Page 50 of Apple of My Eye

Chapter Forty

Nick

She’s here. I know it before I see her. I can feel the energy in the room like an electric current.

Pulsing, waiting, wanting. Eloise is here .

I turn quickly, pivoting towards the double doors that mark the entrance to the dusty schoolroom we use to meet.

Sure enough, tucked into a crowd of people, right next to Linden, is Eloise.

Just like the first time we met, her beauty takes my breath away.

She looks so .?.?. at home .?.?. like she’s met these people before, or she’s been here.

But that’s impossible. I’m here every week.

She hasn’t been. But .?.?. I scan her body—her jeans are different and she’s wearing a shirt I’ve never seen.

She’s dressed like everyone else. Not like a farmer.

Questions are buzzing through my mind. Why is she here?

What is she doing with Linden? Did they resolve their issues?

Does she know I’ll be here? Will she talk to me? Does she hate me still?

Just then Eloise looks up, straight at me, her eyes tunneling all the way into my soul. She smiles softly, one corner of her lips tugging upward. Just like that, my last question, the most important one, is answered. By some miracle, Eloise doesn’t hate me. I may still have a chance.

I give her a small wave, trying to ignore that I see her frantically tug on Linden’s sleeve. So, she didn’t know I would be here. Oh well. I can’t worry about that right now. I have a presentation to make.

I finish my speech to a smattering of applause. Quickly, folks get up to mingle and the room is filled with a low hum of conversation.

I stand my ground, hoping Linden will bring Eloise over. Ever since I quit my job to lead marketing for the Sausalito Farmer’s Committee, including orchestrating the farmers’ market every Sunday, Linden has been at every meeting. He’s really had my back.

Sure enough, I feel a hand on my shoulder, breaking the conversation I was having with one of the vendors about the definition of organic.

‘Sorry to steal this one,’ Linden says with a charming smile.

‘Nick, I brought my sister Eloise. I know you guys briefly met before, but figured it could be nice to reconnect.’ He takes a step back as Eloise takes a step forward. God, I missed her.

‘I actually think you two could really hit it off,’ he says with a wink, making a beeline for the snack table. I turn to Eloise, about to ask her what exactly she told Linden, only to find her starting to laugh.

‘You mean .?.?. you didn’t .?.?. ?’

‘Nope,’ she says in between giggles, ‘didn’t say a thing.’

I grin at her, a smile bigger than I’ve felt on my face in ages. ‘I missed you,’ I whisper, pulling her in for a hug.

‘I missed you too,’ she says shyly.

‘Would you want to maybe go on a date with me?’ I ask. ‘That is, before you head home?’

‘Oh.’ Her cheeks color a bright pink as she shifts from foot to foot. ‘I—um—I live here now.’

‘You’re kidding.’

She shakes her head. ‘I actually live with Linden.’

‘But the Parkers didn’t sell .?.?. you mean you didn’t buy them out?’

There’s a glint in her eye as she responds. ‘Hmmm, I thought I might have you to thank for them not selling. But don’t think that means I forgive you for lying to me about fantasy football—’ she whacks me with her arm ‘—of all things!’

‘Did your loan not go through?’ I ask, still trying to understand what Eloise is doing here, still trying to balance the declaration of anger coming out of her mouth with the good nature of her delivery.

‘It did. But I deferred it. I’m waiting until I’m there because I want to be there, and not because I think I’m needed.’ She blushes. ‘I think I have you to thank for that too.’ She shifts her weight slightly. ‘My expectations of myself were, you know .?.?. a little high.’

‘We both have some thanks to give apparently. I have you to thank for giving me a sense of moral decency.’

‘Am I also who you should thank for quitting that high-paying, uber-successful job of yours to do this?’ She gestures at the room. ‘Marketing for SFC?’

I pretend to think. ‘No, that was all Linden.’

She swats me on my arm, laughing. ‘Cut that out.’

‘Seriously, you didn’t buy the land?’

‘No.’ She shrugs her shoulders. ‘Turns out, my parents didn’t even want to be farming. And I think I want to live a little before I settle down to do it forever. They’re leasing it out for a few years. Then I’ll decide if I want to buy it.’

‘I don’t think that’s a bad plan.’

‘I thought about reaching out,’ she admits. ‘I had no idea you’d be here.’

‘I’ve thought about you every day,’ I confess. ‘The closest thing I could get to you was .?.?. well .?.?. this.’

She smiles so big it breaks my heart. ‘Really?’

‘Really.’

‘So, who’s gonna tell Linden that it wasn’t an original thought of his that we would hit if off?’

‘Unfortunately, I think that has to be your parents.’

‘Deal. But only if we last until we see them again.’

‘If we last until then?’ I ask with a theatrical gasp. ‘Eloise Anderson, I plan on making this last a very long time. Maybe forever.’

‘Forever with you,’ Eloise muses, as she tilts her chin up to mine. ‘I like the sound of that.’