Page 30 of Love Harvested on Thanksgiving
“Absolutely!” I say. “Her stuff is amazing. It would fly off the shelves.”
He smiles at me and goes back to finishing his food.
I watch him for a moment, still a little in shock. Finley—the grumpy, brooding farmer—sitting across from me, laughing.
Part of me wonders if he’ll snap back into his usual ornery self, or if this will last. Will he disappear, ghost me like the rest… or does he actually want something more?
My pulse quickens at the thought—me and Finley… together? I can’t help imagining it. A lot of things are changing in my life lately, and I’m twenty-four. Maybe it’s finally time to actually try a mature, healthy relationship. Something real.
I glance out into the street and spot one of those horse-drawn carriages the tourists always love. I can’t help but grin from ear to ear.
Finley glances over at me. “Do you like horses?”
“Ilovehorses!” I say, a little bit too eagerly.
We gather our things and stroll down the street, stopping in a few of the shops that line the sidewalk.
Finley insisted on buying me whichever book I picked up while we wandered Nook & Fable.
Eventually we make our way back to his truck. Once inside, he pulls out his phone, taps at it briefly, then sets it down.
I look at him curiously. “So… what are we doing next?” I ask.
He smirks, “It’s a surprise.”
After talking about our hobbies, favorite foods, movies, and music, we finally pull up to a house on a big stretch of land.
It looks like we’re not too far from the farm. It’s a beautiful little place—charming, modest, farmhouse style.
We hop out of the truck and start heading toward the barn off to the left. Most of the snow has melted, though it’s still cold, at least the sun’s out.
A man steps out of the barn “hey, boss,” he calls.
I glance at Finley. Oh, it’ Annalise’s husband. I wonder what we’re doing here.
“The ole lady is working the flea market today,” the man says, “I’m Dakota, Annalise has told me all about you.”
I turn to Finley, smiling. Dakota pats him on the shoulder and says, “Have fun, boss.”
I tilt my head at him, and he just smiles again. “Come on,” he says, and we step into the barn.
My eyes widen. Horses. Everywhere. All different colors and sizes. I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face. I walk over to the palomino, letting my hands brush its soft face.
Finley watches me for a moment before saying, “That’s Ginny.”
I look up at her and whisper, “Hi, Ginny,” rubbing her snout, feeling that rush of warmth and happiness that comes from being around horses.
I wander through the barn, stopping at every stall, running my hands along each horse’s nose—the ones that let me, anyway.
By the time I finish greeting the last stall, Finley has Ginny and a large blue roan mare ready. He’s standing beside them, smiling.
“Ready?” He asks.
I blink at him, a little wide-eyed. “We’re… really gonna ride them?”
He nods and waves me over to Ginny’s side. My pulse quickens as I approach them.
“Have you ridden a horse before, princess?” Finley asks, his eyes on me as he loops the reins over the horn of the saddle.
