never get to know each other. We’d never find out what happened to our grandparents.”
“I’m not going to be able to keep you away now, huh?”
“Nope. I’m determined. Someone wants me to back away, and now I’m digging in.”
He laughed softly. “Are you always so contrary?”
She playfully considered it. “Yes. I believe I am. You might as well know that now.”
Taking his time, he pulled her against him, his eyes never leaving hers. Slowly, he bent down, brushing a feather kiss against her lips. “When can I see you again?”
“How about this weekend?”
“Perfect.” He leaned down to kiss her but stopped half-way, cursing. “I forgot. We’ll be harvesting then.”
“Could you use another hand?”
“We could always use more help.” He eyed her. “But I don’t think it’s something you’ll want to be involved in. It’s a hard, dirty mess that lasts for days on end.”
“I think I could keep up.” She wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile.
“Is this another stubborn thing?”
“Uh huh.”
He grinned wolfishly. “You have no idea what you’re getting into. It’ll be fun to watch.”
“And you’ll be so happy to tell me ‘I told you so.’”
“Absolutely. But I’ll be even happier to see you.” He nipped her lips before settling in for a firm kiss.
She sighed when he pulled back. “I should get going. It’s getting late.”
“Yeah.” He stepped away, taking her hand in his. “I’ll walk you out.”
Feeling his hand secured in hers, she smiled. There was something so sweet, and yet intimate about the gesture that made her feel cozy inside.
Driving away, she wondered what other surprises she would face now that she was involved with Grant Walker.
* * *
In under an hour, Natalie was in hell.
“I surrender. You were right. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.” Wiping the mist of perspiration off of her brow, she grimaced.
Grant belly laughed. “I tried to tell you. You’re welcome to bow out gracefully. I won’t hold your offer of help against you.”
“Oh, no. I’m not giving up that easily. These oranges won’t defeat me.” Picking an orange up off of the ground, she shook it at the sky before placing it in the bin. “I can’t decide which is worse, picking them off the ground once the shaker has passed or climbing up in a ladder and hand picking each one. There has to be an easier way.”
“Actually, there is. They’re called canopy shakers. Tractors run up and down the rows towing the contraption. It looks like a round hairbrush, and the rods run into the branches, shaking and turning to get the tree to release the fruit. The fruit is then caught and deposited in a bin that is contained in the same unit.”
Her mouth hung open. “Why on Earth aren’t you using that instead?”
“We do at our other locations. We’re in the process of transferring over to those harvesting units, but there aren’t enough yet to harvest all of our trees, so we’re stuck using the shakers until we fully transition.” He grinned at her. “Aren’t you so glad you volunteered?”
“Absolutely.” She rubbed her back but smiled in return. “Where else could I get a workout like this?”
“Gym?”
“No way. My psycho Pilates instructor has nothing on harvesting.”
“Perhaps you should be paying me instead of her.” Her eyes narrowed. Laughing, he continued to store oranges in the receptacle.
“Grant,” a man around his fifties approached, his skin weathered from too much time in the sun. “Heard you were harvesting today. Need any extra help?”
Standing up, Grant shook the man’s hand with a wide smile. “Of course. We’ll always accept help around here.”
“Looks like you have a few new helpers this year.” The man winked at Natalie, and she smiled back. There was nothing lascivious in the man’s gesture.
“The newbie is Natalie Cohen. She wanted to see what a harvest was like.”
“Careful Grant, you want
“I’m not going to be able to keep you away now, huh?”
“Nope. I’m determined. Someone wants me to back away, and now I’m digging in.”
He laughed softly. “Are you always so contrary?”
She playfully considered it. “Yes. I believe I am. You might as well know that now.”
Taking his time, he pulled her against him, his eyes never leaving hers. Slowly, he bent down, brushing a feather kiss against her lips. “When can I see you again?”
“How about this weekend?”
“Perfect.” He leaned down to kiss her but stopped half-way, cursing. “I forgot. We’ll be harvesting then.”
“Could you use another hand?”
“We could always use more help.” He eyed her. “But I don’t think it’s something you’ll want to be involved in. It’s a hard, dirty mess that lasts for days on end.”
“I think I could keep up.” She wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile.
“Is this another stubborn thing?”
“Uh huh.”
He grinned wolfishly. “You have no idea what you’re getting into. It’ll be fun to watch.”
“And you’ll be so happy to tell me ‘I told you so.’”
“Absolutely. But I’ll be even happier to see you.” He nipped her lips before settling in for a firm kiss.
She sighed when he pulled back. “I should get going. It’s getting late.”
“Yeah.” He stepped away, taking her hand in his. “I’ll walk you out.”
Feeling his hand secured in hers, she smiled. There was something so sweet, and yet intimate about the gesture that made her feel cozy inside.
Driving away, she wondered what other surprises she would face now that she was involved with Grant Walker.
* * *
In under an hour, Natalie was in hell.
“I surrender. You were right. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.” Wiping the mist of perspiration off of her brow, she grimaced.
Grant belly laughed. “I tried to tell you. You’re welcome to bow out gracefully. I won’t hold your offer of help against you.”
“Oh, no. I’m not giving up that easily. These oranges won’t defeat me.” Picking an orange up off of the ground, she shook it at the sky before placing it in the bin. “I can’t decide which is worse, picking them off the ground once the shaker has passed or climbing up in a ladder and hand picking each one. There has to be an easier way.”
“Actually, there is. They’re called canopy shakers. Tractors run up and down the rows towing the contraption. It looks like a round hairbrush, and the rods run into the branches, shaking and turning to get the tree to release the fruit. The fruit is then caught and deposited in a bin that is contained in the same unit.”
Her mouth hung open. “Why on Earth aren’t you using that instead?”
“We do at our other locations. We’re in the process of transferring over to those harvesting units, but there aren’t enough yet to harvest all of our trees, so we’re stuck using the shakers until we fully transition.” He grinned at her. “Aren’t you so glad you volunteered?”
“Absolutely.” She rubbed her back but smiled in return. “Where else could I get a workout like this?”
“Gym?”
“No way. My psycho Pilates instructor has nothing on harvesting.”
“Perhaps you should be paying me instead of her.” Her eyes narrowed. Laughing, he continued to store oranges in the receptacle.
“Grant,” a man around his fifties approached, his skin weathered from too much time in the sun. “Heard you were harvesting today. Need any extra help?”
Standing up, Grant shook the man’s hand with a wide smile. “Of course. We’ll always accept help around here.”
“Looks like you have a few new helpers this year.” The man winked at Natalie, and she smiled back. There was nothing lascivious in the man’s gesture.
“The newbie is Natalie Cohen. She wanted to see what a harvest was like.”
“Careful Grant, you want
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