and then looked over at Ellie. He pictured her head as a rotten apple, just to cool himself down. He was panicking and hoped Ellie wasn’t paying too much attention. But who was he kidding? She was a woman and the species noticed everything.
“You’re sweating. You okay?”
Of course she noticed.
Cedric wiped his forehead. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Ellie studied Cedric’s body language—crossing one leg over the other, then switching back. The guy was obviously nervous about something. Still, she couldn’t help but admire the polo shirt that stretched across his chest and showed off his broad shoulders and toned arms. He definitely took care of himself, but wasn’t one of those guys who looked like he needed to show it off. His hair was black and wavy, long enough to show some style, but not too spiky and gelled to look like he tried so hard. His green eyes seemed nice, inviting, and down to earth.
Cedric had a lot of potential—much more potential than any of her handpicked dates from the website. She liked him so much, she totally forgot about her list. She hoped he didn’t live with his mom, had a job, and was void of back hair.
She perked up in her seat, now curious about Cedric’s back.
“Nice shirt.” She reached over and grabbed the material on his sleeve, pretending to feel it.
“Thanks,” said Cedric, looking suspicious.
“It feels like the same material as one of my dresses. Do you know what it’s made of?”
Cedric raised an eyebrow. “Not sure. You want to check the tag? I guess that’s better than me taking off my shirt in the middle of Starbucks and handing it to you.”
“Starbucks may have a no-nudity policy, so I can just check the label.”
“Good point.”
She smiled, stood up, and walked behind him, proud of how easy that was. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it away from his neck. He smelled good, like soap and coffee. She had the sudden urge to plant her lips on his—certainly not for fifty-eight hours, though. A person’s got to eat.
Ellie realized the charade was taking way too long and she stared down his back. Satisfied, she smiled, let go of the collar, inhaled his wonderful scent again, and returned to her seat.
“Fifty-fifty,” said Ellie. “Polyester … and cotton.”
“Good to know,” he said.
“So, what do you do for a living?” asked Ellie, trying to change the subject again.
“I’m a farmer.”
“Like a farmer farmer?”
Cedric laughed. “Yes. Red barn and all.”
“You don’t look like a farmer.”
“Well, I admit that I don’t do any of the labor.”
“Don’t tell me … garlic?”
Cedric nodded. “And cherries.”
“Garlic and cherries. Now that’s an odd combination.”
“Initially, it was just garlic, had been that way for three generations in the family. But then the neighbor next door was selling his land, and it happened to come with fifteen hundred cherry trees.”
“That’s a fascinating field. What was your major in college?” She cradled her coffee as if it was keeping her hands warm.
“I didn’t go to college. My grandfather owned the business and the farm in Gilroy, then I took it over.”
“And your father?”
“He hasn’t been in the picture for a while.”
“Oh.” Ellie tried to think of something else to say since it was obvious he wasn’t going to elaborate on the subject. “I’m very close to my grandfather. Sounds like you are close to yours too.”
“I was.”
“Oh.” No father. No grandfather. Better not ask about his mother. “Sorry.”
Cedric gave a half-smile. “Thanks.”
“Ever been married?”
Cedric shifted in his seat. “Almost, but …” He shrugged.
Not very positive.
“Well, at least you’re getting yourself back out there and dating.”
Cedric crossed one leg over the other again. “I don’t date. I’ve just been focused on the business.”
What did he mean he didn’t date? What the heck were they doing in
“You’re sweating. You okay?”
Of course she noticed.
Cedric wiped his forehead. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Ellie studied Cedric’s body language—crossing one leg over the other, then switching back. The guy was obviously nervous about something. Still, she couldn’t help but admire the polo shirt that stretched across his chest and showed off his broad shoulders and toned arms. He definitely took care of himself, but wasn’t one of those guys who looked like he needed to show it off. His hair was black and wavy, long enough to show some style, but not too spiky and gelled to look like he tried so hard. His green eyes seemed nice, inviting, and down to earth.
Cedric had a lot of potential—much more potential than any of her handpicked dates from the website. She liked him so much, she totally forgot about her list. She hoped he didn’t live with his mom, had a job, and was void of back hair.
She perked up in her seat, now curious about Cedric’s back.
“Nice shirt.” She reached over and grabbed the material on his sleeve, pretending to feel it.
“Thanks,” said Cedric, looking suspicious.
“It feels like the same material as one of my dresses. Do you know what it’s made of?”
Cedric raised an eyebrow. “Not sure. You want to check the tag? I guess that’s better than me taking off my shirt in the middle of Starbucks and handing it to you.”
“Starbucks may have a no-nudity policy, so I can just check the label.”
“Good point.”
She smiled, stood up, and walked behind him, proud of how easy that was. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it away from his neck. He smelled good, like soap and coffee. She had the sudden urge to plant her lips on his—certainly not for fifty-eight hours, though. A person’s got to eat.
Ellie realized the charade was taking way too long and she stared down his back. Satisfied, she smiled, let go of the collar, inhaled his wonderful scent again, and returned to her seat.
“Fifty-fifty,” said Ellie. “Polyester … and cotton.”
“Good to know,” he said.
“So, what do you do for a living?” asked Ellie, trying to change the subject again.
“I’m a farmer.”
“Like a farmer farmer?”
Cedric laughed. “Yes. Red barn and all.”
“You don’t look like a farmer.”
“Well, I admit that I don’t do any of the labor.”
“Don’t tell me … garlic?”
Cedric nodded. “And cherries.”
“Garlic and cherries. Now that’s an odd combination.”
“Initially, it was just garlic, had been that way for three generations in the family. But then the neighbor next door was selling his land, and it happened to come with fifteen hundred cherry trees.”
“That’s a fascinating field. What was your major in college?” She cradled her coffee as if it was keeping her hands warm.
“I didn’t go to college. My grandfather owned the business and the farm in Gilroy, then I took it over.”
“And your father?”
“He hasn’t been in the picture for a while.”
“Oh.” Ellie tried to think of something else to say since it was obvious he wasn’t going to elaborate on the subject. “I’m very close to my grandfather. Sounds like you are close to yours too.”
“I was.”
“Oh.” No father. No grandfather. Better not ask about his mother. “Sorry.”
Cedric gave a half-smile. “Thanks.”
“Ever been married?”
Cedric shifted in his seat. “Almost, but …” He shrugged.
Not very positive.
“Well, at least you’re getting yourself back out there and dating.”
Cedric crossed one leg over the other again. “I don’t date. I’ve just been focused on the business.”
What did he mean he didn’t date? What the heck were they doing in
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