Page 51 of Keep My Heart (The Haydon Falls #1)

Two Months Later

Nick

‘The baskets go over there,’ Jason says to Brody, pointing to the table where people line up for the tractor ride that takes them to the orchard. ‘It’s been that way forever.’

‘Yeah? So why can’t we change it?’

Those two have been arguing all day, just like they did when we were kids.

‘Nick, where do you want them?’ Brody asks, holding a stack of the red-and-white woven baskets we give to people who want to pick their own apples.

‘Put them in both places this year. It’ll keep the lines from getting too long.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ Dad says. ‘I should’ve thought of that a long time ago.’ He comes over and pats me on the back. ‘You’re pretty good at this, Kanfield.’

‘My dad was a good teacher.’

He smiles and continues over to Mom, who’s setting up the tables where she’ll put out the apple fritters, apple pies, caramel apples, and all the other apple treats we sell.

We’re all in the barn, getting it ready for our opening on Saturday.

Opening day is always crazy, and it doesn’t slow down much after that.

Dad was right. The orchard is a lot of work, but I love it.

Moving here and taking over for my dad was the right decision.

I haven’t had a single moment of regret.

‘Hey,’ Lyndsay says, coming up behind me. ‘Want to take a break?’

‘I could use a break.’ I turn to her and give her a kiss. She’s wearing a red Kanfield tank top and denim shorts, her hair in two loose braids around her shoulders. She looks like a sexy farm girl ready for a roll in the hay.

‘You make it really difficult to get any work done,’ I say once we’re outside and alone.

‘Why is that?’

‘Because you’re so damn hot.’ I kiss her. ‘You need to come over tonight.’

‘I was planning on it.’

‘I mean the whole night, not just a few hours.’

‘Okay. I just need to let my mom know.’

Last month I moved into an apartment. It’s just a six-month lease until I find something I like better. I love my parents, but I couldn’t keep living with them. I needed my own place where I could be alone with Lyndsay.

She laughs. ‘I feel like a kid whenever I say that.’

‘Say what?’

‘That I have to let my mom know. It’s like I’m a teenager again.’

‘Maybe it’s time to move out.’

‘And go where? I haven’t saved up enough money to get my own place. ’

‘I know a guy who’d let you stay with him. He might even beg you to if that’s what it took.’

She smiles. ‘Are you asking me to move in with you?’

‘What would you say if I did?’

‘Yes!’ she squeals.

‘Well, that was easy.’ I laugh. ‘How about tonight? Is that too soon?’

‘I think I could make that work if some big strong guy helped me move my stuff.’

‘You mean Brody? Sure, I can get him to do that.’

‘Nick! You can’t make him do that.’

‘Sure I can. He’s my little brother. He has to listen to me. And I have to stay here and get ready for the opening.’

‘I should wait. We have too much to do. I’ll move in next week.’

‘I don’t want to wait that long. You don’t have that much stuff. Brody can fit it all in his truck.’

‘Okay, but I’m buying him pizza.’ Her face lights up and she claps her hands. ‘I’m so excited we’re moving in together!’

I smile, watching her. She used to get excited like that back in high school, clapping her hands, jumping up and down.

And then she married Chris and her joyful, carefree spirit faded away.

It’s back now, along with the other parts of herself she lost being with him.

She even let her hair go back to its natural blonde.

I grab her and lift her up in the air.

‘Nick, put me down!’ she says, laughing.

‘Not until you kiss me.’ She does, and I slowly set her down. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

We go back inside and I hear Sawyer ranting about something to Brody and Jason.

‘What’s going on?’ I ask, walking up to Sawyer .

‘You know the new brewery that’s opening?’

‘What about it?’

‘I just heard the owner is Gina.’

‘Yeah? Who’s that?’

‘Gina Slater!’ he says, throwing his hands up.

‘The girl from camp,’ Jason explains.

‘Really?’ I look back at Sawyer. ‘She’s not even from here, is she?’

‘No, but apparently her grandfather owned that building and left it to her in his will and she decided to turn it into a brewery. Who the hell does she think she is? She can’t open a brewery! In my town!’

‘You don’t own the town,’ I say. ‘And why can’t she open a brewery?’

‘What the hell does a girl know about making beer?’

‘Hey!’ Lyndsay says. ‘Why can’t girls make beer? You just follow a recipe.’

‘It’s more complicated than that,’ Sawyer mutters.

‘He’s just pissed because his competition is a girl,’ I say, laughing. ‘A girl who beat him at everything at camp.’

‘She didn’t beat me at everything ,’ he clarifies. ‘I won the spitball competition.’

‘You and your friends made up that competition,’ Jason says. ‘It wasn’t part of the camp.’

‘Who the hell cares? It was still a competition, and I won.’

‘Enough of this,’ I tell him. ‘Get back to work.’

‘Sorry, but I gotta go,’ Sawyer says. ‘I need to get to the brewery and work on my hard cider. There’s no way she’s going to win that competition. She better not even enter it.’

He’s talking about the hard cider competition the orchard has been doing for the past five years. We get people from all over entering it, and this year, since Sawyer’s entering, we’re hiring judges instead of doing it ourselves.

‘He’s really angry,’ Lyndsay says as we walk through the barn.

‘I know.’ I laugh. ‘I think he might’ve met his match.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘This girl. The one who’s opening the brewery. She sounds just as competitive as Sawyer.’

‘I hope they don’t end up fighting.’

‘That might be a good thing. Sawyer needs that type of girl, someone who will keep him in line.’

Lyndsay smiles. ‘Do I do that to you? Keep you in line?’

‘You keep me happy.’ I pull her into my arms. ‘And calm when we’re about to open for the season and I don’t feel like we’re even close to being ready.’

‘We’re ready. It’s going to be a great season!’

I look at her. ‘You just said “we”, like you’re a Kanfield.’

‘Oh, I meant “we” like the business, you know, because I work here.’

‘You are, you know.’

‘Are what?’

‘A Kanfield. You’re part of the family.’

She smiles. ‘I feel like it sometimes, I’m here so much.’

‘You are. It’s just not official yet.’

She gets that excited look again but doesn’t say anything. She knows it’s true. We haven’t talked about getting married, but we know it’ll happen. Maybe next fall, here on the orchard.

Nash and Callie decided to get married here. Their wedding’s in October. Helping them plan it will be good practice for my own.

I’m going to marry Lyndsay Davis, my high school crush, head cheerleader, and the girl of my dreams. And we’re going to run an orchard. Everything I thought would never happen actually did .

When I was younger, I ran from this place, ran from this town, never realizing that what I was running from is what I really wanted. A small town. My family. And settling down with the girl I love.

Did you fall for Nick and Lyndsay's swoonworthy romance?

Then don't wait to check out Book Two in the Kanfield Orchard series, Break My Heart , an enemies-to-lovers romance featuring Nick's younger brother, Sawyer!