1. Madelyn

CHAPTER 1

MADELYN

I dropmy mascara wand for the second time, and this time it goes down the front of my silk shirt. I don’t even try to catch it, I just watch the wand fall and then the black cosmetic smear on the front of my shirt before it falls into the sink in front of me. I groan in frustration, knowing I need to get myself together. I shouldn’t be nervous. I’m more than qualified for the job that I’m going to start today, but I can’t seem to help it.

I grab a tissue off the shelf and start wiping at the makeup that is now all over the counter and in the sink. I really don’t have time for this, and somehow I need to pull myself together.

My friend Delilah walks into the bathroom and looks at me in the mirror. "Again?" she asks.

I shrug and wipe my hand down the front of me, smearing the black makeup across my shirt even more.

"Yep, and this time it looks like I’m going to have to change."

She nods in agreement. "Yeah, it sure does. Do you really think silk was a good idea, anyway? I mean, you’re going to work on a peach farm."

I turn to the side so that I’m facing her instead of looking at her in the mirror. "I was just trying to make a good first impression. You think I’m overdressed?"

She looks down at my silk blouse, jeans, and boots. "Well, the shirt definitely needs to go. The jeans and boots are fine."

I finish cleaning up and applying my makeup and then walk into Delilah’s bedroom. I pull off the silk shirt and wad it up. It’s going to be impossible to get the black stain out of the material anyway. I’m hoping this is not an omen on how this day is going to be. After rummaging through my overnight bag, I pull out another shirt and pull it on over my body. It’s my lucky shirt, and I should have put it on in the first place. The blue in the material matches my eyes, and I usually get compliments when I wear it. Yep, I definitely should have gone with this one on the first go-around.

I smooth down the blue checkered material and gesture to myself. "Is this better?"

Delilah is leaning against the door frame and takes in my new outfit. "Way better."

After stuffing my makeup bag into my overnight bag, I zip everything up and throw it over my shoulder.

Delilah grabs my other bag. "I can’t believe you’re this nervous, Madelyn. You never get nervous. What’s wrong with you?"

“Nothing.”

She laughs. “Don’t tell me nothing. I know you, and there’s something up.”

I put my hand on my hip and stare at my friend. We were college roommates our freshman through senior year of college, and even though we both sort of went our separate ways after getting our bachelor’s degrees, we’ve still kept in touch and remained very good friends.

She’s the reason that I was able to secure the job at the Wild Peach Farm. Well, her dad was. He’s the police chief here in Peach Springs, and he pulled some strings to get me this job. And even though Delilah and I are so different, like how she’s an accountant and I’m a farmer, we still get along great.

I let my hands fidget in front of me and bind them together. She’s right because I never get nervous, but today feels different. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. I feel all twitchy about this. It could be that I’ve said over and over that I want to stand on my own two feet and not depend on my dad to get me a job, and then instead of doing that, your dad has to step in and help me. Maybe this is a bad idea.”

Delilah stands up taller and is shaking her head. “No way, you’re not backing out now. I finally get my best friend close again. You’re just nervous, and anyone in your place would be. It’s fine. You’ll get there, and everything will be great. You’ll see. And forget about my dad getting you this job. You got the job. Trust me, if you didn’t have the qualifications, Asher wouldn’t have hired you. They’re pretty protective of their farm.”

I suck in a breath and nod. "You’re right. Thank you for letting me crash here last night."

She playfully slaps me on the shoulder. "You know you’re welcome here anytime, and if the farm wasn’t so far from here, you could just stay here and commute."

I shrug. "It’s no big deal. It makes more sense for me to just stay there anyway, but we’ll definitely see each other soon. We can go to dinner and do more catching up."

Delilah walks with me outside to my car, and we load everything in. We stayed up way too late last night talking about a little bit of everything, and I’m sure she’s going to regret telling me about the crush that she has on a local police officer. "So are you going to talk to this Fletch? Maybe let him know how you feel?"

She just smiles and opens the driver’s side door of my car, holding it for me. "I don’t know. Did I tell you that Fletch and Asher are brothers?"

"Asher Wild, my boss?"

She nods. "Yep, that’s the one. And talking about Asher, I feel like I need to warn you a little bit."

I slam the trunk of my car and come around to meet her. "Warn me. Warn me about what?" I ask. "I thought he was on board with this. He does know I’m coming today, right?"

Delilah nods her head. "Yes, of course he knows you’re coming. Chill out. I wouldn’t set you up like that. I’m just saying Asher’s a little bit older and grumpy and set in his ways. That’s all."

"You know I can handle grumpy old men. Have you met my dad?"

She laughs out loud at that. "You’re right. You’re right."

I hug her neck and thank her again. “Please tell your dad thank you again. I really appreciate him helping me with this job.”

She lifts her shoulders. “You know he’d do anything for you.”

I laugh at that because we both know the truth. “Come on, we know why he did it. He’d do anything for his little princess,” I tease her.

I sit down into my car and look up at her. "So we’ll talk soon?"

She nods and then points down the street. "It’s that way. At the big intersection, turn right. You’re going to be driving for awhile but there’s no way you’re going to miss the Wild Peach. It’s sort of a landmark here."

"Got it. I’ve already put it in my map app."

After telling Delilah bye and thanking her again for letting me stay, I pull out of the parking lot of her apartment building and drive toward the peach farm.

The whole way there, I give myself a little bit of a pep talk. There’s no doubt that I can do this job. I know I can, but I can’t believe that I’m this nervous. As I get to the edge of town, I follow the directions as my phone calls out turns through the speakers in my car. I don’t need them to tell me that I’m arriving soon because I start to drive right by the peach farm, rows and rows of big, beautiful trees. I start to imagine what they’ll look like when they are fully ripe. The closer I get to The Wild Peach, the calmer I start to feel and the more at peace I am with my decision.

I pull down the long gravel driveway and park in front of the big white two-story house. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, I climb out of my car and walk up the path to the house. I knock on the front door and then take two steps back to put some distance between myself and the door.

I can hear footsteps on the other side, and in anticipation, I hold my hands together in front of me, but I was not prepared for what I was about to see. As the door swings open, I gasp and feel heat rush to my face. Honestly, that’s probably not the best reaction to have, but there’s no holding it back. He’s tall with wide shoulders, a broad chest, and deep brown eyes. His hair is a little shaggy and hangs across one arched brow. He gazes at me and looks up and down my body before settling on my face once again. I feel that gaze from the tips of my red hair down to the toes in my boots. His voice is gruff, and I swear my body vibrates as he starts to talk. "Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying."

He slams the door, and all I can do is jump in surprise. Did he really just say that?