Chapter 1

A flash of baby blue flew down the road and careened into Jo's driveway. Toot. Toot. Toooooottttt!

"I wish Sherry would tone that horn of hers down a touch. It sounds like she's herding up cattle at King Ranch." Delta watched as a thick cloud of dust drifted toward the front porch.

The farm's former resident sprang from her 1980 Cadillac Coupe Deville, nicknamed Lady Luxe, and jogged across the driveway.

Delta grabbed her arm and dragged her inside before slamming the door shut. "You need to stop arriving in a cloud of dust."

"I can't help it if we need a good soaking rain," Sherry said breathlessly. "Divine is drier than a spoonful of cinnamon."

"Sherry," Jo chuckled. "Where do you come up with such crazy sayings?"

"From customers at the deli." Sherry craned her neck and looked around. "Where's Leah, the guest of honor?"

"Packing her bags and cleaning her unit. I'll be driving her over to Dave Kilwin's place first thing tomorrow morning to start her new job." Jo could feel her throat clog at the thought of Leah moving out. It was a mixed bag of emotions—pride at how the young woman had turned her life around and was taking her first step toward freedom and a fresh start.

There was also a sense of sadness. Another one of Jo's residents was leaving, although she wouldn't be going far. Dave Kilwin, Jo's neighbor, had recently expanded his operations and was hiring additional staff.

Leah was the perfect fit for the position. She was a born farmer.

There was one other person who would miss the resident as much as Jo. "Gary is still taking it hard. He's going to miss having Leah around."

"He'll be all right. Yes, he's gonna miss her, but there's no one prouder of Leah than Gary. He taught her everything she knows about farming. He'll be right there for her if she needs help." Delta glanced at her watch. "We're running out of time. We gotta finish frosting the cakes."

The trio headed to the kitchen and while Delta added frosting to the mocha double fudge cakes, Jo and Sherry began setting the table for Leah's celebratory dinner, a Mexican feast. There were enchiladas, burritos, a taco bar, homemade salsa, and guacamole.

One by one, the residents arrived…Raylene, Kelli, Michelle, Laverne and finally Leah. Gary and Nash weren't far behind, accompanied by Pastor Sawyer Murphy, who had been instrumental in bringing Leah to the farm.

Jo could feel her emotions well up again as she gazed at those gathered around the table. It was the last evening meal Leah would eat as a resident, and a sense of melancholy filled her as she thought about the others. Emily was the first to finish the program and leave. Sherry was second and now Leah.

Leah's departure would also mean Jo had two open spots. "We are so excited for you, Leah," she said. "Dave Kilwin will be lucky to have you."

"I can't wait." Leah's eyes lit. "He's implementing some new farming techniques and I'm hoping he'll be open to my ideas about testing out more organic methods."

"It's a wonderful opportunity," Jo said. "This is your last official night as a resident, and I would like to say a special prayer."

The group joined hands and lowered their heads before Jo began. "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us all together for this special dinner. Lord, we lift Leah up. She's beginning the next phase of her life, will be enjoying her newfound independence and starting a job doing something she truly loves. We pray you lead her and guide her every step of the way and thank you that one more of our residents grows and flourishes in a new and exciting way. Amen."

"Amen," the others echoed.

"So." Laverne grabbed the baked enchiladas, scooped a large spoonful onto her plate and passed the dish to Leah. "At the risk of not minding my own business, how much is Dave Kilwin paying you?"

"That's none of your business," Jo admonished.

"I already said it wasn't," Laverne said. "I'm just curious to find out how much he's willing to pay a former convict."

A collective groan echoed around the room, and Delta pinned Laverne with a pointed stare. "You can be the most rude and nosy woman."

Laverne shrugged. "It's a legit question. I'll be in the same boat someday soon. You can't blame me for trying to figure out what the pay grade is for someone in our situation."

Leah lifted a hand. "I don't mind. I'll be making ten dollars an hour to start, plus all my meals and housing are included."

Laverne let out a low whistle. "He's getting a bargain for someone with experience. You probably could've negotiated a little more. Did you try?"

"Laverne Huntsman." Jo made a zipping motion across her lips. "It's one thing to ask the question, but quite another to give Leah advice. If you ask me, the per hour pay, when factoring in housing and meals, is generous considering how rural our area is."

"Eh." Laverne arched a brow. "I can tell you one thing…I don't plan on working for ten bucks an hour. Of course, I'll be moving to the city. I suppose the pay in these rinky-dink small towns would be less than more populated places."

Delta clapped her hands, noting the bright pink color creeping into Leah's cheeks at being the center of attention and the subject of Laverne's inquisition. "This is an exciting opportunity and one of many stepping-stones in Leah's future." She lifted her glass. "I propose a toast. To a bright and promising future for Leah."

They tapped glasses, and the conversation shifted to the upcoming planting season. Gary would need some help now that his right-hand gal was leaving. He did his best to maintain a poker face, but a few times Jo caught his lower lip trembling when he talked to the resident who had been by his side the past two years, almost from the very beginning.

Delta brought out the cakes while Jo and Nash grabbed the coffee. All too soon, the meal ended, and Leah excused herself, claiming she wanted to finish packing.

Sherry was the next to leave, and the other residents weren't far behind. Delta and Gary headed home, and Nash ran back to the shop to lock up, leaving Jo alone with Pastor Murphy.

"You have two empty spots here at the farm," the pastor reminded her. "Have you given any more thought to who might be on your short list of potential new residents?"

Jo had given it some thought, but something held her back from deciding and she couldn't quite put her finger on the reason. Perhaps it was merely a case of feeling melancholy at losing Leah and being hesitant to bring in new women until she had mentally prepared herself for the process.

There was always a period of adjustment, not only for Jo, but also for the remaining women. She took the responsibility of making sure each new resident had a shot at making it and was willing to put in the time and effort to start over.

Not everyone was ready. Hence, the current concern. All the candidates Jo had spoken with had, for one reason or another, not been able to tick off all her boxes.

"I have." Jo picked at a piece of lint on her pants. "I'm having a hard time deciding," she confessed. "Each of the women on the short list has an issue which is giving me pause."

Pastor Murphy nodded sympathetically. "Between you and me, I've felt the same." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "I'm going to throw a wildcard at you. Two sisters, twins, have come up for release. They have nowhere to go, and I was wondering if you might consider them."

"Twins?" Jo eyed the piece of paper.

"I met with them before driving here for dinner. Their names are Courtney and Carli Ladeaux."

"Courtney and Carli Ladeaux. Why do their names sound familiar?"

"Because they're the Ladeaux robbers. A few years back, the two went on a robbing spree, holding up banks in all four corners of the state. The police eventually apprehended them, along with their father, who was killed in a shootout."

"And you believe they're potential candidates for rehabilitation here at the farm?"

"I do. According to Courtney, their father was the driving force behind the robberies. After his death, they ended up in the women's penitentiary. They've been model prisoners without a single incident and are now up for parole with nowhere to go."

"I…" Jo struggled to remember what she could about the news stories—about how the two young women had successfully robbed a chain of banks. She remembered hearing about the shootout and the father's death and wondered at the time how a parent could lead their children so far astray. "I would need to meet with them first."

"Of course," the pastor said. "I have some free time tomorrow afternoon if you would like to go over to the prison with me. You can chat with both of them, or at least one of them. Carli doesn't talk."

"Doesn't talk?" Jo echoed.

"She hasn't spoken a word since being incarcerated. For all I know, it could be even longer. Courtney does all the talking."

"How does she communicate?"

"Through her sister."

"I see." Jo mulled over the proposition. On the one hand, she wasn't any closer to figuring out who might be a good fit for the farm. Leah's departure meant she had two open spots. The twins could fill both vacancies, ensuring Jo's status as a state-sponsored facility would remain intact. "I would like to meet them."

"Good." Pastor Murphy patted the paper. "I have a summary of their incarceration. I'm sure you can go online and find out more details about their history. How does noon tomorrow sound? I can swing by and pick you up."

"Noon it is." Jo, along with Duke, her hound, accompanied the pastor to his van and watched as he drove off.

The Ladeaux twins. An inkling of trepidation crept up Jo's back, and she silently scolded herself. It seemed the longer she was in the rehabilitation business, the more cautious she became.

She wondered about the twins and the fact Carli didn't speak. Would they be a good fit? Perhaps what they needed was a positive role model, someone to steer them in the right direction and give them a second chance, away from the life of crime their father had gotten them involved in.

Jo thought about her own situation and her mother's incarceration. Although it was a completely different set of circumstances, she could sympathize with how they must feel about having a black cloud of poor decisions made by their parents, or at least one of them, hanging over their heads.

"C'mon, Duke." Jo absentmindedly patted the pup's head. "Let's go back inside."

*****

Later that evening, when Jo got ready for bed, her thoughts turned to Leah and her future and then the Ladeaux twins. Changes were coming to the Divine farm.

She prayed for guidance, that she would make the right decision and, after finishing was filled with a sense of peace. Jo would have a better idea about what she might be getting herself into when she met with Carli and Courtney.