Summer Love by Piper Rayne

Chapter Four

“Ihope I’m not taking up too much of your time…”

Mason had spent the better part of the morning showing me around and answering my many, many questions about life on a farm. He’d been gracious, friendly, and seemed to get increasingly more handsome with each passing second.

“Not at all. I’m pretty much running my day just like any other, I simply have the added bonus of having you with me for company.”

Yes, that’s the sound of my heart skipping a beat.

“Oh, thanks. I really do appreciate you taking the time. Learning about this stuff in class is nothing like being here in person and seeing it for myself.”

Mason nodded and shot me a quick look.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being too forward, but I’d love it if you’d have lunch with me. I have the perfect spot…”

I looked at him in surprise. The day had been going great and I definitely felt a spark with Mason the likes of which I’d never felt for anyone else, but I was a bit jaded by nature. And all of his time and attention seemed too good to be true. I mean, I could see him taking the time out as a farmer with a vet tech, but to think he’d be interested in me as a woman? It seemed far-fetched.

“Oh, uh, yes … thank you. I didn’t even think of packing a lunch,” I admitted, watching him warily. “But I don’t want to hog all of your time…”

Mason grinned broadly and said, “We all take a lunch here, so it’s no problem. I’ll just run and grab a few things and meet you back here.”

“Okay, I’ll go check in on Charming.”

A few minutes later I stepped back out of the barn to see Mason waiting next to a John Deere Gator, which was kind of like a cross between a golf cart and a four-wheeler. I’d driven four-wheelers, of course, but never been in anything as fancy as that machine.

“Nice ride,” I said as I approached.

“Thanks, I’ve only had her a few weeks, but she’s already made things much easier.”

As I climbed into the passenger seat, I noticed a picnic basket secured in the back, along with a blanket roll and a small cooler.

The man had seriously thought this through.

“Mason?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you know I’d be coming here today? I mean, did Dr. Garcia tell you she was bringing me along?” I asked, utterly curious about how this was all playing out.

Mason looked sheepish as we drove off and took a few seconds before answering.

“Actually, when Doc asked me if I minded her bringing you along, I was floored. I had no idea you’d become a vet tech and the fact that she was asking to bring you to the farm was like a gift I didn’t know I could get.”

“Really?” I asked, wondering if I’d actually hit my head back in the barn and was lying in a coma because, honestly, guys did not look at me the way Mason was looking at me. All nervous and in awe, like I was something precious to be won.

“Yeah, and I may have asked her to leave you here for the day … to give us the chance to get to know each other.” Mason glanced over at me and spoke in a rush. “And I hope I’m not completely freaking you out. I know it may seem like I’m coming on strong, but when I say I don’t have a lot of opportunities to get out and meet people or spend time on those who interest me, it’s completely true. Now, I don’t want to scare you off with that either, make you think I’m unavailable. I’ve hired more help around the farm to free up some time and I really do want to commit time to getting to know you, taking you out, and seeing if there’s something between us that could grow into more.”

I stared at him. Blinked. And stared some more.

“You set all of this up so you could get to know me better?” I asked, incredulous.

“I did. It was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Mason admitted. “I had my ma put together the food and Doc leave you behind so I could plan out this picnic, and Henry, my foreman, watching Charming and the rest so we could have a quick escape.”

“Wow, this may sound sad, but it’s truly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I told him softly.

My eyes felt hot with unshed tears and my stomach was slowly rolling over as the pressure of the situation started to hit me. Was Mason looking for a woman to have a serious commitment with? Someone who would help him run this farm and carry on generations of family legacy?

And for some reason, he’d gotten it into his head that me … Becs from the trailer park in Cherry Springs … was the woman who fit the description of what he was looking for.

The man had to be touched…

“Mason,” I began, unsure what to say in this situation.

“Look, I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I told myself I wasn’t going to say anything, that I was just going to let things play out and hopefully you’d be interested in dating a guy like me. I just got excited … and then I didn’t want to keep anything from you, so it all just kind of spilled out. I really didn’t want to stress you out.”

“I … well, I’m completely flattered. But, Mason, I don’t think I’m the person you think I am.”

“You’re Becs. Cherry Springs born and bred. Lived here your whole life, worked at Lewis Bar while you put yourself through vet tech school. You’ve dated some of the guys in town, but nothing serious ever came out of it. You make friends who would stick by you through anything, which shows you’re loyal and you breed loyalty in others. You’re a beautiful woman who’s quick to smile and you love animals.”

“Wow. Okay … maybe you do know a bit about me.”

“And I’d like to get to know more than what’s on the surface … and for you to do the same,” he said as he put the Gator in park. “Look, just give me a few hours. Enjoy lunch, maybe take dip in the pond, and talk. I promise I won’t ask for more than you’re willing to give.”

I looked out over the spot he’d chosen. A medium-sized pond with a deck going out over the water. The sun reflected off the surface and the wind blew the blades of grass and wildflowers around us.

It was beautiful.

“Why not?” I asked as I moved to get out. “Your mom went to the trouble to make our lunch and you planned such a pretty picnic, it would be a shame for it to go to waste.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Mason. Let’s eat.”