Chapter 31

31

Dylan found one of her favorite places on earth in the agronomy plant owned by Travis Worthington-Deane in Finley Creek. Fletcher met his friend—a man who reminded Dylan of Fletcher in a lot of ways, including being built along the same rather delicious lines. Travis Deane was a good natured man, though; not nearly as cranky as her cowboy. And a good family man. He had his daughter with him, clinging to his hand as she toddled around her father’s empire, jabbering at them all. Dylan eventually ended up with Alonna riding on her hip. She was a very pretty baby with pale blond hair and big green eyes and a very mischievous grin. Alonna loved Fletcher too.

Dylan definitely wanted a half-dozen kids of her own someday. No question about that. There was a sitter waiting, who took the little girl when they actually got inside the agronomy building. It was the largest agronomy facility Dylan had ever seen—not that she had seen many, but she had watched YouTube videos and had taken plant sciences classes online. This was her first time in a real facility.

There were growth rooms, inoculation rooms, plant packaging rooms, seed rooms, and soil testing labs, and people who answered all of her questions. She must have spoken with the lab technicians for an hour while Fletcher and Travis were in the conference room discussing some of the experimental feed grasses Fletcher was going to plant on some of his most isolated fields the next season—which would begin soon.

The experimental grasses weren’t Fletcher’s main area, he was more into the drones and how they were going to be useful on the ranch, but Dylan found the idea of the new strains fascinating. She exchanged emails with one of the technicians. She was going to send Dylan actual heirloom seeds that had been developed by her own great-grandfather more than a century ago. Dylan was going to grow them and report back how they did in Wyoming’s climate.

Then Travis and Fletcher were there again. Dylan reached for Fletcher’s hand when he reached for hers. Then he pulled her close. “Ready to go see the drones?”

“Definitely. I do think this place here is on my top five favorite places in the world, you know. Lily, she’s the lab tech, she’s going to send me some heirloom seeds—squashes, tomatoes, and some specialty lettuces I’ve never seen before—that have actually been passed down in her family for decades. She goes to school at FCU part time, and she is trying to see how the seeds perform in various climates for a potential thesis topic. I told her I’d be happy to help out. In our garden.”

“I think that sounds perfect.” Fletcher slipped his arm behind her waist. Dylan leaned against him slightly. It just felt right.

“The software that the smaller drones will operate on will monitor growing conditions and soil health,” Travis told her. “We’re designing them to be able to fly under current drone flight regulations. They’ll have far more sophisticated software than what is already out there and a better camera. But we’re trying to make sure we can keep costs of each unit down as well. Lucas Tech out of St. Louis is helping with the actual manufacturing of the housing for the drones.”

“I can’t wait to see them. I’ve been reading the white papers you’ve sent Fletcher. I really want to see the big guys. The ones with the enhanced speed.”

Travis explained to her more of what he was hoping to do with those larger drones—they were intended to monitor herds based on RFID tags, or by actual facial recognition of the animals themselves eventually. Even infrared heat for body mass was mentioned. And other things, like monitoring water tanks and checking fences and all aspects of the ranch life she’d been reading up on. It would make the industry a lot more efficient. Make a huge difference in food production, for sure. There was drone technology out there already, of course, but this was entirely next level. Beyond next level. And Fletcher got to be a part of it.

“It’s about a ten minute drive to the facility where the drones are being manufactured,” Travis told them. “Ready for a tour? To see the giant bugs? My wife says that’s what they look like.”

“It’ll just take a few hours,” Fletcher said. “And then we’ll go eat. Check out the city. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.”

For an adventure, this one was turning out perfect.