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CHAPTER NINETEEN

ROZ

I stood on the back deck, thermos of coffee in hand, surveying the farm. It was hard to believe all of this—hundreds of acres of fruit and Christmas trees, strawberry fields and green pastures—was mine. A hint of pine wafted on the southerly breeze. Now all I needed was for Fred to greenlight the investment and I could really relax.

A loud thump, followed by muttering, broke my reverie. I followed the noise to the side of the house. Dana was inspecting the locking mechanism on the door of the van we used to transport produce.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

Dana turned, her cheeks pink and jaw clenched. “The door won’t shut properly.”

I gripped my thermos tighter. Everything around here kept breaking down. As I approached the van, I spotted a colorful assortment of flowers through the window.

“Are you heading over to Sapphire Blooms?”

Dana nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got to drop these off to Liv.”

My pulse leaped. “I’ll figure out the door and drive it over. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate with fixing the irrigation to the strawberry fields.”

Dana frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine. I know I’m not much practical help around the farm, but this is something I can do. Besides, I owe you for the other night and the whole McKinley debacle.” Insisting my answer was right had led to our defeat, after all.

But more than that, I wanted to see Olivia.

I stiffened at the thought. It’s just because I need to ask her something, that’s all.

“You don’t want to give Ronnie a hand with Thelma and Louise?” Dana raised an eyebrow. “He’s just heading over there now.”

“News travels fast around here, I see.” I pressed my lips together.

“Welcome to small-town life.” Dana smirked. “Will may have mentioned your milk bath at the pub the other night.”

I ran my hand over the side of the van door. “Yes, well, I think I’ll let Ronnie stick to his area of expertise, and I’ll focus on things I can actually help with.”

“Just don’t crash the van.” Dana threw me the keys and winked. “We only have one of them. By the way, I like the new wardrobe.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t going to admit it to Olivia, but I’d been loving my new clothes. They were so much more practical than my usual attire. I’d even worn the ridiculous overalls yesterday when cleaning out one of the old barns.

I strode back into the house, grabbed a can of WD-40 and sprayed it at every conceivable section of the door that could be jamming. I yanked the handle, and after a moment of resistance, the door slid shut.

* * *

The bell to Sapphire Blooms announced my arrival with a loud jingle. Olivia stood behind the counter, wearing a green apron over a pink floral jumpsuit, her hair tied in a messy bun. Mason jars full of flowers sat in front of her. Brow furrowed, she added frilly red flowers to the jars.

I cleared my throat, and her head jerked up.

A slight frown flittered across her face before she broke into a smile. “Well, hello, Farmer Roz.” Her eyes scanned me up and down. “How are you liking your new clothes? Any more mooning incidents?”

I snorted, heat burning my cheeks at the memory of Olivia’s soft finger tapping my bare-naked butt.

“I’m pleased to report I have not exposed myself to anyone. And the clothes, they’re… comfortable. And not dry-clean only, which is nice.” Especially since I no longer had an assistant to take care of things like that. “How’s your hat?”

“Very sun protective, thank you.” Olivia plucked up another red flower and placed it in a jar. “Have you heard from Fred?”

I shook my head. “Unfortunately not.”

Olivia’s face fell, and my shoulders dropped. Olivia clearly wanted this whole arrangement to be over. Why did that bother me so much? I shook myself. It’ s not personal. She just wants reassurance her business is safe, just like I do.

“So what do I owe this visit to?” Olivia asked, straightening a purple flower that had flopped over.

“I’ve got the van outside with your delivery.” I nodded my head toward Main Street. “Dana is very busy, so I thought I’d bring them over.”

Olivia’s eyes widened. “Oh, thanks. I’ll come out and help you bring them in.”

Once we finished moving the flowers into Olivia’s climate-controlled storage room, I nodded at the mason jars. “Are these for a wedding?”

“No. I’m about to drop them over to Novel Gossip. They’re for the café tables. George has been doing a great job at selling my candles, so I’m taking an extra box of those as well.”

Olivia eyed a small metal trolley on the side of the counter. A large cardboard box sat on it.

“I’m probably being a bit ambitious trying to walk it all over at once. I might need to do two loads.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Scrap that, I didn’t realize how late it was. I’ll just run the flowers over now and drop off the candles after I close. Sorry, I’d better hurry.”

I took a step closer to the counter. “I can help. I can carry the box and you can use the trolley for the flowers. I’ve been meaning to check out the café anyway.”

Olivia’s face brightened. “Are you sure? That would be amazing. Although the box is fairly heavy. Lift it first and see what you think.”

I bent down and picked up the box. It was heavier than it looked and my arms were sore from cleaning out the barn yesterday, but Novel Gossip wasn’t far away. “This is fine.”

“Excellent!” Olivia grabbed another red flower. “Let me just finish adding the ranunculus into the jars and then we can head off.”

My arms burned as we walked down Main Street. I glanced over at Olivia, who was staring straight ahead, and cleared my throat. “I asked my architect to draw up revised plans of the events space, with your sustainability suggestions included. They’re going to send them through this afternoon. I was wondering if you’d be willing to take a look? It would be good to get another pair of eyes on them and given many of the changes arose from your suggestions, I’d love to get your input. If we’re both happy with them, I might forward them onto Fred as an excuse to prod him.”

Olivia’s eyebrows dipped for a moment. There was that hesitation again. Was she trying to think of an excuse not to help?

Olivia guided the trolley around a bump in the footpath. “I’m coming over to the farm on Wednesday to talk to Dana about planning for some upcoming weddings. Would that be too late?”

“No. That’s perfect,” I said, trying to ignore the pain in my arms.

By the time we reached George’s café, my arms were shaking.

I pushed open the door with my back, letting Olivia pull the trolley through. As soon as she was inside, I tried to place the box gently on the nearest free table. It landed with a thud.

As I stretched out my arms, I took the opportunity to look around. It was nicely set up. Customers sat at circular wooden tables chatting or reading. Exposed red brick walls with floating bookshelves gave the café-bookstore a warm, comforting vibe. Aisles of books stretched back on the left side of the store. On the counter, there was a display of delicious-looking baked goods. My stomach rumbled. Even though it was still early, a line of customers was queued in front of the register.

George stood behind a large shiny red coffee machine on the counter, a tall man taking orders beside her.

“It looks like George and Ben are swamped,” Olivia said. “Do you mind helping me swap out the flowers on the tables with the new ones, and we can leave that box with the candles in the corner for George to unpack later?”

I set to work taking the jars of slightly wilted blooms off the table and replacing them with new jars full of fresh flowers. My nose tickled. I really needed to remember to take my anti-histamines.

“Olivia!” A woman with short gray hair approached us, peering over her glasses. “Is this your new employee?”

Olivia laughed. “No, Mrs. Harding. She’s?—”

“I am for the morning.” I grinned. “Hi. I’m Roz Kennedy. When I’m not Olivia’s assistant, I’m the new owner of Red Tractor Farm.” I placed the jar I was holding on the table and extended my hand.

Olivia stared at me and blinked. “Mrs. Harding was my English teacher. She’s also Blake and Jenny’s neighbor.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mrs. Harding said, grasping my hand. “Olivia was one of my star students. I always thought she’d become a journalist or find some other way to use those skills.” She peered over her glasses at Olivia. “Although, you’ve had quite a few careers already, haven’t you, dear? Perhaps there’s still time.”

Olivia gave a small but firm smile. “I think I’ve found my calling with floristry.”

“Back in my day, we usually just had one career, often with the same employer. But you millennials seem to love constant change.” Mrs. Harding shook her head. “Although, Blake has been very consistent.”

Olivia’s hands tightened around the mason jar she was holding.

I jumped in. “Work is such an important part of our lives—it makes sense to take some time to find a career that you love rather than just sticking out the first one you choose for the sake of it. It’s often hard to know what a job entails until you’re in the trenches.”

“Perhaps.” Mrs. Harding’s eyes lit up and she gave someone a wave. “My coffee date is here. Nice to meet you, Roz. I’ll see you around, Olivia.” She bustled off.

“Is everything okay?” I asked Olivia once Mrs. Harding was out of earshot. “She reminded me of a nosy math teacher I had in seventh grade.”

Olivia nodded. “It’s fine. I just didn’t need the reminder about my chaotic career history before I’ve had my morning coffee.”

“Well—” I started to say.

“Roz! Olivia!”

My heart jumped. I recognized that voice. Fred .

Olivia’s gaze shifted behind me, her face breaking into a smile.

I swung around to find Fred holding a takeout cup and a paper bag, beaming. “Hi Fred! How’s your house hunting coming along?”

I flung my arm out to wrap it around Olivia’s waist. Ouch. Pain shot up my already sore arm. What the…? I glanced down. Our arms had smashed into each other halfway between us. Olivia must have had the exact same idea as me.

I chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, babe.” I slid my arm carefully behind Olivia’s waist and squeezed.

“I haven’t found anywhere yet,” Fred said, eyeing us. “But there’s a few promising open houses this weekend.”

“Oh great! Well, at least you’ve found the best coffee shop in the area.” Olivia smiled. “Always a top priority.”

Fred laughed, his gaze dropping to the cart. “Are these your creations, Olivia?”

She nodded. “Yes. All locally grown at Red Tractor Farm.”

“They look terrific, don’t they?” I added, smiling at Olivia.

She faced Fred, her smooth cheek so close to mine I could see the fine hairs on her face and a smattering of light freckles. Maybe… Perhaps I should kiss it? As a little show of affection, for Fred’s benefit. Yes. A quick peck on the cheek might make up for our clumsy embrace earlier. I leaned in, pouting my lips.

Olivia’s head moved suddenly, a blur of pink, white and brown. My lips made impact with something soft, warm and pillowy. My stomach flipped, my eyes widening as I gazed directly into Olivia’s deep-brown eyes. I wasn’t kissing her cheek. I was kissing her lips. Oh god. Her lips parted slightly. My arm gripped her waist even tighter. Something clenched in my core. She smelled incred?—

Bang!

Water sloshed over my leg. I pulled back, looking down. Shit. A mason jar, surrounded by water and flowers, lay shattered on the floor. Did I knock that over?

Olivia and I crouched down and our heads collided. Pain reverberated through my skull. Seriously?

Fred grabbed the largest piece of the jar. “Here, let me help.”

“Thanks, Fred. Between the two of us, we’ll have this cleaned up in no time,” I said as I collected the flowers between my fingers carefully.

“Don’t mind us.” Olivia picked up another piece of large glass, her cheeks flushed red. “We’re always a hot mess until we have our coffee.”

I nodded, placing the flowers carefully on the table. I’d already drunk my thermos of coffee this morning, so caffeine withdrawal couldn’t explain my sudden bout of clumsiness. Or why my lips had lingered on Olivia’s mouth. Or why I wasn’t finding it difficult to compliment Olivia anymore. My head pounded.

“I’ll go see if they have something to sweep it up,” Fred said, hurrying off.

“I’ve got this,” Olivia murmured, picking up another large shard of glass and delicately placing it in a small pile of glass she’d collected. “Why don’t you check in with Fred when he comes back?”

“Here you are.” Fred reappeared with a dustpan and broom.

“Thanks, Fred.” Olivia grabbed it and began to sweep up the glass.

I clambered to my feet, wiping my damp hands on my flannel shirt and turned to Fred. “Do you have any more questions about the farm?”

“No, not yet. I’ve been too busy with work and house hunting.” Fred picked his takeout cup off the table and took a sip. “But if I think of anything, I’ll let you know.”

Goddamnit. My cheek muscles worked hard to keep my smile in place. “No problem. You know where to find us.”

“I should let the two of you get coffee before you sustain any further injuries.” Fred chuckled.

“Lovely to run into you!” Olivia said as she stood up, the glass now swept into the dustpan.

“See you soon.” Hopefully, with good news about the investment .

Fred walked out the door.

“That was a bit of a disaster,” I murmured. “Sorry about the kiss. I was aiming for your cheek.”

Olivia’s face tinged with pink. “It’s okay. I was just turning to look at you and was a little taken by surprise. But yes, we didn’t do the best job. Hopefully Fred bought my story about caffeine withdrawal. Ouch!” Olivia sat down heavily on a chair and lifted her left foot.

“Are you okay?”

Olivia undid her sandal and inspected her foot. “I think I cut my toe on some glass.”

“Is there any glass still in it?” I crouched down next to her, my eyes lingering on Olivia’s slender ankle and then lower, to her elegant toes tipped with neatly manicured nails. I’d never been much of a foot person, but I suddenly understood their appeal.

Olivia peered closer. “I don’t think so.”

I leaned in, lifting her foot gently with my hand and staring at the drop of blood on the tip of her big toe. “I can’t see anything either.”

“That feels nice,” Olivia said. I blinked, realizing I’d been rubbing the arch of her foot with my hand. I stopped, my head jerking up. She stared, a strange expression on her face. She pulled out her phone and frowned. “Shit. I really need to get back to the shop to open up. It’s already past nine.”

“Are you okay to walk?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Olivia stretched her feet.

I picked up her sandal and gently slid her foot inside. Imagine what this must look like as an onlooker. Heat shot up my cheeks. Were we serving Cinderella and Prince Charming vibes?

“Thanks.” Olivia stood then stepped in the puddle of water that had been left by the mason jar topple. “Shit. We’d better clean that up too.”

I clambered to my feet. “Why don’t you head back to the shop and I’ll sort this out.”

Olivia tilted her head. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I knocked it over. Go on, you head off. We don’t want to keep your customers waiting.” I shooed her with my hand.

“Okay. Thank you! I’ll see you Wednesday.” Olivia grabbed the cart and started walking toward the door. I ran to hold it open for her, watching her closely for any sign of a limp.

Satisfied she was walking normally, I closed the door and walked over to the counter where George was standing, frothing milk.

“George, do you have something I can use to mop up the water I spilled?”

George handed me a green-and-white striped dish towel over the gleaming red expresso machine. “Let me know if that’s not enough and I can grab the mop. Is Liv okay? It looked like she cut herself.”

I met George’s worried expression and gave a nod. “She seems fine. She had to rush back to open up.”

“Okay, good.” George grinned. “While you’re here, would you like a coffee?”

“Could I grab a long black to-go?”

George nodded. “Sure.”

Olivia’s forlorn face as she realized she’d run out of time to get a coffee flashed through my mind.

“And, um, do you know Olivia’s coffee order? I might run one back to her.”

George shot me a knowing look. “A triple shot latte.”

My cheeks burned with heat. “I’ll get one of those as well.”