Dylan was sitting outside on the porch early the next morning, his guitar in hand and a mug of coffee next to him. He breathed in the sweet air that held remnants of the apples still being harvested, maybe even a whiff of the rich Cabernet grapes that would be ready any day.

If he were to pick one time of day that captured the spirit of this valley, this would be it. The sky softly glowing off the rows of grapevines that dotted the surrounding hills, the crisp morning chill that reminded him of apple cider and fritters that were both sure to be present at today’s Harvest Festival.

He remembered the events of last night, including Tessa’s unease at seeing her dad pressed and groomed for his first date in decades, knowing that she had to be feeling a riot of emotions at this huge step, but seeing her tackle it well and ultimately sending him off without a tear.

She’d been melancholy initially, still stuck in her thoughts, but it hadn’t taken too long for him and Elle to lull her out of that and into the spirit of the night. And later, in the kitchen just after Joe got home, there had been something that passed between him and Tessa.

He smiled as he recalled her and Elle laughing later on as they watched and rewatched the lake scene from Dirty Dancing half a dozen times. And even though he and Tessa didn’t get another chance to be alone to talk or do whatever the spirit might have moved them to do, there had been a connection between them.

“What’s that you’re playing?”

Dylan startled at hearing Elle’s voice behind him, unaware that she’d come out to join him on the porch. Or that he had been mindlessly strumming some chords that were representative of the mood he was in. She was in her pj’s and slippers, her red hair a tangled mess that made her seem even younger than she was.

“Not really sure. It sort of came to me,” he said and picked up his coffee to take a gulp as she came over and sat next to him.

“Can you show me how to play? I’ve always wanted to take lessons, but Mom couldn’t really afford them.”

Her words were familiar, as he’d grown up teaching himself back when he lived with his mom, who could barely put two cents together for a loaf of cheap bread and peanut butter in between her drug fixes, let alone guitar lessons. But he’d saved some money earned bringing the newspaper up three flights of stairs to his neighbor’s house in their building, enough to buy a used guitar from the thrift store not far from them, and taught himself. This was before YouTube, when anyone could pick up a few things by watching a few how-to videos.

He held the guitar out to her. “Have you ever held one before?”

She nodded. “My mom has one of Dad’s old ones that I have in my room.”

The only thing Dylan had to remember his old man by was his mom’s drunken tirades offering a litany of the man’s faults, and it kind of stung that he hadn’t anything of real value of the man’s. Then again, if there had been anything lying around, Dylan might have burned it in protest, his hatred and anger at Brick Jamison had been so stark back then. As Dylan had seen it, the man was the reason his whole life was crap up to that point.

Elle took his guitar in her arms, her fingers trying to find purchase on the strings while balancing the bulk of the instrument on her lap. She looked so small, so endearing and sweet that he thought what a shame it was that Brick Jamison wasn’t there to see his two offspring in that moment.

“Here,” he said, and helped position the guitar better, showing her where to place her fingers. After a few minutes of coaching, he was surprised at how quickly she’d picked up some of the smaller techniques he’d shown her, already playing a few chords and humming along as she did. She had a natural talent, same as what his own teacher had commented to him once he’d moved into his aunt’s and started lessons.

She deserved the same.

The creaking on the porch behind him alerted him to the fact that they were being watched, and he looked over his shoulder, not surprised to see Tessa leaning against the door. With the morning sun on her face, her eyes as soft and warm as her smile, she was breathtaking, and his heart lurched in his chest with the emotions that filled him. Her hair was loose and wild around her, giving her that sweet sexiness that was beginning to drive him crazy. Instead of pj’s, she was in soft blue yoga pants that hugged her curves and a slightly too small white tee shirt that rose up a little higher in the front, giving him a glimpse of that smooth skin crossing her belly. Something he wanted to run his fingers across and watch her quick intake of breath.

He grinned slowly. “Morning.”

Instead of a steely-gazed response, her lips tweaked farther up into a smile that played chaos with his gut. “Morning.”

He could almost sense that whatever anger and resentment and distance she’d needed to put between them had fallen away in that moment, and she was just seeing him. Not the guy who’d broken her heart. Not the rock star who’d made more mistakes than he’d like to admit.

But a guy who had done some growing up and was ready for more.

Tessa tried to block out the shouts of the crowd around her and focus instead on the thick layer of caramel covering the apple tied to a string in front of her. But every time she tried to take a bite, the darn thing dangled farther away.

How on earth she’d let Dylan Jamison talk her into entering the apple-eating contest she would never know. Okay, she had some inkling and she knew that she and her darn competitive spirit were as much to blame as anything.

But there had been no way she was going to let Dylan walk away with the prize when, for two consecutive years running, she’d taken the blue ribbon for her age group. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Dylan hadn’t done much better and was still trying to slow the bobbing of the apple with his nose, something that elicited a giggle from her. Next to him, another contestant had gotten his teeth into the hard caramel, and immediately Tessa felt the surge of competitiveness overtake her.

She was not going to lose this. She moved forward, holding the apple between her lips before sliding her teeth in to gain purchase and ripping the flesh away.

Four and a half minutes later, her face a sticky mess of apple juice and caramel, she was announced the winner and the proud recipient of a coupon for Mack’s Pancake House.

“You did it, Tessa,” Elle said, coming up to hug her. “I can’t believe you beat everyone else. Even the boys.”

Dylan sidled next to her, holding a damp paper towel to his face. “Yeah, well, it was easy to do when half the contestants were too distracted watching you.”

“Sounds like a cop-out,” she said, despite the sudden heat suffusing her face at the possibility he was correct. His sly smile and that twinkle in his eye as he continued to wipe his beard only increased her temperature, but for another reason entirely.

“Mom!” Elle cried as a young woman with red hair and a wide smile came into view. “Tessa just won first place in the apple-eating contest. I didn’t do so great but I got to keep mine to take home.” She held up her own almost intact apple as proof.

“Sounds like I missed all the fun. Hi, I’m Lana. You must be Tessa. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Not at all. We loved having her,” Tessa said and handed her Elle’s backpack.

“Can we do it again next weekend?” Elle asked exuberantly, looking to them both. “Maybe use that gift certificate you won for Mack’s Pancake House?”

“Uh,” she said, catching Dylan’s eye, “I’m afraid I’m going to be back in the city by that time. How about I leave it for you and Dylan?”

“I could take you on Sunday if it’s all right with your mom. Just you and me,” Dylan added, trying to get Elle on board.

“I guess,” she said. “But you will be back, Tessa. Right? So we can all do it again?”

“I’m sure Tessa will do her best, hon,” Lana said, smiling apologetically toward Tessa. “We should probably get going. I thought I’d treat us to a movie, but it starts in half an hour. Thanks for having her, Dylan.”

Elle threw herself at Tessa and gave her a hug before doing the same to Dylan. “Thanks for the best time,” she said before waving and taking her mom’s hand as they walked away.

“I can’t believe I survived that experience,” Dylan said as they watched them disappear into the crowd.

“She’s a great kid. What did you expect?”

“Honestly I had no idea, but I won’t deny that I was nervous going into it. The fact that we pulled it off is owed in no small part to you. I couldn’t have done it myself.”

“Nah. You were a pro,” Tessa said as they started to walk. “Don’t sell yourself short. She’d have had fun mucking horse stalls as long as she was hanging out with you. I think she might just be your number one fan.”

He chuckled. “Maybe.”

A couple of kids stopped in front of them, asking for a photo with him, and she stood back, watching as Dylan interacted so easily with them, asking their names and if they were local as they snapped photos with him. When they went on their way with big grins and waves, Dylan moved back to her side, not fazed in the least by the disturbance.

“Guess you get that a lot?” she asked.

“Occasionally. You get used to it.”

She’d have to take his word for it. Being the center of attention was the last thing she would want.

“So, you still planning on heading back to the city on Tuesday?” Dylan asked, his hands now settled in his front pocket as they meandered through the rows of booths.

“I expect so. Of course, it all depends on whether the doctor gives my dad the okay to resume a lot of his activities—like driving, but you’ve seen him. He’s doing pretty well. Which means I won’t be needed anymore.”

“It’s too bad. I think he likes having you around. Not that you’ll hear him admit it.”

She smiled. “No, he wouldn’t do that. But I’ve enjoyed being here, too. I forget how much I love the slower pace out here in the country.”

“Maybe you can even get out here more often now that you know. Not just on the occasional holiday.”

The usual guilt roiled inside. She hadn’t been able to get out to the farm as much as she liked over the past few years, and now that it was about time to leave, she worried that it might be a while before she could return. “I’m going to try, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Not with my schedule.”

“Sounds…stressful.”

“This from the guy who goes out on the road, months at a time, and who I believe let eight months go by without seeing your aunt even once. Or at least so she told me,” she added hastily in case he thought she had been stalking him or anything.

“It’s true. I have been away. But as time consuming and exhausting as it is, I love what I do. I love meeting my fans, sharing my music with them. There’s nothing better than standing up there at the end of the night, feeling almost like they’re all family, all out there supporting me and the band. It makes all the sacrifices worth it.”

“Sounds amazing,” she said, feeling a little envious at hearing this, having something he loved so much.

“It is amazing.” He paused. “And because of that, I was able to convince myself it was all I needed. But I’m starting to realize that maybe I’ve been missing out on some other things. Connections. Real connections.” He stopped, almost as if trying to put his thoughts together before continuing, his voice choked with emotion she hadn’t expected. “When I heard about my dad’s passing, I…I just never thought in a million years that I would care when that day came, until it did. That’s when it occurred to me that I was on his same path. Not forging real relationships with anyone, always moving on, until one day I would be facing my own mortality, and other than a host of fans and an account full of money, what would I have? When Elle showed up, it got me thinking. It didn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe there could be both. That’s when I realized I needed to come home. Come back to Blossom Falls and figure stuff out.”

“And have you?”

“I’m getting there,” he said, glancing over to her, holding her gaze for a long moment, sending her heart racing in her chest.

Dylan’s phone rang from his back pocket, and he smiled in apology. “Sorry,” he said, pulling it out and glancing down at the phone, his face drawing serious as he did.

It was hard for Tessa not to see the name flashing on the screen, the photo of Roxie Mann smiling out from the screen confirming his ex-girlfriend calling.

He pushed a button, declining the call, and put it back in his pocket. “I can take that later if I need to.”

Tessa debated whether to let it go, pretend she hadn’t seen who’d called, but her curiosity was too strong. “It was Roxie, right? Are you two talking again?” she asked as nonchalantly as possible. She didn’t know why the thought that Dylan and his ex-girlfriend, the beautiful and charismatic Roxie Mann, were in contact again should annoy her since she’d made it perfectly clear her feelings toward Dylan.

“I haven’t talked to her in weeks. Not since we ended things.”

“Aren’t you curious why she’s calling you now? Do you think she’s having second thoughts?”

“Nah. If I know Roxie, she’s probably calling because my agent told her that I have no intention of playing with her in LA next weekend and she wants to try and talk me into it. You know, I’m starting to get hungry,” he said, clearly ready to change the subject. “Want to grab a corn dog?”

Before she could answer, the sound of someone calling her name brought her attention to a familiar figure with sandy-brown hair and a tenuous smile who was heading in their direction.

“Eric?” she asked, almost not believing what she was seeing. “What are you doing here?”

“Sorry if I’m imposing on you like this. I tried you at home first but your brother—Rowan, I think it was?—told me you were here.”

Feeling awkward as she stood between the two men, she struggled for what to say until Dylan stepped in, holding his hand out in greeting. “Dylan. Dylan Charles.”

Since when was Dylan a name dropper?

“Eric,” he said, taking Dylan’s hand, not seeming to recognize who Dylan was. He looked back to her. “I’m sorry if I interrupted you, but you left so suddenly the other night before I could gather my thoughts, and…well… I was hoping you might give me a minute of your time.”

She looked over to Dylan, who was studying them both intently before clearing his throat. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I can stick around for a few minutes if you need a ride back to the farm, Tessa,” he added, since for today’s adventure it had made sense to only take one car.

“I’m happy to give you a lift back home, Tessa,” Eric offered, his tone hopeful as he stared at her.

She nodded and looked back to Dylan. “I guess I’ll see you back at the house.”

“All right then. Well, nice to meet you, Eric,” he said and nodded before lumbering away.

They were silent for another minute as they walked, before Tessa decided to jump right in. “I’m sorry if I was abrupt the other night. I’m not very good at these kinds of things.”

“No, please don’t apologize. Actually, I went by your place last night to speak to you and one of your roommates told me you were here, looking after your dad. I had no idea he was in an accident.”

“That’s my fault. I just didn’t want to burden you with my problems. But he is doing better, which is a relief. I should probably be returning to the city by Tuesday.”

“I hate that you think telling me about your dad would have been burdening me. Look, I heard what you said the other night. About your career and no time for a relationship, but I want to tell you that, well, I think that we might have something that’s worth waiting for.”

Tessa would have to be an ice queen not to melt a little at that. No one had ever said anything so sweet, ever just laid it out there like that. One person in particular. She met Eric’s gaze, his light blue eyes studying her with such sincerity.

She shook her head as she smiled. “Why do you have to be so kind to me, after my disappearing act the other night, leaving you hanging like that? I don’t really know what to say.”

“Say that you’ll go out with me tonight. No expectations. Let’s just see if by the end of the night I can change your mind.”

He’d come all the way out here. How could she say no? And maybe he was right. Maybe they could be good together. Had she not had that run-in with Dylan that first night, right on the heels of her dad’s accident, would she have broken up with Eric when she had? She didn’t know anymore.

She thought about Dylan and everything that she was starting to feel again. But Dylan was going to be gone again soon. Out on the road. He might be flirting with her now, enjoying a kiss while he could, but when all was said and done, he hadn’t made any declaration of his feelings toward her. He could pick up tonight or tomorrow, and where would she be but broken-hearted again?

But in front of her was a guy who had all the qualities she wanted in a partner. Stability, reliability, kindness, and understanding.

She owed him at least a chance.

“All right, Eric. It’s a date.”

Dylan watched from the sidelines as Finn shook hands with the group of suppliers and well-wishers congratulating him on his first-place finish, his face beaming with pride as much as disbelief. From the number of orders coming in, it was clear that their anticipated expansion to the Montenegro farm’s outbuildings was going to have to be pushed up if they had any hope of meeting this unexpected but appreciated demand.

In fact, they were going to be meeting with some PR firms in the next week to build up a plan as they looked to launch their product nationwide by spring. Which would mean adding a few employees to the payroll, since between his schedule and Finn’s, they were going to be pretty stretched out.

He nodded to a few people who called hello and took a few pictures with those brave enough to ask him as he wandered around, all the while keeping an eye out for Tessa, who he hadn’t seen since he left her earlier this afternoon with that guy. Eric.

To say Dylan was surprised by the guy’s appearance was an understatement, since he’d specifically asked Tessa the other day if she had a boyfriend and she had most definitely said no. So who could he be? An ex?

Unfortunately, Tessa hadn’t been around for him to ask when he arrived at the farm this evening in time to shower and get changed before he came back for tonight’s event. According to Joe, Eric had come by to pick her up. Nice guy. That’s what Joe had called him.

Dylan didn’t know Eric personally, but he knew the type. A five-day-a-week guy, probably in the stock market, or maybe accounting. Reliable, steady. Boring as hell.

Tessa didn’t need someone like that, she needed someone like…well, him.

That is, if he were in a spot where he could offer something to her or anyone, which he wasn’t. Not just yet. It didn’t mean that he wanted to see Tessa settle for someone in the meantime.

He was trying not to feel slighted by the fact that Tessa had gone out tonight when he had been looking forward to hanging out with her himself. But it wasn’t as if she was standing him up. He hadn’t exactly asked her if she’d come with him, nor would he have.

Now if they’d happened to find they needed to get here at the same time, that would have been easier for the sake of his friendship with Finn, as well as for Tessa. He wouldn’t want to give her any ideas of how things were until he figured them out himself.

And until he did, he couldn’t string her along, not again.

Up ahead, he saw the senior Montenegro with some familiar faces, other farmers who’d been friends with the family over the years.

“Hey, Joe,” he said, coming over to say hello and see if he might have an update on Tessa’s whereabouts. He’d have thought that—date or not—she would be here for this momentous occasion.

“Dylan. Good to see you,” Joe said and excused himself from his friends. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to see you two boys doing what you’re doing. First place. Isn’t that something?”

“It’s all Finn, his vision and passion, that’s been the driving force. I’m just along for the ride.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’ve seen you two working together, and it’s definitely a give-and-take on both of your parts. While Finn brings his passion and agricultural knowledge, you bring your head for business and marketing. It’s a good partnership.”

Dylan swallowed past a lump in his throat at the man’s words. “Thanks, Joe. That means a lot to me. And how are you doing tonight? Feeling all right?”

“Doing great. Nothing could have kept me from being here either way. But I will admit, I’m getting a little weary from all the walking. Sylvia McAffee saw me a few minutes ago and offered to give me a ride home. I just want to stop and tell Finn I’ve got a ride back, and then I’ll be off.”

“Sylvia?” he asked, his brow raised. “You’re becoming quite the ladies’ man, Joe.”

“Nah. Sylvia and I go way back. We’re friends is all.”

“Sure. Well, don’t overdo it.”

“You’ll let Tessa know, too, if you see her?”

After he gave Joe his assurances, the old man patted him on the back before limping over to an attractive brunette who, from the possessive way she gripped his arm, looked like she wanted to be way more than friends. Tessa was definitely not going to like that.

Dylan turned back around and stopped abruptly when he caught sight of Tessa. And it felt like all the air left his chest as he gazed at her. Instead of the wild, crazy curls and waves that had greeted him all week, tonight Tessa’s raven hair was pressed into smooth, silky waves that grazed the bottom of her jawline. Her lips were a deeper berry color than her usual pink that, even from this distance, made her green eyes luminous. Gone were the casual yoga pants and the denim cutoffs, replaced with a short skirt and knee-high leather boots that were all feminine and all sexy. Just like her.

She laughed at something Eric was saying, bringing her hand up to push away a tendril of hair, and it was hard to ignore the pang of envy that ate at his gut. Eric made her laugh. That was something Dylan wanted to do. Make her laugh.

Without thought, he headed over, not quite sure what he would say but wanting her to be as aware of him as he was of her.

“Good evening,” he said, watching as she turned to him, her smile less certain as she met his gaze.

“Dylan, good to see you again,” Eric said politely and they shook hands again. “I have to apologize for earlier when we met. It didn’t immediately click for me as to who you were, but Tessa explained everything.”

Dylan smiled wryly and glanced at Tessa. “And what did Tessa explain exactly?”

“Just that you’re an old friend of the family who’s in town for a little downtime. I’m afraid I don’t know your music all that well, but I understand it’s quite popular.”

He didn’t know his music? What, did the guy live under a rock? Dylan studied him more closely, seeing something in his eyes as he smiled that convinced Dylan he was playing him. Eric knew very well who Dylan was, and probably had from the beginning. Not like he could call him on it.

He smiled instead. “Yeah, well, Tessa and I definitely go way back. It’s been good to catch up with her these past few days and nights. But I’m afraid she never mentioned you before. You work with her at the firm or something?”

There was a flash of annoyance in the guy’s eyes. And as childish as it was, Dylan took some satisfaction.

“Eric was just saying that he thought your cider was hands down the best of all he’d sampled,” Tessa said, seemingly unaware of the tension between them.

“Did he?” Dylan asked. “Has Tessa had a chance to walk you through the different apple varieties that went into that brew? All of them harvested directly from the Montenegro Farm’s orchards. When you have a chance, maybe she can take you on a tour. The pond has a pretty fantastic view of the place, particularly from the old jumping rock, isn’t that right, Tessa?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. Sure, he was acting like a seventeen-year-old jealous kid, but he wanted to remind her of what had taken place on that very rock not just once but two incredible times. “Maybe later tonight I will. If Eric wants to, of course.”

“I’d love to see the place.”

Great. Dylan had stepped right into that one.

The last thing he really wanted was Tessa giving this guy—or any guy other than him—a tour of the property.

“So Dylan,” Eric said, taking a step closer to Tessa so they were practically touching. “How long are you going to be in town? I would think that as a big-time musician, your schedule gets pretty demanding.”

“It can be, sure,” he said, meeting Tessa’s gaze as he spoke. “But these days, I’m taking a step back from things. Want to work on my next album, spend some time with family, appreciate what I have in my life. You know how it is.”

“Uh. Yeah. Sure. Well, I’ll have to try and buy a couple of your songs, see what I’m missing out on.” Eric turned to Tessa. “Did you mention that they’re serving turkey legs at one of the booths out there? I’ll admit, I’ve never tried one, but as hungry as I’m getting, I could probably devour an entire one myself.

“Right. We should get going,” she said, almost in apology to him.

“Tessa? Before you go, could I grab you for a minute?” Dylan asked before he knew what he was about. But he couldn’t let her go, couldn’t see her making a mistake with this guy without saying something.

She held his gaze for a long moment, and he almost expected her to decline when she turned to Eric. “Why don’t I meet you outside in a minute?”

Eric nodded and walked away, pausing to take a last look over his shoulder at Dylan before slipping outside.

“What’s this about?” Tessa asked him. “And what’s with all the attitude you’re giving us?”

“I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”

“I didn’t and I still don’t. Eric and I have gone out on a handful of dates is all. In fact, not that it’s your concern, but I told him the other night that I didn’t think it was going to work out, and I ended things.”

“And yet here he is.”

“Yes. I guess he had a few things he wanted to say. And to see if maybe he could convince me otherwise.”

“And has he? Convinced you otherwise?”

She paused. “I don’t know.”

He shook his head. “Man, Tessa. Don’t you see? That guy is all wrong for you.”

A flash of anger flickered in her eyes. “Oh, really? And how would you know who is wrong or right for me? Or maybe you could be more specific. What exactly is wrong with him?”

“Let’s just say it’s a gut instinct. You two have no…chemistry. No spark. You’d be bored with him in a month’s time.”

“You’re really something, you know that? Eric is a good man. He’s here tonight, fighting for me, asking me to give us one more chance. More importantly, he knows what he wants and he’s not afraid to say it, which is a heck of a lot more than I could say for some people.”

Touché.

But Dylan was coming into some realizations of his own these past few days. It was just taking him longer to admit the truth even when it was right in front of him.

“Okay. Then how about this. Tessa, don’t go out with that guy. Go out with me. Not because he’s boring and wrong for you—which is all true, by the way—but because you and I belong together. Because you and I have something that it’s about damned time we explore.”

Her mouth dropped open. She’d likely never imagined in a million years that he would say what he’d said. He couldn’t blame her. He was still stunned himself, even though he knew it was true.

She shook her head. “That’s awfully convenient for you to have this stroke of clarity right now, when Eric is waiting for me.” She sighed. “Look. I don’t know exactly where this is coming from but I have to go. We can talk about this later, okay?”

So her reaction was less than he expected. But she had a point. Now wasn’t the time to discuss all this. “Fine. Just…just don’t make any decision where that guy is concerned tonight. Okay?”

She didn’t say anything, just continued to shake her head at him as she stalked away, muttering under her breath something that sounded like, “Unbelievable.”

Dylan stood there another minute after Tessa disappeared outside, trying to figure out his next steps. Head back to the farm, maybe see if he could work on that new song that he’d started this morning? Sit around and wait for Tessa to come home?

Neither of those options was appealing.

Waiting around, doing nothing, letting Tessa think that he was okay with the idea of her and this guy together on a night when he’d had his own plans, something he wanted to show her.

No. He wasn’t going to sit idly around. He didn’t know exactly where Tessa was going to fit in his life, and he in hers, but he was getting the idea that if he didn’t do something now, they’d never get the chance to find out.