Lila wiped her brow with the back of her hand as she took a brief pause from her afternoon chores. The sun was high in the sky, casting its warm rays over the wide, empty stretch of the Winslow Farm, the air thick with the scent of hay and warm earth. It wasn't uncommon for cars to pass by on the rural road, but something caught her attention—a sleek city car parked outside the main entrance, not far from the farmhouse, its engine silent under the hot afternoon sun.

Lila squinted against the bright light, noticing the car was positioned awkwardly, not simply pulled over momentarily like most travelers. Through the windshield, she could see a woman sitting inside, her head tilted toward her phone, fingers tapping uselessly at the screen in the rural area where cell service disappeared like water in dry soil.

Her first thought was that this was just another one of those slick city folks, maybe trying to strike a deal or make some kind of offer for the farm. She'd seen it too many times since her parents passed—people showing up unannounced, pretending to be interested in the land for some "big opportunity" before revealing their true intentions of developing the property. The memory of their disappointed faces when she refused to sell still brought a small, satisfied smirk to her lips.

With a firm step, she strode toward the car, the heat of the afternoon air making her sweat through her flannel shirt, but determination sharpening her movements like a well-honed tool. Gravel crunched under her boots, announcing her approach as she reached the driver's window and knocked once, loud and firm, enough to startle even someone lost in thought.

"Hey, I already told 'em once I ain't sellin'. Ain't no amount of money's gonna get me to walk away from this farm!" her voice rang out, carrying the slight twang of someone who'd spent a lifetime talking to livestock and fields, tilting her head with a look of unwavering confidence that dared the stranger to challenge her. "So you can turn that car around, or you can just head on outta here. Ain't no reason to waste anyone's time."

She stood there, her hands planted firmly on her hips, calloused fingers from years of hard work visible even from inside the vehicle, waiting for the woman to roll the window down. Lila's hazel eyes were sharp as they studied the stranger, her freckled face set in a no-nonsense expression that had turned away more than one persistent salesman.