AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Casual and uncomplicated was all Rowan was capable of.
She gave him another weak smile and hopped to her feet. He stood too, and his hands twitched toward her before he neatly tucked them with his gloves into the pockets of his coat.
“A few months ago, I thought I’d never laugh again,” he said.
“Well.” She fidgeted with her hat. “I’m hilarious.”
“You’re a lot of things,” he said. The intimacy in the way he said the words made goose bumps rise under her layers of clothing.
“Right now, I’m a lot behind on this vineyard.” She stepped around him to get back to work.
“Hey,” he said behind her.
Rowan turned.
“Thanks for letting me help,” he said. “It’s hard, watching everyone play the ‘what should we do with Harry today’ game.”
“The babysitting comment, earlier. That’s what you meant.”
He nodded.
“You’re always welcome out here. With me.” The words came too quick. Too raw. She rubbed her nose. “I mean, I can always find something for you to do. If you want.”
“Let me know whenever you need me,” he said. “Ah, you have some—some stuff, in your hair. Plant stuff.” He gestured toward his right temple.
“It’s more surprising when Idon’thave plant stuff up there.” Rowan pulled off a glove and reached to her left temple, mirroring where he pointed.
He chuckled. “Other side.”
She nudged around with her fingers at her right temple. Still nothing.
Harrison gestured to his own head again. “Back, a bit farther.”
Rowan still didn’t feel anything. “Help?” Her mouth pressed into an exasperated line.
He looked down at his feet. Then, back up. His squinted eyes were silvery in the white winter sun. “Said I wouldn’t touch you, remember?”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake.” She snatched off her other glove and pushed them into her coat with her hat. She worked impatient fingers through her crown until she found a long tendril of woody vine, no wider than a piece of yarn. It snagged when she tugged, pulling a thick loop of hair from one of her braids. The more she fiddled with it, the more tangled it became.
Rowan dropped her arms to her sides.
Harrison moved in. Loomed. Raised both eyebrows. Waited.
“Please,” she grumbled to his chin.
“Do you”—a grin tugged at his lips—“need me to touch you, Rowan?”
“You’re an ass.” She tried yanking her cap back on, but the knit snagged on the twig, and she couldn’t pull it down without painfully pulling hair. A big, frustrated breath blew her cheeks out.
His head listed gently to the side while he watched her flail.
“Please get it for me.” Pause. “You can—touch me.”
He made a low sound of affirmation in his throat and reached up to extract the tendril a few hairs at a time. God, he smelled good. She tried to keep her breathing shallow, but what she really wanted to do was snort him like a drug.
“There we go.” He twirled the wisp of vine. Then, he twisted it into a small circlet and slipped it onto his pinkie finger. “Think I’ll keep this.”
He brushed dirt and leaves from the seat of his jeans as he returned to the vineyard. Rowan’s limbs felt hot and weightless as she watched him walk away.
