Not until the letters began arriving.

And now, it seemed, the text messages if the buzzing of my phone was any indication.

As Marisol began passing out pieces of an apple pie, I reached into my pocket to check the message from an unknown number.

“Do you need to get that?” Autumn asked from beside me, leaning over in her chair to whisper.

Quickly, I shoved the phone back into my pocket, knowing that I was going to have to deal with it later and dismissed Autumn’s concern.

The pie was one of the best things I’d ever eaten, and I made sure to let Marisol know. I left out the part where I wanted to smear the pie filling over Autumn’s body and lick up each morsel from her skin.

Nash and Andrew began cleaning the table, and I offered to assist, but the matriarch brushed away my invitation.

“Next week I’ll have to have you all stop by the house,” I said as Marisol poured herself another glass of wine.

“How is it coming along? I imagine it will take months just to get it to living condition, especially with the storm system moving this way this week.”

“Well, it helps that I’m paying for twenty-four-hour construction. The contractor estimated he’d have the place habitable in three weeks at that rate. Though I suppose we’ll lose a couple days if the storm is as bad as they’re calling for. But the exterior will be solid by Wednesday. The plumbing and electrical are getting tackled the following week.”

“That’s fascinating. Hopefully, Autumn can help you along the way.”

Pulling my gaze from Marisol and toward her daughter, I replied, “She already has been.”

“Dad,” Autumn interrupted as she stood from the table. “I’m going to take Colton to the barn. Can we take the Polaris?”

“Sure, honey. The keys are hanging in the mudroom,” Nash called out from the sink where he was loading the dishwasher.

“Come with me,” the temptress said and I eagerly followed. Hell, I was so infatuated with Autumn, I’d follow her just about anywhere.

She hopped in the driver’s seat of an off-road vehicle that I definitely planned on ordering for myself when I got back to my trailer and I took the passenger seat. Together we rode in silence, our bodies rocking back and forth across the uneven terrain, until ten minutes later we came upon a clearing where I recognized the barn from the pictures.

Autumn parked the UTV in front of a barrel of hay and turned off the vehicle. A brisk wind picked up as we exited the vehicle and it swirled Autumn’s hair in its midst. She looked like a warrior princess at that moment and I was entranced.

“I always knew that I wanted to be an event planner. When I was in high school, I’d set my heart on NYU, because if you could make it in New York, you could make it anywhere, right?” she said dryly.

“But I knew my chances were slim and I would need a backup. I could go to school locally and make something of this barn. I could see it so clearly, the weddings, the retirement parties, the birthdays. It was the perfect space for Ashfield. Until recently, we didn’t even have a social hall for the town; that was added onto the church a couple of years back.

“I saw it all and I had a plan on how to make it happen. When I was wait-listed for NYU, I started putting all the pieces together to make this plan work. I was determined. But then I got the notification that I was accepted to my dream school and that’s all it took before I set my sights on my original plan. Plan B was great, but Plan A was what was going to help me make a name for myself.”

“And then your ex screwed you over.”

“Bingo. Despite what people think, I’m not here licking my wounds. I was the first couple of days, but I saw that he did me a favor. Max took every idea that I had and sold it as his own. Every client I reined in, he took on. I felt more like a salesperson than an event planner.”

“So, now’s your chance to do something great for yourself.”

“Maybe,” she said, turning to face me. “I promised my dad I’d give it a month in town to see if I could make roots here, to feel settled here before I took a step like this. It would cost a lot to overhaul the place, advertise, get staff, all of that.”

“Your dad’s a smart man.”

“He’s the best. And he’s right. I’ve been here a week and I’m still not certain I could make a go of living here again.”

“What’s your plan C?”

“Plan C?”

“Yeah. It’s clear you have something else up your sleeve.”

She huffed out a deep breath and I wondered what gave her such worry. “I’ve been applying for jobs.”

“That’s not so bad. You could still be close.”

“Yeah, but not all of them are local.  I’ve put in applications all over.”

“What for? What are you running from?”

“That’s the thing. I have no idea. I don’t know why I have this burning desire to prove myself. My family loves me just the way I am.”

Her conflict pained her, I could see it clear as day. Her body was tense as she spoke about the choices she was making and the agony in her voice was pure.

“Do you want my opinion?” I asked her, surprised when she sullenly responded yes.

“I think the notion of living in a big city gives you the opportunity to hide away from everybody. You’re young and still figuring out who you are, and the thought of failing at that probably terrifies you. Here, you can’t hide. Everyone knows everything. If you fail at this venture, it doesn’t just reflect on you, it reflects on your entire family.”

Autumn rung her hands together as she absorbed my words.

“Here’s the thing though, Autumn,” I added, taking a step closer to her and placing my rough hands on the soft skin of her cheeks. “I see you.”

“You do? What do you see?” she whispered.

“I see a woman that works tirelessly to make those she loves proud. And I think if the perfect job comes along, then you should take it. Your family won’t be upset so long as you’re happy. But I also think you need to let go.”

“Let what go?”

“Everything.”

The urge to bend down and kiss her was strong, and by the way Autumn’s eyes glazed over, I could tell that she was expecting it as well. It took every ounce of energy to pull back and drop my hands back to my sides.

“Want to show me around?” I asked, hoping that I didn’t just cause any forward motion I was making with Autumn to fall back.

“Um. . .yeah.”

The barn was much larger than I expected, with a second-story loft space used for storage and a non-working kitchen from when the ranchhands used to stay on property. Overall, I could see the appeal of Autumn’s vision.

“You know,” I said. “If you decide to continue with this venture, I’d be happy to help. I can even loan some of my crew for any serious work that needs to be done.”

I wasn’t sure what made me offer my services, but as the idea settled in my mind, I was happy with the choice.

“You’d do that?”