Page 15 of Raised On It (Between the Pines #1)

Tangled up with feelings I shouldn’t be feeling. But there isn’t a thing I can do to stop it. And I cannot deny the fact that the man stealing my heart without even trying is also the man whose blood, sweat, and tears go into one of my favorite things isn’t a pretty crazy coincidence.

“Come on, let's go have lunch.” He takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, and guides me back through the house and out to the truck.

He doesn’t say much as we drive to a quiet part of the farm. Once he’s parked, we hop out, and he drops the tailgate and spreads out a thick blanket.

“Hop on up,” he says, patting the blanket. “Need a boost?”

I jump up and take my place in answer to his question of me needing a boost.

He puts a soft shell cooler next to me and then hoists himself up on the other side of it.

“Lunch is served, milady.”

My heart is swelling with every kind gesture he makes.

He’s thought of everything, yet he hasn’t made any chaste moves.

He’s been nothing but a gentleman whereas I was the one to kiss him on the porch the other night and then again in the house a few minutes ago.

Either I’m reading things wrong and he doesn’t feel the same way I do, or he’s really trying to do this right.

“Hungry?”

“Did you make this yourself?”

“Yes, ma’am. Today’s menu includes cheese, crackers, sandwiches, sliced apples, and your choice of soda or bottled water.”

“Sounds perfect. ”

Just like everything else about you.

He lays out a board he pulled out of the cooler and spreads out our tailgate picnic.

When I compare the tranquil beauty of being out here on the farm and the quiet contentment that comes with it to the noise and nonstop rush of living in the city I’m surprised to find I don’t think I could pick one over the other when it comes to which way of life is more idyllic.

Both are filled with hopes and dreams; they’re just achieved differently.

Miles’s dreams may not be achieved wearing a suit and making deals day in and day out, but he’s just as fulfilled making his come true by working the land.

Actually, he doesn’t seem to work the land much these days, but still.

“Dive in.”

Miles starts with his sandwich, and I follow suit since he hasn’t led me astray so far.

My legs naturally swing back and forth off the edge of the tailgate as I take the first bite of my classic turkey and cheese sandwich topped with lettuce, tomato, and honey Dijon mustard that gives it a little bit of a kick.

“So good,” I mumble as the old-school white bread sticks to the roof of my mouth.

“Glad you like it.”

“Miles, today has been great,” I say after swallowing my bite down. “Thank you so much for sharing your world with me.”

“My pleasure.”

“I mean it. From the sunrise to this kick-ass lunch, it’s one of the best days I’ve had since…well, I can’t even remember a day when I’ve felt so content. So happy. Thank you.”

His head tilts to the side just like Lou’s does when you ask him if he wants a treat.

“Mason, I have to say as happy as it makes me that I could make you feel what you’re feeling today, it hurts my heart to hear you say you can’t remember the last time you felt like this. Darlin’, you deserve a lot more out of life than that.”

He’s right .

He’s always right.

What do I even say to that?

“This is great cheese; what kind is it?”

Seriously, you’re asking him about his cheese right now?

“It’s cheese, Mason. Tell me, who do you spend most of your time with back in New York?”

“Friends.”

“Tell me about them.”

“Tell you about my friends? You mean, besides my journal?”

“Why not? You’ve met plenty of mine. We’ll get to the journal later.”

Is he for real?

“Let’s see…um…well, as you know, most of the friends I grew up with or that I thought were closest to me screwed me over. I still have a couple of trustworthy girlfriends from my old life, and I see them from time to time.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Thanks,” I reply shyly before continuing.

“I have a really great group of friends I met through work. A lot of them work in publishing, and even though I’m an author and they are actual publishers and editors or work in some other capacity in the publishing world, we all hit it off.

We have a standing date every Thursday night.

Whoever is in town and available shows up, and we have drinks and dinner, and we talk for hours at a time.

It’s a pretty great group of ladies. I feel like I’ve found my tribe with them. ”

“Do I even want to know what you all talk about for hours on end every single week?”

“Probably not. But let’s see, we talk about books, men, royal weddings, work, how much we love them, but don’t need men to be happy…”

Miles interrupts me after my last comment. “Wait a second, go back a tick. So, are you one of the ones who loves men but doesn’t need one to be happy? ”

Well, at least I know he’s listening.

“Yes and no. I mean, I would love to build a life with a man who is my best friend and who sets me on fire between the sheets. A man I can share beers with on the EBC dock when I’m old. Who doesn’t want that?”

Tearing my gaze from the splendor in front of me, I chance a look at an even more breathtaking landscape when our eyes meet.

He lifts an eyebrow in intrigue. “Go on.”

“But, let’s face it. I don’t need a man to take care of me or to make me happy.

I’ve made my own money. I have a kick-ass career and an apartment in one of the greatest cities in the world.

I’ve created my own brand and have succeeded in an industry that is oversaturated, yet I’ve found a way to stand out and make my own path.

I’m strong on my own, Miles. A lot of men find my confidence to be a little off-putting, you know? ”

“Actually, I don’t. I think your confidence looks pretty damn good on you.”

Be still my thunderous heart and the butterflies fluttering to life inside my chest.

“Any man can say that, but when it comes to being in a relationship with a strong woman, it may not be quite so appealing.”

“This is just another example of where I’m different from the other men in your life. Your confidence and independence are sexy as hell, if you ask me.”

He throws a cracker in his mouth as though there is nothing else to be said.

Visions of clearing the tailgate of our lunch and mounting him in the bed of the truck speed through my brain. I know it’s a bad decision, so I don’t act upon it, but damn, I want him in the worst way.

The conversation has gone silent, and even out here in the vastness of the farm, you would have to sledgehammer through the layers of lust hovering between us .

He contains himself much better than I do, but I see it in his eyes. He’s determined to prove himself to me. I find this makes him even more attractive.

Dammit!

Checking his watch, he slides off the tailgate and begins to gather the remnants of our lunch. “As much as I hate to cut this short, I have a meeting with my parents soon, so I best be getting you home, City Mouse.”

I shouldn’t, but I love the stupid nickname he’s given me.

A sucker. That’s what I am. I’m letting him charm me. Knowingly. And I don’t care. There’s a sincerity to him that I want so desperately to be true.

“No problem. I’ve taken up enough of your day.”

“Nonsense, this will have been the best part of my day, and if I had my way, you would take up the rest of it too, but duty calls.”

Without warning, his hands land on my waist, and he lifts me off the tailgate to place me on my feet. It takes everything I have not to wrap my legs around his waist and never let go.

As much as it pains me to admit, even if only to myself, he’s going about our time together in all the right ways. If it weren’t for the lingering stares, sweet words, and obvious gestures, I’d think he just wants us to be friends, but unless I’m completely delusional, I find that hard to believe.

Once we’re packed up, and Lou is in the back seat, we drive back through the property, and I can’t stop the endless questions in my head from falling out of my mouth. In fact, my questions and our conversation don’t end until we pull up in front of Katie’s house.

I’m busy saying goodbye to his sweet pup in the back seat when Miles opens my door for me, but he doesn’t step aside so I can get out. He stands right there, inches away looking me right in the eye, like he always does. Never shying away from me.

“I hope you got some good pictures today? ”

Struggling for breath anytime we’re this close is becoming a common occurrence.

Answering a simple question is taking a much higher level of concentration than it should.

Not letting myself get consumed by whatever it is that makes Miles, well, Miles is quite the task, but I manage to pull myself together.

“I’m sure I did. I can’t wait to get on my computer and check them out.”

Taking my hand and stepping to the side, he says, “Well, don’t let me slow you down. I’ll walk you to the door.”

Crap! He thinks I’m trying to get rid of him.

Nice job, Mason.

I’ve unlocked the front door and can’t think of anything to prolong our time together, so reluctantly, I turn to say goodbye.

“City Mouse, I hope you’ve got a bunch of empty pages in that journal of yours because I’m going to show you the Eastlyn I was raised on. I hope you’re ready?” His soft lips lightly brush my cheek before he rushes back to his truck and drives away with a wave.

Am I ready to see his Eastlyn?

Just as I’ve done since the fourth grade, I open my journal as soon as I’ve made my way inside and spend the next hour detailing my day and all the feelings that came along with it.

I probably shouldn’t have mentioned my journal when Miles asked me to tell him about all my closest friends because let’s face it, I tell her everything.