Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

TEDDY

D ad gave me Charlotte’s number so I could contact her about setting up the tour.

Teddy: Dad suggested I show you around.

No one had shown her the day-to-day operations. There was no getting around it. Dad was moving forward with her whether I liked it or not.

Charlotte: You don’t have to do that. I’ll figure it out.

Teddy: You free now?

When I wanted something, I usually got it from sheer force of will and determination. Conquering Charlotte would be no different.

Charlotte: I was planning to take a bubble bath and read.

I closed my eyes, envisioning Charlotte naked in the tub. Would she use bubbles that would tease me with the bare skin underneath?

Teddy: You have time for this. I’ll swing by in ten.

Charlotte: You don’t take no for an answer, do you?

Teddy: I don’t.

My badge radiated authority, and people listened to me. I’d thrown around my weight after Mom died. I took over managing the farm and my siblings. It was my job, and I took it seriously.

I dressed in jeans, a flannel so worn by frequent washing that it was soft against my skin, and work boots. When I pulled up to the cottage, Charlotte sat on the porch, waiting for me.

Surprised, I got out of the truck but left it running. I had no intentions of going inside or spending more time with Charlotte in her home. Nothing good could come from being in close proximity to her. I stepped one foot on the porch, my heart rate kicking up when I remembered her talking about enjoying a bath this afternoon. “You ready to go?”

She smiled easily and stood. “I can’t wait.”

I wondered if smiling was a perpetual state of her face. It wasn’t something that people did easily around me, and it set me on edge. I wanted to make her uncomfortable, but she seemed perfectly at ease as she fell into step beside me.

Always a gentleman, I opened the passenger-side door for her and waited for her to climb in. She was short, and when she struggled to get into the high seat, I didn’t think twice about touching her ass and giving her a boost.

I wasn’t prepared for the heat that warmed my palm. Her ass was delectable, and I shouldn’t be touching it .

Charlotte gave me a wide-eyed look over her shoulder.

At least I’d wiped the smile off her face.

“You looked like you need the boost,” I said seriously.

“Yeah, but?—”

“This is what it’s like to live on the farm. If you need help, I’ll give it.” It wasn’t sexual. I had to keep telling myself that, because my dick had twitched to life at the brief contact. Her leggings provided no barrier.

I wanted more, and I had no business thinking of my dad’s new employee this way. I shut the door without waiting for her to respond. I was used to being in charge, not the give and take of a relationship. This dynamic was easier for me to navigate.

I rounded the hood and got into the driver’s side.

“I could have managed,” Charlotte said softly.

“It was quicker this way. But I’ll try not to manhandle you next time.” I wasn’t used to being around women. I didn’t date them. Just accepted their overtures when I was in the mood for it. I’d need to be more in tune to these interactions going forward. I didn’t want to, but we would be working closely together the next few weeks.

After Christmas, she’d move out, and I’d go on with my life.

I put the truck in gear and backed out of her driveway. “You get settled in?”

“Mmm. It’s a lovely place. I’m so grateful your father let me move in.” Charlotte’s flowery scent filled my cab.

If it was up to him, he would have let her move in last year, so I didn’t say anything.

“I was living in a room at the inn, so it’s nice to have a kitchen and more space,” Charlotte continued.

“Why were you living there again?” I couldn’t turn off the questions or my suspicious nature. It came with the job.

“When I quit my job at the marketing firm, I couldn’t keep the apartment. I stayed with Cole for a while, but when he came clean about his relationship with Daphne, I wanted to give them space.

I wasn’t happy when we discovered a Monroe was dating my baby sister. Especially since she was a single mother, and there was an ongoing feud between our families.

“Why did you quit?” I asked, knowing I was pushing her, but I needed to know if she presented a danger to my family.

“I always wanted to work as a consultant. Then Cole got me a job at Aiden’s inn, and I loved it. It was a nice break from the stress of the marketing firm.”

“I heard you were great with the guests.”

Charlotte beamed. “I love talking to people. But I want to get the marketing business off the ground, so I need to focus fully on your farm.”

“I heard you helped Violet with her ice cream shop.”

“That’s right. Luna’s been asking for some advice too. I love talking about marketing.”

I drove the truck slowly over the lane, careful not to kick up stones. “I can’t say I feel the same.”

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. Your job isn’t about selling anything.”

“It’s more about control and containment,” I said without thinking.

Charlotte glanced over at me. “Oh?”

“I have to maintain control of every situation. You don’t want to know what happens when things go sideways.”

“I can see that with your job. What you do can be dangerous.”

I glanced over at her as we reached the tree fields. “That’s right.”

“I admire what you do, but I couldn’t do it.”

“Not many people can.” It was unpredictable and dangerous, but most of my brothers worked in law enforcement of some kind. Except for Jameson, who’d bucked tradition and worked as a firefighter and now a substitute teacher and football coach. We’d given him shit about it over the years, but it suited him. He was good at being a mentor to kids.

I parked the car next to one of the fields. “I’ll teach you about the different varieties of trees and tell you how we tag them at the beginning of the season.”

“I wondered how you did that,” Charlotte said excitedly.

I got out of the truck and waited for her to join me. At the last second, I offered my hand which she took with a grateful smile. The feel of her hand closing around mine sent a pang through my heart. Why was this woman getting to me? Was this why I’d fought her for so long? My body was drawn to her, but my mind told me to stay away.

She jumped down and immediately let go of my hand, but I still felt her warmth in the tingling of my palm.

I shut the door and followed her down the first row.

“The Frasier fir is the most popular variety. The branches are a blue-green with silver undertones.”

Charlotte stopped before one and said, “These are gorgeous. I’d love to have one in my cottage.”

I could have offered to assist her, but I wasn’t supposed to be helping her outside of showing her the farm. Cutting a tree meant spending more time with her in her cottage, and I couldn’t be that close to her again. I didn’t trust myself in such a tight space.

I didn’t want to lose control. Just the thought of it sent my heart racing.

I moved onto the next tree. “The Douglas fir has soft, light green needles and is better suited for lighter ornaments. As a result, they are cheaper and a popular choice.”

“I don’t know how anyone can choose.”

“Before the season starts, we walk the fields and tag each tree based on type, size, and thickness to determine the price.”

“That’s a daunting job. ”

Was that respect I saw in her eyes? “Not every field is ready to be cut though. We are on a rolling rotation. It takes seven to eight years to grow to a good size.”

“I always worry that cutting a tree is bad for the environment.”

I frowned. “That’s actually not true. Real trees provide clean air, prevent soil erosion, and provide a habitat for wildlife. Whereas a fake tree lasts about ten years, then ends up in a landfill.”

“I never thought about it like that. I’m helping the environment by getting a real tree, and I love the smell. There’s nothing like it.” Charlotte paused for a second, and then continued, “It’s funny because whenever I’m around you, I’ve noticed you smell like evergreen.”

No one had ever said that to me before. My brain snagged on the fact that she’d noticed how I smelled.

“I like it.”

Pleasure bloomed in my chest, but I fought the feeling. I wouldn’t fall for this woman’s charms. I was here to show her around. That was it.

“We don’t have as many blue spruces, but they are blue with sharp, stiff branches. You have to wear gloves to handle this one.” I hadn’t brought gloves with me on the walk, so I didn’t touch it.

I pulled a tag off one of the trees to show her. “We use different colors to denote the type of tree, then alter the price based on how nice it is, height, thickness, and strength of the branches.”

“I had no idea so much thought went into it.”

It was nice to talk to someone who was interested in this stuff. Other than my family, no one had ever cared. At the same time, it irritated me. “I don’t know why you need to know this stuff. ”

“I want to revamp the website, and I like to understand the business when I market it.”

We kept walking until we reached the top of the hill. The main house was visible from here.

Charlotte stopped abruptly, and I almost ran into her. “Look at that sunset.”

I never stopped to admire the sunset. I had a list of things I needed to get done each day, and stopping to admire nature wasn’t one of them.

When I didn’t respond, Charlotte placed a hand on my arm and squeezed. “The colors are gorgeous, aren’t they?”

My heart contracted, and my chest tightened. Was I having a heart attack?

I concluded it was because I didn’t get close to anyone. I just hadn’t been with anyone in a long time. Charlotte wasn’t special.