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“Yum, these are my favorite variety. And they’re in season too!”
I nod and shoot a smile her way.
“Really? Golden Delicious? I have to say that they’re always a bit too soft for me.”
She merely giggles while skipping ahead with the bag.
“Yeah, but you’ve eaten a ton of them, Harris. The softness makes them perfect for pies, so I’ve worked them into many of my recipes.”
I nod and follow along, my boots crunching on crackling leaves underfoot. Mari, meanwhile, starts picking away, and I watch as she stands on tiptoe to snag an apple from a high bough. Contentment spreads through my chest again because she’s gorgeous as her hair flows over her shoulders, with those pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. Not only that, but the red flannel shirt doesn’t hide her big bust, and her round ass is clad in tight jeans that show off her generous figure.
“What are you looking at, mister?” she giggles, turning back to me. I start because I didn’t even realize I was staring.
“Sorry, honey,” I growl. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
The pretty brunette looks around and smiles as golden dust motes dance in the air.
“It is,” she agrees in a soft voice. Her eyes sparkle once more. “But are you ready to talk, Harris? You know you can’t put it off forever.”
I nod, growling.
“Sure. You want to find a place to sit somewhere? Or should we talk as we pick?”
Mari flashes a saucy grin at me.
“Only old men need to sit,” she teases. “Let’s keep going.”
Of course, I haven’t even attempted to contribute to our collection of apples because I’ve been too busy watching my beautiful stepdaughter as she floats around the orchard. But I nod and snag a Golden Delicious off a nearby branch.
“Here you go,” I say, offering it to her.
“Oh, this one’s big,” Mari murmurs, her eyes going round at the large orb. “Great choice, Daddy.”
Her use of the moniker makes my cock jerk, and I realize I need to get this conversation on the road sooner rather than later.
“So about last night …” I growl.
But before I can say anything else, Mari cuts me off. Her eyes are soft and gentle as she puts a small hand on my forearm.
“I loved it,” she says in a quiet tone. “And I want you to know that I’m single too. Benji and I broke up, so I wasn’t cheating on him or anything like that. I’m a free woman.”
I blink hard because to be honest, Benji hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’ve been so consumed with the beautiful brunette that any thought of Mari’s ex completely slipped my awareness. Shit. My obsession is even worse than I thought, but obviously, I have to play it like this is a serious issue.
“Of course,” I say in a low voice. “I appreciate that. Thank you for telling me.”
Mari nods.
“Benji and I were never serious,” she says in a gentle tone. “He always knew he was going to enlist, and I always knew I was going to college, so the break-up was really a question of when, and not if.”
I nod.
“I appreciate his patriotism.”
Mari nods as well.
“As do I. But it’s this … um, patriotism that you saw that last day at the house.”
I nod thoughtfully.
