left?”
She looked from left to right. It was already shaded in the cornfield but it seemed that the sun must be going down because the light was getting dimmer.
“Left.” She nodded in that direction.
“Left it is.” He smiled at her and led her behind him.
Moments later they finally made it out of the corn. He gave her a quick grin “I think that calls for another kiss.”
He met her mouth with his and she held back a soft moan that would have slipped from her. The day had been amazing and she couldn’t imagine how it could get any better than this.
When he raised his head she looked into his eyes. He had a way of making her feel special…wanted…needed.
The reason she was really with him hit her full force.
It wasn’t too hard to pretend that she was with Mike because she liked him, because she truly did. But the reason she was there now—it made her stomach twist into a knot. What was she doing?
Her mind turned to the ones she loved. She had to do it. She had no choice.
Damn. She had to get herself together. She had to do this. Damn Chad!
She needed to be her positive self and set all other thoughts aside. Somehow she would spend time with Mike without breaking either one of their hearts. She could do that, right?
She was going about it the wrong way if that was her plan.
He took both of her hands and gave her a long searching look. “Is something wrong, Anna?”
The seesaw of feelings made it hard to smile, but she managed it. “Nope. I’m having a fantastic time.”
He gave a slow nod and squeezed both her hands. “We’re not done yet.”
She made the decision to enjoy herself for the rest of the day. “I’m ready.”
He released one of her hands and led her away from the cornfield toward a tractor and a flatbed trailer where people were climbing onto the bed and sitting on hay bales. Mike helped her up and climbed onto the flatbed. They found a hay bale to share and he brought her close to him so that his arm was around her shoulders and her body touched his from her shoulder to her knee.
She closed her eyes, pretending for a moment that this could be real. She knew she would have to back off, but for now she could pretend, couldn’t she?
The tractor started moving, jostling them back and forth as the hayride took them through the apple orchard, around the barns and other buildings, as well as pens where cows grazed and horses swished their tails as they ate grain in their feeders.
As the hayride continued, the sky grew dark, the air chillier, and she shivered.
“Here.” He held her jacket up and helped her slide her arms into it. He put on his own jacket and then held her closer.
It was dark as they came close to approaching the point where the hayride had started. Fireworks exploded overhead, causing Anna to catch her breath in surprise. The fireworks glittered in the night sky, raining down in red, orange, green, and blue sparkles. Everyone on the hayride oohed and ahhed.
The tractor stopped and they watched the show. She had never experienced anything so romantic as sitting beside Mike on a hayride near a pumpkin patch and a cornfield on a cool early October night. It was easy to pretend they were alone as they sat close, her head on his shoulder.
When the fireworks display ended, she looked at Mike and she smiled. He lowered his head and kissed her as the hayride started again.
He moved his hand to her face and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “There’s no one I would have rather shared today with than you, Anna.”
She didn’t know what to say so she kissed him.
The tractor came to a halt and she drew away. It was easy to forget she was being blackmailed as she spent time with Mike. It was so comfortable being with him.
After everyone else who had been on the hayride climbed off, Mike jumped from the flatbed then helped Anna down. When she was on the ground, she brushed hay from the seat of her pants with both hands.
He took her hand again. “Know how to
She looked from left to right. It was already shaded in the cornfield but it seemed that the sun must be going down because the light was getting dimmer.
“Left.” She nodded in that direction.
“Left it is.” He smiled at her and led her behind him.
Moments later they finally made it out of the corn. He gave her a quick grin “I think that calls for another kiss.”
He met her mouth with his and she held back a soft moan that would have slipped from her. The day had been amazing and she couldn’t imagine how it could get any better than this.
When he raised his head she looked into his eyes. He had a way of making her feel special…wanted…needed.
The reason she was really with him hit her full force.
It wasn’t too hard to pretend that she was with Mike because she liked him, because she truly did. But the reason she was there now—it made her stomach twist into a knot. What was she doing?
Her mind turned to the ones she loved. She had to do it. She had no choice.
Damn. She had to get herself together. She had to do this. Damn Chad!
She needed to be her positive self and set all other thoughts aside. Somehow she would spend time with Mike without breaking either one of their hearts. She could do that, right?
She was going about it the wrong way if that was her plan.
He took both of her hands and gave her a long searching look. “Is something wrong, Anna?”
The seesaw of feelings made it hard to smile, but she managed it. “Nope. I’m having a fantastic time.”
He gave a slow nod and squeezed both her hands. “We’re not done yet.”
She made the decision to enjoy herself for the rest of the day. “I’m ready.”
He released one of her hands and led her away from the cornfield toward a tractor and a flatbed trailer where people were climbing onto the bed and sitting on hay bales. Mike helped her up and climbed onto the flatbed. They found a hay bale to share and he brought her close to him so that his arm was around her shoulders and her body touched his from her shoulder to her knee.
She closed her eyes, pretending for a moment that this could be real. She knew she would have to back off, but for now she could pretend, couldn’t she?
The tractor started moving, jostling them back and forth as the hayride took them through the apple orchard, around the barns and other buildings, as well as pens where cows grazed and horses swished their tails as they ate grain in their feeders.
As the hayride continued, the sky grew dark, the air chillier, and she shivered.
“Here.” He held her jacket up and helped her slide her arms into it. He put on his own jacket and then held her closer.
It was dark as they came close to approaching the point where the hayride had started. Fireworks exploded overhead, causing Anna to catch her breath in surprise. The fireworks glittered in the night sky, raining down in red, orange, green, and blue sparkles. Everyone on the hayride oohed and ahhed.
The tractor stopped and they watched the show. She had never experienced anything so romantic as sitting beside Mike on a hayride near a pumpkin patch and a cornfield on a cool early October night. It was easy to pretend they were alone as they sat close, her head on his shoulder.
When the fireworks display ended, she looked at Mike and she smiled. He lowered his head and kissed her as the hayride started again.
He moved his hand to her face and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “There’s no one I would have rather shared today with than you, Anna.”
She didn’t know what to say so she kissed him.
The tractor came to a halt and she drew away. It was easy to forget she was being blackmailed as she spent time with Mike. It was so comfortable being with him.
After everyone else who had been on the hayride climbed off, Mike jumped from the flatbed then helped Anna down. When she was on the ground, she brushed hay from the seat of her pants with both hands.
He took her hand again. “Know how to
Similar Books
