“That’s huge for you, Adele,” Kacey began. “Finding someone who will respect the fact that you have things you do that bring you some kind of fulfillment is important. I’m happy that he’s not trying to take you away from being who you are.”
“It’s not just that, Kacey,” I stressed.
“What do you mean?” she wondered.
“I’m not falling in love with Riggs just because he’s considerate of my need to do what I do,” I stated. “I love everything that he stands for. He’s a lot like me when it comes to certain things. He’s not afraid of hard work. The loyalty he has to his family and what they do on this farm warms my heart. Riggs is one of the most compassionate men I’ve met in my life. When I told him what we were doing with the Feeding Education Organization, he didn’t hesitate to offer up some space here at the farm to help these kids.”
Kacey stared at me for a bit with stars in her eyes. I already knew she was over the moon about how this had all turned out for me, but it didn’t stop her from sharing it. “If I hadn’t already seen the way he looks at you, not just in those photos but also in real life, I’d probably want to tell you that he almost sounds too good to be true. But I have seen the way he looks at you. And I’m convinced he’s just as crazy about you as you are about him.”
“I’m going to be very upset if this turns sour,” I warned her.
She huffed. “I can imagine you would be, but I really don’t think you have to worry about that, Adele. This guy is different.”
“Yeah, he definitely feels different.”
Following a beat of silence, she asked, “So, are you going to tell him?”
“Tell him?”
Kacey dipped her chin. “Yeah… about the way you feel about him.”
I shook my head. “No way. I can’t do it first,” I insisted.
“Why not?”
I nervously bit my lip. “What if I’m wrong about him?” I worried.
“You’re not,” she shot back. She hesitated a moment before she questioned me, “And so what if you are? Will you regret having this? Or would you have regretted it more if you had missed the shot to get to know a man like him?”
She had a point. Deep down, I didn’t think there was anything to be worried about. Riggs didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who hid anything. He was up front, honest, and I found it hard to believe that everything I’d seen from him was just a show.
Even still, I knew there was no way I could tell him how I felt first. At least, I didn’t think I could do it just yet. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to know. I just thought that maybe I needed more time to come to terms with it myself.
“Doesn’t it seem quick?” I asked Kacey.
“What?”
“Well, I’ve only been around Riggs on four different occasions,” I started. “We met at the photo shoot.”
“Where you had insane chemistry,” she interrupted.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes. We met at the photo shoot where we had insane chemistry. A week later he showed up at my school, and we went out for coffee. Beyond that, I spent time with him last weekend and again this weekend. That’s it. That doesn’t seem like enough time.”
“That stranger photo shoot was almost a month ago,” she argued. “Don’t tell me that you and Riggs only talk to each other when you physically see one another?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. We talk on the phone nearly every single night.”
“Exactly. That has given you an opportunity to really get to know one another without the sexual chemistry taking over and putting the two of you in bed with one another. I don’t think this is quick at all, Adele.”
This was why I needed my best friend. As crazy as I thought she was sometimes, there was still that rational, sane part of her that could always make me see where I might be overthinking things. I was usually so caught up in my head with a million thoughts that I often failed to see things how I should. I didn’t know what I’d do without her.
“And just to add to my point about you not being wrong about Riggs,” she broke into my thoughts. She held up the bags of money from the fundraising we’d done this weekend and continued, “No man who isn’t seriously interested in a woman is going to offer up a year of free produce to a family, which is only going to create more work for him. He not only gave you a space to start spreading the word about this very serious problem, something you are passionate about fixing, but he found a way to be a part of the solution. Trust me, he feels just as much for you as you do for him.”
I smiled at her and responded, “I love you, Kacey.”
She beamed and replied, “I know that already. And I love you, too. But the one you should be saying that to is not me. You should be telling that man how you feel about him.”
“We should try to get through these bags before Riggs gets back,” I advised, ignoring her suggestion.
“Good idea. I need to at least be on my way out by the time he returns in case you decide to pluck up the courage to talk to him. And if not, we’ve both got school tomorrow. I’m convinced your man is going to want more than just a peck on the cheek before he has to take you home.”
She wasn’t wrong about that.
So, the two of us got to work. Almost six thousand dollars later, we finished and were beyond ecstatic about the success of our first weekend of fundraising.
“And that’s how we grow and harvest our carrots.”
Brent’s hand shot up into the air. Riggs noticed and said, “Did you have a question?”
“What does it mean to harvest?”
“Harvesting our crops means that we’re picking or gathering them,” Riggs explained. “It means that the carrots, in this case, are ripe and ready to be picked so we can eat them. Harvesting doesn’t just apply to carrots, though. We harvest all of the produce we grow, so that includes all of our fruits and vegetables that I’ve shown you today. Does that make sense?”
Brent nodded.
“Does anyone else have any questions?” Riggs asked.
Several students shook their heads while others called out their negative reply. At that, Riggs said, “Great. Then, we’ll have plenty of time for all of you to plant your own vegetable garden.”
“Our own garden?” Drew called out. “Will we get to keep it?”
“Yep. Let’s all hop back up into the back of the wagon, so we can get over to where Sam, Leo, and Layne, who you all met earlier today, have set up the tables where you’ll be working.”
“Cool,” a group of kids shouted.
A moment later, they were all climbing up into the raised wagon that Riggs used every weekend of the fall festival to take children and their families on a hayride to the pumpkin patch.
The last two and a half weeks had flown by, and my students couldn’t have been more excited to be on this trip. Ever since they found out about it, I’d been doing my best to make our lessons fun and exciting. Had I known what Riggs had planned for the kids today, I probably would have told them about it ahead of time. I was glad he was able to surprise them, though.
I was the last one to climb up into the wagon. Riggs held my hand to keep me steady and prevent me from falling. When I glanced over at him, I struggled to stop myself from leaning toward him. All I wanted to do was kiss him, and judging by the look in his eyes, he was feeling the same.