“At least as long as I’ve lived in town working for Evelyn.”
“Where did you live before that?”
“Just outside of town, on my family’s farm.”
“You have a family farm?”
“Did.” I let my gaze travel over the water. “Wedidhave a family farm.”
When she spoke again, her voice was soft. “What happened?”
“My mom got cancer,” I said. “The treatments were expensive and insurance didn’t cover everything. Things were already tight before that — competing with Big Ag is tough — but it pretty much decimated my dad. He managed to hold on until my mom died so she could die at home, but the bank took it over two months later.”
“Noah…” I was surprised to feel her reach for my hand. “I’m so sorry.”
I turned my head to look at her and got lost in her brown eyes. I saw my own sadness reflected in their depths, like she’d absorbed some of it for me.
“Thanks.”
Our gazes were locked, my heart pounding like a motherfucker. Would it be unseemly to kiss Avery after the revelation about my mom? I discarded the thought almost as soon as I thought it. I could almost hear my mom laughing, telling me not to be silly, telling me to live my life.
And right then, I very much wanted to live my life, starting with kissing Avery Hart.
I leaned in.
“I kissed Beck!” she blurted.
I froze an inch away from her face. “You… what?”
I was horny as fuck, desperate to feel her mouth under mine. I wasn’t sure I’d even heard her right.
“I kissed Beck yesterday.” She sounded miserable.
Now it all made sense. Avery had gone to the Common Ground for coffee instead of the bakery to avoid Beck.
That lucky bastard.
“Is this a confession?” I asked. “Want me to give you a couple Hail Marys or whatever the fuck it is that Catholics do to unburden their souls?”
Her brown eyes clouded with confusion. “I just… I just thought you should know since we were about to kiss.”
I grinned. “Thanks for the news flash, sweetheart. Can I kiss you now?”
“You don’t care?”
“Not enough to keep me from kissing you myself, but if you’re a one-man kind of girl…” I trailed off, very much hoping she wasn’t a one-man kind of girl.
Not unless I was going to be the man in question.
“I don’t know what kind of girl I am,” she said. “But I’m willing to keep an open mind.”
I chuckled. “Music to my ears.”
I closed the distance between us. Finally.
Her lips were absurdly soft, and she exhaled gently against my lips, like she’d been holding her breath.
You and me both, sweetheart.