8. Adam
EIGHT
Adam
I hear Eli's voice before I see him. He's calling my name, loud and insistent, breaking the silence between us.
"Adam!"
I pull away from Christiane, my breath still ragged, the heat between us not yet entirely dissipated. She shifts beneath me, the quiet tension settling in the space between us, making breathing more challenging than before. For a moment, I forget about Eli, about everything else; just her, just this , the way we're tangled together, skin against skin.
But then, Eli calls again, and the world crashes back in.
I move off her slowly, regret and frustration twisting in my chest. I want more of her now, but I can't have it. Not like this. Not with everything still hanging between us.
Christiane doesn't look at me. Not yet. She just pulls the picnic blanket around herself, drawing back, ensuring space. But I can feel her; the way her body is still humming with what we just shared, how her chest rises and falls faster than usual.
"Adam!" Eli calls again, but it is more urgent this time.
Christiane finally turns her gaze to me, her eyes steady, searching. "Why?" Her voice is soft, but hits like a punch to the gut. "Why have you been so nasty to me?"
I look at her, my heart pounding in my chest. It should be easy to lie. It should be easy to say anything but the truth. But the words are already there, bubbling to the surface, and I can't hold them back.
"I didn't want you here," I say, my voice rougher than expected.
Her brows furrow, and for a moment, I think she didn't hear me right. She tilts her head, her expression hardening. "What?"
"I didn't want you here," I repeat, each word heavier than the last. The truth weighs a ton. "You don't belong here, Christiane. Not on this land. Not in my world."
Her breath catches, but she doesn't look away. She holds my gaze, unflinching, waiting for the rest.
And I give it to her.
"My grandfather was cheated out of everything—his land, his legacy—and I've been trying for twenty years to buy it all back," I confess, my hands balling into fists at my sides. "Your land… it was the last piece. The last piece I needed."
Christiane's eyes don't soften. She doesn't move, doesn't retreat. She just watches me, and I feel like I've laid myself bare for the first time, despite what just happened between us. I button my shirt, snagging my pants , and she slowly pulls her own on.
"I didn't want you to be part of this." The anger I've held for so long slips through. "I thought if I pushed you away, you'd leave. But you didn't." I swallow hard, trying to find the words. "And now... I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you."
The silence thickens. I expect her to yell at me, to call me every name under the sun. Instead, she stands, slow and steady, her eyes never leaving mine.
"You could've just told me," she says, her voice quiet, measured, almost resigned. She brushes the hay from her clothes, before quietly staring at me expectantly.
I can't respond right away. I don't have a response. I should've been honest from the start, but I was too damn proud. Too scared of what it meant, of what it could cost me.
Her hand reaches out tentatively, and her fingers brush mine. The contact is gentle and careful, but the heat of it sends a shiver through me. I want to pull her closer. I want to say anything, but the words don't come.
"You could start by being honest with me now," she says, her lips curling into a small, almost teasing smile.
I look at her, really look at her. The woman who's been standing in my way, who's been forcing me to confront everything I've been running from. For a second, I forget about the land, my grandfather, everything except that Christiane is here, standing in front of me, and I don't want her to leave.
But then, reality comes crashing back in. The weight, of everything I've been carrying, hits me all over again. And I know, deep down, I can't have her here. Not like this. Not with the way things are between us.
"You still need to go," I mutter, my voice thick with something I can't even name.
Her face falls for a second, but it's enough for me to see the hurt before she masks it. She steps back, as if my words physically push her away, but I don't stop her. I can't.
"Eli! We're up here. Bring a ladder," I holler, and we sit silently, waiting for help to arrive. From below, Emmanuel lets out a sharp, smug bleat.
The moment snaps.
"I wish I had never moved here."
The quiet words break the silence, and I can feel their effect on my soul. Despite what I said earlier, I can't imagine not seeing Christiane every day anymore.
I wake with a jolt, the daylight creeping through the blinds. The air feels still, like everything's waiting.
I glance out the window, expecting to see Christiane's farmhouse. By now, she'd usually be in the kitchen. But the windows are dark.
My stomach tightens.
I throw on clothes in a hurry; something is off inside me. Downstairs, the house is too quiet. There are no sounds from her barn. The animals should be awake by now.
I head outside, heart pounding, walking toward her barn. That's when I see Lucas, the kid from down the street, walking toward the feed room.
I approach him. "Hey. Where's Christiane?"
He looks up, surprised. "Uh... she's gone, Mr. Monroe."
"Gone?" The word stings. "What do you mean, gone?"
He fidgets. "She asked my mom to watch her animals. Said she'd pay me while she's gone. Didn't say when she'd be back."
My chest tightens. Gone? Without a word?
"Did she leave town?" I ask, stepping closer.
He shakes his head. "I don't know."
I turn and head for my truck, my mind racing. She left? Without telling me? I slam the door and start the engine, my hands shaking. I told her to leave, said she didn’t belong here, but I never thought she would just vanish. What about her chickens? Daisy, Dandie and Debbie? What about Emmanuel? She wouldn’t leave him; despite her protests, she loves him.
My mind races, as I try to figure out who would know where she is, when I remember she’s been working with Paul. She’s put a lot of money into the diner renovation, and she wouldn’t leave without letting him know what to do with the bakery. I drive fast, and my thoughts blur until I reach town.
I pull into Paul's driveway and storm toward the porch.
"Paul!" I call, before I even reach the door.
He steps out, confused. "What's going on, Adam?"
"Where is she?" I snap. "Christiane. She left. Where did she go?"
Paul takes a long breath, looking at me with unreadable eyes. "She went back to France."
The world tilts. I can't process it. "Back to France? Why?"
He raises a hand. "She didn't tell me. Just said she needed to go."
I lose it. I turn, fists clenched so tightly my nails dig into my palms. Everything I've fought for, everything I've built… it all feels meaningless.
Christiane was the one thing that mattered. And now she's gone. And it's my fault.
She's gone. And I don't know if I can ever get her back.
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Willow Glen Series
From Feud to Forever *
Adam Monroe has spent twenty years fighting to reclaim his family's lost land, and the final five acres should’ve been his—until Christiane Devereaux outbid him at an auction. Stubborn, infuriating, and far too tempting, Christiane is everything he doesn’t want, yet he can't deny the undeniable pull between them. Christiane, seeking a fresh start in Willow Glen, wants nothing more than to build a life for herself with her new farm and patisserie, but Adam seems determined to make her regret every step. Despite their fiery clashes, Christiane finds herself drawn to the one man who makes her feel truly alive.