Page 79 of Falling for Love

I stared at the words, a grin spreading across my face. She wasn’t pulling back as much as I thought. There was a softness to her response, an openness that made my chest tighten in the best possible way.

I typed back quickly.

Thanks. You’re making me want to celebrate. Any chance I can convince you to grab dinner? Or I could bring something over.

Her reply came almost instantly:

Hayden’s got a school project tonight, so it’s a quiet one for us. But maybe soon?

It wasn’t a yes for tonight, but it wasn’t a no for forever, either. It was enough to keep the hope alive.

Deal. Let me know when.

I set the phone down again, feeling the buzzing settle into something more grounded, more certain.

More realistic.

Evie was letting me in, piece by piece, and I was willing to be patient.

I swiveled my chair around, looking out the window of my home office at the snow-dusted woods beyond.

Buttercup Lake had a way of getting under your skin. The slower pace and the warmth of the community—it was a far cryfrom the cutthroat business world I’d dabbled with briefly out of college.

And maybe that was why I was so drawn to Evie. She embodied everything I’d come to love about this town—resilience, kindness, a quiet strength that didn’t demand attention but couldn’t be ignored.

The more I thought about her, the more I realized how much I wanted this to work. Not just the cider business but us. I wanted to be the guy who could fit into her world, make her laugh, and build something solid and lasting with her.

And yeah, I wanted to be there for Hayden too. That boy was something special. Smart, funny, with a spark that reminded me a little of myself at that age.

It was easy to imagine hanging out with him, teaching him how to fish, and watching him grow up.

And the fact that I wanted to be a part of it told me not to let go.

I shook my head, laughing at myself. I was getting ahead of things. Evie wasn’t the kind of person you rushed. She’d been through enough to make her cautious, and the last thing I wanted was to push her too hard.

Still, the thought of seeing her again, of sharing the news about the property and seeing her face light up, was enough to keep me grinning like an idiot.

I pulled up the photos of the property on my laptop, scrolling through the images with a sense of pride. It was more than just a business venture. It was a chance to create something that felt real, something that connected me to this town and its people.

And maybe, just maybe, it was the start of something bigger. Something I hadn’t even dared to hope for before meeting Evie.

For now, though, I’d take it one step at a time. One text, one laugh, one moment closer to whatever this thing between us could become.

The soft vibration of my phone on the desk pulled me from my thoughts. I’d been staring at the snowy woods outside my window, daydreaming about Evie, the property, and everything I wanted to build—both in business and, maybe, in life.

I glanced at the screen, and my heart did that ridiculous little jump again when I saw her name.

You know what? Change of plans. Hayden and I could use an extra set of hands. If you’re up for it, bring pizza, and we’ll celebrate while you help with the project.

For a moment, I just stared at the message, rereading it as though it might change. She’d changed her mind. She wanted me there. Were my eyes deceiving me?

A stupid grin spread across my face as I picked up the phone and typed back:

Does this mean I get extra credit if I bring dessert too?

The reply came almost instantly.

What if I’m dessert?

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