Page 43 of The Friendly Fall

“Nothing about getting my pictures taken is fun.” I grimace, but take the basket from her arms anyway. We head back out further into the orchard, and the entire time her camera is clicking away, and I don’t even know what there is to capture. “I didn’t really dress for a photoshoot,” I say, motioning to my dark brown work Henley.

“Oh, you look great.” Eliza waves me off. “Women love a rugged, outdoorsy man. They drool over them.”

“Huh.” I chuckle. “Have to say I’ve never experienced that for myself.”

“That’s because this town is full of old people.” Eliza laughs, her eyes alight with amusement. “But I’d be willing to bet some of the old ladies drool over you at the hardware store.”

“Come to think of it, theydousually stop to ask a million questions,” I shoot back at her, giving her a wink.

“I knew it!” She laughs. “Gosh, it’s such a beautiful day. Picturesque, really.”

Just like you.

“It’s nice, yeah.” I reach for a few apples, placing them in the basket. “Do you ever bake any pies or anything? My mom is obsessed with baking, and she told me I had to bring some of these apples back for her.”

“I’ve never baked a pie, but I bet Granny could show me how,” Eliza answers, half distracted by her camera. “Can you smile?”

I roll my eyes at her but smile anyway. “Better?”

Eliza chuckles as she snaps a couple of photos. “Perfect.”

“You know, I see you have a tripod in your bag. Why don’t you set that baby up and jump in these photos with me?” I suggest, a mischievous glint in my eye.

Eliza’s cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink as she stammers, “Oh, I-I don’t know…”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” I nudge her, picking up the tripod and setting it up under a particularly lush apple tree. “We can take some photos together. It’ll be like a memory of this day.”

Eliza hesitates for a moment, her camera still in hand, before finally giving in with a shy smile. “Okay, just a couple of pictures.” She repositions the tripod before setting the camera on it and fiddling with the settings. “I’ve set up the interval timer, so it’ll automatically take a couple photos of us every five seconds. Are you ready?”

I nod and she rushes over to stand beside me under the tree, sending a whiff of her perfume my way. It’s a delicate, floral scent that mingles with the crisp apple smell in the air, creating a heady concoction that has my head spinning.

The camera begins its countdown, and we both try to relax into a natural pose. Our shoulders brush lightly, sending a jolt of electricity through my body.

As the first shutter clicks, Eliza’s laughter rings out, infectious and joyous. I can’t help but grin in response, warmth spreading through me as we capture this memory together.

Eliza and I continue to laugh and joke as the camera snaps away, posing in different ways and throwing in a few silly faces here andthere. I steal glances at her when she’s not looking, admiring the way her eyes crinkle at the corners when she smiles, the freckles scattered across her nose like constellations in the night sky.

“This is fun,” Eliza exclaims between laughs.

Instinctively, I drape an arm around her shoulders, pulling her even closer. Her eyes widen in surprise, but she doesn’t resist my touch.

I swallow hard before tilting my head down to meet her gaze. Her emerald eyes are speckled with flakes of a darker green and seem to sparkle in the sunlight. For a moment, I find myself getting lost in them. Her face is tilted up towards mine, her lips curved into a warm smile. In this moment, all I can think about is how much I want to press my lips against hers and taste the sweetness of her smile.

I want to kiss hersobad…

She puts her hand on my chest, and I know she can feel my heart thudding like a hammer, but she doesn’t say anything … until she pulls away.

“I think that’s good.” She clears her throat, stepping away from me. “Thank you so much, Nick.”

“Yeah, of course,” I reply as she makes her way back to the tripod, doing my best to hide my disappointment that the sweet moment between us is over

“Oh wow. These are … They’rereallygood.” She breathes out, looking up at me. “Do you want to see them?” Eliza dismounts the camera from the tripod and heads toward me, extending out the camera.

I take it from her, holding my breath as I glance down at the small screen and sift through the photos. “Wow. These are great photos.”

“We havesomuch on-screen chemistry.” She looks up at me, a smile on her face. “I think that’s a rarity.”

On-screen chemistry?

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