And now, I understand without a doubt that paradise isn’t some unreachable dream or unattainable goal.
Paradise is a bold left turn, straight into a farmer’s heart.
But little do I know it will be months before I make it back to the farm. Back to the blissful utopia, where the scent of sweet lavender hangs heavy in the air. The place where a handsome flower farmer’s kisses have made an indelible impression on me, his quiet warmth giving me peace.
If only I could’ve kept my word.
Chapter Twenty-One
George
For the most part, I’m able to compartmentalize Madison and the brief times we were together. After our first week apart, I get up the nerve to text her.
I had a hard time this week because I missed you.
Within a few seconds, my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” Madison’s voice is breathy, her one-word greeting coming out in a tired sigh.
“Hey.” I immediately perk up, all of my senses on high alert. Is her tone a sign she’s working too hard? Or is she irritated I called her, interrupting her during business hours?
Shaking off my wayward thoughts, I forge ahead. “How are you?”
“I’m okay. This week has been a whirlwind, for sure.”
“A whirlwind?” I grip the phone tighter in my hand and concentrate on her words. Tone or not, I’m thrilled to hear her voice.
“Yes. I should’ve called you sooner, but my boss had me fly to Memphis after my epic meeting in Savannah.”
Madison tells me all about her week. How, after she left the farm, she attended an emergency meeting at the Global Dynamics Savannah headquarters. How disappointed they were the sale hadn’t gone through but relieved she’d caught the surveyor’s major mistake regarding the underground spring. She was hailed a hero in Kevin’s eyes and given a promotion on the spot, her caseload doubling overnight with two new contract negotiations to oversee.
Between her driving all over the state of Georgia and flying out to other cities, the poor woman barely had any time to sleep, let alone call me in the middle of the day.
“I’m so sorry I haven’t been in touch. I swear, whenever I try and send you a simple text, I’m interrupted by someone at the office who needs me. It’s been crazy.”
“It sounds like it,” I agree. “When do you think you’ll be back in Heartsboro?” I hold my breath.
“I really don’t know. Maybe in a week or two, if I’m lucky? I’ve been assigned as an overseer on a couple of contracts. The one in Memphis is almost complete and shouldn’t take long. But you never know what might come up. We’ve also founda potential area in South Georgia for the expansion of Global Dynamics. After Memphis, I fly to Chicago.”
“Chicago?” I frown. Chicago sounded like the other side of the world to me.
“I know. I told you it’s been crazy. But you have to know something.”
“What?” I bow my head, fearing the worst.
“I miss you too.”
Warmth spreads across my face, and I press my lips together to thwart an exploding smile. “You do?”
“Yes. I think about you when I’m not bombarded with work. I think about you when I go to bed at night. It might only be for a few minutes before I completely pass out,” she laughs. “But I swear, I do think about you. You need to know that.”
Now it’s my turn to sigh. “Thank you. Where are you now?”
“I’m at the airport about to board my flight in Memphis to head back to Atlanta. It’s a quick turnaround before I fly out to Chicago. Hopefully, there won’t be a lot of back and forth with this one. But get this, if it does go on for a couple of weeks, my schedule might coincide with my mom’s. How wild is that?”
“What do you mean?” I vaguely remember Madison telling me about her free-spirited mother who works in theater.
