Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“We’ve both been quite awkward, yeah.”
“Awkward? You haven’t been awkward at all. You’ve been cool as a cucumber.”
I snort. “Cool? Me doing the whole strong, silent type at the bakery? Not knowing how being a wedding guest works? I never thought of myself as cool.”
“You’re incredibly cool. And hot. That’s actually a bit of a contradiction.” She strokes her chin at the thoughts that had just poked her brain.
“Don’t think about it too much. Language is weird.”
She’s calming down a bit, realizing I’m a human being and not just some weird, scary lumberjack guy.
“I take it you’re new in Evergreen Valley?” I ask, leaning on the stall. “I haven’t seen you around here much.”
“Um, I’m just here for the summer.”
I raise an eyebrow. “For, like, a vacation?”
She nods. “For now, that’s how it is, yes.”
I look at the stall again. “And you’re working, what I’m assuming is, a part-time job while you’re here?”
“Um, yes,” he says, more nodding following.
“That doesn’t seem like it's much of a vacation to me.”
“I’m enjoying myself a lot, and isn’t that all that matters?”
I wasn’t one to shit on other people’s work, but I’d never guess working at a bakery would be what I would call a vacation. It seemed hot and sweaty with the ovens, not to mention all the math you had to do, and dealing with picky customers. I’m also not one to not let people enjoy things, however strange they are to me.
She still seems slightly panicked. “Look, I want to apologize about earlier.”
“Hmm? Apologize about what?”
“Trespassing on your property?”
I raise an eyebrow at her words. “You were trespassing on my property?”
“I didn’t mean to! I was out taking a long hike in the woods. And I happened to hear your music. And I came closer. And I saw you. And I was, uh”—she’s looking for the right words to describe seeing me cut wood in nothing but my shorts—“entranced by what I saw. I didn’t mean to stare or anything.”
“It’d only be trespassing if I didn’t want you there. If anything, you didn’t give me the chance to invite you to join me.”
She cocks her head. “Join you, shirtless, cutting wood?”
I chuckle. “If that’s what you’d want to do, I think I’d enjoy that too. But I meant to just hang out for a bit. I could have made you some iced tea or something.”
I actually wasn’t sure what I could have done. It’s been so long since I had people over to entertain. Most of the time when I did hang out with others, it was a long way away from home. I probably should change that. Sure, most girls probably enjoy a good stew, but I should at least have some booze to share.
“Do you enjoy hiking? Sorry to make assumptions, but I see someone like you and can’t think of them as nature lovers.”
“What makes you think that?” she says, leaning on the stand, accusingly.
I fluff some of my own hair. “The purple, er, I guess, lavender hair, mainly.”
She crosses her arms. “And what hair color should a nature lover have?”
I shrug. “Their natural hair color?” Then I chuckle. “Thjough the purple is so pretty, so I suppose I have enver given it too much thought. Your hair is a surprise in the best possible way.”
She lets out a light laugh. “Then I hope to keep surprising you, then, Hawk.”
“Maybe we should get together and do a hike together some time. I could take you on a guided tour of the area instead of letting you stumble into random people’s properties.”
“Tabitha told me that the best way to experience the Evergreen woods was to explore it yourself, though.”
“Tabitha also told you that shampoo is how they mind control people.”
She poked me through the stall. “Hey, I said she realized her mistake.”
“I’m just saying that maybe it might be worth experiencing the beauty of the forest in other ways. Her word isn’t law.”
Lavender plays with the thought in her head a bit, her eyes drifting across the sky. “Sure. Having a guide would be fun too.”
“We’ll do it in a few days, I think. Make sure the weather is nice before committing.”
“Yeah, as much as I love nature, I can enjoy it better without being drenched.”
It is at that moment I believe something clicked in Lavender’s head. “Uh... so, I’m technically supposed to be working right now.”
“Yeah,” I nod. “Usually not my style to bother girls who are on the clock.”
“But also, no one’s even bothered approaching me all this time. Seems like a slow day.”
“The market is every weekend; not every weekend is going to be pure hustle and bustle the whole time.”
“I do think I should be asking, though, if you want to buy something.”
I take another look at all the pastries she’s selling. “Everything you’re selling here does look pretty good, but I’ve honestly never been one for baked goods when it came to treating my sweet tooth.”