Page 67 of Give Me a Reason

I was fairly positive he growled in response to that, but his mother must have been used to his grouchiness because she didn’t react.

“I’ll have to get back to you on this,” she said, her tone apologetic.

“We think your farm would be the perfect location for holiday weddings. It would also provide advertising for your business. It would be a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“I don’t know how that could be when you’d be taking up space and clogging up parking during our busy season,” Emmett said, his muscles bulging under his shirt.

“That’s what we’d like to talk about. Is there an alternative lot or a path that we could use that would keep us away from your main checkout area? I know you alternate the fields you’re cutting from each year, so it might be something that evolves and changes, but I think it’s something we can work out.” Gia kept her tone professional.

“We’ll need to talk amongst ourselves and see what we can come up with,” Mrs. Monroe said in a pleasant tone of voice as if she was used to covering for her grouchy son.

Gia shook Mrs. Monroe’s hand and said, “Thank you for meeting with us this morning. It was so helpful to see the layout. I love your farm, and I hope that we can work together in the future.”

Emmett glared at us as we walked away.

“That was interesting,” Ireland murmured to me when we reconvened by our cars.

“I’m glad we came. I think it has potential, but the ball’s in their court now,” Gia said to us.

“Did you show them the offer?” I asked her, knowing what she was prepared to pay to rent the property was above and beyond other venues because there was a potential for interruption of their business. She wanted to compensate them for that. The brides knew that this venue would be more expensive during the holidays.

“I did. That’s why Mrs. Monroe wanted to meet with us in person. Let’s head back to the office,” Gia said, getting into her car.

The rest of us followed, and when we were alone in Ireland’s car, I asked, “What did you think of Emmett?”

She whistled. “He was hot and grumpy. Makes you wonder if you can be the one to tame him.”

“He was very grumpy.” Grouchier than Finn when we’d first met.

“I don’t normally go for mountain men, but I could make an exception for him.”

“Maybe it’s time to look outside your usual.”

“I don’t know if I could handle a man like that. You saw how he acted with his mom. I have a feeling he’s always like that.”

“But wouldn’t it be fun to distract him from his troubles? To get him to be passionate and focused on you, instead of all the other things that he’s resisting?”

Ireland chuckled. “He’d be a good time all right, but I’m sure he’s already taken. He’s probably one of those men who has a woman he meets up with when he’s in the mood. He wouldn’t want to take the effort to get to know someone new.”

“Maybe we’ll start working with his family, and you’ll see him at the weddings.”

Ireland shook her head. “That’s probably not going to happen. You saw how he was against the idea. He wouldn’t even consider it.”

“How persuasive do you think his mom is?”

“I think she gets what she wants, but who knows how long that will take?”

“That’s too bad. It’s an amazing location. Brides would love it,” I said, enjoying the other farms as we drove back to town.

“Can you imagine living there? I’d be filled with holiday cheer year-round.” Ireland said it so seriously, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t think Emmett has any holiday cheer.”

“He owns a Christmas tree farm,” Ireland said indignantly, and then we both erupted into giggles.

I couldn’t see him smiling as carolers came to his door, or even decorating a tree for his house. He was a total scrooge.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

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