Was he drunk? Was that the only reason he’d thrown caution to the wind? She didn’t want to believe that of him, but she couldn’t stop the frantic thoughts from forcing their way in and ruining the moment.
Sensing her retreat, Will stepped back. It was probably for the best that she’d held onto her self-control, because the first touch of his lips to hers had utterly undone him. She’d been warm and soft in his arms. Her mouth had fit his perfectly. She’d opened for him willingly, trustingly. Her taste lingered on his tongue. Never in his memory had a kiss affected him so much. He tried to gauge her reaction, to see if she was equally affected, but all he saw on her face was a guarded wariness.
“Sorry,” he said even though he wasn’t sorry at all.
She shook her head, made a visible effort to relax. “Don’t be. That was… great. Wonderful. But we need to slowdown. If we keep going down this path, it could lead to… complications.”
“Right. Wouldn’t want any complications.”
She smiled apologetically, reached out as if to touch his arm again, then thought better of it and dropped her hand. “Tomorrow then?”
“Yeah. We’ll leave from my parents’. Text me when you’re ready to be picked up.”
“I’ll do that. Can’t wait.” Some of the tension was back as she said this. Now he saw no wariness. Instead, a kind of trepidation hovered on the edges of her expression. He decided not to push it—for now—and he would respect her wishes to back off on the kissing.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try his damnedest to change her mind.
Twenty
The farm was a landscape designer’s dream come true. Emmy spent her first few minutes on the property taking in the sights, the expansiveness of it all. The house had traditional charm: architecture that combined rustic sensibility and stately elegance. There were a few scraggly shrubs that looked well beyond saving, empty flower beds that begged to be filled, and some gorgeous ivy climbing up the northern walls. Overall, not terrible, but a lot of room for improvement. Emmy’s fingers itched to start digging right then and there. Instead, she walked to the front door and rang the bell. Joanna answered with a welcoming smile.
“Emmy! So glad you came. Did you have a chance to look around yet?”
“Yes, a little. I’m going to do more, and take some pictures, but I wanted to stop by to let you know I’m here. Maybe you could give me an idea of what you’re looking to have done?”
“Absolutely. Thank you again for taking the time.”
They walked the extensive grounds and talked. Emmy saw potential everywhere she looked. Using her phone, she took pictures and googled different options for plants and rock, gave Joanna some rough price estimates. They focused on the front of the main house, knowing that would be the biggest draw for potential buyers.
“I can put some half-barrel planters in front of the barn to create a cohesive image,” Emmy suggested as they wrapped up. “We’ll use some of the same flowers as the front of the house, and it will barely bump the price point up because we’ll be buying in bulk.”
“That sounds just perfect. I’m so glad Will found you.” Joanna surprised Emmy by pulling her into a quick one-armed hug. “You’re good for him. I can tell.”
“Ah…”
“Just an observation,” Joanna added, laughing at the look of baffled distress on Emmy’s face. “When do you think you can get started here?”
“As soon as you’re ready. If you’re okay with my estimate, I’ll take twenty percent up front as a down payment, and I’ll start gathering supplies.”
Wow, I sound like a businessperson!Emmy thought excitedly. She fought to keep a friendly yet professional expression on her face, but inside she was squealing and dancing.
“Perfect. I’ll text you after I discuss with Bill. You’re a lifesaver, Emmy. Truly, you are.”
“Tell me that after you see what I do. Besides Will’s house, I haven’t done anything like this before.”
“You’ll do spectacularly.”
“I’ll certainly try,” Emmy said. “I can’t wait to get started. This is going to be fun!”
Trepidations aside, she loved the idea of playing around in this expansive space. And though she’d never tell Will, she could admit to herself that he was right; there was a certain level of freedom in taking on this job knowing it didn’t have any effect on the real world. When Joanna went back inside, she sent Will a text to let him know he could come pick her up. While she waited, she made notes on her phone, documenting ideas, saving images, comparing prices. She wondered how accurate the pricing information was as compared to the real world. Considering everything else she’d bought had been exactly as she’d expected, she assumed they were pretty much the same.
Then Will pulled up, and all thoughts of perennials and potting soil flew out the window as she took in his eager smile. He wore a pair of dark shades that added a bad boy edge to his appearance and made Emmy want very much to hop into the car and climb all over him. Instead, she buckled up and put her phone away, not wanting to give in to the temptation of googling a route or a destination.
“You ready?” Will asked.
“Sure.”Please don’t disappear, Cobalt. Please!
*
