Page 13 of Cozy Girl Fall

Penny had been feeling jumpy all morning, ever since she’d arrived at the orchard. She was half expecting Ethan to appear around the corner at any moment, likely catching her in some kind of embarrassing situation as seemed to be her norm now.

But so far, she hadn’t seen a trace of him.

She’d deliberately worn her coziest, scruffiest outfit to the orchard, not wanting to look like she’d dressed up for him if she wore something too nice.

So she’d settled for a beat-up pair of mom jeans that had a rip in the knee and an oversize sweatshirt whose sleeves were long enough that only the cuffs were keeping them above her hands. Casual. Unaffected.

Why does it matter? Her inner voice screamed, and she tried to focus on the task at hand as she squinted against the watery sunlight.

The wind had eased off that morning, but the chill in the air remained, reminding her uncannily of cold nights by the bonfire that took place on the green in the center of town to celebrate fall.

Maybe she could suggest that her parents set up a stand with warm apple cider—mostly because she loved warm apple cider, but it would also kick-off the buzz in the run-up to Halloween Orchard Fest in late October.

Unfortunately, her thoughts hadn’t settled even after clearing half the tree of its load.

Maybe he’d been joking , she reasoned. He could have been playing off of the whole ‘stalker’ thing, rather than literally meaning he’d see her today. She sighed, shaking her head at herself as she made her way down the steps of her ladder to deposit another load in the bigger tub.

You’re here to pick apples, not pick up men.

But thinking about Ethan as only a man didn’t feel right.

There was too much between them. He’d been her best friend since they were kids, and her boyfriend since they were about fourteen.

Ethan Blake wasn’t just some guy, he was the guy.

Her first love, maybe her only love really.

So far , she reminded herself. Because Ethan wasn’t her future, he was her past, regardless of the lingering connection between them.

She worked methodically, figuring the harder she focused on harvesting the less time she’d spend debating the way Ethan Blake made her feel, and pulled apples down from the large tree at a pace far quicker than usual while trying to dodge the fall leaves that sprinkled around her like confetti.

It was only rational, she supposed. Being back in this town, with these people, it was easy to fall into old patterns—and Ethan was the person she’d had the hardest time convincing herself to leave behind the first time.

And she was leaving again, she couldn’t let herself get caught up in emotions that were just a result of nostalgia and admittedly toned abs.

The sky had darkened a little, the sun having vanished behind a cloud and refusing to reappear, and Penny worked to keep one eye on the sky, not liking the way the air was feeling.

The prickle of static along her skin, the slightly dew-heavy moisture surrounding her …

If she wasn’t careful, she’d be caught in a storm.

On the one hand, if it was the kind of storm that brought wind as well as rain then it was likely the winds might shake free some of the apples waiting to be harvested—but on the other hand, it might chuck them around so much that they were only good for jam or the horses in the stable next door.

She increased her pace, moving as fast as she could without putting herself in danger so that she could at least finish this tree and pack the apples safely away. The wind picked up, changing from a light breeze to a more insistent push that made her wobble.

Nearly done. Just one more section …

She reached up, stretching for the top branches of the tree that she’d stupidly left for last. The wind blew harder, her fingers slipped on the glossy skin of a red apple, and she shrieked when her footing slipped.

Two hands came at her with a blur of speed and scooped beneath her before she could hit the ground.

Long-lashed pools of brown met her eyes as she gasped, grateful that Ethan had somehow appeared just in time for him to catch her.

“Need a hand?” He placed her gently on the ground, his sturdy arms able to lower her easily.

“Sorry,” she croaked and swallowed before trying again. “I lost my footing. The wind—”

Ethan nodded and she pressed a shaky hand to his cheek, assessing his pallor. He smiled but it was weak. “Glad I got to you in time. Can’t believe you’re still out here.”

“How did you know?”

The disapproval that puckered his brow moved her fingers and she dropped her hand quickly, having forgotten it was pressed to his face. “Your car was still here.”

He let go of her slowly, his body brushing against hers as his hands steadied her with a palm to her ass that he quickly removed, color staining his cheeks.

She cleared her throat, willing the heat in her own cheeks to die down—a task that was probably impossible given that her body was still fixated on the brief warmth of Ethan’s hand on her butt. “I want to finish up this tree and then get out of here before that storm hits.”

He nodded, face turning serious as he climbed up the other side of the ladder and began pulling apples down a little faster than she could. “I’ll help you finish up. The road still floods when the weather gets bad, so we should get out of here before we get stuck.”

Flash floods on old country roads had always been a pain in her childhood, and now she wasn’t sure her little bug would survive a drenching.

Once she felt steadier, she helped lower the apples he collected into the tub at their feet.

They worked in companionable silence for a while and in its echoes all Penny could think about was the feel of Ethan’s arms around her, the way he’d clasped her to his chest like something precious, even as she tried desperately to focus only on the task at hand.

It didn’t help. The warmth of his fingertips pressing into her skin was as good as a brand.

The clouds rolled in, getting darker and thicker, like the evening had come around instead of the afternoon.

But there hadn’t been any thunder yet, so for now they still had some time left to finish up and get out of there.

Her pace increased, fingers searching for purchase on the smooth surface of the apples.

“So you work here.” She hadn’t phrased it as a question, but he clearly heard it there anyway as she bundled a haul of apples into a cloth and walked it down the ladder to the larger tub at the base of the tree.

The wind kicked up, ruffling Ethan’s hair as he nodded. “Yeah, it gives me an excuse to leave the house, get some fresh air. Meet people.” He added the last with a quick grin flashed in her direction that she pretended not to see.

The ladder clanked as she climbed up the other side to help him, reaching for the next branch and jerking back when her shoulder brushed against his.

“What about you? I thought you were a chef.”

She nodded, careful to keep her distance as she twisted another apple free, its sweet scent filling the air as thunder rumbled quietly enough that she almost missed it. “Yeah, I was. I am. I’m just taking a break while I decide where to go next.”

He hummed like that was a completely reasonable thing to do and she was relieved when he didn’t push for more information.

Their eyes caught and held and Penny jumped when the next clap of thunder seemed to be right overhead, the sound so loud she dropped the apple she was holding as the noise rippled through her.

“We should probably go.”

No sooner had she said it than lightning flashed and the heavens opened, warm rain falling from the sky in a deluge so heavy that a fine mist filled the space between the trees, cloaking the orchard.

They hurried down from the ladder and grabbed a handle each of the large tub of apples, the rubber slippery in their hands as they wielded it between them. Normally they’d leave it behind when they were done, but with the weather raging around them the fruit wouldn’t have lasted five seconds.

More thunder cracked and mud squelched beneath her boots, the fresh smell of rain and trees strangely soothing even as she tried to blink water out of her eyes to see where she was going.

The weather had surged so quickly, so unexpectedly, they’d be lucky to make it to the small shop at the front of the orchard, let alone back home.

Ethan shielded her from the rain as they arrived at the door to the shop and Penny fumbled for the keys. The shop wasn’t open every day; she’d only brought the keys with her today so that John, their afternoon harvester, could collect up the apples and leave them in the shop for sorting later.

The rain fell harder, pouring down with a renewed vigor as though it knew they were close to escaping it. Strands of her hair fell about her face in what was probably a wet mess, but all she could focus on was the cool metal in her hands and the heat of Ethan at her back.

A click sounded and the door finally swung open for them to drag the apples inside and then slam the door.

She tried the lights and was unsurprised when they didn’t turn on.

It was a fail-safe for storms that their generator cut power to avoid an electrical fire.

It was lucky they kept battery-operated lanterns in the store for times like this.

Penny was pleased that she remembered where they were, a little dusty but still functional as she flicked the switch on and a warm glow bathed the wooden walls and floor.

The counter where her mom normally worked was empty and the ceiling felt lower than usual because the warm light didn’t quite reach the roof.

“I don’t suppose you have a heater?” Ethan said, hair dripping down his face as a shiver ran through him.