A Moment Of Weakness
Esme didn’t force Wyatt to stop every time she wanted to shoot a new video. The farm tour would have taken far too long.
Instead, she kept a running list of videos she wanted to record later.
Definitely a few about the Worminator. Talking to Thea would be a highlight.
Wyatt said Thea’s partner, Knox Malssum, called her the Queen of Compost. That would make an amazing interview if Thea were interested.
Maybe they could do a Top Five reasons to compost list. Or Top Five Worminator highlights.
She could do a series of Top Five posts around the facility.
Should she continue that throughout the farm? Probably not. Then she’d be stuck in a rut and a format. She preferred to keep her options open and not lock herself into anything she’d regret.
That probably came from signing contracts that had restrictive clauses. Nans had always insisted Esme read through every word before signing a contract. At sixteen, Nans had taken her to a lawyer who’d taught them both how to read contracts and what the language meant.
Still, after Nans passed, Esme regretted a few of her choices. Her attention had been dulled by grief, and she’d locked herself into an exclusive two-year deal with one clothing company. Way too long.
Still, a Worminator Top Five series would be fun. Once she met Thea, Esme would find out how she felt about it. Maybe a series of five videos would round that out.
She made another note on her phone and then turned her attention back to Wyatt.
He studied her with an intensity that had her body shivering with reaction. He was a sexy man who had an obvious interest in plants. Botany was a perfect career for him, although she really didn’t know what that entailed.
After they’d walked a few minutes, Esme turned in a circle with a smile. “Apple trees in all directions. All filled with apples that make the air smell heavenly.”
Wyatt grinned. “Four hundred acres is a lot of apples.”
She nodded. “I don’t have a sense for the size yet. I don’t know how big an acre is, but there are so many apples. Do they harvest them all?”
Wyatt shook his head. “No. This will only be the second harvest since the Malssums inherited the farm. Last year, they collected apples in one section of the farm, but didn’t come close to doing it all.”
She nodded. “I can’t imagine how much work it would take to collect all the apples here. Someone with a better math brain than me could probably estimate how many apples that is. I can’t even imagine how many trees there are, and each one is loaded with fruit.”
Wyatt chuckled, a rumbly sound that had her biting her lip to keep in a happy sigh.
“That would be a fun question to ask Charlie. He lives in the back of the orchard with his family. He’s not in high school yet, but I bet he would love trying to figure that out.”
“He sounds like a great kid.”
Wyatt nodded. “He is. Curious about everything. Full of ideas, too. I’m betting he’ll love helping in the greenhouse.”
She nodded. “Are the edges of the orchard thinner? Should we head to the back to see if we can find a place for your greenhouse?”
With a shrug, he nodded. “We’re aiming for the pond right now. It’s near the back, and home to the ducks.”
Esme grinned. “My room is called Duckington Palace. Photos of the ducks and their coop decorate the walls. I can’t wait to see them in real life.”
The birds would make some fun videos. She’d taken some of ponds in the wild before, but never a domesticated flock of birds.
“Jolie’s the duck expert. She can answer all your questions, maybe give you ideas for more videos.”
It thrilled her that Wyatt wasn’t turned off by her videos. He always backed away so he wasn’t on camera, but he waited patiently while she did her thing. If she had the sense he was frustrated, she wouldn’t have shot any.
The trees thinned as they walked, and then Wyatt pointed slightly to the left.
She looked in that direction and spotted a royal blue structure. Duckington Palace.
Unable to help herself, she laughed and jogged the last few yards until the coop was fully visible.
Decorated to look like a castle, it had her pulling out her phone to capture her delight.
“Hi, everyone. This is Esme, and I’m about to meet royalty.
This is the original Duckington Palace. If you saw my earlier video, you know I’m staying in the Duckington Palace room at the No Phailed Apples Inn just outside of Phail, Vermont.
So far, everything about the inn and the farm is perfect. This is no exception.”
She kept the camera active as she circled the structure. “From what I’ve learned so far, the coop is off the ground to protect the ducks from nocturnal predators. At night, the birds are perfectly safe from any creatures looking for an easy meal.”
“I can’t wait to see how they enter and exit the coop.
The ramp has slats across it. Is that to help them walk up?
Is it to stop them from slipping? Lots of things to find out.
I want to check out the inside, but I’ll wait for permission to do that.
For now, I’ll enjoy the decor. I bet there aren’t too many ducks who have a more elegant home than this one. ”
“Next up, I’ll show you the ducks themselves.
How many do you think we’ll find? What colors will they be?
I don’t know much about ducks aside from Donald and Daisy, but I’m betting we’ll learn more.
Tell me what you’d like to learn in the comments below.
Take care of yourselves, and we’ll talk soon. Bye for now.”
After she pocketed her phone, she turned to find Wyatt watching her. He didn’t yank his gaze away. Instead, he nodded slowly and then turned to face the ducks.
She took a moment to gather her breath before doing the same with her own gaze. Her instant crush on Wyatt was unusual and unsettling. She wasn’t used to the strength of her attraction.
Was it looped into her attraction to the town of Phail and the No Phailed Apples Inn?
She knew better. Her attraction was all about the man. Was the feeling mutual? Was he interested in her? Or just her body? That might not be a bad thing, as she was having fantasies of her own about his body.
He didn’t seem appalled by her scar. She traced over it with her fingers again, reminding herself that some people wore masks without any physical face coverings.
She didn’t think Wyatt was the kind of man who wore a plastic face. She sensed he was exactly who he projected—a serious, thoughtful man who wanted to improve the world. Sexy package aside, he appeared to be a decent man who was part of a strong community of friends.
What would that be like? Her career meant she was rarely in one place long enough to forge deep connections.
Her agent had been the exception, even though they rarely saw each other in person.
They’d chatted often, and Claudia and her wife had become family.
She’d stayed with them whenever she was in LA.
Other than that, she hadn’t been close with many. Maybe she was the kind of person who didn’t fit into a group. Was that the reason the only people she’d ever considered family were her Nans and a woman she’d paid?
Shaking off the sad thoughts, Esme turned her attention to the ducks. She couldn’t be sad when surrounded by happy birds, a sexy man, and an apple farm that was beginning to feel like home.
Wyatt wondered what Esme had to be sad about. He could practically feel the sorrow radiating from where she stood behind him.
Was the reason connected to her scar? Or the fact that she traveled alone? He’d been able to glean that much from Amber the previous evening.
If Esme traveled from one small town to the next alone, he doubted she had a partner.
Not that he should be interested.
He gritted his teeth to keep in the sigh. He was interested. Very interested.
Esme was an appealing person. Sexy body and gorgeous face aside, she was kind and thoughtful. Her videos focused on the positive things around her, and gave her a way to share that joy with others.
So far, she hadn’t shown her face in any of the videos he’d seen. Had that always been the case, or had that changed after she’d been attacked?
He wanted to know more. Not only because of the sexual attraction, which was explosive, but because he sensed she was alone in the world.
Most military men were protective of others.
That was part of the reason many signed up.
For Wyatt, he’d become even more protective of the vulnerable after experiencing what life was like for some people around the world.
Everyone deserved to live in safety, surrounded by friends and family, with food and water, and protection against the elements and the dregs of humanity.
Esme appeared to have enough money to provide herself with the basics. Her SUV was new, and her clothes clean and well made. But she was alone.
Like him.
He shook that off. He wasn’t alone, not anymore. Here on the farm, he was surrounded by friends and their partners. It hadn’t been long enough for him to settle in and feel like an integral part of the team yet, but he would.
Who were the people on Esme’s team? Who were the people she counted on, those she could talk things out with?
Or was that why she was sad?
The air changed around him, and he realized she’d shaken off her mood, put it away.
She grinned as she moved beside him. “I can’t wait to see them parading up into their coop. Or maybe they wander up at different times. I don’t know enough about birds to know.”
Wyatt nodded. “Me neither. They seem to mostly be sticking together now, or at least in small groups.”
A few ducks pecked at the ground while others swam in the pond.
One duck moved their way without seeming to notice them. It pecked at the ground, eating whatever it was ducks ate.
Suddenly, the bird raised its head in alarm, fluffed its feathers. Its head swiveled side to side, and the fluffing increased in speed.
A duck in the group behind her quacked, and the one in front of them whirled in that direction. With another quack, it rushed over and rejoined the group.
Esme’s sultry laugh had his body tightening. “I think she lost her friends.”
After watching for a few more minutes, he and Esme wandered to the side. Beyond the pond a forest rose, signaling the end of the farm. Maybe not the property, but the orchard, anyway. How much land did the Malssums own? Was there a place here for his greenhouse?
After a few minutes, Esme nodded. “This whole strip of land is mostly clear of apple trees. From the areas we’ve seen so far, this seems to be the easiest place to build a greenhouse.”
He stopped and surveyed the area. “It does. I don’t know how close road access is, but if this area is part of the farm, it should be good. I wonder if water and power lines go back this far.”
He knew some of the cabins had plumbing and electricity, while others did not.
Esme sighed softly. “I didn’t think of any of that. You’ll definitely need water and power.”
They turned and looked for road access, but nothing appeared nearby.
“I’ll find out if anyone has an aerial map of the place, or even a sketch of where everything is.”
They wandered closer to the trees and came across a small cabin next. It appeared to be decades old, but everything about it was well maintained.
Esme grinned. “There’s plenty of room near the cabin. I wonder if this would be a good fit.”
He nodded as he looked around. “I don’t see any sign of a road, but otherwise it looks good.”
“If you built it here, you could use the cabin as storage for things that shouldn’t be in the greenhouse itself.”
As they chatted about options, he paced off the area, and his excitement grew. This could be it. His home base, his way to help.
His place.
If the cabin was livable, he could even stay there when he needed to. Being part of the family was good, but his own space would be better.
Unable to wait, he pulled out his phone and put in a video call to Knox.
“Hey, Slinger. What’s up?”
“Esme and I came across this cabin, and I’m wondering if this might be a good space for a greenhouse. Before I get too attached, I thought I’d check with you.”
Knox laughed. “Show me where you are.”
Wyatt showed him the cabin and the area.
When he spoke, Knox’s voice had softened. “That’s the cabin where Thea lived when I first arrived at the farm. It’s at the far end of our electric and water hookups. The cabin is equipped with both, so it would be easy to extend that to your greenhouse. You found your spot.”
“No one’s using it for anything else?”
Knox shook his head. “Not anymore. It’s free and clear for you to use it if it works.”
“Road access?”
Knox frowned. “Not right to there, but it’s not far off. It shouldn’t be a problem to extend the road. You’ll need access to bring in the materials and equipment. We’ll make it work.”
Excitement rose in Wyatt as they talked for a few more minutes. After they signed off, he found Esme grinning at him, her face alight with joy. “You’ve found your place.”
He nodded. “Looks like. I’ll talk more with the rest of them to ensure I’m not stepping on anyone else’s plans, but I think this is it.”
Esme’s grin widened. “That’s amazing. Show me what you’re thinking.”
Greenhouse plans were quickly forming in his mind.
Rows of indoor plants that he could play with.
Worktables with shelves for tools and equipment.
An automated watering system. A second sectioned-off area at the back for whenever he wanted to simulate a different climate for testing.
Or for growing cinnamon, which he still needed to research.
He talked it through with Esme, making it more real in his mind. He could almost see it now.
Esme reached out to squeeze his hand, causing an elemental reaction in his body. “This will be amazing. You’ve got an incredible vision, Wyatt, and it’ll be wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”
Joy spilled from her eyes and voice. It was the most natural thing in the world to lean down and brush his lips over hers to thank her for her support.
The instant their lips touched, the electricity they’d been discussing zapped him and brought his entire body to life.
It took every ounce of control he’d learned in the military to keep from deepening the kiss, because he wanted to haul her close, devour her.
The attraction he’d felt was nothing to the need consuming him now that he’d touched her.
Still, he managed to step back. Breathing hard, he brushed some of the hair that had escaped her ponytail back from her face. “Thanks.”
Her dazed eyes filled with humor. “I think that’s my line.”
It took him a moment to figure out what she meant. “I meant thanks for your support, for being happy for me, for helping me see the potential.”
She grinned. “You’re welcome.”
He chuckled while he debated kissing her again. But, he’d already been too forward. Another kiss would be far beyond the line he shouldn’t have crossed.
He wasn’t initiating another kiss or starting a relationship. Esme wasn’t staying.
The thought hurt more than it should.