Page 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

OLIVIA

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I drove up the dirt road to Red Tractor Farm.

Why had I agreed to do this? I should have told Roz to email me the architect’s plans. The memory of her soft lips touching mine at Novel Gossip on Monday, her elegant hands massaging my foot and then her reappearance at Sapphire Blooms twenty minutes later with a triple shot latte sent the butterflies fluttering at double time.

I sighed. There was no point denying it to myself. I’d developed a crush on Roz, which was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid. Unrequited crushes were annoying at the best of times, and this was definitely not the best of times. After our clumsy performance at Novel Gossip in front of Fred, I needed to keep my mind on the game. Not only that, but I had a massive wedding next week between a local politician and the owner of a chain of bridal boutiques. If it went well, it could be huge for Sapphire Blooms. As long as we still have a supplier to fulfill all the potential new orders. I clenched my jaw. That was exactly why I couldn’t afford to get distracted by Roz.

I slowed as I neared the farmhouse and blinked. Someone was bent over the roses lining the front of the parking lot.

Was that…? Surely not.

It was . I’d know that outfit anywhere—I’d handpicked it myself.

Roz, dressed in overalls and a red flannel shirt, was pruning the roses.I pulled up next to her and rolled down my window.

“Ouch.” Roz pulled her hand back from the bush and shook it. “Damn thorns.”

I cleared my throat, and she turned, a scowl on her face.

“Nice morning for a prune,” I said, leaning out the window, unable to keep the grin off my face.

Roz pursed her lips. “I asked Dana if I could do anything to help and she suggested this . Why anyone plants roses is beyond me. Very unpleasant.”

“The gorgeous flowers make up for the thorns.” A little like Roz—prickly but surprisingly sweet. No. No. No. My eyes dropped to her long, slender fingers. Also a mistake. I dragged my gaze away. “Didn’t Dana give you gloves?”

Roz shook her head. “Just these.” She held up the pruning shears.

“Well, I recommend getting a pair, stat.”

Dana must still not be a fan of Roz, sending her out here without gloves.

Roz pressed her lips together. “I think there’s some in the laundry. Dana is over at the flower fields. Do you want to talk to her first and then come back to look at the plans?”

“Sure.” Happy to delay our meeting for as long as possible, I started the engine and continued on. The grass lining the road was surprisingly overgrown. Jim would never have let it get that long.

Next to the road, part way down the flower field, Dana was crouched over inspecting a red tulip.

She looked up as my shadow crossed her vision. “We’ve got aphids.”

My stomach dropped. “Shit. How bad is it?” A severe infestation could destroy an entire crop of flowers.

“There aren’t too many—yet. But I’ll need to get on it before they multiply.” Dana wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “And did you hear that the heat pump in the greenhouse broke too, as well as the ride-on lawnmower?”

“Oh no! That explains why the grass was looking so overgrown.” I wrinkled my brow. “And heat pumps are expensive.” Another financial hit was the last thing the farm needed.

“Yeah. Thank god it’ll be fairly warm for the next few weeks, so the flowers in there should be okay for now.” Dana brushed dirt off her pants. “It feels like the farm is just falling apart since Jim left.”

I crouched next to her and examined a yellow tulip. Dozens of tiny green aphids were crawling on its stem. “I can’t help with the heat pump, but I’m going to Lowe’s this afternoon to get more supplies for the store and can pick up some neem oil if you’d like.”

Dana smiled. “That would be awesome, thanks. I’m run off my feet at the moment. Jim used to do so much around here whereas Roz is… Well, she’s no Jim.”

“I saw you had her pruning roses without gloves,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

Dana smirked. “Yes, well.” She stood up and straightened her shirt. “Look, Roz isn’t my favorite person, but at least she’s willing to get her hands dirty and learn more about farming. And she finally bought some sensible clothes, thank god. It was excruciating watching her walk around here in her fancy business suits.” She led me down the field, beside a row of purple tulips. “I need her to succeed, otherwise I’m screwed. I did notice she seems to be taking interest in you.” Dana glanced sideways at me.

“Me?” My stomach twisted. Shit. I had no idea if Dana thought we were dating or not. Probably not, or she wouldn’t have been so open with me about Roz’s failings. I should say something. Although, perhaps I should speak to Roz first, in case she wanted to control the message. Dana was her employee, after all. But was it weird not to mention it?

Dana shrugged, oblivious to my internal panic. “She wanted to do the flower delivery the other day. And whenever your name arises, I’ve noticed her ears prick up.”

“Huh,” I said noncommittally. That was interesting. “Oh wow, these hyacinths are incredible. They’re going to look fantastic in the table centerpieces for the wedding next week.”

“They’re stunning, aren’t they?” Dana tilted her head toward the old glass greenhouse, which was now used primarily as a workspace. “Should we head over and go through the orders?”

* * *

I returned to a pile of thorny branches in front of the farmhouse, with Roz nowhere to be seen. I peered at the rose bushes. The cuts were neat, and she’d done a nice job thinning the bushes out. Not bad.

I walked up the stairs to the porch. The front door was open, so I tentatively poked my head inside. “Roz?”

“I’m in the study,” Roz called. “Come in.”

I entered the large room. Light streamed through the open window, which looked out over the grassy lawn and parking lot. Roz sat behind the imposing oak desk, plans spread out in front of her. She looked so… confident and in control.

“Take a seat,” she said, flipping the drawings around so I could see them and gesturing at the wooden chair opposite her.

I sat down and poured over the artist renderings of a large, red brick building with floor-to-ceiling, black steel-framed windows. “Wow, these are great!” The architect had included the solar panels and rainwater collection system I’d suggested and it looked like most of the building would be constructed from sustainable materials.

Roz stood and walked around the desk so she was directly behind me. She leaned over and pointed to the large building. “So, this will now fit up to three hundred people and function as both an event space and a taproom.” She moved her finger over to a smaller building, which looked like a barn. “And this is for the catering kitchen and storage.” She pulled over another drawing of the event space’s interior.

Roz’s arm brushed against my shoulder. Damn, she smelled nice. I took a deep breath through my nose. Sandalwood and cedar with earthy undertones. That would make an amazing candle. Eau de Roz.

I shook myself, refocusing on the designs in front of me. My eyes widened as I studied the artist’s rendering of the interior. Wooden floors, incredible views over the farm from the large windows and a soaring ceiling.

“This is amazing! I can’t wait to see my flower arrangements here.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad you think so. Do you have any other thoughts?” Roz was so close to me that her warm breath tickled my cheek. Don’t turn around. Focus on the plans.

I shuffled on the chair to create some space between us, bumping the paper in the process. We reached out to straighten the plans at the same time, our hands touching. I yanked mine away.

Roz looked at me. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, sorry.” I swallowed and returned my gaze to the plans. “Have they mentioned insulation?”

Roz nodded. “Yes. All the glass will be double glazed and the walls insulated.”

“Great.” I bit my lip. “From a design perspective, perhaps you could put a ledge across the back wall, to hold more flowers?” I pointed to the wall. “I saw something similar at a wedding I went to in a Brooklyn warehouse a few years ago. It would break up the brick wall.”

I looked up at Roz, who was staring at my finger. We were only inches apart. She nodded and turned her gaze to me. Our eyes locked, and a shiver shot down my spine. Instinctively, I wet my lips. Roz was so close. And her soft, generous lips were so inviting. What would happen if I just leaned?—

“Shit!” A loud yell cut through the silence. We flinched.

“What the hell?” Roz turned and sprinted out of the room. I jumped out of my seat and followed closely behind, my heart pounding in my ears.

Oh god. I hoped there hadn’t been a terrible farming accident. Growing up in a small town and having a sister as a doctor, I’d heard enough stories about them.

We raced down the hallway, through Roz’s kitchen and out onto the back deck.

Ronnie and Dana stood near the petting zoo, Ronnie gesticulating wildly. I scanned them both, looking for any sign of injury. I couldn’t see anything obvious from this distance.

“Is everything okay?” Roz yelled as we ran over to them.

“Thelma and Louise have escaped,” Dana said. “Again.”

I scanned their field. No sign of the cows. While the farm was fairly quiet today, having two cows on the loose, even if they were good-natured cows, was less than ideal. Despite that, I couldn’t help taking a little jab at Roz. “You didn’t sneeze again, did you?”

Roz narrowed her eyes at me. “Well, they must be around here somewhere. How long ago did they escape?”

“I’m not sure. I just noticed they were missing a minute ago,” Ronnie said, his brow still furrowed in concern. “I don’t know how the gate was open. I know I locked it this morning.”

Roz froze, the blood draining from her face. “Shit. It might have been me. I went into the field earlier with the plans for the new buildings.”

Dana’s jaw clenched. “Well, we’d better find them ASAP before they cause any damage.”

She’d just been telling me how busy she was. A cow search party was probably the last thing she needed.

Roz nodded, her face still pale. “Let’s split up and search for them. Olivia and I will head over to the flowers and Christmas trees, and you two take the front of the farm and the orchards.” Without waiting for a response, Roz strode toward a pick-up truck parked behind the house and jumped in.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed you’d help,” she said as I eased onto the bench seat next to her. “If you want to leave, that’s fine.”

“That’s okay. Maddie is working today and I’ve got a vested interest in ensuring Thelma and Louise are found without damaging the farm… or anyone on it.”

As the truck bumped down the road, I scanned the farm. “They better not have stampeded any flowers.”

“Surely they wouldn’t have gotten that far,” Roz said, gripping the wheel. We bounced over a pothole as we drew closer to the flower fields.

“Cows can run faster than you’d expect.” I glanced at Roz. “So, Dana told me about the heat pump breaking.”

Roz’s brow wrinkled. “Yes. Very unfortunate. I’m going to hold off on fixing it until I hear from Fred about the investment.”

“And she said the lawn mower isn’t working either. I’m sure Prue would be happy to lend you hers while you’re getting yours fixed. The grass is looking pretty overgrown.”

Roz’s frown deepened. “That’s okay.”

“Jim and Prue used to help each other out all the time. She won’t mind at all. You could just borrow it for half a day.”

“I don’t like asking people for favors.” Roz’s fists tightened around the steering wheel.

I raised my eyebrows and was about to insist that it really wasn’t a big deal when something brown in the distance caught my eye. My heart shot into my throat.

“Shit! They are in the flowers!” I pointed to where Thelma and Louise were standing, in the middle of the field. “Shit, shit, shit!”

Roz slammed on the brakes. I jumped out and sprinted toward the cows, running beside a row of vibrant-orange ranunculus. I slowed as I got closer to Thelma and Louise, not wanting to startle them and cause even more destruction.

Their heads were low to the ground, their eyes half closed and their jaws moving in a circular motion.

My stomach dropped. They were eating the glorious white and yellow daisies that we were going to harvest for the wedding next week. Fuck .

I approached Louise cautiously. She was the ringleader of the two. If I walked her out of the field, there was a decent chance Thelma would follow.

Roz came panting up from behind me. “Be careful.”

“They’re fine. Thelma and Louise wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’m just worried about them stepping on the daisies. So, whatever you do, do not sneeze .”

“Why would you say that to me?” Roz asked, wrinkling her face. “You put the thought in my mind. Now my nose is itchy.”

Louise looked at me with her big, brown innocent eyes, and let out a friendly moo in greeting.

Roz flinched and jumped back. “Why don’t I just call Dana and Ronnie so they can get them?”

I nodded. “Call them. We’ll need reinforcements to get them back to their paddock. But I want to get them out of the field before they destroy all the daisies.” I eyed the two bovines. “Thank god they have their halters on.”

Roz stepped a few feet back and pulled out her phone.

“Hey, Louise,” I said softly, reaching out for her halter and grabbing it. “Good girl.”

I eased Louise between the rows of flowers toward Roz’s truck. Thelma followed behind.

We’d just reached a patch of violets when Louise suddenly stopped, bent her head, and opened her jaw, snapping the heads off at least four of them.

“Not the violets, Louise,” I yelped.

I tugged her halter but she was intent on making fast work of the gorgeous purple flowers. Thelma stomped over a bed of tulips to join her. I winced.

“Dana and Ronnie are on their way,” Roz said from behind me.

“I’m worried that, by the time they get here, Thelma and Louise will have eaten all the violets. Do you have any food in the truck we might be able to use as bribes? Bananas, apples, that sort of thing?”

“I don’t think so, sorry,” Roz replied. “Oh god.”

I turned to find Roz standing still, her eyes closed and her face scrunched up.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my pulse quickening.

“I think I’m… going to… sn— AHH CHOOOO!”

I jumped as Roz’s explosive sneeze reverberated through my ear drums. Louise’s halter yanked out of my hand and she took off down the field, Thelma stampeding close behind.

“Keep off the flowers!” I yelled. Yes, it was completely futile and possibly counterproductive, but I couldn’t help myself.

“It looks like they’re mainly sticking to the furrows between the flowers,” Roz said, a hand on her forehead shielding her eyes from the sun as her gaze followed their path.

“No thanks to you,” I said as I broke into a jog.

“I wouldn’t have sneezed if you hadn’t brought it up.” Roz picked up her pace to keep up.

“Calm down, I was just teasing.” I squinted in the direction of Thelma and Louise. “On the plus side, it looks like they are almost out of the flower beds now.” The roar of a truck sounded. I turned to see Dana and Ronnie driving up the road toward us. “And Dana and Ronnie are nearly here.”

We jogged down between the flower beds until we were close to the cows, who were currently stomping on Dana’s prized lilacs. I winced. Dana and Ronnie approached from the other side. Ronnie greeted Louise and pulled out some carrots from the bucket he was carrying. Louise looked up, gave another moo, and moved toward the carrots. Dana grabbed Louise’s halter and together Dana and Ronnie led Louise out of the flower beds. Thelma followed closely behind. I exhaled. Thank god.

“Thank you,” Roz said once we were all standing on the dirt road again.

“This isn’t our first rodeo with these two escape artists,” Dana said, stroking Thelma’s neck as Ronnie attached a lead to each of the cow’s harnesses. “We can walk them back if you two don’t mind driving both of the trucks?”

Dana threw me the keys to their truck.

“I’ll just stay here for a few minutes to assess the damage to the flowers,” I said. “I have a bad feeling it’s going to affect the wedding that’s next week.”

Roz stopped in her tracks. “I’ll stay too. There was something else I wanted to discuss before you head off.”

I tilted my head. We’d discussed the architect’s plans. What else did Roz want to talk about? After my vivid thoughts about kissing Roz in the study, I was eager to put some distance between us.

Dana’s gaze flitted between us. “Okay then. I’ll see you later.”

I began to retrace Thelma and Louise’s path of destruction through the flower fields, Roz trailing behind.

Once Dana, Ronnie and the cows were out of earshot, Roz cleared her throat. “After our run-in with Fred at Novel Gossip, I think we need to work on being a more believable couple. We’re at a critical point right now. We can’t afford to be head butting and generally being awkward around each other, especially when Fred could pop up unannounced at any moment.”

I stopped and turned to her. “What exactly are you proposing?”

Roz pressed her lips together. “I’m not sure. Perhaps we could agree on some couple-ly things to do in front of Fred if he reappears?”

“Well, in the fake-dating movies they often…” I slammed my mouth shut. What the hell was I thinking? Telling Roz about the practice make-out scenes in fake-dating movies was a terrible idea. My gaze dropped to her lips. I swallowed. An absolutely terrible idea. I dragged my eyes away, refocusing my attention on the yellow tulips at our feet. They hadn’t been trampled, thank god. And no signs of any aphids either.

Roz blinked. “Hang on a second. Fake-dating movies?”

My head jerked up. “Yeah, you know, like The Proposal or 10 Things I Hate About You .”

Roz shook her head. “Never heard of them.”

My eyes widened. Good lord. What planet did Roz come from? “What? Come on, you must have seen at least one fake-dating movie. You’ve seen Pretty Woman , right?”

“I don’t have time to go to the movies. And when I do watch something at home, it’s usually a documentary.” Roz swatted at a fly. “So, you’re telling me there are a whole lot of movies made about fake dating that might have helped us with this situation, and you’re just mentioning it now?”

I held up my hands. “I thought everyone knew. And I’m not sure how much help they’ll be anyway. Most of them are rom-coms, so it’s typically them just making a whole lot of silly mistakes and nearly getting their cover blown.”

“Sounds familiar.” Roz pursed her lips together, one corner twitching up.

A thought entered my mind and left my mouth before I’d had time to consider whether it was a good idea. “Well, what are you doing tonight? I could give you a crash course on fake-dating movies. Even if they’re not useful, at least you’ll be filling a gaping hole in your movie knowledge.”

Roz’s left eyebrow arched. After a moment of silence, she said, “You know, that’s not a bad idea. It’ll also give us something truthful to say if Fred pops around this week and asks what we’ve been doing. A movie night sounds like something people who are dating would do.”

And something to avoid doing when trying to squelch feelings for your fake girlfriend. My stomach dropped. But now that I’d suggested it, I couldn’t exactly take it back.

“Okay,” I said, shielding my eyes from the sun behind Roz. “Should we meet at your place, around seven? We should be able to stream them on most of the apps.” My apartment was a mess. Judging by the state of Roz’s study, she was much neater than me.

“Sure,” Roz said.

“I’ll bring pizza. Was that all you wanted to talk about?”

Roz nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, great. Well, don’t feel like you have to hang around with me. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than fuel your allergies by surrounding yourself with flowers.” Hopefully that didn’t sound too harsh, but I really needed some time to myself. Away from Roz.

Roz stared at me for a moment. “I’ll head back then. See you tonight.” She turned and made her way back down the field toward her truck.

I exhaled and refocused on the flowers. My chest tightened as I reached the daisies. Petals were strewn on the ground, the heads of many of the yellow flowers missing, others crushed. Damn. I’d definitely need to rethink the flower arrangements for next week’s wedding.

I trudged back to the truck. Could I use ranunculus instead? I’d need to talk to the couple to check if they were onboard. What a pain.

I glanced at my watch. I needed to get a move on if I was going to stop in at Lowe’s, do an inventory check of the storage room and also get pizza for tonight.

The memory of Roz in the study earlier, bending close to me, smelling so damn good, came flooding back. What would have happened if Thelma and Louise hadn’t escaped?

An image appeared, uninvited, in my head: me sitting on Roz’s desk, naked with my legs splayed, as Roz, standing between my thighs, trailed kisses down my neck. A lick of heat unfurled from my core.

No, no, no. I shook my head. Do not go there, Olivia.

I’d order extra garlic on the pizza so I didn’t get any ideas.