Sandy
He wanted to what?
“Run that by me again.” Her voice was dead. Dull. Emotionless.
“I said I’ll come work the farm with you.”
“No.”
Palin blinked, and for a fraction of a second she was sad as the tanned eyelids closed, obscuring his breathtaking eyes from her. They were so unique and unusual that she sneaked a glance of them at every chance. Like gemstones they glittered and glowed even in the shady confines of her little tent. Maybe they were contact lenses of some sort. That would explain how it worked.
“Sandy. Listen, I need more crops. You said it yourself, you have a farm and you can’t work all of it. I’ll come help you.”
“I can’t afford to pay anyone,” she said, the words making their way around her clenched teeth. It pained her to admit it, but it was the truth. If she had money to bring someone on board, she would. Maybe.
Okay, probably not. The opportunity had been there for that when she first moved to the farm, when there was more money to go around. Now though, it had all been squandered as she tried hard to keep paying her lifestyle. Trying hard, and failing. It was impossible to run the farm on her own.
“You don’t have to pay me.”
Sandy pulled back in surprise and suspicion. “Then why do you want to come and work on the farm?”
His entire body rose and fell as he sighed, clearly understanding just what she was reading into it. “You can pay me in crops, Sandy. That’s what I meant.”
“Oh.” She was a little embarrassed. Sandy didn’t think the best of people, and sometimes it showed. “I don’t know. This is all pretty odd, Palin. There are plenty more crops here you can buy.”
“But they aren’t yours,” he pointed out.
“Mine are nothing special.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I like yours the best. I want more of them.”
He sure was stubborn. Sandy was still against it though. If she said yes, it meant he would have to show up at her farm. Every day. He would know where she lived. Most of all, she would have to spend time talking to him. Not just a little either. With just the two of them they would be spending most days in close company with one another. Was this really something she was ready to take on?
Looking him over once more, Sandy weighed the two sides of the argument. The man was built like an ox, though hopefully he was a good bit smarter than one. With his added strength and probable stamina, she could use a good chunk more land for future crops. That would get her more than enough money to be able to pay the bills and keep the land in her family. Until she died at least. She was the last of the Talberts, but she wanted to do right by her ancestors and make sure that the property stayed in the family.
“Let me get this straight.” She rubbed her forehead, pushing the ball cap farther back. “You want to come work on my farm. Bust your soft-skinned hands with manual labor, all for a measly portion of my crops?”
Palin grinned. “Exactly!”
She hated it when he smiled. She’d barely met him, but every time he did that she lost all willpower to say no. Her brain wanted him around. It wasn’t that hard to understand why either. Any time she looked at him, the answer was obvious.
His golden-bronzed skin, perfectly trimmed facial hair, and eyes that threatened to pull her into them every time she so much as glanced his way. It was a powerful combination that he seemed used to taking full advantage of. Sandy was having a really hard time saying no automatically, which she knew should have been her answer.
Having someone on her farm was not a good idea. Having a male on her farm was really not a good idea. But having an attractive male who was trying to charm her on the farm? That was the worst idea of all.
So why the hell was she leaning toward saying yes? What wasn’t she aware of that would incite such a response within her? Sandy truly couldn’t identify it, but there had to be something. Could it be that she wanted company? Maybe she was horny. Despite her solitude over the years, that was one craving that hadn’t gone away. If anything it had gotten worse, no matter how often she tried to satiate it herself.
Like Muscles here was going to take care of that for her though. He definitely wasn’t interested in her, she knew that. Not with his painfully good looks. No, he was into a certain type, and women in overalls with farmer’s tans were not the type men like him craved.
It was what made his desire to come work for her all the weirder. She couldn’t figure out what it was that made him want her crops the most. Any of a half dozen farmers here could sell him the same stuff, from the same seeds, for the same price, and in greater quantity. She had nothing special about her products that stood out. Just about the only difference was that she was a woman, and she was doing it on her own. That worked great with some people, but most didn’t care.
“I don’t even know why I’m considering this,” she mumbled, her brain torn in too many directions at once to think clearly.
“Why not? It’s a win-win for us, isn’t it? You get free labor and more crops that I could help you plant and harvest.”
How did she begin to tell him it didn’t really work like that? She’d already planted most of her crops weeks or months ago, and only now was she harvesting them. There wouldn’t be much new for the rest of the fall. But if they worked hard, spring would be big.
“I don’t even know you,” she protested.
“My name’s Palin.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “That tells me exactly nothing about you besides your name.”
“Fine. Accept my offer, and when I show up, you can ask whatever you want of me.”
Sandy shook her head. “You aren’t going to give up, are you?”
“Nope.”
“I should tell you to get lost. To go away. Anyone else and I would probably think they were trying to stalk me.” She pulled the hat back into place. “Why the hell don’t I feel that way about you?”
“Because I’m not out to do anything to harm you. You have my word on that.” He peered at her with a sudden intensity. “And I think that maybe there’s a part of you that understands that.”
Sandy rocked backward. How was it that he could read her so easily, like a book open to the page about her? Not only was that uncanny, but she kind of agreed with him. Some part of her believed him, as crazy as that seemed. It was the only reason she hadn’t shut the idea down completely from the start.
Something told her this was what she should do.
Just like that Sandy came to a decision, set in stone, her path thought out, just like she’d done in her old life.
“Fine. Sunrise Monday. Don’t be late.” She gave him the address and then went to go find John while he loaded up his truck.
When she came back her tent was empty except for the stack of crates he’d returned. She looked around the empty space with a mixture of curiosity and fear.
“What the hell have I just gotten myself into?”