Page 1 of Stalked By the Farmer

CHAPTERONE

Conner

The golden sundips below the rolling hills, its fading light bathing the countryside in a warm glow. A light breeze rustles the leaves in the trees surrounding my farmhouse, carrying the earthy scent of tilled soil and new beginnings.

I lean against the wooden fence of the pigpen, wiping the sweat off my brow with a dirt-stained hand. My muscles ache pleasantly from a hard day's work, the familiar pain a testament to my dedication in building this farm from the ground up.

Everything I've done, every seed I've sown and fence I've mended, has been forher.

For Misty.

A pang hits my chest as I think of my best friend, a now familiar ache I've learned to live with. I want nothing more than to tell her the truth—that this farm is hers, thatI'mhers, that my heart has always been hers. But I can't risk losing her. I can't risk scaring her away with the intensity of my feelings.

Better to love her from a distance—even if it tears me apart inside.

The pigs snort and squeal, jostling each other around the pen. I toss them a few scraps of leftover produce, my lips quirking up at their enthusiasm.

"Easy now," I say gruffly. "There's enough for everyone."

If only I could say the same about Misty. She occupies my every waking thought, as constant as the sun in the sky and the earth beneath my feet. I live and breathe for her, trapped in this purgatory of longing with no escape in sight.

A melancholy sigh escapes my lips as I gaze out at the rolling hills bathed in the golden light of dusk. The beauty of this place is bittersweet, a reminder of everything I can't have. Of the one thing this farm is missing.

Her.

I clench my hands into fists, my ragged nails biting into calloused palms. She'll come around eventually. She has to.

Because I won't survive otherwise.

A familiar engine rumbles in the distance, kicking up dust on the long dirt road leading to the farm. My heart leaps at the sound, a burst of anticipation and nerves swirling in my gut.

It's her. It's always her.

I drop the pitchfork and stride over to the fence, wiping my hands on my jeans. She pulls up in her dusty pickup, all sunshine and smiles behind the wheel. The sight of her still steals my breath away after all these years.

"I come bearing gifts," she says, climbing out of the truck with a picnic basket in one hand. She's wearing a sundress today, the thin straps accentuating her tanned shoulders, the fabric clinging to her curves as she walks.

Heat floods my veins, desire and longing warring inside me. I swallow hard, struggling to form words. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to." She ducks under the fence, standing close enough for me to catch a whiff of her perfume. Sweet and floral, like her. "Thought you could use a break. When's the last time you took a day off, Con?"

I shrug, unable to meet her gaze. The concern in her voice only makes the ache inside me grow. "You know me. The farm keeps me busy."

"You can't work yourself to death." She touches my arm lightly, electricity sparking at the contact. "Come on. Let's go down to the creek like we used to. For old time's sake."

I don't have the strength to resist her. I never have, even if it means another day of torment wanting what I can't have.

"Alright," I say hoarsely. "For old time's sake."

Misty smiles, grabbing my hand and leading me through the fields toward the creek. I try not to read too much into the gesture, telling myself she only sees me as a friend. But the feel of her skin on mine is enough to set my heart racing, hope and longing warring inside me.

Maybe today will be different. Maybe she feels the same way about me as I do her.

We settle under the shade of an old oak tree, the one we carved our initials into as kids. Misty spreads out the picnic blanket and unpacks containers of food, fried chicken and potato salad, fresh baked bread and apple pie.

"Your favorites," she says. "Made them myself."

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble." I stare at the food, warmth flooding my cheeks. She thinks of me. It's enough to make my chest ache with wanting.

---