Читать книгу Something About You - Bridget Anderson - Страница 12

Chapter 2

“She certainly knows her stuff,” Miles Parker whispered to his little brother, Brandon, as they stood in the back of the room at the University of Kentucky’s World Hunger Day conference.

“Yeah, but it sounds like a small program,” Brandon replied. Brandon had come to spend his summer break with Miles and to learn about running a business. Miles was determined to give his little brother a real-world education before he went back to Georgia State at the end of the summer.

Miles nodded as he continued to listen to the graceful young lady on the panel explain how she’d introduced her nonprofit program, Rooted Beginnings, into the local school system. He crossed his arms, intrigued not only by what she was saying, but also by her. He’d missed the beginning of her presentation and squinted as he tried unsuccessfully to read the name on her badge. She looked like an elegant ballerina sitting on that stage. He had to find out who she was.

The door to the conference room opened with a creak. Miles turned, along with several other people, to see his college mentor, Professor Abraham, with his receding hairline and large black-framed glasses, step into the room. He’d invited Miles to speak and introduce everyone to his company, Parker Edmunds Foods. The moderator took to the podium to close out the session as the professor peered along the back row and spotted Miles. He smiled. Miles smiled in return, happy to see his old friend. The professor made his way along the wall through the crowd.

Abraham reached out his hand. “Miles Daniel Parker, so happy to see you.” He spoke loud enough to be heard over the applause going on around the room.

Miles pushed away from the wall and clasped the professor’s hand in a firm handshake. “Yes, sir, it’s good to see you, too. And thank you for the invitation.” Everyone around them was getting up and moving. Miles realized now that he’d missed the pretty young lady’s name.

“No, thank you for making room in your busy schedule for our conference. I haven’t seen you in quite a while, so congratulations on your retirement from the Chicago Cubs.”

“Thank you, but I didn’t really have a choice. A bad shoulder and a torn ACL is career ending. But after ten great seasons, I’m not complaining.”

“Then it’s good you were able to put that business degree to good use. The local media keeps up with your accomplishments. You’ve really made a name for yourself in the fight against hunger. Makes me proud!”

“Thank you, sir. We’re doing what we can with the help of organizations all over the world. I’m always interested in learning about new opportunities springing up in the farming industry. You never know what approach is going to have the most impact.”

Brandon cleared his throat.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Miles turned to Brandon. “Let me introduce you to my younger brother, Brandon Parker.”

The professor shook Brandon’s hand. “Guess I don’t have to tell you what a big deal your brother is around here. Two-time All-American Mr. Baseball, and the pride of UK.”

Brandon held his chin high and pulled his shoulders back. “Yes, sir, I know. He’s made the family proud.”

Brandon hadn’t played sports in high school. His popularity had come from riding his brother’s coattails. Where Miles went, Brandon wanted to go. Miles ran his hand across Brandon’s red fro-hawk, which normally freaked him out, but today he merely smiled.

Several people spoke to Miles as they passed. A few reached out to shake his hand and let him know they were big fans. He acknowledged all of them. Visiting the UK campus was always a morale booster. He’d given a lot to the school when he was there, so it felt good to know people hadn’t forgotten him.

“So, what’s this I hear about you doing some business in the area?” the professor asked.

Miles crossed his arms. “Yes, we’re in the process of expanding, so I’m looking for land now. Not right here in Lexington, though. I had something a little more rural in mind.”

The professor smiled. “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.”

“Yes, sir,” Miles replied with an even bigger smile, not ashamed of his country roots.

The professor looked back over his shoulder before glancing down at his watch.

Miles looked in the same direction, wondering what had happened to the pretty young lady who’d graced the stage earlier.

“I was looking for a former student of mine. She has a very impressive nonprofit aimed at educating the public about organic foods. I know that’s not your area of expertise, but I’d like to introduce you to her.”

Miles’s eyes widened as a flutter of hopefulness passed through them. “Was she on the stage earlier?” he asked.

“Yes, she was.”

“I heard most of her presentation. I’d be happy to meet her. She’s very passionate about her program.”

“She is. Her name’s Kyla Coleman, she’s in our PhD program and her nonprofit is part of her dissertation. It’s an amazing program and a huge undertaking. You two have something in common.”

“Oh, yeah, what’s that?”

“The desire to end world hunger on your own terms.”

Miles quirked an eyebrow and smiled at the professor. “In that case, I need to make sure I meet this young lady.”

* * *

Five minutes later, Miles and Brandon made their way down the hall to the conference room where Miles was scheduled to speak.

After reading Miles’s bio, the moderator welcomed him on stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the president of Parker Edmunds Foods, Mr. Miles Parker.”

Humbled by the introduction and the round of applause, Miles felt overwhelmed in a good way. As he stepped to the podium, the moderator stepped back. This was the first time Miles had been back to his alma mater to speak, but he hoped it wouldn’t be the last time.

In the thirty minutes Miles spoke, he briefly explained how Parker Edmunds Foods was making a difference in the lives of hungry people all over the world. He spouted a few statistics he knew would impress the crowd before letting them know his company was expanding, and bringing jobs to the area. He was also open to new ideas and approaches in the fight to end hunger. After his presentation, he took questions from the audience, who were gratifyingly aware of his company and their accomplishments.

Once his forty-five minutes were up, Miles left the stage to another round of applause. The crowd now wanted autographs. He signed numerous ones before being rescued by Professor Abraham and pulled toward the pretty ballerina he’d spotted earlier.

Up close, she was more beautiful than he thought. Her brown skin was smooth and flawless, devoid of heavy makeup. Her natural beauty piqued his interest—as well as his loins.

“Miles, I’d like for you to meet one of my most promising students, Ms. Kyla Coleman.”

Miles’s chest expanded as he grinned and offered his hand, wrapping it around her elegant slender fingers. “Hello, Ms. Coleman, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her grip was firm.

“Nice to meet you, as well,” she said with a pleasant smile.

“I was in the back of the room during your presentation, and I was impressed. You really have a passion for organic farming.”

She smiled again, and it set off a fluttery feeling in his stomach that he wasn’t used to.

“Yes, I do. You might say it’s my life. I found your presentation...interesting, too. Although I’m not actually sold on the benefits of tinkering with the genetic basis of the world’s food supply, I appreciate what you’re trying to do.”

For a brief moment Miles was taken aback, but he quickly recovered and smiled as the professor did the same and stroked his beard.

“That’s not all we do at Parker Edmunds. We’re a relatively young company being introduced to new approaches in farming all the time.”

“But is what you produce beneficial for the community or the environment?” Kyla asked, as she crossed her arms and took on a challenging stance.

Miles glanced at the professor again, and he seemed to be enjoying the conversation. He’d obviously expected this from Kyla, so Miles knew he’d been set up. There were two factions at the conference. Those who dealt in genetically modified foods and those who adamantly opposed them. Both Kyla and the professor were obviously members of the latter group.

Miles cleared his throat. “Check your pantry when you get home, Ms. Coleman. You’re probably eating genetically modified organisms, and you don’t even know it. However, I didn’t come here today to debate the safety of various farming practices. We’re here,” Miles motioned to Brandon standing a few steps away, “to learn what we can in an effort to expand our global approach.”

Kyla smiled at Brandon, and Miles made the introductions as a young volunteer walked over to whisper in Professor Abraham’s ear.

“If you’ll excuse me, there’s a matter I need to attend to,” the professor said, as he reached out for Miles’s hand. “Miles, please don’t leave until I have a chance to sit down with you. Enjoy the rest of the conference.”

Then he turned to Kyla. “Young lady, I leave you in capable hands. Miles here is very interested in nonprofit work. Why don’t you invite him out to the farm? Show him what he’s missing food-wise.”

The professor excused himself and dashed out of the room. Kyla glanced around, looking ready to bolt out right behind him, but Miles wasn’t letting her get away so fast.

“So, tell me about this farm and your workshops.”

Kyla squinted her eyes and tilted her head. “Weren’t you listening to my presentation?”

“Unfortunately, we missed the beginning. I assume that’s when you talked about the farm.”

She hesitated a few moments before going on. “My cousin runs a working organic farm and bed and breakfast a couple of miles from downtown Danville. People come from all over to pick their own organic vegetables and fruits and have our chef prepare them the same day. I joined the staff about a year ago, and I started my nonprofit focusing on clean eating. I teach the benefits of growing your own food, no matter how small or large you start out.”

Miles nodded. “Impressive. That sounds like a nice place. And is it cooking classes you give?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“I teach that what we put in our food, land and water ends up in our bodies. I promote agriculture that is local, a manageable size, humane and socially just. I like to think about our future generations.”

Although she was being curt with him at the moment, Miles had a feeling she loved to talk about her work, given the right setting. He tried to ignore the people around them filling up the room for the next session and focus on the astute woman in front of him.

“You know, Ms. Coleman, my knowledge of organic farming is probably not as extensive as yours. And I’d bet the reason you oppose genetically modified ingredients is due to a lack of knowledge on your part. Before the conference is over, maybe we’ll each have gained a little more insight into both approaches. One may be as good as the other.”

Kyla chuckled and glanced down toward her shoes. “I don’t think so, Mr. Parker. It’s a one-day event. Maybe you should pay a visit to the Coleman Farm—you might learn something. I’ll even let you attend my workshop for free.”

“I just might take you up on that,” he said, seriously considering it.

The crowd around them grew even larger. Miles knew he had to leave to participate in another discussion down the hall, but the desire to leave Kyla Coleman wasn’t there, even though they were at odds. He wanted to get to know her beyond her obvious beauty.

Kyla smiled. “Come on out. I’ll be glad to show you around.” She pulled her tote bag up onto her shoulder. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you. I have another session to attend. Enjoy the conference.”

“You, too. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Miles quickly reached into his suit-coat pocket and whipped out a business card. “My card, should you ever find yourself in need of our services.”

She accepted the card, glanced at it and shoved it into her tote. “Thank you.”

As she walked away, Miles followed the graceful sway of her hips until she left the room. She wasn’t impressed with him, she might not even like him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d met his match.

Miles signaled to Brandon that it was time to move on. He tore himself away from a group of young female volunteers and joined Miles.

“Why’d you disappear?” Miles asked.

“You and that lady were going back and forth at each other about farm stuff. Man, I wasn’t trying to hear all that.”

Miles playfully grabbed Brandon by the neck and pushed him in front of him as they walked out of the room. “She invited me out to her farm.”

“I don’t have to go, do I?” Brandon asked.

“Boy, where I go, you go. I’m trying to teach you about business.”

“Looked to me like you had more than business on your mind when you were looking at her.”

Miles chuckled. “It’s strictly business.” What else could it be? he asked himself. Over a year ago, he’d turned his life around and vowed to be celibate until he met the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He was determined to become a man his father would have been proud of.