Page 26 of She Autumn Be Mine

“Come here, bend down.”

He did and I picked the hay out, my fingers sliding through his thick hair. It wasn’t curly or wavy, but was on the longish side and always laid nicely. I especially adored the ends of it sticking out at his neck whenever he wore a cowboy hat. He moaned, and the sound wound through me—straight down, and spreading. I gasped, pulling my hand away that had gotten a little carried away rubbing along his scalp.

When he straightened and we stood there, eyes connecting, my cheeks heated over his slow wink at me. And then a shutter clicked nearby.

We turned smack into a curvy woman with a camera in our faces. “Hi. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I’m Rayna, official pumpkin patch photographer. What a gorgeous little family.”

“Oh, we’re not um…” I started, but she barreled us over to a scene set up with hay bales and pumpkin and corn stalks. “Bring your little man over here for a photo. It’s compliments of the ranch. Everyone gets one. Seat him right there on the top hay bale,” she instructed.

Jake shrugged and set the baby up as asked, pumpkin still in his grasp in his lap.

“Isn’t he adorable? What’s his name?” She asked, shutter clicking away.

“Stetson,” I supplied. I pulled my phone out to take photos, too.

“Okay, now you get in there, Mom.”

“Sure.” I gathered my boy and positioned him on my lap. We had probably about two more minutes of this before he’d get fussy.

“Smile. Wonderful. You too, Dad, family photo time with the baby.”

We both stopped and stuttered at the same time.

“Oh, I uh—” Jake scratched his neck.

“Yeah, he um⁠—”

Rayna must have mistook our awkwardness for logistics. She simply took Jake by the arm and planted him on the hay bale beside us.

“There. Smile. Yes. Now, sir, put your arm around her back.” Rayna had the effect of a drill sergeant, and Jake did as instructed. “Scoot together closer. One big happy family. Closer.”

Warmth from Jake’s arm radiated through me, his breath feathering across my neck. His cologne steadied nothing, as my heart beat rapidly. One touch and the entire chemical composition of my body altered.

“Dada,” Stetson protested, done with Rayna. He somehow got a hold of Jake’s shirt and pulled himself to standing on his lap, leaning his head on his shoulder. Jake’s arms wrapped protectively around him. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.

“Oh. My. God. I’m having a Best Pumpkin Patch Family Photo Contest and if you all don’t enter…” Rayna shook her head.

Stetson reached up and slapped both hands against Jake’s jaw, shrieking with joy, and as ridiculous as the situation was, Jake threw his head back laughing. I stared at the two of them in awe.

“Mark my words, the board of the Chamber of Commerce will be voting in October and you are a shoe-in.” Rayna handed us a flyer as we finally stood. She poised a pencil over a notebook. “The print for your complimentary photo will be ready Tuesday to pick up at the hardware store in town. Last name please?”

Neither of us answered at first.

“Family name?” Rayna arched her brow.

“McCall,” Jake said.

“Yeah,” I breathed. It really wasn’t worth correcting Rayna at this point. But my mind ran away with it for one second, picturing a life I couldn’t have, with Jake and me and Stetson, living happily ever after.

“Coffee?” Jake cleared his throat and asked, not dwelling a minute longer on it, like he could read my mind. “I could go for a pumpkin-spice latte right now. How about you? My treat.”

“Sure,” I croaked, the picture fading behind us. Because luck was never on my side, and the Eatons were waiting to tear me apart on the other side.

All afternoon though, I held to the memory of his moan. I caught myself rubbing my fingertips together like I could still feel his hair, like a thief who’d touched something rare once and couldn’t stop thinking about stealing it for themselves.

One moan. From one touch. Staying just friends with this man was a growing problem.

EIGHT