“You cooked. I’ll clean.”

I watched as he worked, then I dried the dishes with a towel as he handed them over. We made quick work of it, and soon we were setting the items back where they belonged.

“Owen?”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Turning around, he pinned me with his steely gaze and reached out a hand, latching onto my wrist. “Say it again.”

“Owen Ramsey, I agree to fake date you to help me get a boyfriend and keep your ex away.”

Suddenly, I was tugged forward, and my body collided with his. My free arm wrapped around his waist on instinct.

“You won’t regret this, cricket.” Then he proceeded to noogie my head like we were in freaking elementary school.

“I already am,” I mumbled with a smile on my face as I reached under his shirt and pinch the skin on his side to get him to end his torment.

Then, as we pulled apart, both of us gasping for air, it felt like the world stopped spinning. Because I just agreed to pretend to date Owen Ramsey, bane of my existence—and part of the reason I was still a virgin after all these years.

Chapter Eight – Owen

When I’d woken in the morning to the sound of tractors outside the window, I was shocked to find Aspen already left. I even climbed into the narrow loft to double-check, and lo and behold, she’d already made her way out of the house.

There wasn’t much time spent lingering in her sleeping space other than to notice a few travel books on an end table.

Outside, I stood in the morning sun. It was warm, even though there was a crispness in the air giving a hint of the upcoming fall season. I hadn’t felt a day like this in years. My time in LA usually revolved around going to the beach and the training facility.

That was something I’d have to sort out soon while I was in Ashfield. Training in the off season was just as important as training during the prime season. My bats were still resting inside the trunk of my rental car, and I felt anxious not having them within reach.

It was the one thing that irritated my ex the most—she claimed I loved my sport more than I loved her.

She may have been right.

I needed to speak with my mom, but as I followed a path over the hill that gave way to the main farm property, I knew that was going to be toward the bottom of my list of things to do. First on my list was to track down Aspen.

The oversized barn filled with equipment was empty, and an employee pointed me toward the path leading to the family farmhouse as where I would find Aspen. The moment I walked through the side door leading to what I determined was a mudroom, I instantly felt like I stepped into a well-loved home. Work boots, sandals, and sneakers were haphazardly strewn across the floor. A few rain jackets hung on pegs above the shoes. Baskets were filled with gloves and hats. The entire room was a mess but in the best way. It reminded me a bit of our locker rooms at the stadium. Though chaotic, everything had a place.

When I stepped into a hall and found my way to the kitchen, it was clear I was an unexpected visitor. But the Easterlys greeted me warmly just after I surprised Aspen, who kindly threw a pack of bacon at me.

That was something I was going to have to remember for later.

She even went so far as making me breakfast, though she’d probably already been at work for a few hours already. I’d never been a morning person, but I couldn’t imagine having to do it every day because you’d fallen into a role within your family.

But the biggest surprise of the morning was hearing her agree to my scheme. I was so thrilled I pulled Aspen into my arms and hugged her close, verifying she was onboard for the farce we were about to perform. After a few seconds, she stepped away, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her plump lips. But I knew she wasn’t ready for that.

I had a feeling Aspen was more innocent than she let on.

“So,” I began as I took a step back, hesitating as I released the hold on her wrist. “What’s in store for today?”

The corner of her lip twisted like an evil queen’s, and I worried for a second that she had something nefarious planned. Color me surprised when she said, “I’ll be busy running data most of the morning and then checking the books for some way to move around the budget.”

“Oh, what for?” I studied finance in college as a way to learn how to manage my money when I went pro.

Aspen licked her lips and glanced out the window for a split second, before replying, “I would like to lease some farmland to some local cattle farmers. I need to see if it's in the budget to add a fence and shelter.”

“Well, what if I helped you?”

I stunned her silent, as her eyes widened, staring at me like I’d grown two heads. “You want to help me?”

“Sure. I mean, I’m not a professional, but I’m pretty good with finances. It was my major, after all.”

Aspen paused and seemed to weigh her decision, her teeth nipping at her plump bottom lip. “Okay. I suppose you owe me anyway, right?”

“Owe you? Our deal is mutually gratifying.”

She giggled, and I was turning into a fool for that sound. “I wasn’t talking about that deal, Owen.”

“Yeah? Then why do I owe you, cricket?”

She moved around the kitchen and back toward the main hallway, calling over her shoulder, “I found you a place to rent while you’re here. Now, let’s get started. My dad’s office is this way.”

Her dad’s office was a combination of both organization and chaos. I didn’t know how anyone could find anything beneath the stack of papers and books, but Aspen skirted around that space and moved toward a computer in the far corner. It was more modern than the ancient desktop on the oversized wooden desk in the center of the room that looked like it came out in 1994.

She sat in the chair and then swiveled toward me, gesturing for me to grab one of the extra chairs against the wall. It wasn’t nice like hers, but it was cushioned enough that I wouldn’t lose all sensation in my ass.

“So, my brother Andrew and I have been working to move all the books for the last ten years into a computerized system. It makes it easier for both us and the accountant. It makes sense to Andrew, but to me, it’s just a bunch of pie graphs and dollar signs. Finance was not an area I excelled in, and Andrew has been swamped with new contracts for the farm.”

As she mentioned her brother, I wondered why he wasn’t at the forefront of taking over Sunny Brook. But I didn’t think we had moved far enough away from rivals to a friendship to ask those personal questions about her family.

She flipped open a laptop that I hadn’t noticed and logged into the device before shifting it over toward me.

“I’m looking for a range of ten to twenty thousand that we could maneuver. The bookkeeping software is on here, as well as the manufacturer and wholesaler catalogs for the items we use on rotation. You’re also welcome to search for a better deal anywhere else. If you find them, then that’s up to Andrew. I just want to see if we can come up with a proposal, you know?”

“Sure. Sounds easy enough.” I watched her boot up another desktop with a thin, sleek monitor. “What will you be doing?”

She went on, talking about the robot she sent out to test some fields this morning and how she wasn’t sure of the quality. The details were vague, but it seemed she was hoping to add new crops to the land. “Essentially, I’m running some data and comparing it to our control field, which produces our healthiest crop of corn.”

“That sounds neat, actually. I didn’t know things like that existed.”

“They didn’t until recently. Nate sold the patent to a huge firm with enough investment to keep it affordable to farmers. We’re the backbone of the country.”

“You’re proud of that, aren’t you? You like being a part of something that’s a legacy in its own right.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I’m surprised you figured that out. It’s why I’m afraid to… leave. What happens if I do? The alternative scares me.”

“That’s something for your family to figure out, Aspen.”