Page 19 of Evergreen Desires
"Be home for dinner?" Jake bounced on the balls of his feet, unable to contain his excitement.
"I wouldn't miss it."
Jake chuckled and bounded out of the room, through the back door. I sat there for a moment, still wearing a smile, savoring the scent that he had left behind in the room.
A few minutes passed, and I shook myself out of the daze. That kiss just amplified my protective instincts through the roof. I quickly assembled the cameras and headed out the door towards the barn where the ATV was stowed. I needed to install those cameras.
Let's see who was messing with us.
CHAPTER 17
JAKE
I kissed him. I actually kissed him, and I liked it. It was only on the cheek, but it felt like so much more for me. It felt like he’d liked it too. Well, of course he would. He had made it clear from the beginning that he was into me. But he had respected my need for space and hadn't pushed for answers. The surprise and passion in his eyes struck me to the core. I was starting to think he was a good man, one worth taking a chance on.
But for now, I needed to focus on the task at hand. The afternoon sun was still shining brightly overhead, and I wanted everything to be perfect for my first paying photography gig. It was a dream I'd had for a long time. Maybe I could even include the pictures in my future portfolio. And there was the added bonus that Beau would be back for dinner, and we could spend the evening looking through what I'd captured.
I heard the familiar sound of a woodpecker pounding in the distance. I headed in that direction, hoping it was somewhere within the first few rows of trees. As I ventured deeper into the tree line, I noticed for the first time how closetogether the Christmas trees were planted, staggered in rows. It was different from what I remembered as a kid visiting farms with my grandparents, where the trees were spaced further apart in neat rows. Beau's approach allowed him to fit double the number of trees in the same area, which was impressive. But it also meant that once you were a few rows back, it was easy to get lost, especially among the taller 12-to-16-foot trees. The perfect woodpecker picture probably wasn’t in the cards for today. I did promise Beau that I would stay close. Before leaving, I snapped a few close-up shots—a bundle of needles, a small cluster of pinecones. I even lay on the ground to capture an upward shot of a tree against the backdrop of the blue sky.
As I made my way back towards the clearing, the sun illuminated the barn beautifully. Its faded red paint against the green trees created a picturesque scene. It felt like a classic image to me. I pointed my camera in that direction and snapped a few photos, knowing that I could enhance them later on the computer if the exposure was off.
Taking another twirl, I spotted Beau in the first row of trees, just past the greenhouses. He was kneeling on the ground, wrapping a strap around a tree. Ah, the trail cam. That would make an awesome shot for the environmental section. I quickly pointed my camera in his direction, zoomed in, and captured a series of photos. Some were closer, focusing on his face as he concentrated on the task at hand; others were more zoomed out, showing how small even such a tall and muscular guy looked against the towering pines
Looking down at the camera screen, I scrolled through the pictures of Beau, lingering on a few of them that framed him in particularly good lighting. But as I continued scrolling, I came across the first few barn photos. Something caught my eye—it looked like there was a mailbox hanging on the back of the barn. I zoomed in, trying to get a better look. Unable to make out the details, I headed towards the barn to investigate. When I reached it, I found a faded red mailbox, just like the barn. It seemed odd, given that the barn backed up to the first row of trees in that part of the grove. What a strange place for a mailbox. Opening it up, I found it empty.
I shrugged it off, chalking it up to the quirks of an old barn. But then something compelled me to turn and take a random picture of it. I wasn’t sure why, but I did it anyway. Then I turned again and walked back towards the center of the clearing. Beau had moved on from his previous spot. I snapped a few more pictures before heading inside to play around with them on the computer.
Beau returned a little before 4 PM. After exchanging greetings, he headed off to take a shower and wash away the grime from the day. It was the perfect opportunity for me to surprise him and start making dinner. He'd played the role of chef since I’d arrived, so it was time I contributed as well.
Entering the kitchen, I checked the refrigerator and freezer to see what ingredients were available. I found stew beef, onions, garlic, and some sour cream. With those, I have the stuff to make beef Stroganoff. I browned the beef and sautéed the onions and garlic. I also cooked up some whiterice from the cabinet to serve it over, as I didn't see any egg noodles. The aroma of the cooking filled the air, and soon enough, I heard a growl that must have been Beau's stomach. I turned around to see him standing there, freshly showered, with a smile on his face.
"What are you making?" he asked, the smile never fading.
"Beef Stroganoff. Are you hungry?"
"I'll happily eat whatever you're making."
"It's one of the few dishes I can make that requires more than just boiling water or microwaving a dinner,” I explained. “I was glad to find all the ingredients here. Well, almost everything. We'll be having it with rice instead of egg noodles, since I couldn’t find any."
"Works for me." Beau walks over to the sink and begins to wash his hands.
"Okay, it'll be ready in just a few minutes." I turned back to the stove, finishing up by stirring in the sour cream and some broth. "I didn't see Will today. Did he take the news of the new favorite employee okay this morning?"
"Oh, I didn't talk to him. I forgot he wasn't working in the greenhouse today. He takes a day off every now and then. I believe he was expecting a delivery of some items today." Beau looked at me, tilting his head slightly to the side. "You know, he won't be upset. In fact, he'll probably be thrilled."
"I know. He seems like a good man."
"He is. He's like a brother to me. He knows everything about me."
"Yes, I got that impression. I like him." I finished cooking the rice and started plating up the beef Stroganoff. "The rice is done. Let's dig in."
After dinner, we moved to the dining room, which had unofficially became our office space. Beau pulled his chair over and sat shoulder to shoulder with me, our arms slightly touching. We flipped through the photos I touched up earlier, and Beau offered genuine compliments on their professional quality, pointing out the aspects of each photo that drew him in. The proximity and his affirmations generated a warmth in my chest. For a man of few words, he certainly opened up when it was just the two of us. As we flipped through the photos, I told him about the elusive woodpecker I hadn’t managed to find. Then we came to the photos of him in the distance, setting up the trail cams.
Something inside me sparked. The combination of seeing him right there on the computer screen and feeling his leg slightly press against mine under the table sent my heart racing. I needed to get my head to catch up to my heart. I knew it'd only been three days, but in those three days, Beau had treated me better than anyone in any of my past romantic relationships.
"Are you okay?" Beau's concerned voice pulled me out of my head.
"Umm... yes, sorry. I was just thinking."
