“Fullness here shows you’re passionate, sensual. And see this mark? Like a little X?”
He squinted, rumpling his eyebrows adorably.
“This means you have a lot of love to give.” She was only quoting her library of palmistry books, but a skeptic like him would probably assume she was spouting pickup lines.
Instead of scoffing, he held her gaze for a long, heated moment. His nostrils flared, but whatever snarky comment he concocted remained behind his tightly pressed lips. His broad chest rose and fell.
Focus. Plan. Expo.
She forced her shoulders down. “So why not share some of that love with Zora and me? You help us with new products for the Esoteric Expo, and we’ll help you with new customers for your herbs.”
See? I can be practical and logical—just the way you like it, stubborn Taurus.
Still holding her gaze, Jesse flexed his jaw muscles as he thought it over.
Unwilling to break contact, Gemma continued to rub circles on his palm. “All I ask is a chance to peek inside.” She meant his farm, of course. Ought to choose her phrasing more carefully. “Zora could really use some new products to draw in customers during the slow winter season.” Giving into temptation, she sidled closer and inhaled his green, herbal scent. “Just an hour of your time? For Zora?”
With an exaggerated roll of his dark eyes, he huffed before giving her directions to his herb farm east of town.
“Excellent! I’ll come by tomorrow morning. What’s a good time?”
He smirked. “Six-thirty works for me.”
Trying to scare me off.She squared her shoulders and served him a snarky grin of her own. “Great. See you then.”
She sashayed back into the shop. Was it her imagination, or did he gun his truck’s engine just for her? Battling his disbelief was going to be fun, and if she played her cards skillfully, she’d forge an alliance that benefited both him and her aunt. Maybe even earn some good-karma points to boost her next endeavor, whatever that might be.
And if the heat simmering in his dark eyes turned out to signify more than irritation?
Nope. Not so soon after the Caleb debacle. Hands off the hunky farmer.
Chapter Three
Bumpingalongthedarkrural road east of Trappers Cove, Gemma almost missed the turnoff to Jesse’s herb farm. The faded wooden sign on the roadside hung crooked and half-hidden by a huckleberry bush. Honestly, it was like Jesse didn’t even want customers to find him.
As she turned down the rutted gravel drive, her headlights illuminated fallow winter fields and neat rows of silvery-green lavender, blossomless this time of year. Slowing, she rolled down her window and inhaled their faint perfume, drifting on the damp, icy air.
Up ahead, the porch lamp shone from a single-story pale blue farmhouse flanked by stands of pine. Lights glowed inside and in the largest of three greenhouses to her right. Smaller outbuildings lay dark in the gray gloaming. She pulled her Jeep into an empty spot beside Jesse’s truck and took a moment to breathe in the peaceful vibe, undisturbed except for crickets and a faint bang from inside the greenhouse. Seems Jesse was already at work.
What was his life like? Did he love the unyielding rhythm of farm life, or did he chafe under its demands? Being a Taurus, he’d probably blossom in a place like this where he could build a cozy home and sink deep roots. Must be nice, that feeling of belonging to a community—a vibe that eluded her except for during brief visits to Aunt Zora. She thought she’d found that kind of connection in Eugene, Oregon, but as soon as Caleb said goodbye, the artsy little city’s welcoming aura evanesced.
Be here now.
Stepping out of her Jeep, she sucked in a deep breath of earth and green. No point in bemoaning the past when faced with such a beautiful present. Her footsteps crunched on the frosted grass as she made her way to the greenhouse, where a shadowy figure moved inside. The sign above the door,Del Toro Botanicals, needed new paint too. Her mind’s eye illuminated an image of herself perched on a ladder as she refreshed that sign. Standing below, Jesse held a can of paint and smiled up at her…
Where the hell had that come from? Sure, the place needed sprucing up, but he hadn’t asked for her help. Still, this was her chance to forge a connection to sustain Zora through the lean months until the tourists returned. The shop’s bay window would be perfect for glass shelves holding plants—sage for purification, basil for attracting love and money, rosemary for memory, cinquefoil to invite blessings and favors. She chuckled. “Probably should have brought some of that today.”
With luck, Jesse would have plenty of useful plants, since many cooking herbs also held spiritual powers. She rapped on the door and slid it open. The rush of fragrant, humid air almost knocked her off her feet.
“Wow. Concentrated oxygen.” Grinning, she peeled off her winter coat and hat. Grow lights glowed over tables and ground-level planters filled with well-loved plants, some in blossom. This place held its own kind of magic. Despite his skepticism, the grumpy farmer was obviously a powerful green wizard.
“Jesse?” she called.
Clutching a hose, he rose from behind a table at the rear, and wow! A faded flannel shirt stretched tight over his broad shoulders, and worn jeans hugged his brawny thighs. Deep in her belly, something crackled and flashed like heat lightning.
Okay, so he’s pretty. That’s not why I’m here.
She forced a casual smile. “Good morning.”
