needed someone who could help me move on and forget about the future I had once dreamed of. 
My stomach rumbled. Hey, maybe if my potential bride was a good cook, I wouldn’t care so much about those old dreams. Everyone knew gooey homemade brownies could solve any problem. 
Note to self: add “excellent cook” to my wish list.
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