Finn furrows his brow at me, but I’m not sure how to read him. My fate is in his hands.
“There’s room for you here if your schedule allows it,” Finn tells me, his signature boyish grin sweeping across his handsome face.
“Are you sure?” I ask with uncertainty, hoping he’s not being nice for the sake of it. Aspen will be leaving, so I could move back into the cottage if needed.
“I’ll cover the cost of changing your return flight. Oh, pardon my manners, I’m Edward Myers, and I’ve been leading Maplewood Falls for the past fifteen years. Willa spoke so highlyof you, and I can’t get over how amazing the farm painting is. You’re truly talented. Of course, I’d give you full creative liberties to paint whatever you’d like. It will be hung in the entryway of the town hall for everyone to enjoy.”
I look between him and Finn, swallowing hard. “That sounds perfect. I’d be happy to paint it for you.”
Edward’s mouth turns up into a big smile, and he shakes both of our hands. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Here’s my card. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out. I’ll send you an official contract tonight if you can give me your email address.”
Oakley writes it down in a small pocket-size notebook he had tucked in his shirt.
“We’d like the imagery to be centered around the harvest festival. That’s the only requirement. Starts on Thursday.”
“I can’t wait to check it out. Appreciate the opportunity to do the town justice,” I tell him, not caring how much they’re paying. Spending more time with Finn is worth any dollar amount.
When he walks away, Finn grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles.
“When Aspen leaves, I’ll be happy to move my things back to the cottage if you?—”
“You’re staying with me, Sunshine,” he says with a sly grin. “The last thing I’m doing is moving all that shit again.”
I snort. “Don’t blame you. Now I’m glad I haven’t packed anything.”
We laugh as Finn leads me toward the wagon taking people on an orchard tour. When I turn my head, I notice Aspen watching us from the perimeter of the area. I give her a smile, but she turns her head and pretends she wasn’t watching us.
Finn helps me take the step up, and it feels like an eternity has passed since we took the first tour together. When he sits,I use his lap instead of taking a seat next to him. He wraps his strong arms around my waist, and I turn my body so I can easily chat with him. I like the way he holds me, but it doesn’t feel like it’s for show anymore.
“Aspen’s watching,” I whisper in his ear.
“I swear she’s stalking us.”
Once the wagon is full, the tractor takes us around the orchard. Finn points out the different trees, and I love listening to him talk about the farm. Some were cross-pollinated to make new species, and others came from the original harvest a hundred years ago.
Finn keeps me in place as the tractor takes a turn down another bumpy road. I can feel him growing hard under my ass, and it’s taking me back to the first time we did this. I slightly turn my body, creating a little more friction, and he digs his thumbs in my hips.
Turning my head, I whisper in his ear, “We should leave after this.”
“Not sure we’ll make it off this wagon if you keep making me hard.” He nibbles on my earlobe, and I squeeze my legs together.
After everyone’s picked a few apples, we get back on the wagon and make our way back. As we offload, I miss a step and fall into his arms, laughing. He catches me and spins me around.
“Sure am glad you were there,” I admit.
Finn sets me down and tucks loose strands behind my ear. “I’m glad you’re here and are staying longer.”
“Yeah? I thought you’d be sick of me,” I tease.
“You’re starting to grow on me.” Then he leans in and whispers, “Truthfully, I can’t get enough of you.”
We pass by kids bobbing for apples. There’s a timer and the one who gets the most wins a prize. I love how they havedifferent activities for the little ones, most of whom carry at least one prized stuffed animal.
“I’ve never done that before,” I tell Finn as we watch.
“Do you know where it originates?” Finn asks.
“No idea.”