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“Only a little. Pink,” he said on a laugh. “My punk princess.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Jerk.”
“The hairdresser did a good job. I’m assuming it was a hairdresser?”
I nodded. “A place in Crescent Cove. The girls went crazy in there. ‘Virgin hair’ they kept saying as they mixed half a dozen colors. Originally, I just thought I’d get a few fun strips of honey, but then they got me so excited.”
And I’d felt beautiful and part of something. Ever since I’d stepped foot on the orchard, I’d felt the change. Rachel had included me, yes, as much as she could with our weird dynamic. But working with Cara and Bells had unlocked something I hadn’t known I needed.
Beckett showing me how much he loved his land and his life, the orchard and the taproom—and the pride he took in all of it? I wanted that for myself.
“Should I expect more surprises with Bells as the instigator?”
I laughed. “Maybe.”
“Anyway, I was trying to tell you how amazing the garden is. I think that was the exact moment that firmly made me fall in love with you.” He cupped my face. “You loving the orchard is like loving me.”
My eyes stung. “Oh, Beckett. I really do love you.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “All the things I’ve learned over the years led me right here. To you.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you have trade one kind of secretarial job for another. It seems ridiculous to even mention it when you live in Manhattan.”
“But it’s not a job here. I feel like I’m part of something. In the city, I’m just a snow globe waiting to be put on a different shelf.”
He frowned down at me. “You’re so much more than that. You have to know that.”
I placed my hand over his on my cheek. “I’m starting to believe that.”
“I’ll just keep telling you until you believe me.” He kissed me gently until as usual between us, the gentle flared to heat and steam.
Until his phone went off in his pocket.
He groaned against my mouth and let me go. “Freaking Justin.” He pulled out the phone and checked the screen then replied with a quick text.
“Gotta go?”
“We had some trouble in one of the Paula Red zones and it looks like it might be a bigger deal than we thought.”
“Go. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yes. Tonight. My place instead. That bed was not big enough for both of us.”
“It was plenty big for me.”
“Because you’re a bitty thing.” He slid down his hand to cup my ass, dragging me close for one more kiss. “I have a sudden hankering for caramel. I wonder why?”
I pushed him away as he laughed and disappeared back into the bedroom for the rest of his clothes and boots. When he came back out, he had his ever-present Yankees cap on.
I sort of missed the cowboy hat.
I followed him to the door. “Think we could take Storm out later?”
“Now that sounds like a very good idea.” He lowered to give me a lingering kiss. “It’s a date.”
My stomach flipped. “A date.”
Doing things backward seemed to be our thing.
I checked in with Bells and got dressed. Friday was coming quickly and we still had plenty of things that needed to be done. Since we didn’t have any off-site errands to run, I went with a pair of denim shorts and one of the cropped cotton shirts in a soft jade that made my new hair look decidedly fall-inspired though it was late spring.
