Read Farmer Wants a Wife: Love and Friendship, Book 3 for Free Online Page B

not sure. I have my group date on Wednesday afternoon. We have to meet Nolan at Downtown and were told to wear comfortable clothes and footwear.”
    Julia frowned. “You don’t know what you’re going to do or where he’s taking you?”
    “No, which makes it difficult to know what to wear,” Susan said.
    “Do you know where the other farmers are taking their dates?” Christina asked.
    Susan jumped to her feet and started pacing. “No, I asked, but they’re not telling us anything.”
    “The comfortable shoes direction makes me think there will be walking,” Connor said.
    “Wear your runners—the black ones or a pair of comfy boots,” Christina said. “The weather could do anything, but check the forecast. I’d go for layers. Jeans and a shirt with a vest and a waterproof jacket. A colorful scarf and maybe a hat.”
    “Take a small daypack instead of a purse,” Maggie suggested. “That way if you need to peel off layers, it will be easier to carry them.”
    Susan discovered the women’s idea of comfortable dress varied considerably when she joined Nolan’s group at Downtown, not far from the Britomart train station. Only three of them wore flat shoes. Susan had kept her makeup light and natural and wore a sage green beanie to counteract the wind whistling along Quay Street.
    A cameraman—the same one who’d delighted in her mishaps—stood beside Nolan, his camera already panning their faces and recording their reactions to Nolan. Susan stood quietly, surveying her competition.
    “Put us out of our suspense,” one of the women demanded.
    “We’re catching the ferry to Rangitoto and will do some exploring,” Nolan said. “I’ve organized water bottles and a snack pack for us. When we come back we’re going to the top of Sky Tower for dinner.”
    The woman standing next to Susan gave an audible groan. “I hate walking. I’m gonna freeze my butt off.”
    Susan snuck a glance at the woman’s shoes and mentally added sore feet to the equation. She listened to the other comments and smiled inwardly. This outing was a clever way of weeding out the candidates who wouldn’t cope with living in the countryside. If they couldn’t handle a little walking, they sure as heck wouldn’t hack it in Clare where Nolan lived and farmed.
    “The ferry is this way,” Nolan said.
    Susan followed the group with a sense of anticipation. She hadn’t visited Rangitoto Island for years, not since a long ago school trip. The views of the city from the summit were wonderful, and she was glad she’d listened to Connor and packed her camera. A few snapshots would make a welcome addition to her blog.
    Nolan made a point of speaking with all of them individually and did well with recalling their names.
    “Susan,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.” His gaze took in her clothes and she thought she caught a flash of approval. “You’ve created a tempest in Clare. Most people think I should give you a wide berth.”
    And just like that he dispelled her happy bubble. Susan lifted her chin and met his gaze with a glare. She was trying hard not to slip into her old judgmental ways, but this man poked holes in her confidence.
    “You’ll have to decide if you agree,” she said. “This is a nice treat. I haven’t set foot on Rangitoto in years.”
    His direct gaze sliced and diced again until one of the other women claimed his attention. Susan fell into step with Cherry and offered her a smile.
    “You’re the dancer,” she said.
    “That’s part of my job description.” Susan could feel her good mood taking a wet ’n’ wild slide toward insecure.
    “I couldn’t do what you do. I’d feel so exposed.”
    “Dancing is a rush, and I’ve never been in such good shape in all my life.” Enough about her job. “Have you always lived in the city?”
    “Yes. At least Clare doesn’t seem too isolated. Some of the farmers live and work in really remote areas.”
    “Nolan said the farm is still half an hour