“Not yet.”
“Shit.” He whistles under his breath. “We better get you there stat. It’s apple fritter day.”
“Are they any good?”
He blinks at me slowly. “Promise me you won’t let Chase hear you ask that question? He likes to think they’re famous.”
“Hey,” I hold up my hands in defense, “I’m new in town.”
“That’s your saving grace.” He casts me a sidelong glance. “Did my sister say you’re from San Francisco?”
“Only for the last few years. My parents are in Seattle, but we used to come up here every summer.”
He nods but slows his gait as we reach the pumpkin patch. There, row after row of circles in various shapes and sizes litter the rolling hill.
“I’m proud to say we grow all of our own pumpkins here.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Don’t most patches?”
He scoffs. “You’d be surprised how many ship them in from farms.”
My lips form an “O.” “But not you.”
“Not me. We have more than forty varieties.”
My jaw does fall open this time. “I had no idea there were that many.”
“Stick with me, and you will.”
“Oh, I will.” I give him a playful nudge.
He meets my gaze for a moment. A flash of heat flickers in his eyes and warmth spreads through my belly.
This man is really something. I’ve never felt more in danger of losing my heart so quickly to someone.
Then, the flash is gone. Almost as quickly as it appears. Quinn straightens his spine and takes a step from me.
“We should grab that cider and fritter and get you back to the office.”
I nod, slightly taken aback by the literal and figurative distance that lingers between us all the way to the Snack Shack and back.
“Good work today, thinking on your feet,” he says, lingering outside the office door. “We’ll get that scheduling issue fixed.”
“Thanks,” I say.
When he disappears and Lanie leans toward me. “Don’t take it personally. He gets like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like the weather, he can be warm one minute and give you frostbite the next.” She grins. “He’s married to this place. But if anyone could turn his head, my money is on you.”
THREE
QUINN
The sun dips low in the sky when the last family leaves the farm.
Weekdays can be hit or miss. But thanks to the early—and unexpected—field trip arrival, today was a hopping first day of the season.
