Page 94 of Saltwater Cowboy

The sun sat high overhead, casting a golden glow over the fields as Wells and I worked side by side, plucking ripe vegetables from the vines and tossing them into crates. The dirt was warm beneath my feet, the scent of fresh earth filling the air, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty.

It had been a few weeks since I started working on the farm, and against all odds, I hadn’t run screaming back to the city. In fact, I was thriving. Who would’ve thought?

Wells glanced over at me as I inspected a particularly plump tomato. “You planning to pick that or just admire it all day?”

I held it up dramatically. “You know, there’s an art to selecting the perfect tomato.”

He snorted. “Yeah, it’s called grab the red ones and move on.”

I rolled my eyes, dropping the tomato into the crate. “You have no appreciation for the finer things in life.”

“Says the girl who thought basil was just a fancy garnish.”

I gasped in mock offense. “First of all, I know what basil is. Second of all, I just didn’t realize people grew it in actual dirt. I thought it came from those little plastic containers at the grocery store.”

Wells let out a full belly laugh, shaking his head. “City girl through and through.”

“I am adapting, thank you very much,” I shot back, swiping a stray strand of hair from my face. “I wake up early, I work with flowers, I haven’t worn heels in weeks—”

“And yet, you still complain every morning about getting up before sunrise.”

“Because it’s unnatural!” I huffed. “Humans were not meant to be functional before coffee.”

Wells smirked, tossing a cucumber into the crate. “You seemed pretty functional at the farmers market last weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone sell out of flowers that fast.”

I preened a little, unable to hide my pride. “That’s because I have a natural gift.”

He gave me a pointed look. “You spent the first twenty minutes of the market verifying the names of half the flowers.”

I waved him off. “Details.”

Wells chuckled, shaking his head. “Look, all I’m saying is, you clearly have a knack for this. And if you really want to go all in with the dried arrangements, I think you should.”

I hesitated, staring down at the tomato in my hand. Hearing Wells say it out loud made it feel real.

“So many things could go wrong,” I murmured, starting to second-guess myself.

Wells nudged me lightly with his shoulder. “But how many things could go right?”

I looked up at him, my heart doing a weird little flip at the sincerity in his gaze.

I exhaled slowly, letting the thought settle.

“You really think I can do this?” I asked softly.

Wells smirked. “Rose, you convinced half the town to buy overpriced bundles of flowers last weekend just by smiling at them. Yeah, I think you can do this.”

I let out a laugh, the warmth of his words sinking in. Maybe he was right. Maybe this could be something.

“Alright,” I said, squaring my shoulders. “Let’s do it.”

Wells grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.”

He reached for another tomato, but before he could grab it, I snatched it up and tossed it at him. He caught it effortlessly, raising a brow.

“Really?” he said.

I shrugged innocently. “Just making sure you’re paying attention.”