and coming to work at any hour you please,” Daisy said with a mocking smile.
“Yes, it is, actually,” he said as if she’d been complimenting him. “I love making my own hours. I think more people should own their own business.”
He didn’t seem at all put out that she was standing at his trailer, waiting for him. He moved to the door and unlocked it, stepping inside. He went to the incredibly nice coffee pot and flipped a few switches before adding a premium roast and starting it. The trailer immediately filled with a mouth-watering aroma. She’d been waiting for him for three hours and she could really use a cup — not that she wanted to ask him for anything.
“Speaking of on time, it’s Monday. Don’t you have a job to be at?” he asked. He didn’t look at her as he unloaded the bag he’d brought inside with him.
When he pulled the caramel macchiato creamer and chocolate curls from the bag, her mouth-watering went into overdrive. Had he known she’d be there? That was the exact same coffee she’d ordered from the booth on Saturday. He’d had an iced mocha. Maybe he liked trying different drinks and it had nothing at all to do with her.
“Nothing has changed since that plane ride. I’m still not sure what comes next. Not that I need to explain myself to you,” she added, mumbling beneath her breath. Why was she explaining anything to him? Damn it. Why did he get her to say things she didn’t want to say, and why was she so fascinated by him?
He turned and grinned. “How’s the book coming along?”
She opened her mouth to tell him about it, then shut it again. They weren’t friends. She didn’t need to be telling him anything. She’d said too much already — though in her defense, she’d talked to him about it, thinking she’d never see him again. She decided to get back to the subject at hand.
“I want to buy the property from you. My misguided grandfather thinks I worked too much and play too little. He wants me to have fun in life. That’s not who I am. I have plans for this property. He put all of the funds from the sale into an account for me. I’d like to buy it back at the same price you paid.”
She was a bit concerned about the closing costs as she truly didn’t have much savings, but she’d make it work. She just wouldn’t be able to make any donations or travel for the rest of the year, and she certainly couldn’t buy five-dollar coffees for a while. She could live with that if she had the land to donate to the community.
He eyed her for a minute as the coffee finished. Then he filled two disposable cups, adding creamer and chocolate pieces. He reached into the miniature fridge and took out a can of whipped cream and topped them off.
He handed one over, and she wanted it too badly to refuse. At least she hadn’t needed to ask him for it. She had tremendous willpower, just not around this particular man, and certainly not when it came to a great cup of coffee.
“The land isn’t for sale,” he told her as he moved over to his desk and half sat on the edge while he brought his cup up and took a long swallow. “Delicious.”
“Look, I’m sure there’s a lot of land you can buy; you’re rich, so there are tons of options available to you. But this land has been in my family for three generations. I want to keep it that way.” She kept her voice calm as if she was arguing a case in a courtroom.
“Land like this doesn’t come available as often as you think,” he told her. Then he studied her for a moment as he seemed to be analyzing her. It made her uncomfortable, but she’d promised herself she’d be calm and reasonable and try to appeal to his good side. He seemed to have one, which gave her hope that she could convince him. She was sure it couldn’t happen in a day, but if she could talk him into selling before he invested money into the land, she had a shot.
“What do you want the land for?” he asked.
That was progress. It wasn’t an outright no. “I want a community center with a park and, though it will take time and donations, I want many other things brought into