Page 29 of The Floral Arrangement

Olivia put down her fork. “I’m so glad you liked that. I’ve got lots of other ideas for how we could make the farm even more environmentally friendly.”

Not this again.I held back a sigh.This lunch couldn’t end soon enough.

Fred turned to Olivia and tilted his head. “Oh, what were you thinking?”

Olivia leaned in, her eyes bright. “Solar panels on all the barns, a smart irrigation system to help with water conservation, and upgrading the tractors to more fuel-efficient models. Did you know you can get electric tractors too these days?”

I gripped my knife tightly. Yet again, Olivia was trying to hijack things with Fred to further her own agenda. Everything she had just rattled off would cost significant money. Money I didn’t have. The last thing I needed was for Fred to decide to throw his money into sustainable farming instead of a new event space and tap house. While Olivia’s suggestions would probably save some money in the long term, there was no way they’d bring in anywhere as much profit as my proposal would. I needed to shut this down—now.

Fred nodded. “That sounds terrific. Roz, you didn’t mention any of this in your business plan.”

“Yes, well the priority is getting the taphouse and event space built, and then we can explore some of the ideas Olivia mentioned.”

Olivia straightened. “We can incorporate sustainability into the taphouse and event space too, making sure they’re designed in an energy-efficient manner and installing solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. We could even use reclaimed materials to build them.” Her eyes flashed with excitement.

“Roz, could you update your business plan to include these ideas too?” Fred asked. “I’d love to hear more about them. Being able to market Red Tractor Farm as an eco-friendly sustainable business could be one way to differentiate it from the competition.”

“Yes, of course.” I plastered a smile on my face as I dug my nails into my hands. As soon as Fred left, I’d be having a word with Olivia.

CHAPTERTWELVE

OLIVIA

Fresh air hitme as Roz and I walked out onto her parents’ back deck, which overlooked a tennis court, swimming pool, and a large expanse of neatly cut grass, surrounded by rose bushes. The sprawling property and the gorgeous white two-story colonial revival mansion we’d just exited were a far cry from the cozy cottage I’d grown up in. Roz’s family was clearly loaded.

Roz leaned against the railing of the deck. My eyes lingered on her firm-looking ass, which was encased by perfectly tailored black pants. While her back was to me, my gaze traveled up to take in the back of her purple silk shirt and her neatly cut short blond hair. Black oxfords completed the look. Her outfit was ridiculously formal for a Saturday lunch with family, but it did look good on her.

“I thought that went fairly well,” I said as I rested my arms on the railing. Fred had left ten minutes ago.

Roz shoved off the railing and glared at me. “Are you serious? It was a disaster.”

I opened my mouth to object, but Roz kept speaking.

“Did you miss my mother telling Fred I’d crashed a tractor? Not exactly information that’s going to instill Fred with confidence in my ability to run a farm. And then you hijacked the discussion with all your sustainability talk, which Fred now wants me to include in the business plan before Friday. Not to mention how I nearly blew our cover when I stumbled over Mom’s and Fred’s questioning.”

I pressed my lips together. I supposed it wasn’t great, but it could have been much worse. “But at least Fred liked my ideas, right?”

Roz huffed. “Wrong. You have to stop pushing your own agenda. You’re making me look bad in front of Fred. It could make the whole deal fall through. Not only that, but I don’t have time to become an expert in sustainable farming and buildings between now and Friday. So the two of us have a lot of work to do over the next few days.”

I stared. “The two of us?”

“I’ll send you the sections of the business plan I need you to update with your sustainability stuff.”

I bristled at Roz’s tone. “I signed up to fake date you, not work for you.”

“You were the one who suggested it. You’re clearly passionate about it and presumably know what you’re talking about. So you should be the one to do it.”

“And what if I’m too busy?” I could probably fit it in, but I didn’t want Roz thinking I would just fall at her feet when she was so rude about it.

“If Fred doesn’t agree to move forward, the flower fields are gone, remember? So you have a vested interest in making my business plan as good as possible.”

A swallow dived and somersaulted over the lawn. Roz had a point.

I rubbed a hand along the smooth wooden railing. “Okay, fine. Can we walk down to the roses? I told your dad I’d take a look at them.”

“Sure.” Roz turned and started striding toward the stairs. “And we have some other homework as well,” she said over her shoulder.

I raised an eyebrow, hurrying after her. God, she was demanding. “What?”

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