Page 4 of Harvesting with Hayes
I needed to focus on what I came here to do.
Sell my jewelry, expose my brand, and make money. The end.
The day passed quickly,and I did better than I expected. After closing my booth for the day, I met up with my parents for a bite to eat.
“You sold everything?” Mom’s face lit up with excitement. It warmed from the inside out.
“Just about.”
“That’s awesome, honey. We’re so proud of you.” My dad reached across the table and patted my arm gently while Mom clapped her hands and blew me a kiss.
“Yes, we are! I knew you could do it, sweetheart.” Mom squealed more. She never once said anything negative or told me to pursue something else, but instead wore my jewelry proudly, showing it off to whoever wanted to see.
“Thanks guys. Without your supportandloving persistence, I wouldn’t have taken the risk. But I’m glad I did.”
“Are you spending time at the festival this evening? Your father and I were thinking about watching the bluegrass band play.”
“I planned on it. Maybe grab a caramel apple or play a carnival game or two. Derek’s around, too.”
“Yeah, he texted me earlier, raving about the spiked cider he had.”
My spine stiffened, and I sat up straighter. “Which one?”
“The Spicy Apple. Remember I told you about it before?”
I vaguely remembered him telling me, but I nodded my head, anyway. “I think so. Refresh my memory.”
“The cider is delicious. A family-owned business out of upstate Vermont. The spiked variety sneaks up on you, trustme. But they have other flavors, including alcohol free ones. You should try it if you haven’t already.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You know I’m not a big fan of cider.”
“True, but this one might change your mind. It’sthatgood.”
“Do you know much about the people who run it?”
“The Martins? Nice people. I heard their son was taking over this year. Haven’t gone by yet, but I’ll have to say hi.”
Ah, ha. Their son. Hayes is their son.
Now it makes sense.
“Hayes. His name is Hayes.” I blurted out.
Dad chuckled. “I take it you met him?”
“Is he cute?” Mom winked at me, and I rolled my eyes. She loved to play matchmaker, much to my dismay.
“He’s nice. That’s all that matters.” I said and quickly changed the subject.
After dinner, I separated from them and moseyed around the festival. It didn’t take long for me to land directly in front of one booth in particular.
The Spicy Apple.
And there he was, looking hotter than a scorching day at the beach, his eyes lighting up the moment they land on mine.
Suddenly, I didn’t seem to dislike cider as much.
In fact, I wanted an icy mug full of it.
