I nodded slowly, then shifted a little closer, bracing one hand on the counter beside her. “What kind of setup?”
Her gaze flicked to my hand, then back up to my face. “What?”
“The festival,” I clarified, watching her carefully. “What all you got going on?”
Something in my tone must’ve given me away, because her expression softened just a little, curiosity creeping in under the sass. “Well…there’s the corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides, food stands, the bakery gets slammed, and we do live music on the weekends. It’s kind of a whole thing.”
“What time you start?”
“Early,” she replied with a soft laugh. “Like stupid early. We usually start setting up around eight in the morning, sometimes earlier depending on what needs to get done.”
“And you’re out there all day?”
“Pretty much,” she admitted, pushing a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. “Other than when we rotate turns running the store.” She shrugged with a sweet smile. “It’s busy, but I love it.”
I watched her for a beat, taking in the quiet certainty in her voice. How she didn’t even question saying no to me because this mattered more. That did something to me I didn’t expect, settling deep and solid in my chest.
“Okay,” I murmured finally.
Her brows lifted slightly, like she’d been expecting more pushback. “That’s it?”
“For now.” I let my gaze drag slowly over her again, not bothering to hide what I was thinking this time. “But I’m not waiting forever, baby.”
Her breath hitched, just enough for me to catch the reaction, and satisfaction coursed through my veins.
I glanced at my watch and swore under my breath. Time had gotten away from me, and I’d be late for a meeting I couldn’t afford to miss if I didn’t move now. The job waiting for me wasn’t one you kept sitting around for, no matter how much I wanted to stay right where I was.
“Shit,” I muttered, straightening. “I gotta go.”
Her expression shifted, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face before she smoothed it over with that same easy smile. “Busy man.”
“Something like that.”
I stepped in close enough that the air between us tightened again and didn’t give her time to second-guess it. My hand came up, fingers brushing lightly along her jaw before I leaned in and pressed my mouth to her cheek, just beside the corner of her lips. Her skin was warm and soft, the faint sound she made when I touched her going straight to my head.
“You’ve got a little time, baby.” My voice was low enough that it barely carried past her ear. “After that, I stop being patient.”
Her fingers curled into the front of my shirt, just for a second, like she wasn’t even aware she’d done it.
“I’ll see you soon,” I added, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes again.
There was heat there now, mixed with that same stubborn spark that had caught my attention the second I saw her. She didn’t answer right away, just watched me like she was trying to figure me out.
Good luck with that, baby.
I turned before I did something that would keep me there another hour, pushing through the door and dragging in a deep breath to get my head back where it needed to be.
Yeah, it didn’t fucking work.
All I could think about was tomorrow morning and exactly where Clara Winslet was going to be. Because that’s where I would be too.
4
CLARA
The corn maze was half-decorated but still looked like a disaster. Tall stalks swayed in the late-morning breeze, and I was knee-deep in fake cobwebs, plastic skeletons, and strings of orange lights that refused to be untangled. The fall festival kicked off next weekend, and if we didn’t get this thing looking properly spooky, Mom would have my head.
I was balanced on a step stool, trying to drape a giant spiderweb across the entrance to the first turn, when I heard footsteps crunching on the gravel path behind me.
