“It’s like a dream. This is heaven,” I utter breathlessly, taking it all in.
“That’s what my grandfather always says. It’s heaven on earth.”
I stop on the path and turn to look at him, his blue eyes holding me captive.
He takes a step closer. “What?”
I shake my head. A slight smile plays on my lips but doesn’t reach my eyes. All around us it’s so quiet, as if the air itself has gone still. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it wasn’t this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m entranced. Captivated.”
A look of bewilderment crosses his features.
“It’s almost like I’ve been seduced.”
George’s blue irises latch onto mine for a few beats. I expect him to laugh. But instead, he stares at me like he’s thinking, his expression holding vulnerability. Perhaps I shouldn’t have used the word “seduced,” the word turning into a basic misunderstanding.
“I mean, just look at this beautiful field.” I wave my arm out in front of me like a game show host. “It’s verytemptingto skip through it and take all the pretty pictures with my phone.”
He licks his lips, face turning a beet-red. “Oh, yes. I understand.”
“Can I?” I ask.
George furrows his brow. “Can you what?”
I cock an eyebrow and look up at him with a mischievous grin on my face. “Can I skip down this path through your field?”
He shrugs. “I mean, sure. If that’s what you want to do. Why not?”
I press my top teeth into my bottom lip and hand him my phone. “Take a few pictures of me while I’m skipping, would ya? My sister’s gonna love this.”
Before I give him a chance to reply, I take off like a little kid, my skirt billowing around my bare knees and my ponytail flying haphazardly behind me. My giggles are infectious, andI hear George laugh, hoping he’s capturing something special in my spur-of-the-moment idea.
Streaks of purple and violet fly past me, the sun overhead kissing my skin with sizzling heat. I slow and turn around, happy to see George keeping up and obediently taking pictures of me. He looks like one of those paparazzi trying to capture the perfect shot, his large hands dwarfing the phone. I play along with him, striking a few different poses while holding the edges of my skirt and curtseying before taking off again.
But the humidity is oppressive, catching up quick, the area above my lips dotting with perspiration. I pause and pick a stalk of lavender, holding it up to my nose and taking a deep breath of heaven.
I’m giddy, happy-go-lucky, and childlike. When was the last time I’d been entirely in the moment like this? Present in my own life without worrying about the past or the future? Beverly would be proud of me, I’m sure of it.
Given the fast pace and hectic schedule of my job, I’ve held a base level of anxiety, stress, and even unhappiness as part of my norm. I realize I’ve been stuck worrying all the time about my career and my future. I’ve felt out of touch with myself.
But things are about to change.
Thinking back to my sister’s pep talk, I’ve decided to be fully aware and mindful of where I am. At this moment, I’m just a girl skipping along a beautiful flower path surrounded by the heavenly aroma of lavender. And a kind farmer curiouslyfollows my antics with a wide grin stretched across his ridiculously handsome face as he captures my joy in pictures.
For once, I’m not distracted by the ruminations of my past or my worries about what’s next. I’m centered on the here and now. And right now, I want to get to know George Jamison.
“I’m thirsty,” I say as he finally catches up to me. I twirl the sprig of lavender in my hand, my chest rising and falling against the taught fabric of my sundress, my heavy panting noticeable.
His eyes are clear pools of cerulean staring back at me, and I notice his quick glance at my chest. Heat pools in my belly, the chemistry between us palpable.
He hands me my phone and says, “We can, uh, get some water back at the barn. We’ve got an underground spring on the property. It’s the coldest—”
“It’s the coldest water around,” I interrupt. “I know. Your grandfather told me.”
He seems shocked. “My grandfather? You’ve… you’ve met Pop? When?”
