“Why not?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t have time. With the farm and everything, it just takes so much time.”
I narrow my eyes. “I don’t buy that.”
She shrugs. “It’s true.”
I roll my eyes. We can dig into that comment later. “So if you had a type, what would it be?”
“Are you really asking me what sort of guys I’m into?”
I shrug. “Color me curious.”
When she doesn’t speak, I take my own guess.
“Farm boys who have graduated to mountain men. Blue collar, muscles, not afraid to get their hands dirty.”
She raises one eyebrow. Right on the nose.
“Maybe a little flannel?” I ask, remembering how flustered she got when she held my hand across the river. “Work boots, heavily used?”
“What’s your point, Big Shot?”
I roll my eyes at the nickname I can’t manage to shake.
“Just wondering if you might say your type is lumberjack impersonator?”
She glares at me, and in a second so fast I can’t even process what’s happening, she gathers the paper bag into her arms and pops her door open.
“Thank you for the sweater and the ride home.”
“Oh come on, Bonnie! It was just a joke!”
She shakes her head as she stomps to her door, waving over her shoulder as she unlocks it and steps inside.
I wait until a light switches on before pulling away from the house, shaking my head at myself for making fun of her.
But she’s really damn cute when she’s flustered.
Is it the best idea in the world to flirt with my neighbor who now has the backing of the town council if I put a single toe out of line?
Who really knows? It’s a toss-up, whether that might lead to my success or my downfall.
All I know is that Eve Harper is warming to me, and something about that feels exceptionally good.
11
EVE
Afew days later, when I see Ryder’s car turn into the parking lot in the distance, I drop my bedroom curtain from my fingers and speed down the stairs to the dirt road that separates my little bungalow from the parking lot. It’s not exactly far, as Ryder’s offer to drive me home suggests, but it certainly seems that way in the cold of the night.
But today was warm, and the sun is just barely dipping beneath the horizon. The sunset isbeautifuland if I can get him into the barn quick enough, we might be able to see the tail end of it from the wide window that takes up one wall and provides—if I say so myself—the absolutely best vantage point of the sunset over the sunflowers on the entire farm.
When I get to his car, the windows are open, and he’s very obviously talking to someone over the Bluetooth in his car.
But I think sunsets are more important than whatever he’s talking about, so I don'tlet that stop me.
“Ryder!”
