“Just about everything is down this way,” he explained, heading down the gravel drive under the big trees, toward the buildings.
There were plenty of other cars parked down at the bottom of the lot, and she could already see people in their colorful winter coats waving to each other and carrying their purchases.
“They have cut-your-own trees,” Grayson said after a moment. “But that’s probably too much since we’ve got the baby with us. The pre-cut trees are up in the lot by the plant nursery. You’ll be able to see it better when we get down a little more.”
He gestured ahead to where huge Christmas decorations adorned the hillside, along with rows and rows of cut trees. People walked among them as little kids chased each other through the rows.
“This place is amazing,” she said softly.
“My mom loves the nursery here,” Grayson said. “Before she and Dad went to Florida, she had a sunroom in the house here with a ton of plants. Alice Cassidy used to help her get certain ones on order from time to time.”
“Alice Cassidy, like Cassidy Farm?” Evangeline asked.
“Yes,” Grayson said. “She and her husband opened this place to the public and made it what it is today. They live on the property themselves along with some of the Cassidy kids and grandkids.”
“That sounds like a nice way to live,” Evangeline said, picturing herself on a big farm with a house for herself and another for Rory. Maybe one day they would both be married with kids and they could all see each other every day.
“I think so too,” Grayson said thoughtfully.
That was an interesting perspective, coming from a man who lived alone on a massive piece of property with a house he probably got lost in on a regular basis.
He’s got room to start a compound out there,she thought to herself.He’s probably just waiting for the right woman.
For some reason, the idea of Grayson with a woman made her feel hot and angry inside.
Get your crush under control,she told herself firmly.
Maybe he’d been attracted to her last night, but it was clearly just a passing moment. He hadn’t said a word about it since, and he certainly hadn’t given her any of those vibes today.
And that was probably for the best. She had to admit that Rory’s words had scared her a little. Grayson didn’tseemlike the kind of man who would expect anything from her. But it was probably better not to risk sending the wrong signals.
“Here we go,” he said as they reached the bottom of the drive. “The barn has a store where they sell farm produce, and the bakery is in the back. The Christmas-All-Year-Round Shop is upstairs.”
Evangeline smiled at the thought of all those good things as she admired the barn. It was a massive octagon, the wood painted a deep, dark red, with a foundation made of stone. In front of the barn were big wooden crates full of pine wreaths along with bins that held pinecones and boughs of holly.
As they walked around the barn, she spotted picnic tables next to little booths selling hot apple cider and homemade doughnuts among other things. Bundled-up people were chatting and enjoying treats with the view of the farm all around them.
“Oh wow,” she said, closing her eyes and inhaling. “It smells so good.”
“Should we stop for a snack?” Grayson offered.
She was seriously torn for a moment. But ultimately decided that if Leo started fussing and they had to leave early, she would be sorrier to miss the animals than a snack.
“Animals first,” she told him.
“Animals it is,” he said. “There’s the paddock for pony rides, but I think that’s just for kids.”
She looked over to see a woman in a cowboy hat leading a little spotted gray pony around the paddock with a tiny girl who was practically a toddler in the saddle.
“Fine,” she said. “I guess I can skip the pony ride.”
Grayson glanced over at her with some alarm on his face, until she winked at him and he realized she was only teasing.
“Honestly, I’d be terrified anyway,” she told him. “But I wouldn’t mind feeding it.”
He chuckled, and she guessed that for someone raised out here, the idea of being frightened by a pony probably seemed pretty silly.
“Well, I brought some apples, so you can feed the other pony and the goats,” he told her, pointing to the bag in the stroller.
