“Hi!” Maeve jumped out and dashed over to us. She was always so full of energy and her wide smile shone brightly in the gloomy morning. “I hope you haven’t had to wait for us for too long! We only just picked up Stella a few minutes ago.”
“Nah.” I hugged her first, then Stella, and lastly Taran, who looked beautifully out of place in his tweed suit, a moss green corset, and green wellies.
“Autumn, how lovely to see you,” he told me in his smooth voice as he pecked my cheek.
“You too! I’m so happy we’re doing this today. I’m sure it’ll be such a good day!”
“Team building and all,” Maeve added as she slipped her arm around Taran’s waist.
“Roasted chestnuts,” Stella sighed. “And pumpkin everything.”
We all squeezed through the entrance and I caught Ross by the sleeve as the others took in the decorated courtyard.
“You okay?” I muttered. His fur-covered hand enclosed mine for a moment.
“Yes, I am.” He squeezed my fingers. “Want to check out their coffee?”
“I bet it’s not as good as yours,” Maeve said from right beside me.
“Maybe we can get them to buy yours next year.”
Ross fit in more easily than I’d expected.
He disappeared into a conversation about coffee roasting with Taran about twenty minutes after we’d arrived and then talked shop with Kjartan about wood working tools.
Meanwhile Maeve, Bee, Stella, and I ate our way through everything they had on offer, and bought treats from an enormous man with a nose ring and a kilt who sold jars of honey and beeswax candles.
Stella flirted with the man who seemed flustered at the attention and kept a polite distance.
By the time early afternoon came around and we spread all the pumpkin pies, chestnut pastries, and honey treats Taran and Maeve had got for us over an entire table so everyone could try one of each, Ross ended up next to me.
“I’m glad you came along today.”
Ross smiled but kept his eyes on a gaggle of kids painting pumpkins. “Me, too. It feels different. Good different.”
“You’re almost a people person now, Mr Graham,” I said and bumped my shoulder against his elbow.
“Don’t tell anyone,” he snorted. “I’ve got a reputation to protect.”
“Oh, I promise.” I pressed a finger to my lips. “I’ll tell no one that you are secretly a big, soft teddy bear.”
I snorted.
“Would you like to check out the maze with me?” he asked. “Or the orchard. There’s a sign.” Ross waved at a point behind him. “Apparently there are apples,” he rambled on.
The cutest.
“Yeah, I’d love that,” I told him. “Let’s go.”
“To the maze or the orchard?” Ross asked.
I looked at him and made a show of licking my lips rather suggestively.
“Yes,” I said, enjoying the way his huge eyes dropped to my lips so heavily it was almost audible.
He led me towards the orchard and away from the maze that was crowded with small children and their tired-looking parents. His broad hand hovered over the small of my back making me, once again, very aware of how tall Ross was compared to me.
It was beautiful in the orchard. The pumpkin carving contest had just started and the orchard was deserted.
