Chapter 32 How Do You Like Them Apples?
Dakota
My heart races as I sit at the bar of The Mercantile in Jamestown where Calder told me to wait for him after work. I sip my
appletini, which the older female bartender gave me a weird look for ordering, as I admire the atmosphere. I’ve driven by
this place plenty of times in my journeys up to Calder’s, but this is the first time I’ve stopped in. I can see why he comes
here so much. It’s cozy and relaxed and exactly where I would expect to see those Fletcher mountain men stop after work.
I eye the appletini she served me in a rocks glass because she didn’t have any martini glasses. It’s kind of ruining the aesthetic
of my character, but I’ll be damned if I break now.
A deep, husky voice whispers from behind me as a hard object pokes into my back. “Miss, I need you to turn around slowly and
show me what’s in that big bag of yours.”
I take a deep breath and freeze with my neon green drink at my lips. “Who are you?”
“You know who I am.” The object pushes deeper into my back causing a stirring in between my legs. “Now, what’s in the bag?”
My tummy trembles as I fight back a giggle and turn to face the man with an ominous looking umbrella in his hand. Not exactly
a threatening object, but I’ll roll with it. I part my lips and blink coyly up at him. “Tell me who you are first, and then
I’ll show you anything you want.”
His brows tip, and I notice him fighting back a smirk behind his beard. “I’m LaRon, and I own the cider house up the mountain,
and someone’s been stealing all our good apples.”
“Oh no, that’s awful.” I gasp doing my best to give Betty Boop vibes. “But I’m allergic to apples.”
LaRon’s brows furrow as he seems to struggle with what to say next. “Um... you’re drinking an appletini, though.”
“That drink isn’t mine.” I hold my hand up over my mouth in the shape of an O , nailing this character.
He frowns again and asks, “How about them apples?” He taps my boobs with the umbrella, and we both burst out laughing as I
whack his umbrella away.
“This is serious apple business,” he gruffs, horribly fighting away his smile. “I saw you hiding behind the stone mill, and
I know it was you I chased through the tasting room last week. I have my fermenting exams coming up, and I need those stolen
apples or I’m going to have to call the police.”
“Wait.” I break character and frown up at him. “I thought I was the one with the fermenting exams. You’re the orchard owner.”
Calder’s face falls. “Shit, you’re right.”
“I told you we got too plot-heavy.”
“I know, all right, just go with it.” He clears his throat and resumes his character. “You don’t need to take that fermenting
exam. I’ll teach you all about my hard cider.”
My eyes flash down to his groin. “I promise I can be such a good apple slut.”
“Calder!” a loud voice barks from behind me, and I swerve in my stool to see the lady who made me my drink. “Get away from
that nice girl right now.”
“Judy, it’s fine. She’s my—”
“No, it’s not.” The woman looks down at me. “Sweetie, I’m sorry to tell you, but this guy is not the one for you.” She cuts
menacing eyes back up at Calder. “You boys promised me you wouldn’t hit on anyone at my bar.”
“Judy, this is Dakota. She’s my...”
I tilt my head and smile, enjoying the panic and awkwardness all over this normally confident mountain man’s face.
“What am I, Calder?” I blink coyly up at him.
He frowns at me and then smiles. “She’s my brother’s wife’s best friend. We go way back.”
I roll my eyes. “Nice save.”
Calder looks back to Judy. “I promise this is consensual.”
“I know all about this animal,” I confirm, turning back around and grabbing a menu off the bar. “Thanks for having my back,
though.”
Judy puffs out a noise. “Okay, sweetie. You just let me know if he gives you any trouble, okay?”
“Will do.” I wink at the sweet lady, who smiles and then shoots Calder a dirty look. “I like her.”
“Can I get a beer at least?” he calls down the bar to her, and she waves him off.
Eventually a pint appears in front of Calder before Judy murmurs under her breath, “If you ask me for cider, I’m throwing
you out.”
When she walks away, we both burst out laughing again, horrified that she heard more than we intended her to.
“I take it you know her?” I ask, glancing back.
Calder sighs. “Yeah. Judy is good shit, and she doesn’t take any shit. She helps me out with Milkshake when we’re ever out
of town.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” I smile at her. She gives me a dubious look like she’s trying to warn me off about Calder, but I feel pretty
well informed about this mountain manwhore already.
“Sorry I got off track on our script there,” Calder says taking a big drink of his beer.
“Oh my God, it’s fine. Role-playing is so fun, though. I’m sure we’ll do better next time.”
“Next time?” Calder eyes me curiously.
My cheeks heat as I realize what I just suggested.
As much as I love experiencing these new things with him, I hate that it means checking off another box.
Another box checked means another step closer to our little arrangement being over.
I press my lips together and eye the menu, trying not to let my mind wander.
“I’m starving. Can we eat here before we head up to your place?”
“Absolutely,” Calder replies with a delicious glint to his eye. “Let’s see if they have any apple pie.”
We order burgers and have a second round of drinks, talking animatedly about our days. It feels shockingly comfortable being
immersed in Calder’s world like this. Hanging at his favorite bar, eating a meal with him, talking about work. It’s not the
first meal we’ve eaten together, but it’s the first meal we’ve eaten in an establishment, and I can’t help how my mind wanders
to wondering what it would be like if we did this more often.
What will it be like when we’re done with the list? Will we really just go back to how we were before? When I see him around
Max and Cozy, will it really be like we haven’t had mind-blowing sex?
It is mind-blowing for Calder too, right? It sure seems like he’s not losing any steam on things, but maybe he’s like this
with every girl he’s slept with, and I’m just another warm body.
My mind is racing so much that I don’t hear the question Calder asks me.
“So, can I?”
“Can you what?” I ask around a french fry.
“Can I be your plus-one to this award thing?”
My chest swells with emotion over that question. We haven’t talked about this for a few days, so it’s surprising to me that
he’s remembered and wants to go. That’s a little date-ish, isn’t it? “You really want to?”
“I know I don’t want you to go with anyone else,” he replies, reaching over and placing his hand on my thigh. “You’re mine
until we cross this finish line, right?”
“Right,” I tut as a knot forms in my throat. At this rate it’s shaping up to be quite a finish, and I have no idea how I feel
about that.