Harvest of Love: Insta-Spark Collection

Was he talking about the tomatoes?

“No.” His voice was low. “Not the tomatoes.”

I looked up, startled, not realizing I’d said that out loud.

“You’re the sweet one, Dani.” He pushed my plate closer. “Eat.”

I picked up my sandwich, not sure how he expected me to eat after that.

But since he asked me to, I did.

We didn’t talk much as we ate. Noah had a healthy appetite. He polished off his sandwich, half of mine, and then wandered back to the kitchen, returning with a bowl of fruit he set between us. He didn’t let me eat from it, though, instead picking up pieces and holding them to my lips, his wicked grin wide. “Open up.” His fingers lingered on my lips after every morsel.

I had to struggle not to nibble on the end of his finger. I did run my tongue over the callused tip once and watched as his eyes fluttered shut.

Something about this man made me feel bold. He made me want something—I just wasn’t sure what.

Noah pulled the last strawberry from the dish and held it against my mouth. “Bite, Dani.”

I bit down, the sweet-tart taste rich. With a quirk of his eyebrow, he leaned back and popped the rest of the berry into his mouth, chewing slowly. “Delicious.”

The way he said it, I knew he wasn’t referring to the fruit this time.

A young woman appeared at his elbow, smiling at him. She was small, with long dark hair caught up in a ponytail. “I want to do some spicy beans again with dinner service, Noah. They were a huge hit last night.”

“So, you’re telling me you need some picked.”

“If you’re finished lazing around.”

I stood, worried. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to keep Noah from working. He was being kind and keeping me company. I’ll leave now. Please…”

The woman looked at me, then grinned widely. The grin was strangely familiar, as were her green eyes. She laid a hand on my arm. “I was teasing him, Dani. It’s rare we can get our Noah to take a break.” She pushed me back down into my chair. “I’m Callie, Noah’s sister. It’s so nice to meet you.”

I blinked at her. His sister? How did she know my name?

“Hello,” I murmured.

She patted my arm and slapped Noah’s shoulder. “She’s cute. Get me my beans. Oh, and some small potatoes.”

I watched her walk away.

Noah smiled at my confusion. “Relax, Dani. She was just teasing. I told you we were a close group.” He paused. “She’s right, I rarely take a break, but I enjoyed having lunch with you.”

I felt disappointment flow through me. “You have to go.”

“You could come with me.” He regarded my outfit with a frown. “Although I’m not sure you’re dressed for bean picking.”

I looked down at my dress slacks and blouse. I didn’t want to leave him yet. “I have some workout clothes in my trunk.”

His smile was bright. He stood, holding out his hand. “Great.”

Chapter Four

Dani

Noah showed me the washroom, and I quickly changed into some sweats and a shirt I had and slipped on my sneakers. I left my hair down since Noah seemed to like it that way. He nodded in approval, then surprised me by leading me to an electric golf cart, explaining they used those to get around the farm quicker, plus the fact that it was better for the environment. The farm seemed endless, various crops growing everywhere, greenhouses and corrals in the distance. He drove down a few dirt roads, the turns confusing me, then pulled over to the side. “Here we are.”

Climbing out of the golf cart, he pointed to a long row. “Those are the beans she wants.” He handed me a basket. “You sure you want to do this? You could just sit and relax.”

“No, I want to help,” I insisted. I felt a thrill of happiness run through me as he took my hand, and we walked over to the beans. He patiently showed me which ones to pick and how to do it, and I knelt in the warm dirt, picking my way through the bushy, staked-up plants. Noah was on the other side, and on occasion, our fingers would brush up against each other, making me smile. If I lifted my head from my task, our eyes would meet, my heartbeat picking up at the intense way he was looking at me.

When he said we had enough, we made our way over to the potatoes. “We don’t need many,” he told me. “You sit there, and I’ll get them.” He used his hands, his long fingers sinking into the dirt as he pulled them out, handing them to me. I brushed off the extra dirt, adding them to the second basket.

I raised my face to the sun, enjoying the warmth. It was so quiet, the sounds around us of the breeze and buzzing of insects the only things I could really hear.