Page 35 of Blurred Lines

Something about the way she speaks tells me there's more to this, stuff she doesn't want to talk about. I nod quietly. "Are you sure?"

She smiles, small and soft. "Yes. That was amazing, by the way."

"Yeah, splendid show," Silas hollers from behind.

Emily and I exchange a long look before bursting into a fit of laughter.

We take some time to settle. Emily slips into her shirt once more.

"What plans do you have for today?" I ask her as I put my trousers back on.

She responds with a nonchalant shrug. "No plans, actually. I'll likely meet Flora later in the day, go out for lunch."

Finn's observing us from a chair, studying her movements with keen interest. "So, you have some time to kill?"

Emily fixes her gaze on him. "Yeah, why, what do you have in mind?"

He grins. "A lot, but right now, I was hoping we could talk about the farm."

I'm not kidding. I see a shadow collecting in her eyes.

This girl has ghosts. Something is … something has happened, something that has made her ultra-resistant to the idea of being the owner of a million-dollar empire.

I know she had issues with Harvey, but there has to be more, because it's human instinct to crave safety and stability. She has it now, but here she is, on the verge of rejecting it.

"Okay," she says with a wry little smile. "I'll bite."

13

SILAS

Ithink Emily is amazing.

What I don't appreciate is her particularly cavalier attitude concerning Harvey's farm. Finn has already spent a lot of time convincing her that her input will be valuable.

Somehow, it hasn't been enough. The moment she says "I'll bite," I see the resistance in her face. Funny how it's so easy to read some people. Her lips hold that subtle curve of a smile that doesn't quite bloom. It's as if she's in familiar territory, but wary of moving closer.

A flicker of recognition crosses her face when Finn begins speaking about the farm, but it vanishes just as quickly, replaced by something that's far more guarded. I feel like an explorer around her, warning bells going off in my own mind, reminding me that people who've been broken too many times have a thing for breaking other people.

What is she? Why does my heart churn and twist at the sight of her? Why do I feel like running to her, and from her? What do I do with all these doggone thoughts? Surely, I'm too old for them?

She steals a glance my way and notices something, because her smile becomes sweeter. My breath catches in my throat and I curse myself inwardly. Maybe it's best if I admire her from afar? But I've already crossed that boundary …

God damn it.

I shake my head and walk away from the crew to stand in a secluded spot by a window. There, with my eyes on the rich landscape of Emberton unfurling beyond, I listen to the conversation between Finn and Emily.

Caeleb joins me in a few minutes. I quirk a brow at him as we turn our attention to the scene unfolding in the kitchen.

Finn disappears momentarily, and returns with … a map.

I roll my eyes at Caeleb. Finn clearly is on a mission to get Emily on board, no matter what it takes.

Two hours pass. Afternoon rays spear through the window, turning the map on the table into a stark battlefield. Finn's finger jabs at the red blotches, indicating AgriCorp's interference.

"Look! If we don't do something, his vines will be ruined before fall." Finn says, voice tight with worry.

Emily, city-sleek as ever, taps the map with a perfectly manicured nail. Her legs, tucked neatly beneath her on the stool, seem miles long. "Finn, you know I'm not well-versed in the nuances of all this …"

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