Chapter 18
Emily dropped down on a stool and swiped her hand over her forehead. Every muscle in her back was screaming after spending
the day sticking labels on jugs of cider and the bushel baskets. “I think we’ve done all we can do,” she told Andi. “I think
we’ve labeled just about everything we’ve got.”
It was Monday night, and Emily was grateful that Seth and Andi had spent the day helping. While the guys worked in the barn,
Emily and Andi had set to work on the cider and baskets.
Andi retrieved two bottles of water from the nearby refrigerator and handed one to Emily before hopping up on a stool beside
her. “All right. I let it go all day, but now you need to spill it.”
“Spill what?” Emily opened the bottle and took a long draw, enjoying how the cold liquid soothed her parched throat.
Her friend rolled her eyes. “Something’s changed in the past few days since I’ve seen you and Jake. What’s up?”
Uh-oh. This secret was going to be more difficult to keep than Emily had imagined. “What do you mean?”
“I feel a different vibe between you two.” A grin spread over her lips. “Are you guys dating?”
Emily longed to deny it, but her flushing cheeks made that impossible.
“I knew it!” Andi hopped off the stool and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you. I always knew you and Jake would make a cute
couple.”
“Thanks, me too. But you can’t tell anyone.”
Andi returned to the stool, and her forehead furrowed. “Why?”
“Jake wants to keep it just between us for now. After we get through the orchard opening, then we’ll tell the world. But right
now we want to keep our stress to a minimum.”
Andi’s nose wrinkled. “That’s odd, but, um, okay.” She shrugged. “I’ll keep it quiet, but I still think it’s great. I can
see you two getting married and raising a family together here in Splendid Lake.” She held up her bottle to toast her. “Here’s
to you and Jake. And also, I’m very proud to say, I told you so.”
“Thanks.” Emily tapped her bottle against Andi’s, and her heart skipped a beat as she imagined a future with Jake. Was that
possible for them? Could they settle down together, have a family, and be happy?
Right now she needed to focus her attention on the orchard and not worry about her future. “How about we load up the cider
and baskets in those two wagons and haul them to the barn?”
Andi took another long drink from her water bottle. “All right. Let’s do it.”
“Here goes nothin’.” Jake plugged in the extension cord, and the inside of the barn illuminated with thousands of white fairy
lights. And just as Emily had promised, it looked magical.
No, it looked romantic.
Jake cringed. What was wrong with him? He’d turned into a lovesick guy within the twenty-four hours since he first kissed
Emily.
Maybe I’ve lost my mind. Or maybe I’m actually falling in love with Emily, and this is how love is supposed to feel.
He cupped his hand to his forehead. Whoa. That’s super deep.
“You okay?” Seth appeared beside him and studied him with concern.
“Yeah.” Jake pointed to where the fairy lights twinkled from the rafters. The colorful banner Emily had painted with Happy 100th Anniversary, Hughes Family Orchard! and decorated with bright red apples hung in the center of the barn. “It’s finally done.” He shook Seth’s hand. “Thanks for
your help, man.”
“It was actually fun.”
Jake snorted. “Your idea of fun and my idea of fun are way different.”
Seth laughed and pivoted just as Andi and Emily appeared, each hauling a wagon filled with jugs of cider. “Here come the women.”
He dashed over and took the handle of Andi’s wagon from her hand. “I got it.”
His wife gasped as she entered the barn. “Wow, you guys. It looks great in here.” She faced Emily. “You were right about the
fairy lights.”
Jake took the handle of Emily’s wagon. “What do you think?”
She twirled around in the middle of the barn, and her smile was so bright that she could rival the sun. “It’s perfect!”
You’re perfect. And adorable. “It sure is.”
“We did it!” Emily announced. “People are going to love it, Jake.”
Jake looped his arm around her shoulder. “I think so too.”
They spent the next two hours setting up the booth for the cider and then stowing the baskets for the apples by the cashier stations.
After Seth and Andi left, Jake took Emily’s hand and led her toward the barn. He’d planned a surprise for her earlier in the
evening, and he couldn’t wait to put it into action.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh?” she asked. “What is it?”
He laughed. “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He steered her to the middle of the barn. “Now close your eyes.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Why?”
He shook his head. “You can be so frustrating sometimes. Just close your eyes.”
“Okay.” She sighed, closed her eyes, and folded her arms over her chest. “How long do I need to keep them closed?”
“Until I tell you that you can open them.” He rushed around the barn, turning off the overhead lamps so that only the fairy
lights cast a romantic glow. “Almost done,” he called.
When she stuck her tongue out, he couldn’t stop his chuckle. Emily always knew how to make him laugh. He set up his Bluetooth
speaker and connected it to his phone.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Hold on, Miss Impatient,” Jake told her while he found the perfect song. He pressed play before locking his phone and pushing
it into the back pocket of his jeans.
Then he came to stand beside her, and he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You can open your eyes now.”
She trembled at the sound of his voice, and his insides heated.
She opened her eyes, and as she scanned the barn, her pretty lips formed a perfect O. The fairy lights twinkled above them, casting the entire barn in a soft glow, while Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” came through a nearby speaker.
Jake held his hands out to her. “Will you dance with me, Emily?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, her voice full of awe. “I’d love to.”
Jake drew her against him and rested his hands on the small of her back while she wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned
her head against his chest, and he breathed in her flowery scent and felt her soft body press against his as they swayed to
the music.
When he spun her around and dipped her, she giggled. Then he lifted her chin and kissed her velvet lips. He closed his eyes,
savoring the feel of her mouth against his, and a shiver of longing vibrated through his body.
“Is this almost as good as prom?” he whispered as the song ended and then “Groovy Kind of Love” by the Mindbenders began.
“It’s better, since we’re dancing to the oldies instead of pop songs.”
“Right.” He grinned. “You and your oldies.”
She sighed and rested her cheek on his shoulder. “I almost asked you to prom.”
He stopped moving. Had he heard her right? “Really?”
“Yeah,” she said, her eyes meeting his. “But you had asked Claire.” She touched his cheek. “Actually, I wanted to ask you
to homecoming, but she got to you first.”
If only he could turn back time . . . “I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were interested in me that way, but I wish I’d known.”
He held her close. “Let’s pretend this is our prom.”
She smiled as she lay her head against his chest. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, and he kissed the top of her head.
“I agree.” He held her close, and they continued to sway with the music. Being this close to her was different from anything he’d ever experienced. He’d never felt so much joy with a woman—not even Claire. It was as if his heart had been brought back to life.
Oh boy. He had turned into a hopeless romantic for sure!
“There was a song that I always imagined would be our song,” she suddenly said.
“What is it?”
She lifted her gaze to meet his. “That song from the early nineties by Vanessa Williams. ‘Save the Best for Last.’”
“Whoa.” He held up his hand. “You know a song from the nineties?” he teased.
Her eyes narrowed. “I happen to like a variety of music.” She lifted her chin. “Are you going to let me finish my story?”
“Of course.” He pulled her close. “Go on.”
“Thank you. So the song is about two best friends who end up falling in love, and how sometimes we end up saving the best
for last.” Her cheeks turned bright pink, and she was even more irresistible than usual. “It’s silly, but I used to imagine
that we’d dance to it at our . . .” She cringed and covered her face with her hands. “Never mind. I can’t believe I’m saying
this to you out loud. I feel so silly right now.”
“Hey, look at me.”
She squinted up at him, and he chuckled.
“You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed, but you shouldn’t be embarrassed. Tell me. Please.”
“Fine, fine.” She gulped. “I used to fantasize that it would be our wedding song.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before
she buried her face in his shirt. “I’m going to just dissolve into a puddle now.” Her voice was muffled by his clothes.
“Don’t worry about it.” He kissed her head again. “The song sounds perfect.”
They continued to move together, and he felt his entire body relax. He wanted this night to last forever.
Emily still felt like she was floating Tuesday morning. She had started her day by setting up the outdoor painting area where
she planned to give lessons to customers. Then she began walking around the orchard grounds, checking on how the last-minute
touches were coming for the grand opening tomorrow. She hummed “Groovy Kind of Love” and waved to the seasonal workers who
were busy picking the apples. She’d fallen asleep singing the song, and she’d dreamed about her dance with Jake during the
night. His impromptu barn prom had been the most romantic date she’d ever been on, and it even trumped their make-out session
in their fort the night before. She’d been Jake’s girlfriend for less than forty-eight hours, but she couldn’t remember a
time when she’d been so happy.
She continued humming while she took in the employees organizing the cashier counters, the bins full of apples, and the bushel
baskets. Leon sat on a chair near the seasonal employees and pointed while giving orders, and she smiled. It was good to see