The sound of her voice trailed off as soon as Dane saw Hilary’s name on the screen. He did a mental fist pump and opened his phone.
Have you ever tried apple lavender pie?she asked.
Huh.
No, he hadn’t. That might be a little weird to admit as a lavender farmer, but he wasn’t a big dessert guy. He weighed his response. Should he mention his reservations about combining his favorite fruit with an herb he equated with soap and body lotion? If he gave her a simple “no,” that might shut down the conversation too quick. Maybe this was an invitation of some kind. Was she proposing a pie-tasting date?
Stop thinking so much and answer the text, you idiot.
He started typing and backtracked a few times, second-guessing himself.
No, but it sounds awesome, he responded.He was such a liar.
Her reply came back immediately.Maybe you can be my guinea pig if you ever come for a visit.
Wait—what? So itwasan invitation. He took a deep breath, nervous about blowing an opportunity.
“Hello?”
He looked up. Maria braced herself against the corral, shaking her head.
“Some business contact,” she said, grinning.
“Okay, fine. She’s a woman I met at the conference. We hit it off. She lives in Redville, Idaho.”
“Where’s that?”
“About five hundred miles to the east.”
“Do you have plans to see each other?”
Dane held the phone out and pointed at it with his other hand. “That’s what I’m working on here, Maria.”
She chuckled. “Okay. I can take a hint. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He tore his attention away from his phone for a second. “Wait, Maria.”
She turned back. “Yes?”
“Thanks for sticking around today. For helping with the field.”
Maria gave him an easy smile. “You’re welcome. I bet you forgot I’m useful for more than just mixing oil.”
“Not at all. If anything, you keep things rolling around here.”
“You’re just saying that because you want me to go.” She stuck her hands in her back pockets. “I hope she’s worthy of you.”
Dane smiled. “She is. But I have to convince her to take a chance on me.”
Maria’s face brightened. “Give me her number. I can twist her arm.”
“Goodbye, Maria.”
She turned on her heels and waved to him over her shoulder without another word.
His full attention turned back to the conversation-in-progress. Where was he? Oh yeah, that invitation.
Are you inviting me to Redville?he typed, this time without hesitation, but gritting his teeth while his fingers flew across his phone.
