Page 50 of Fall or Nothing

While the guys congregated in the living room with Knox, the four of us sisters plus Beatrix took over the kitchen again.

“I’m trying to keep track of the couples,” Beatrix tapped her chin with a finger. “Daisy and Knox are obvious. Ivy, you’re with Colt. But who is with the handsome cowboy?”

“If you mean Carter—he’s mine.” I claimed him without hesitation, but peeked across the hallway to check if he was listening.

Beatrix elbowed me lightly. “Good for you. That leaves you and Jake, Poppy?”

“No.” Poppy denied any interest in Jake. “He’s nice, but not my type.”

Daisy cocked a brow. “Then whoisyour type?”

Maddox walked in. “Ladies. The men have sent me to ask for another round of beers.”

“I’ll get them,” Poppy jumped on it before anyone else could. She pulled five beers from the fridge and turned, but bumped right into him. “Oh!”

Maybe on purpose? I wouldn’t put it past her.

“Well, hey there.” Maddox’s mouth curved into a pleasing smolder. “You’ve got a smudge of flour… here, let me.” He reached up and brushed it away with two gentle fingers.

The dreamy look in her eyes as he left the room was impossible to miss. I kept it to myself… for now.

Later, when we had assembled the pies and they were ready to freeze, I pulled Carter outside to my tiny greenhouse—the makeshift one I’d fashioned myself with PVC pipe and plastic sheeting.

“I know it doesn’t look like much. The plastic has come down with the weight of the snow. It has to be rebuilt every summer, but it works,” I explained.

He glanced around, genuinely impressed. “A beautiful glass greenhouse would be nice here. Year-round climate control. Something you could tend to all winter for Wylde Blooms.”

I laughed softly. “Learn about greenhouses from your mother, too? Everything about plants you seem to bring her into it.”

“Yeah… something like that.” He sauntered to the fence and gazed out at the orchard. This time of year it was pretty with the way the snow dusted the branches. “Nice place here.”

“We grow three kinds of apples.” I joined him there, ourshoulders brushing, sparks still setting off between us every time we touched.

“You could probably double the size of your orchard with the right planning,” he added thoughtfully.

“That would take money. It would also take more time to harvest because right now we can barely handle this many trees.”

“Let’s play a game,” he said, turning to me. “Pretend you have all the money in the world. What would you do with it?”

Without hesitation, I said, “Cure world hunger.”

“No. I meant, what wouldyoudo with it?”

I thought for a moment. “Fix my car. There’s been a weird sound it’s making lately.”

He chuckled. “Dream bigger, Sage.”

“Hm. Pay off Poppy’s student loans. Fix things up here for Daisy — she sacrificed so much for us after our parents died.”

“Dammit, Sage,” he murmured, grabbing me and pulling me into his arms, his chin resting on my head. “Can’t you be selfish just this once? Use the money onyourself. Like finally taking that trip to the lavender fields you’ve been saving for.”

I leaned back and met his gaze, heart full. “Fine. Then I’d pay you to stay here with me. Because selfishly,youare all I want.”

“What am I going to do with you?” He laughed humorlessly, pressing a hand to my cheek.

“I don’t know? Keep me?” The moment stretched between us, tender and heavy with everything we weren’tsaying. Then he kissed my frozen lips, icy noses and all, snowflakes catching in our hair.

“You really don’t want to leave this place?” He asked quietly, parting from me.