Page 55 of Falling for the Grumpiest Protector

Javier's expression grows quieter.

"Probably."

"I don't know how I feel about that."

"You don't have to know yet."

I look at him. The answer is so unexpected that I don't say anything. He doesn't seem to realize he's said something profound. Or maybe he does and has no intention of discussing it. Either way, I'm grateful. We keep walking.

"Where does the money come from?" I ask after a while. "You don't have to tell me numbers. I'm just trying to understand how something this big keeps going."

"Combination. Farm revenue. Donations. Grants. Community partnerships. Fundraisers."

"And that's enough?"

"Some years."

I hear the answer beneath the answer.

"Some years it isn't."

"No."

"What happens then?"

"We figure it out."

Simple. Matter-of-fact.

"What does that mean?"

"It means Jack calls people. I call people. We postpone something that can wait. Find another grant. Sell more produce. Take on another restaurant account. Hold another fundraiser."

I look around again. The housing. The workshops. The animals. The people working.

"You run all of this?"

"Jack runs the farm."

"That wasn't my question."

He looks at me. I smile slightly.

"You know exactly what I mean."

He studies me for a second.

"We run it together."

There is no false modesty in the answer. No ego either. Just fact.

"That's a lot."

"Yeah."

I ask how many people are involved, and he explains the mix of staff, program participants, volunteers, local businesses, and former participants who come back to mentor newer ones. And slowly, without my realizing it at first, Javier starts talking more. Not market Javier. Not the man who answers questions with one word because he enjoys watching me get annoyed. This Javier knows every moving part. Which buildings need repairs. Which programs have waiting lists. Which partnerships are working. Where they need more volunteers. Where they don't need volunteers but desperately need money. He talks about the veterans without pity. Never once. He talks about work. Purpose. Routine. Skills. People finding their footing. Moving forward. And I listen. Really listen. Because underneath the work boots and the dirt on his jeans is a man who understands operations at a level I recognize.

"You know this place like a business."