Page 9

CHAPTER NINE

ROZ

Olivia’s warm shoulder pressed against me as I drove down the dirt road. Much to my chagrin, Olivia had insisted on squishing into the front of the truck with me and Fred. The truck was so ancient it had a bench seat, which unfortunately was just wide enough to fit the three of us. Olivia’s faint floral scent tickled my nose. The image of her body pressed to mine in a very different way that night at Pryde flashed into my mind. I tensed. Do not go there, Roz.

I accelerated as we passed my crushed car, hoping no one would notice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Olivia’s eyes widen, but she didn’t comment.

Olivia had been irritatingly charming during the tour of the café and farm stand, raving about the delicious apple fritters and cherry pies using homegrown fruit, and then introducing all the animals by name at the petting zoo. How did she know so much about my farm? Instead of being the liability I had expected, she was actually doing a good job selling it to Fred—maybe even better than me.

“What are these for?” Fred asked, pointing to the empty fields on either side of the path.

I pulled over. “We’ll be planting corn and pumpkins there next week. By fall, they’ll be transformed into a corn maze and pumpkin patch. They’re a big draw with the families.” I smiled at the memory of Lottie scrambling around pumpkins to find the biggest one last fall.

“I can imagine,” Fred replied. “I wish my parents had left their Upper East Side bubble and taken me to somewhere like this as a kid. I didn’t realize that milk came from cows’ udders until embarrassingly late.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Babe, we forgot to introduce Fred to Thelma and Louise!” Olivia slapped my thigh so hard I nearly jumped off the bench. The last time that hand had been on my body, it had been running up and down my bare back in the restroom at Pryde, driving me wild. A shiver shot down my spine. I clenched my jaw. Now Olivia was driving me wild in a much less enjoyable manner.

Olivia turned to Fred. “We’ll have to show you on the way back. They’re two of the sweetest cows.”

“Mmm. Yes.” I pursed my lips.

Of course Olivia would like the damn cows. Given everything else I’d had going on, I’d made no progress rehoming them, but I was still hoping to see the last of them. Their constant mooing near my study window was a distraction I didn’t need, and whenever I ventured out the back of the house, they stared at me. If they were expecting more entertainment in the style of my car-crushing mishap, they would be sorely disappointed.Perhaps my neighbor who raised cattle would take them.

“Well, there’s no mistaking what this section is.” Fred chuckled, breaking me out of my thoughts. We’d reached the flower fields, where rows of yellow daffodils were blooming.

“Yes, isn’t it gorgeous.” Olivia leaned forward, her shoulder brushing against mine.

“What are those ones?” Fred pointed at the rows of green shoots behind the daffodils.

Damn. It was the first question I couldn’t answer. It doesn’t really matter since I’m proposing to get rid of them all anyway. The business plan Fred had received hadn’t included the proposal to lease the flower fields. I’d added that in after I’d realized how dire the farm’s financial situation was.Now was an opportune time to tell him of the change of plans. “I’m actually planning to le?—”

“They’re tulips,” Olivia interjected. “And farther on, we have ranunculus and anemones. Roz, honey, let’s stop here so we can show Fred around.”

I gritted my teeth. I had no intention of stopping. What was the point of giving Fred a tour of something that was going to be trampled by cows?

But Fred was already putting his hat on, clearly eager to explore.

Olivia shot me a sweet smile, but there was a steely glint in her eyes. Something clicked in my mind. Was she here because she didn’t want me to get rid of the flowers? Mom had mentioned she’d bought dahlias off Olivia. Could she be one of the florists Red Tractor Farm supplied? I recalled the customer list Jim had given me included a flower shop in Sapphire Springs. Could that be Olivia’s?

I reluctantly stopped the truck, and we hopped out.

Olivia led Fred down a small path between two rows of bright flowers, talking animatedly about heirloom varieties and sustainable farming practices. There was only room to walk single file, so I was stuck behind Fred, unable to get a word in. I stomped after him. Olivia singing the praises of the farm stand and café was fine, but I really didn’t need her raving about how wonderful all these flowers were. And I was sure Fred couldn’t care less about sustainability. I shot a withering glare at a particularly perky-looking daffodil, trying to distract myself from how perky Olivia’s butt looked up ahead. While the floral pattern on her pants was horrendous, it clung to her curves in all the right places. I shook off the thought. We were almost at the end of the row now. Once we reached it, I could lead Fred and Olivia back to the truck and drive on to the Christmas trees.

“We also have some gorgeous tulips flowering in the greenhouse, which we’d love to show you,” Olivia said as we walked out of the field. She kept talking quickly. It was almost like she could sense that if she paused, I’d try to move us on. “It’s powered by geothermal energy, which means it can produce flowers all year round using a sustainable energy source. Did you know the flower industry is rife with questionable environmental practices? Huge quantities of flowers are flown into the US from overseas each year, fossil fuels are used to heat greenhouses, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are widespread and packaging waste contributes to landfills.” Olivia’s eyes flashed again. “We’re really passionate about sustainable farming, aren’t we, babe?”

I clenched my jaw. “Let’s not bore Fred with the details. I’m sure he’s more interested in the bottom line than our carbon footprint.”

“Actually, sustainability has become a passion of mine in recent years, ever since I visited Yosemite and saw the shrinking glaciers. I got solar panels installed on my house in the Hamptons and bought an electric car last year. Got to protect our planet for future generations,” Fred said.

I blinked, my mind racing. Did Fred actually care about this stuff? I held back a sigh. Yet again, Olivia had put me in a position where if I disagreed with her or explained what my plans for the flower fields were, it would be extremely awkward.

I took a fortifying breath. When we got back to the farmhouse, I’d fill Fred in on my updated business plan, and hopefully he’d be so impressed with my financial projections he’d forget that the flowers he’d been admiring would be munched to oblivion by my neighbors’ cattle.

“Well, why don’t you show me this amazing greenhouse?” Fred asked.

Olivia nodded, grinning, and practically bounced across to the large greenhouse. I trudged after her.

The warm, sweetly scented, humid air hit us as Olivia pushed open the glass door, and we stepped inside. Bright sunlight filtered through the glass panes, illuminating the rows of flowers. I fought the urge to screw up my nose. Ugh.

“These two rows are ranunculus, then over there we have anemones and freesias—that’s what the gorgeous smell is,” Olivia said, pointing for our benefit.

Fred peered down at the ground. “You mentioned it was powered by geothermal energy? How does that work?”

Olivia’s face brightened even further. “We have thousands of feet of piping under the ground to capture and store warm air, and fans that pull the air through the pipes into the greenhouse. Not only is it a sustainable energy source, but it also means that we’re able to provide flower shops with locally grown flowers all year round, so they aren’t forced to import them.”

“That’s fantastic,” Fred said, scanning the greenhouse.

Olivia grinned. “Yes, it’s just one of the ways we try to minimize our carbon footprint here at Red Tractor Farm. We also use other sustainable farming practices, such as reduced tillage and avoiding synthetic pesticides and herbicides.”

“You seem to know a lot about the farm,” Fred said, giving Olivia an assessing look.

“I used to work here—first at the café and then helping the previous owner, Jim, with the flowers—off and on during my twenties. I now run the flower shop in Sapphire Springs and the farm is my primary supplier. I love this place and I’m so happy Roz loves it too.” Olivia patted me on the back, sending my skin tingling.

So I was right. Olivia was the owner of the flower shop in Sapphire Springs, which meant she had a vested interest in the future of the flower fields. The pieces were starting to fall into place.

“Oh, how wonderful.” Fred turned to me. “Roz, you must be so pleased Olivia shares your passion for the farm.”

I hummed noncommittally and glanced at my watch. “Let’s head over to the Christmas trees, and then we can show you the orchards on the way back.” Not only did I want Fred away from the flowers, but their cloying scent was starting to give me a headache.

To my relief, Fred nodded and we headed back to the truck and drove toward the Christmas trees. The row of dark-green firs stretched for acres, at varying levels of maturity.

I slowed the truck. “These are Fraser firs. They take about seven years to reach maturity. This section will be ready this Christmas. We make about 30% margin on these trees, so it’s one of the more profitable parts of the farm and an important attraction during the holiday season.” I accelerated the truck. The sooner this was over, the sooner I could get rid of Olivia. Then Fred and I could get down to discussing business.

“Stop, Roz!” Olivia yelled.

I jumped in my seat, slamming on the brakes. Once the truck jolted to a halt, I peered through the windshield, my heart pounding. Had I hit something? Not again.

“Excuse me, babe. I’m just going to hop out for a second.” Olivia looked expectantly at me. I frowned. I didn’t like the idea of letting Olivia out without knowing her intentions first. At the rate we were going, I would be lucky if it was still light by the time I got Fred into my office. “You know what, never mind. I’ll just climb over you.”

Olivia clambered over my body, her soft hair brushing against my nose, her elbow bumping my breasts. I shut my eyes. Why did she have to smell so goddamn good? I opened them in time to see Olivia open the door and jump out. What the hell was she doing?A tic started under my eye.

She picked a sprig off the closest fir tree and handed it to Fred through his window.

“Doesn’t it smell wonderful?” Olivia beamed.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Really?

Fred sniffed it. “It does. Reminds me of just how magical Christmas was when I was a kid.” He inhaled again and closed his eyes.

Olivia clambered back over me and onto the bench. “Sorry, Roz, but I couldn’t have Fred visit and not experience our amazing Fraser firs up close. We’ll have to get you one for Christmas, Fred.”

Fred beamed. “I haven’t had a real Christmas tree for years. That would be lovely.”

I made a mental note to send Fred a Fraser fir for Christmas if he agreed to invest in the farm.

“We’ll head back past the orchards and strawberry fields now,” I said, turning on the engine.

As we drove past budding cherry trees, Olivia turned to look at them. “I’ve always thought not having a cherry blossom festival at the farm was a missed opportunity. Perhaps we could do it next year, hon?”

I glanced sideways to see Olivia smiling innocently at me, before focusing my attention back on the road.

A cherry blossom festival was a decent idea. It could be a good way to show the locals that Red Tractor Farm was still in safe hands, as well as bring in some more revenue. Even if the cherry blossom season was over, a spring festival might have a similar outcome. We could hold it sometime in late May or early June, which would give me at least five or six weeks to pull it together.

“Yes, that’s definitely something to consider,” I said.

“You’ll also have to try the delicious cherry and strawberry jams that we sell in the café.” Olivia wriggled in her seat. “We’ll give you a jar of each to take home.”

Fred rubbed his stomach. “You’re making me hungry with all this talk of food. Perhaps we could drop by the café after this?”

Stopping at the café wasn’t a terrible thought. There was a study that showed that judges were more likely to grant parole after a meal break… and I wanted Fred in the best possible mindset when deciding whether or not to invest in my vision.

I guided the truck over a rough section of road, chewing on my lip. Apart from putting me in a difficult position regarding my plans to lease the flower fields, Olivia had been surprisingly helpful. But I didn’t want her around when I put forward my proposal to Fred. She’d been willing to pretend to be my girlfriend to protect the flowers, so who knows what else she might do if she saw the updated section about the future of the flower fields.

I pulled up at the parking lot and jumped out of the truck before Olivia’s impatience had her climbing over me again. “Here we are . I know you’ll be needing to get back to work . ” I gave Olivia a look intended to convey that her presence at the café was not welcome.

Olivia held my gaze coolly for a moment then stared at the silver watch around her slender wrist. Her forehead creased, and I suspected she was having an internal struggle between wanting to stay here and needing to go and open her shop.

“Yes, you’re right. I better be off.” Olivia stretched out her arm. “Well, lovely to meet you, Fred, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the greenhouse or the flowers. As you can see, we’re very passionate about them, so we’d really appreciate your help to ensure they continue to flourish. And if you’re interested, I’d love for you to visit Sapphire Blooms if you’ve got time.”

My eyes narrowed. Olivia and Fred meeting without me present would be less than ideal.

“I might take you up on that offer,” Fred said, shaking her hand. “It was great to meet you too, Olivia. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.”

Confusion flickered across Olivia’s face for a split second. “Yes, of course.” She turned to me, leaning in and brushing her cheek across mine, leaving my face tingling. “Bye, babe, see you later.”

When she pulled back, her mouth curved up, her eyes sparkling, and my heart jumped. She’s putting it all on for show. Don’t get sucked in by her beautiful smile.

“Bye,” I choked out.

Olivia beelined for an orange Volkswagen Beetle with large purple and pink flowers painted all over it. Humph. Of course she’d have a ridiculous hippy-looking car covered in flowers.

“She’s such a delight,” Fred said as Olivia opened the door to her car.

“She’s certainly special,” I replied, not willing to concede the point.

God, she was infuriating. Her parting words about the flowers would make it even more difficult to sell Fred on getting rid of them, especially since he seemed to be a huge fan of hers already.

“You two make a good team. You’re the numbers woman, and Olivia is clearly focused on the heart.”

My shoulders tensed. But I had to admit that, apart from Olivia’s comments about the flowers, we had complemented each other well today.

A sinking sensation tugged at my stomach. Fred thought we were a team, but we barely knew each other. And because we’d just spent the last hour pretending to be a couple, I was now in a very difficult position.

Fred and I had known each other since business school, but we were acquaintances, not friends. We weren’t close enough that I was confident we could just laugh this situation off and move on without jeopardizing Fred’s potential investment.

My gut told me that the only reason Fred had been willing to consider investing in Red Tractor Farm was because he trusted me. If he found out we’d been lying to him, the entire deal might be off the table before I could even put it on there.

Without his money, I’d have to let go of a number of the staff and possibly take even more drastic steps in an attempt to keep the farm afloat. Surely not correcting the lie was the least worst of two bad options?

I clenched my jaw. Probably not. But it didn’t feel like I had much choice now. I needed to focus my energy on convincing Fred to invest in the farm and work out how to get rid of the flowers after Olivia had extolled their virtues. And I also had to make sure Olivia planned on showing up tomorrow to avoid raising any suspicions with Fred. Hopefully, without her body pressed to mine in the confines of the old truck, I wouldn’t have any more of those irritating flashbacks to Pryde.