Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Boone had realized halfway through Sunday dinner on his first night on the farm that he needed to put the kibosh on whatever had been brewing between him and Mila.
Because he’d caught her shooting glances in his direction far too often.
Of course, the reason he’d caught all those glances was because he’d been looking right back at her, his gaze drawn to her time after time.
The way she looked at him stirred needs that had lain dormant for ages.
So he’d joined her in her aunt’s living room after the meal and made it abundantly clear he wasn’t about to revoke his membership to the bachelor’s club.
Ordinarily, he never would have engaged in a conversation like that with a woman he’d just met, but it had felt like the quickest, simplest way to snuff out the attraction between them.
Hell, most of what he said hadn’t even been for her benefit, but for his. A reminder of why he couldn’t give in to his instantaneous desire for Miss Mila Storm.
Because he meant what he’d said. Lena introduced enough instability into Sadie’s life with her revolving door of boyfriends. He refused to do the same.
And if Boone had only been physically attracted to Mila, he would have been fine, because he could combat that. After ten years of practically living like a monk, it wasn’t like he was a stranger to denying himself. When it came to self-care, he and his hand were intimately acquainted.
No, the problem with Mila was that, in one afternoon, she’d captured his attention in other, even more desirable ways.
First, because of Sadie. She’d found a way to make his angry daughter smile and given her the gift of a friend when she truly needed one. As Boone sat across the Storms’ table and watched his daughter come to life, gratitude toward Mila bloomed, mingling with the attraction.
Then Boone had driven Sadie to school on her first day, because he had paperwork he needed to fill out. Piper had been right there waiting for Sadie, the two girls linking arms and walking into the building together.
The second reason he’d needed to put some distance between him and Mila was entirely superficial but, honestly, just as powerful in his mind. Because when it came to him, there was real truth to the statement that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.
Once he was thrust into single fatherhood, it fell to him to feed him and Sadie. Sadly, time had always been in short supply in his world, so his cooking skills were limited to simple fare.
When he’d tasted Mila’s beef stew… Jesus.
It had taken everything he had not to circle the damn table, drop to one knee, and propose.
That stew was a goddamn masterpiece, and he’d had to restrain himself from moaning in bliss after every single mouthful.
He hadn’t even realized until that moment that a woman’s cooking could be a serious turn-on.
However, the main reason he forced himself to push Mila away wasn’t even because of something she’d done…but because of something she’d revealed without even meaning to.
Mila had a soft submissive side that called to him.
Between her adorable blushes, the way she looked up at him through lowered eyelashes, and her unintentional, instinctual reactions to his commands, he knew he was in deep trouble. Especially when he caught her watching Gretchen and Theo, a look of longing in her eyes.
Mila was young and looking for love, for a husband, for her own happily ever after.
And it didn’t matter how much desire or gratitude he felt toward her, he simply couldn’t be that man.
The most he could give her was sex without strings, and Mila was not that kind of woman.
She deserved everything she wanted, which left it to him to erect some walls, put some distance between them.
So…he’d spelled that out for her, even though she hadn’t said anything outright about her interest. He figured if he’d misread the situation, there was no harm, no foul. It was just a conversation.
However, it was apparent he hadn’t mistaken her feelings at all. Because she’d listened well, giving him a wide berth ever since that night.
Since he was new to the farm, Boone didn’t know if his and Mila’s paths naturally didn’t cross often or if she was making the effort to avoid him. If it was the latter, she was doing a damn good job.
It had been three weeks since that Sunday supper, since he and Sadie had arrived at Stormy Weather Farm, and overall, he thought the move had been one of the best decisions he’d ever made.
He absolutely loved his new job, loved the trust the Storms had already instilled in him.
His previous boss had been a decent guy, but he was a micromanager, something that chafed more with each passing year.
Boone felt as if he was constantly cast in the role of student with no hope of ever graduating.
It was one reason he enjoyed talking shop with Levi over the years.
Levi treated him as an equal, so it was the only time he got to share his expertise without being questioned.
While it was winter, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a great deal of work to be done.
The vines weren’t dormant during the cold season and still required care.
He’d spent the last fourteen days pruning the vines, trimming away excess growth, while focusing on the healthiest canes.
He’d also taken measures to protect the vines from frost and safeguarding the roots by mulching with straw, which would act as a cozy blanket to protect against extreme temperatures.
Maverick and Grayson, the vintners, had welcomed him into the winery, the three of them discussing flavor profiles, tasting the progress of the maturing wines, and planning for the next harvest. His comments and suggestions were encouraged, and both men made him feel like a valued part of the team.
So as far as the job went, Boone couldn’t be happier.
The same went for Sadie. The sullenness and silent treatment he’d endured all fall appeared to be a thing of the past as she and Piper became fast friends.
His cheerful, fun-loving daughter was back.
Hell, in some ways, Boone felt as if he’d never seen her this happy.
Apparently, being the new girl in a school where all the kids had known each other since birth made her the shiny new toy.
According to her, she was one of the popular girls, something made obvious by the ungodly amount of texts she got every night.
Boone had been forced to insist that dinnertime was a no-texting activity, and twice, he’d had to confiscate her phone for the night when he’d discovered her and Piper FaceTiming well after bedtime.
School wasn’t the only place Sadie had assimilated to with ease. She was also loving life on the farm. Of course, he had Remi to thank for part of that. There were two hours between the end of Sadie’s school day and his quitting time, and he’d worried about leaving her on her own.
The anxiety had been wasted, because Sadie spent a lot of that time at the stables with Remi, which was a positive outlet for her.
True to her word, Remi had put Sadie to work with the animals, teaching her how to care for them, giving his daughter some real responsibility, something that would serve her well as she got older.
In Williamsburg, Sadie had been on her own too much as well.
Their neighbor across the hall, Mrs. Wilburn, an older widow, watched Sadie during the hours between her getting off the bus and him getting home, but the majority of that time had been spent doing God only knew what with Stella, who lived in the same apartment complex.
Boone had even caught the two of them vaping once, Sadie saying the vape was Stella’s older brother’s and they’d only wanted to try it.
Then she’d gotten a detention for skipping class, losing her mind when he’d grounded her for it, because Stella’s parents hadn’t.
Sadie’s iPad had a filter as well as a time limit installed, but Stella’s had been wide open. And while he didn’t actually catch them—Stella was too quick on the draw—Boone suspected they’d been watching porn one afternoon when he came home early.
Sadie’s grades had begun slipping, her first-semester marks less than stellar, something he hoped she’d be able to recover from in her new school. And if the grades coming home on tests and papers the past two weeks were any indication, she might be on her way to making the honor roll.
He also had to give credit to Mila for Sadie’s current happiness, because while the woman was keeping her distance from him—which had been his intent, even though he hated it—she hadn’t deserted his daughter. Like Remi, Mila had found ways to entertain Sadie without him even asking.
She was teaching Sadie how to crochet and bake.
Boone stepped into the cabin, inhaling deeply, enjoying the sweet scent of cookies. That alone was enough to make his mouth water—until he caught sight of Mila bent over, pulling a tray out of the oven. Goddamn, she had a perfect ass.
“What’s this?” he asked, closing the front door behind him.
Sadie and Mila both whirled around.
“Dessert!” his daughter exclaimed. “Mila taught me how to make Snickerdoodles. We used her grandma’s recipe.”
“It smells incredible.”
“Sadie’s turning into quite the baker. Told her we have to keep that a secret or Aunt Claire will start recruiting her for kitchen duty.”
Sadie’s wide grin told Boone she wouldn’t mind that at all. Aunt Claire, as she’d insisted Sadie call her, was quite the character. She’d invited the two of them to Sunday dinner every week since that first, but Boone had offered excuses, unwilling to tempt his control when it came to Mila.
If he thought distance would lessen the attraction, he’d been a fool. If anything, absence had made his cock grow fonder and harder.