She tugged the locks into a loose knot, then reconsidered and let it fall back down, fingers combing through until it looked like she hadn’t tried at all. She added a quick swipe of lip balm and a touch of mascara—just enough to look awake.
Normal things she’d do for a normal trip to the grocery store.
She grabbed her bag and hesitated at the door, her mind unhelpfully supplying the image she hadn’t been able to shake since yesterday.
Crew in faded jeans riding low on his hips, a cowboy hat pulled down just enough to shadow those knowing eyes that did dangerous things to her body. The kind of man who didn’t work on his appearance and somehow managed to look good anyway.
The kind of man who made her feel things she forgot shecouldfeel.
She squared her shoulders, forcing a steady breath into her lungs. Was she ready to take a step outside her comfort zone?
This was safe. This was daylight and dirt and people around. This was her choosing to step forward instead of shrinking inward.
By the time she pulled into the greenhouse parking lot, electricity danced across her nerves.
Then she saw him.
Leaning against his truck. Hat low. Smile slow.
And suddenly, the idea of staying curled up inside herself felt a lot harder than walking straight toward the fluttery new feelings she wanted.
Chapter Five
The gravel crunched under his boots as Crew leaned against the truck, adjusting his hat lower against the afternoon sun. He’d gotten here early—too early—which meant he’d spent the last ten minutes trying not to think about why his pulse kicked faster at the idea of spending an afternoon with Fern.
It wasn’t like him to get worked up over a woman. Hell, it wasn’t like him to get worked up over much of anything anymore. As a pilot, he kept such a tight rein on his control that everything stressed him. But after the crash…he realized not much in the world could be worse. That also made him pull inward, so he kept his head down, did his work and stayed in his lane.
But that was just existing, wasn’t it?
Fern’s small SUV bumped into the parking lot of the greenhouse. He pushed off the truck, a smile already hitting his face before he even set eyes on her.
Something shifted in his chest—a sensation he hadn’t felt in so long he almost didn’t recognize what it was. Parts of him that weren’t exactly dead but had been sleeping, tucked away where they couldn’t cause problems, stirred to life.
She climbed out of the vehicle, and his breath caught as the sun caught her hair, making it glint copper. She wore jeans that hugged her curves and a soft green shirt that made her skin glow.
Her smile was tentative as she approached, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a gesture he was starting to recognize was nervousness.
He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from doing something stupid like reaching for her.
“Hey,” she said, stopping a few feet away.
“Hey yourself.” He let his gaze sweep over her once, quick, before meeting her eyes. “You ready?”
“I think so.” She glanced back at the greenhouse.
“Do you need to get anything from the greenhouse?”
Was it overstepping for him to look out for her?
Fern shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips. “No, I have everything I need. The greenhouse closes at noon on Saturday. I’d already run home and changed when I got Willow’s text. I just thought it was a good idea to meet here.”
Smart woman. Meeting in public, keeping things neutral. He respected that—hell, he admired it. It showed she had a good head on her shoulders and wasn’t the type to take unnecessary risks.
“Good call.” He opened the passenger door for her.
She paused before climbing in, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. For a moment, neither of them moved. He didn’t close the door, and she didn’t reach to do so either.
He studied her. “Sure you don’t need something before we get on the road?”
