Page 54 of Stronghold

Today, I'm sure our intentions are a lot less innocent.

As soon as we're through the hedge and on the path surrounding the field, Jud wraps his arms around my waist and lifts his head up for a kiss.

I gladly give it to him. We take our time tasting each other. Hands desperately seeking warm skin.

"God, Jud, you drive me insane." I run my teeth down his neck and suck on the skin, knowing I'll leave a mark. It won't be visible under his clothes, but he'll see it. He'll know it's there and exactly who's responsible for it.

"Sky…" His voice has a tinge of desperation, but we can't do anything here. If he's always as loud as he was back at the orchard, then we definitely can't do more than make out.

"I need you at the cabin with me," I say.

"Tonight would be too obvious. I think my mom already suspects there's something between us. I'm working tomorrow night. Day after?"

"It's a date." I claim his mouth again before I force myself to let go.

* * *

The next day is one of those days that make it so easy to forget that, for endless months, Vermont has more shades of gray than a paint swatch.

The sky is blue, with a few white clouds scattered around, the flower beds on Church Street are blooming, and there's a nice buzz in the air.

Farmer's market day in Burlington is the best day to be out on Church Street. There are so many street entertainers and traders selling their crafts and local foods.

After missing a few weeks because of tapping season, my stall is particularly busy with people wanting to buy this season's maple syrup.

"Hey, Skyler, do you have a box for me?" Celia from Celia's Creemees shouts from her stand.

"Of course. You know I'd never let you down."

"Missed you, gorgeous." She winks, and I wave her off.

The absolute best way to end the day at the market is with one of her delicious maple-and-vanilla flavored creemees, and I don’t plan to break that tradition.

Celia wants me to be her sole supplier of maple syrup, but until I can increase my production, I can't take her offer.

I still have sixty percent of my forest untapped. My business does well on the current production, but I like having room for expansion.

"Should I be jealous?"

I turn around to see Jud standing an arm's distance away. I want to reach out and pull him even closer, but the crew from the show will turn up any moment with cameras, and we'd agreed that we didn't want our private life to play out on the show.

"Of Celia? You do realize she's a hundred years old, right?"

Jud snorts.

"You're a bit early for work, aren't you?" I ask.

He bites his lip and scratches behind his ear, which I now know is his tell. He wants something.

"I changed shifts with Oz," he says. "I'm…not working today."

I laugh, and the part of me that is already so attached to Jud wonders if he feels the same way to the point of changing his shift.

God, I want to kiss him so badly.

"Want to meet me at the cabin at six? I'll let you cook me dinner."

Jud laughs, but I manage to keep a straight face. "What? You don't like my plan?"