“You might be on to something. She always loved teaching and never complained about her teaching requirements like some of her friends did and always tried to improve her courses. I’m sorry I never showed the slightest interest in plants. She’d have been all too happy to teach me everything she knows.”
“It’s never too late to show some interest.” Lena’s statement lacked the reproach Jess mentally gave herself.
“That’s what I just thought.” Jess’s mood lifted even further. They exchanged a smile, and Jess nearly stumbled over a pothole. Careful here, Jess. She swiveled her head to the front.
At the sight in front of her, Jess’s mouth fell open. “Wow.” She had imagined the orchard as neat rows of trees, all roughly the same size. The grove was made up of old trees in all sizes and shapes. The gnarled branches twisted in every way possible. Some had been more successful and had overgrown the neighboring trees, creating a thick canopy of leaves. One apple tree had branches that grew in large boughs down to the ground, creating a shady dome that would have been the perfect place for a kid to build a fort. “I would have loved to hide in this private cave and read all summer.”
“Me too. Or I would have climbed them all and built a crow’s nest somewhere.” Lena smiled wistfully. “I always loved to find places to scan the horizon.”
“Oh? What were you looking for? Pirates? Dragons?” Jess put the buckets down and looked around for a good place to start.
“My mother.” Lena’s smile vanished. “If I had spent more time in a cave reading, my life would have been much better.” She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Let’s start over here. This kind of apple is good for cooking, and the branches aren’t too high. Just pick whatever you can reach, never mind the size or shape.” She strode to the tree and started picking without looking back.
This was the first time Lena had mentioned her mother. If she hadn’t grown up with her, did that mean she had died? It seemed to be a difficult topic for Lena, so Jess respected her silence.
They picked their way around the tree in opposite directions. Jess waited for the usual signs of exhaustion to kick in, but neither her heart rate nor her breathing quickened. After twenty minutes, she was still fine. A wide grin broke out she couldn’t hold back if she wanted. Maybe she could return to work soon.
Work. Jess trailed her hand over the solid tree trunk. The rough bark grazing her fingertips and the scents of summer were so far removed from her day-to-day life in the city. It was nearly impossible to imagine herself back in the sterile hospital. She closed her eyes and let the peace of the orchard wash over her.
When she opened them again, Lena stood a foot away, pulling a branch to her with one arm. The other was stretched out to reach an especially big and red apple, but she couldn’t get a hold on it. She had to balance on her toes, making the jeans hug her ass as if they’d been tailored to captivate Jess’s attention.
Stop staring. Jess pulled her gaze upward and used all her willpower not to linger on the swell of Lena’s breast. Whoa. Since when had her libido woken up like this? Today was about friends collecting apples together, nothing else.
Apples. Right. She put down her basket and waded through the soft, knee-high grass to Lena’s side. “Let me. Just hold the branch down.”
But Jess had underestimated her reach. To grab the prize, she needed to get even closer. A floral scent enticed her senses. Her side pressed into Lena’s, and no amount of willpower could erase the sensation of the soft breast next to her own. Sparks shot through her, igniting a fire in inappropriate parts of her body. She suppressed a groan.
She wanted to prolong the touch. Instead, she propelled herself upward on her toes and grabbed the apple with more force than was strictly necessary.
It tore from the branch, and the flexible wood vibrated, raining leaves and tiny pieces of bark on both of them.
Lena sneezed and let go, stumbling into Jess.
In an attempt to regain her balance, Jess reached around Lena with her free arm, but it was too late.
They tumbled to the ground, Jess on her back and Lena on top of her, the precious apple clutched between them.
Jess exhaled and took stock of her situation. The grass had cushioned her fall, so nothing hurt but her pride. When she experimentally wiggled her toes, everything moved as it should. She opened her eyes to see how Lena was doing.
Lena’s brown curls fell like a mane around her, and several leaves, twigs, and pieces of bark were stuck in her hair. Wide hazel eyes, a shade lighter than the leaves with brown flecks like the bark, stared at Jess in shock. “I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?” Lena scrambled to get up but lost her balance and fell onto the grass.
“I’m okay.” When Lena still looked concerned, Jess hastened to reassure her. “Really. Don’t worry. The ground is surprisingly comfortable as if we were lying in bed at home.” Bed? Why had she mentioned bed?
Lena raised one sexy eyebrow. “Okay. If you say so.” With a smile as if nothing had happened, she jumped to her feet and held her hand out to help Jess up.
Jess accepted the offer but let go of the hand as fast as possible before the sparks started again.
When they both patted their clothes to loosen the leaves, bark, and grass clinging to them, Jess noticed she was still clutching
