4. Harlow
Harlow
“How are you settling in?”
I craned my neck to look up at him. The man had tousled brown hair with sun-lightened streaks woven throughout, and hazel eyes that were almost golden. He was tall. Very tall. Towering over me as I sat at my desk.
“Great, thanks.” Something about him was unnerving, like he was perceiving me on a level that no one else here was. He had crinkles beside his golden eyes, clearly from years of easy smiles, but right now he wasn’t giving me one of those. Still, I reached out a hand. “I’m Harlow Spencer.”
He took it. “Jude Bramley.”
Oh. So this was him. The salt of the earth, hometown hero everyone was talking about. Somehow I expected him to be older, with how revered he was, but he must be around thirty. Only a couple years older than me.
My eyes trailed up and down his substantial frame, and I wondered what kind of farming he did. His flannel shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, exposing his muscular forearms, and he looked like he could easily chop wood, or maybe even wrangle a horse.
“Well, everything seems to be going well.” He eyed my newly arranged desk. “That’s good. It’s important that things run smoothly around here.”
I leaned back in my chair just a few inches. What does that mean? It almost seemed like he was implying I couldn’t do my job, or at least that I wasn’t organized enough to do it.
Surely that wasn’t what he meant, though. This was the guy that everyone had almost been swooning over an hour ago.
“Things are in order, thanks.” I gave him a tight smile. “No need for you to worry.”
“Good. Well, if you need anything…” His words trailed off, and I nodded. He started to turn, but added, “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you.”
It clicked as he walked away. His full-bodied voice sounded even more magnetic in person.
I’d heard it before.
His name was familiar, too. I must have seen it when we’d met briefly over Zoom.
He’d been the one to fill in for that onboarding call when Dawn had called in sick, but his camera hadn’t been working.
We joked about technology, and even just thinking about it now I could still hear his low, husky laugh.
I remembered the way he’d gushed about this town like it meant the world to him.
I wondered if he had been trying to call from somewhere on his farm without good service.
But I had no idea what I had done between now and then to make him be so cold to me.
I thought we had been getting on well when we’d spoken. My mind had wandered again, stuck on thoughts of Jude Bramley, when Dawn appeared at my desk.
She let out a sigh and leaned against the table. “Finally, some time for us to chat.”
I matched her warm smile and rehashed the small talk about how it was nice to meet everyone and how excited I was, before nervously adding, “I have been meaning to talk to you about my remote work.”
“Oh no, you’re not liking it here?”
“No, no! In fact, I found a place here in Autumn Creek, so I can be in the office as often as you want me to be.”
It was a little white lie. Found was a strong word for fell into a studio apartment, and I still needed to find somewhere more permanent—or semi-permanent—for the two months I’d be here. Kasey had only offered the space because I was stuck, and I didn’t want to be any trouble.
As I quickly thought over my situation, I spotted Jude at his desk not too far from mine. His eyes were narrowed, focused on me. But I was quickly brought back to the conversation as Dawn clapped her hands.
“That’s wonderful. We’re glad to have you here, and we like to be flexible, so please work wherever your creative energy finds you. But having you here more often will be marvelous.” She looked over her shoulder. “In fact, Judey, come over here.”
Judey, huh?
Dawn wiggled her ring-covered fingers. “I said you were going to be partnered up with someone who was an expert on the town.” She pulled him closer, giving him a brief side hug that he rolled his eyes at, even as her arm barely reached around him. “Here he is. Jude knows Autumn Creek inside out.”
“I do,” he said slowly. “What’s this about?”
“You’ll be working with Harlow on our fall festival.” Dawn grinned.
“My project?” A line appeared between his eyebrows as he lowered his voice. “Do you think this is a good idea? Harlow is just starting, and this is an important event.”
My brows raised, but Dawn quickly answered, “You have different expertise. You’ll make good partners.”
“She just arrived.”
My eyes narrowed. We had barely met, and he was already making judgements against me. Is this guy serious?
Her voice turned slightly more stern. “New energy will be good for the project.”
“But I know what I’m doing here. I don’t need help.” He furrowed his brows and lowered his voice, but of course I was still sitting right there—we were at my desk after all. “Outsider help.”
I let out a quiet scoff. Of course, I should have expected this.
Autumn Creek was a tight-knit town, and he didn’t want me messing with it.
After moving around for years, I had been the new girl enough to know what it felt like to not be taken seriously.
To be seen as interesting enough to chat to, but not to make memories with.
Having a partner to work with might have made me feel more at ease when I’d gotten this job, but it certainly didn’t now.
“Judey,” Dawn hissed and began dragging him away. I heard her say something like “You seriously sound like Callahan.” And she shot me a sympathetic look. But the damage to my ego was done.
I couldn’t believe Autumn Creek’s poster boy was such an asshole.