Chapter 16
I t’s been a long eight days. But it’s Sunday.
The festival is five days away, and we’ve all been working our butts off.
I skipped the drive-in last Friday night and have no idea if Aiden went, because I hid in the lobby of the inn with my mom like a coward.
There was no mention of Aiden on the Hot Sheet the next day.
But Charlotte apparently made a second appearance with her mystery date.
I asked her about him, but she wouldn’t say much.
I texted with Kennedy some more, but she wasn’t aware of any job leads.
She did promise to be a reference for me if I manage to get any interviews.
My prospects are bleak, though. I haven’t heard back from two of the places I sent my résumé, and the other three have already rejected me.
I suspect it’s Steve’s doing, but how could I ever prove it?
I’ve spent a little time online looking for apartments in the city, but for some reason I can’t get excited about any of them. I can’t sign a lease until I have a job. It’s not much fun to get worked up about something you know you can’t afford.
At least one thing is going well, however, and that’s the festival planning.
All of the hard work has paid off, because everything is coming together.
Charlotte’s been working double time on all the social apps.
Pumpkin’s account has taken off thanks to some signal boosting from Maria and her friends in PR.
The brewery has a special IPA in the works and is already mostly transformed into an amazing-looking Biergarten.
The bakery has a magical apple cider donut planned and plenty of other apple-y baked goods on the menu.
And one other thing. Word is spreading about the new apple hybrid.
I mentioned it to Maria via text last week without thinking, and she took it and ran with it.
I didn’t know she’d been planning to publicize it until I saw it on social media.
But it’s definitely my fault that I didn’t keep it a secret. I’m just hoping Aiden isn’t too pissed.
We’ve already received a ton of calls about it. Turns out, there’s nothing Maria can’t promote. Including apples. The inn is sold out for the festival weekend, and the parade float, which is now the fanciest thing Harvest Hollow has seen in a minute , is nearly complete.
Things have been good between Aiden and me. Ever since our, ahem , second kiss, we’ve managed to keep everything super professional. Of course, we may have also been avoiding each other, but if that’s what it takes to stop kissing, so be it.
Because the truth is, I haven’t been able to erase the kisses (either one) from my memory. In fact, they pretty much play on a nonstop loop in my head, where they also live rent free. Seriously, not even a security deposit.
I am in the work barn, walking around the float picking at little things here and there, when Charlotte comes running in. “Hey, you two. Come outside. I need some more pictures for the social media account.”
I glance up and am surprised to find that Aiden is on the far side of the barn.
I hadn’t seen him when I walked in and hadn’t noticed him since.
But it’s not too surprising. We’ve both sort of perfected the art of being near each other and not making any noise.
I’ve made it my part-time job to sneak into the apartment at night long after I know he’s in bed.
Charlotte is staring at us both expectantly, her cell phone in her hand, while Aiden and I exchange looks that clearly say, Are we going to do this?
“Come on.” Charlotte huffs, rolling her eyes.
“It’s just a few pictures.” She turns and leaves before we have a chance to argue with her.
It soon becomes obvious that neither of us is prepared to call the other’s bluff, so we both quietly make our way toward the door.
We get there at the same time, which is awkward, and Aiden splays out his hand in a gentlemanly gesture indicating that I should go first.
“Thank you,” I say, desperately trying not to sniff his aftershave. It’s a scent that haunts my really hot dreams lately. I breathe it in but manage to keep my face blank, as if it’s not making my knees wobble. I also manage to walk casually past him and out into the sunlight.
“Over here!” Charlotte calls once we’re both outside. She’s on her way around the side of the barn, walking toward the experimental orchards in the back.
Aiden shrugs at me and I shrug back, and we both walk side by side until we meet Charlotte under the apple trees.
“Okay, I want a picture of both of you laughing. I’m going to get the trees in too. Maria asked for this.”
I begin to make a mental note to choke Maria later, but then I remind myself that she’s doing us a favor and the least I can do is fake a few laughs with Aiden for our social media accounts.
After all, it’s all my fault it’s gotten awkward between us.
I shouldn’t have been so high-handed about telling him I didn’t want to lead him on.
I wince now every time I think of those three words, lead you on .
Why did I say that? It’s not like he declared his undying love for me or something.
The man didn’t even try to take me to bed.
He just kissed me. Twice. And it was hot.
But I immediately jumped to this ridiculous place where I assumed I would be breaking his heart if we did anything else.
Aiden is the one who has good reason to avoid me, and here he is agreeing to this mini photo shoot with his sister. The least I can do is play along.
“Where do you want me?” His voice is deep and slightly growly, and I feel it in my belly.
Charlotte points to the base of a tree. “Ellie, you stand there and grab Aiden’s hat.” She tosses a hat that looks vaguely cowboy-ish but a little more hip onto the grass.
I gulp. “Grab his hat?” It’s a simple instruction but somehow it feels really intimate.
“Yeah, and Aiden, after she grabs it, you go for it like you’re trying to get it back.”
Aiden bends at the waist to scoop up the hat. He puts it on his head and tips down the brim with his thumb and forefinger. “How do I look?” he asks.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath because he looks like a smoke show, and this is definitely karma kicking my ass.
Between this and the jeans riding low at his trim waist and the tight white T-shirt and his bulging arm muscles and the maddening scent of his damn aftershave that I am going to pour down the drain later, I am in trouble.
But I deserve this for being such a jerk. “Good,” is all I can manage.
Aiden reclines against the trunk of the apple tree with the hat on.
There are some more instructions and pointing from Charlotte.
I mentally go into a space where I pretend like I am acting.
I am a model, and this is a photo shoot.
It could be prep for my next career on OnlyFans.
I may need this experience. How do my feet look?
I step toward Aiden and peer up at him from beneath my hooded eyes. The look he’s giving me is seriously hot. But it’s not real. I know it. He’s pretending too. It’s the only way we’re both going to get through this.
I grab at his hat, fake laughing. He catches my wrist, and my knees go weak. I close my eyes. I can’t help it. I want him to lay me down right here on the ground and—
“That’s great,” Charlotte calls, clicking her phone camera at us repeatedly. And thank God for Charlotte. Her presence is the only thing keeping me upright at the moment.
“Just a few more,” Charlotte instructs.
When did Charlotte become a professional photographer?
About the time you forced her into being a social media manager.
Aiden has released my wrist, but the feeling of his hand around it lingers as I go for his hat again.
This time I’m faster, and I grab it. He lunges for me and catches me around the waist. I laugh.
But my body is in a strange state between stiff as a board and molten lava.
The outside had stiffened, but inside I’m like hot apple-pie filling.
I straighten, still laughing, or at least attempting to, and Aiden slings me around and backs me up against the tree behind us.
Oh damn. This was my fantasy last week. It’s still my fantasy.
He’s smiling, but there is a smolder in his eye that is completely distracting.
He pushes me until my back hits the tree, but his hand got there first to soften the blow.
His lips are inches from mine. He pulls the hat from my now nearly lifeless fingers and puts it on my head.
I am mesmerized by the look in his eye. I want to kiss him again. So bad. Or I want him to kiss me, or both. Whatever.
“That is great!” Charlotte says. She hasn’t stopped taking pictures the whole time this has been going on.
The next thing I know, Aiden reaches out and swipes the end of my nose with his index finger. It would be adorable if we were a couple getting our engagement pictures taken. Instead, it steals the breath from my lungs. I ache for him.
“Perfect!” says Charlotte. She’s staring at her phone now. “Okay. I think that’s enough.”
Aiden quickly steps away, and I am left propped up against an apple tree with a hat on my head and way too much lust coursing through my veins. Whoa. It’s gonna take me a minute to recover. I am melting .
I know Aiden was just pretending like I was, but man, he’s good at that. He should have an OnlyFans account. Oh God. I can’t think about that. That is not helpful. I need some air-conditioning.
“I’m gonna go send these to Maria,” Charlotte announces. She turns and is gone in moments.
Aiden is standing in a clearing a few feet away with his hands on his hips. “How did we do?” he asks me.
“Very convincing.” My voice is shaking, and so is my body.
“You like the hat?”
I pull it off my head, walk over, and hand to him. “Yeah. I wonder where she got it.”
“Must be Sawyer’s,” Aiden says. “Looks like something he’d wear. And something Charlotte would like.”
I’m about to say something about Charlotte and Sawyer when Aiden adds, “She won’t tell me the name of the guy she’s been going to the drive-in with. I’ve got some feelers out.”
“Oh, good,” I say, forcing myself to step back. “Sera and I were wondering about that.” Of course Aiden is on the case. He’s not going to let his little sister date a stranger without checking into the guy.
“Sawyer hasn’t been happy about it,” Aiden says.
Ooh, that’s interesting. But I don’t say anything, in case Aiden wants to add more. He doesn’t, and after a few moments of silence, I point toward the barn. “I guess we should get back to work.”
“Yeah.” Aiden clears his throat. “We should.”
As we begin walking back toward the barn, I text Maria. that photo shoot was ur idea?
She immediately answers. what? i want the place to look sexy. u 2 look good together.
There is a pause before she adds, oh, can u send me a pic of the new apple? you said it looks swirly?
We’re about halfway back to the barn when I stop. “Maria wants a picture of the Rosie Darling. Can I grab one off the tree in the back real quick?” I turn to head back to where we just came from.
Aiden curses under his breath. “You know, I really didn’t want to let anyone know about it yet.”
I wince and turn back around to face him. “I know. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it. I told Maria offhand, and I didn’t expect her to... I’m really sorry.”
“I’ve already had a couple of distributors reach out.” He shakes his head. “I knew it was a bad idea to publicize it ahead of the festival.”
“I completely understand. I shouldn’t have mentioned it to Maria. I told her it was a secret, but I guess I wasn’t clear enough. She sorta took it and went with it.” I step toward him and search his face. “But the good news is, if one of the big distributors buys it, you’ll be a multimillionaire.”
He already knows this, of course. I’m clearly only trying to absolve my guilt.
His features harden. “Yeah, well, not all of us want to be multimillionaires. You publicized it without my permission, Ellie.” His voice is low, accusatory, but worst of all, hurt . “And you didn’t even come to me and apologize when it first happened.”
Ugh. I’m an even bigger ass than I thought I was.
And I thought I was a pretty big one. I feel awful for betraying his trust. He has the right to be angry with me.
I screwed up. I should have made it clear to Maria that she couldn’t publicize the new apple.
“I’m sorry, Aiden,” I say, biting my lip and wincing. “ Really sorry. ”
A few moments of silence pass before he gives me a jerky nod.
There’s one more question I can’t help but ask. “Aren’t the businesses in trouble, though?” I say. “Don’t you need the money?” I get that it’s his apple and he may want to keep it and sell it himself instead of selling it to a bigger company but...
“I’m not selling my apple to a big national chain,” he growls.
“Okay,” I calmly reply. I get it. I do. “You don’t have to.
You can just tell the distributors you’re not interested in selling it.
But... isn’t this what you meant when you said you were working on helping the orchard?
” What am I missing? Why is he so angry about making money off of his creation?
Aiden’s face turns into a mask of stone, and I immediately know I’ve said the wrong thing. He turns and stomps away from me. “You stick to event planning,” he tosses over his shoulder. “I’ll stick to growing apples.”