Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

CHARLOTTE

T he sky was a stunning array of yellow, orange, pink, and finally purple. “This view. I can see why you love this place so much.”

Teddy shrugged. “Like I said, I don’t have time to stop and admire nature.”

I bumped my shoulder against his arm, but he didn’t budge an inch. He was a solid mountain of a man. “You should.”

He looked down at me with irritation flitting over his face. This I was used to. I said something, and it inevitably agitated him. “This place feels more like an obligation. After Mom died, I needed to ensure my siblings stayed out of trouble and graduated. The farm needed to be profitable. It was one thing after the other.”

I was momentarily stunned that he’d shared something so vulnerable with me. I kept my gaze trained on the setting sun, not wanting to stop the flow of information. “That’s a lot.”

Teddy shrugged again. “I was the oldest. It was what was expected.”

Was it though? If I knew him better, I’d question him. It sounded like he took on the responsibility. His father might have needed him in the beginning, but he was doing great now. He was the one who was interested in moving forward with the farm, and Teddy was holding things back. “Do you feel like you can let go of a little bit of that control?”

“No.”

I opened and closed my mouth. The answer came so swiftly; he couldn’t have thought about it. Teddy was rigid, unable to see things any other way.

In general, I was attracted to easygoing guys. But I’d seriously miscalculated the charm on my last boyfriend. He had been charming until he wasn’t.

My suspicion was that Teddy was nothing like Rick. He saw things clearly, in black-and-white and wrong and right. My sense was that he wouldn’t hit a woman. But I didn’t know him that well. I used to trust so easily. Now, I was questioning my judgment.

Clearly, not everyone was good. But I couldn’t help being drawn to this big man who had a huge heart. He looked after his family, feeling the weight of responsibility. So much so that I wondered if he took care of his own needs. Or did he put everyone else first, including the community?

I hooked my arm through his. “Stick with me, and you’ll see things differently.”

He chuckled without any humor, but my heart skipped a beat because I’d never heard him laugh before. “I doubt that.”

“Hmm,” I hummed as I motioned for him to join me. He was slower to lower himself to the ground.

He was a big guy, but it was more than that. It was like he was incapable of loosening up. He held himself so rigid. He controlled himself and everything around him.

I think his dad was pushing back by hiring me, and Teddy didn’t like it. Now he saw me as one more person who could disrupt his carefully crafted life.

I smiled as the damp ground seeped through my leggings. “ I’m glad you insisted we come out tonight. I would have missed this gorgeous sunset.”

“I wanted to teach you about trees, not watch the sunset.”

“It’s just perfect.” My heart was bubbling over with joy and contentment. Even though I should be worried about Rick showing up here, I felt safer than I had in a long time. “It has a magical quality to it.”

We sat there for a few more moments until the sun was almost gone.

Teddy stood and held his hand out to me. “We should head back. It will be dark soon.”

I took his hand. “Have you eaten? I have some leftovers from dinner with my brother’s family.”

“I ate already.”

I placed my hand in his, and he easily hefted me to my feet. Then I brushed the dirt off my butt. I couldn’t stop myself from offering. It was just my nature to include everyone even though I got the distinct impression Teddy wanted nothing to do with me. His father was the one who insisted we work together.

He wanted Teddy on board with the decisions, and he had some misguided idea that I could convince him. I was confident in my persuasion abilities with most people. But not Teddy.

He was a complex case. He resisted change and didn’t want to let go of the control. He saw the changes around the farm as an affront to the work he’d done. Maybe I needed to come at it from a different angle.

We walked back to the truck. This time I grabbed a hold of the handle on the inside of the cab and hauled myself inside. Not that I didn’t enjoy Teddy’s hand on my ass but I’d seen his reaction. He was upset. He’d either crossed some line, or he didn’t like touching me. I wasn’t sure which.

His internal code was strong. He probably wouldn’t allow himself to touch me. I was an employee or a coworker. Not someone he could be interested in .

But I hadn’t heard about any of the women he dated. Either he didn’t date, or he kept it to one-night stands.

At the cottage, he parked behind my car. He left the engine running but got out to walk me to the door. “What else do you need to see? Maybe spend some time at the cut lot, or come along with one of us when we take a family to cut a tree down?”

We’d stopped at my door, so I turned to face him. “Both. I want to get a feel for the farm and the customers. It would be great to understand why people come here and not the Monroes.”

“That’s easy. We’re closer to town.”

“Maybe.” But I wasn’t so sure that was the reason.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s the obvious reason. What do you think it could be?”

“Sure, some people prefer the proximity to town, but others are willing to drive farther for an experience. Monroe Farm has the shop, the light display, and that pond.”

“We have trees,” Teddy said flatly.

I grinned, excited about the challenge. “I intend to change that.”

“Exactly how do you plan to do that?”

“I want to have a holiday festival on the farm. We could get vendors to sell their wares: candles, wreaths, holiday decor, and pies. You can dress up as Santa so we can offer photos.”

He grimaced. “Yeah, no. You lost me there.”

“Al said you had to cooperate.” He didn’t exactly say that, but I was using every tool in my arsenal.

“Dad doesn’t have a say in what I do.”

I raised a brow. “He said I had free rein to do whatever I needed to generate more revenue.”

“And that includes me dressing up as Santa?” he asked skeptically.

I smiled wider and placed my palm flat on his chest. “I intend to dress up as an elf and be with you the entire time. You’ll be fine. Don’t be scared.”

I wasn’t prepared for the way his heart beating felt under my hand. It was racing, and his breathing was coming in short pants. Was he angry or something else entirely?

Before I could settle on a conclusion, he’d grabbed my wrist, and instead of pulling me away, he just held me to him. I couldn’t draw in a deep breath.

“I’m not scared.” His voice was rough.

“Oh.”

“I just don’t like to dress up.”

“But I’ll dress up too. I have the costumes ready to go.”

“You have an elf costume?” Teddy loosened his grip on my wrist, and I lowered it to my side.

I nodded eagerly, flitting around as if he could see it on me. “It’s red and green and comes with these tights. The kids are going to love it.”

His eyes flashed with heat. “I have to see that.”

I grinned. “The only way you’ll see me in an elf costume is if you wear Santa’s.”

Teddy grumbled as I turned to unlock the door. “Have a good night. Thanks for taking me to see the sunset.”

“I didn’t take you to see the sunset?—”

“It was about the trees. Got it,” I said softly as I flashed him one more smile before I closed the door and locked it.

I hoped I hadn’t pushed Teddy too hard. But I couldn’t help it. I felt immense satisfaction when I pushed him off his axis. I wondered whether he’d be controlled in bed. A part of me wanted to see if he’d let go.

I’d take the bath I’d wanted to take earlier. I wouldn’t think about Teddy and how warm his body felt under my palm or the way his heart raced out of control. He wasn’t attracted to me. If anything, I drove him crazy. I was too positive for him.

I’d gotten adept at reading his moods over the last year, and I’d never gotten an interested vibe from him. This was a one-sided attraction.

It was going to be fun pushing his buttons though. I’d thought telling him about the elf costume would make him feel more at ease wearing the Santa one, but it seemed to ignite a fire in him. And that made me think he was interested in what I looked like in the tights, which was crazy.

I’d obviously misread him. The whole evening—his admission about his family, the sunset—was making me see things that weren’t there. If I was going to get through this holiday season and provide the results Al wanted to see for the farm, I needed to get my feelings in check.

At the end of the day, Teddy was my boss. As much as Al was trying to take back control, Teddy still called the shots. I’d have to remember that.

T he next morning, I whipped up breakfast before venturing to the cut lot where the hub of the action was on a Saturday. Parents chased kids through the rows of trees, and groups wandered the fields hunting for the perfect tree.

I thrived on coming up with marketing plans for businesses, and I knew the importance of getting to know the operations. But there was something different about the farm. It drew me in in a way that nothing else ever had.

This place had a way of seeping into your bones. I’d enjoy my time here and not think about what would happen when I inevitably needed to move on.

I sipped my to-go cup of coffee, wondering where I should head next, when Teddy appeared at my side. “You’re up early.”

“I wanted to get the full farm experience.”

Teddy raised a brow. “You’ll get it today. Saturdays are our busiest days. You want to direct cars in the lot, hang around the cut lot, or go with families into the fields?”

“I think the cut lot for now. It feels like the busiest area.”

“It’s where people go who don’t want the trouble of cutting down their own tree. They can pick the one they want, take the tag to the counter, and pay for it. One of our guys will wrap it and secure it to the car.” He pointed in the direction of where cars lined up to get their trees.

“Where do you want me?” I asked eagerly, excited to get started.

“You can start at the counter. Then we’ll rotate you somewhere else.”

I wasn’t sure I’d be much help securing trees to the roofs of cars, but I was willing to try anything.

Teddy led the way over to the counter, explaining the payment process and the tags. There was a handy laminated cheat sheet that listed prices based on the color of the tags.

The counter itself was worn with hundreds of nicks and dents. It made me think that the Calloways’ farm had withstood the test of time. Their reputation in the community was solid. Residents knew they could come here to get a tree, but would they want to come here versus the Monroe farm?

It was my job to close that gap, and since I was starting a new marketing firm, it was a test for me. Elevating a store like Violet’s Sweet Scoops was easier than the farm. Any changes took more time and effort. It wasn’t as simple as overhauling a website.

I didn’t want to make the farm commercial. Instead, I wanted to make it a place that customers felt good about visiting, and immersing myself in the operations of the business and the customer experience was key for me figuring out a marketing plan.

I stood next to a high-school girl who was working on the farm for volunteer hours required for her graduation. She got me up to speed, and I learned on the fly as the morning passed quickly.

There was a constant line, and I couldn’t help but think it would be good if they sold something to drink. I was parched. I could imagine the people who’d come here to hike the fields were too. I was craving a spiced apple cider or hot chocolate.

Would a local baker be willing to wrap up cutout cookies to sell at the counter? In between customers, I jotted down my ideas in the notes section of my phone to revisit later. I wasn’t sure how they’d manage to sell more items, but it would be a nice touch.

My stomach rumbled more than a few times before Al stopped by to check on me. “I can take over for a bit if you want to grab lunch at the main house.”

“I could run back to the cottage.”

He waved a hand dismissing the suggestion. “I have premade sandwiches stocked in the fridge. Grab a water or a soda while you’re at it. The door’s unlocked.” Then he smiled at the next customer, taking the offered tag. “A Frasier fir. Good choice. Can’t go wrong.”

A family farm where everyone worked and was proud of their wares. My heart warmed, and my brain simmered with more marketing angles as I walked toward the house.

This place was magical. I could see how you could easily fall in love with the landscape, not to mention the business itself. People came here to buy a Christmas tree. It was an important event in the holiday season, one that the entire family could partake in. It was an experience.

I was so deep in thought I didn’t notice that Teddy sat on the top step.

“Oh!” I placed a hand over my racing heart. “I didn’t see you there.”

“You just walked across an open field, and I’ve been sitting here the whole time watching you. ”

My cheeks heated at the idea. “I was thinking of marketing angles. Boring for you, but I can get trapped in this brainstorming cycle.” Then I dropped next to him and pulled out my phone to write down everything I’d been thinking of.

When I was quiet for a few seconds, Teddy asked, “Working the front counter was helpful?”

“It was so good. I have so many ideas.” My chest burst with eagerness to share my ideas with someone, but I wasn’t ready for him to burst my bubble. I loved this creative energy.

“What kind of ideas could you have from working the counter? If it’s installing stools for the workers, we tried that, and it didn’t make sense. You’re just constantly moving,” Teddy handed me a wrapped sub sandwich.

“Thank you. I’m starved.” I set my phone aside, unwrapping the sandwich, then taking a huge bite. It was an Italian piled high with various meats and oils. “This is amazing.”

“Dad stocks up on sandwiches for the employees.” He pushed a bottled water toward me.

I set the sandwich in my lap, twisted off the cap, and drank deeply. “I was so thirsty. I’m not used to talking for hours like that.”

Teddy raised a disbelieving brow.

I laughed. “What? I don’t talk all the time.”

“If you say so,” he grumbled.

I bumped his upper arm with my shoulder. “You’re joking now?”

Teddy shook his head. “Definitely not.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes.

The line of cars checking in at the gatehouse snaked onto the main road. The worker handed out a field map and a saw. The fields were dotted with winter coats and hats, and the cut lot was filled with people. It was busy for a Saturday, but clearly it wasn’t enough to float the farm or its residents. I needed to review my ideas and decide on the few that could bring in the most interest and customers.

Teddy stood. “I should get back out there. Come find me by the bailer. I’ll show you the ropes.”

I swallowed hard. I was confident at the counter, but bailing trees or securing them to cars had me nervous. But I wanted to try everything on the farm, to get a feel for the entire operation, and I was grateful Teddy was giving me this chance instead of shutting me out.

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Teddy waved a hand at me. “Take your time.”

He was grumpy, but he’d shown me around the last couple of days, and I was grateful. The question was, would he treat me with respect when I implemented the changes, or would he fight me at every step?