I own nothing.

I could offer a million reasons why this story has take so long to complete - a lot of life has happened to all of us these last couple of years. I am writing the last couple of chapters of this one and making edits as quickly as possible so that I can get it to you faster ... I hope! As always, Driving Edward and Sunshine1220 are amazing ladies and keep my words from looking terrible every time! Cheryl, I know you have to be tired of correcting the same mistakes over and over but I promise, I'm learning.

So, let's get on with it because our man has a plan!

"No."

"Bella, if you—"

"No."

"Listen to me for—"

"No, Edward." I could feel my frustration and anxiety climbing as he just sat there, patiently waiting for me to hear him out. "The bank already has a buyer. It's a done deal."

Of course, he was shaking his head long before I finished speaking, his jaw set and that determined fire in his eyes.

"Nothing is done until you sign that paperwork. If you bring the payments current and pay the fees involved, there is no foreclosure and the farm stays in your possession."

"Are you … do you even hear what you're saying? If I had the money to make the payments, I wouldn't be in this position to begin with. I don't know—"

His fingers pressed against my lips as he shook his head. "God, you're still so stubborn. Will you just hear me out for a minute? Please?"

I closed my eyes, nodding as I gave up my argument. There was no use in fighting him; I knew that determined look all too well. He sighed and whispered a soft "thank you" as he rose from his chair and reached for our wine glasses.

"Bring that bottle and let's get a little more comfortable." I did as he asked and followed him to the couch. He added another log to the fire before coming to sit beside me and settling the laptop on his knees. He opened a few documents and a couple of websites before shifting his body toward me and turning the laptop so that I could see it more clearly.

"Before I start, will you promise to just hear me out? I will answer any questions and explain anything you don't understand, but I need you to go into this with an open mind and really consider the possibilities. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll do my best," I answered honestly.

Edward's eyes searched my face for a moment before he gave a decisive nod, picked up my wine and passed it to me, and then settled back into the cushions. Taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, he began what I was sure would be a useless effort.

"The mortgage aside, the farm has actually fared very well financially, Bella. If you consider what the groves will produce when they are at full capacity, the business will be profitable again. Of course, the problem is the lost groves and the cost to replace them. Obviously, you know all of that, so I'd like to talk about some possibilities to make that happen. Here, look." He tapped a few keys opening another spreadsheet and scrolled down. "This amount should cover the cost of replanting."

"That's more than it would take to bring the mortgage current!"

"Is this you hearing me out?" His brow lifted as his head tilted to the side. I raised my hands, palms out in surrender to indicate he should continue.

"As I was saying, this will cover the cost of replanting as well as all the equipment, groundwork, preparation and permits. Based on P and L statements for the five years prior to the loss, the initial investment should be recovered within a relatively short amount of time once productivity reaches critical mass. The issue is more of economic viability for the farm until it is able to operate efficiently and competitively in the market."

He turned to meet my eyes, his gaze excited and expectant. I could only shrug and shake my head in confusion having no idea what any of that meant.

"Oh. Sorry," he said, his head dropping as cheeks colored a little. "I get caught up in this stuff and, well, look, it's really a simple explanation." He pointed to the spreadsheet on the screen again. "If we invest this amount and replant the groves, in a few years when they're producing, we'll make well over twelve times the amount we invested in addition to what the rest of the farm is currently making every year. The only thing we have to figure out is how to generate income for the farm until all the groves are fully producing again. Make sense?"

"Yes." I nodded in understanding. "But I don't have that kind of money to invest."

He shrugged. "I do."

"No."

"God, I've always hated it when you say that word." He scrubbed his face with his hands and dropped back against the couch cushions.

I couldn't help but grin at him. "That's because you heard it from me so rarely."

I could see his cheeks widen with a smile before his hand lowered and he turned to face me once again. When our eyes met there was humor, but also a bit of wistfulness. The smiles slowly faded from both of our faces and I wondered if his thoughts were as jumbled as my own. His lips parted as though he would speak but then his eyes drifted to my mouth briefly. He sighed and leaned forward, closing the laptop and placing it on the coffee table in front of us.

"Accepting help doesn't mean you're weak or that you've failed, Bella. It means you don't have to do it alone anymore." He reached for my hands, threading our fingers together as he shifted to face me. "I've had an idea. It's outside the box, but I think I has incredible possibilities."

"I'm intrigued," I answered, my curiosity getting the better of me as I watched his excitement return.

"Have you ever considered that the size of this house makes it perfect for an inn or bed and breakfast?" The surprise must have been evident on my face because he pressed forward quickly to explain his thoughts. "I mean, there are so many bedrooms, and the kitchen and dining rooms are huge. With some simple plumbing modifications to add bathrooms, you could be sitting on a very profitable business."

"But this is my home. Where would I live?" My mind began to race with questions and concerns. "I don't know anything about running a business like that. I wouldn't even know how to start."

"I know it's a lot to consider. I need to be honest with you and tell you that I have been working through ideas on how you might keep the property and talking to people I know about different scenarios to make that happen. I wasn't sure what would work until I had a chance to look at the books. You've trusted me so far, and I can answer all your questions but it's getting late. I want to make some calls and do some more research on this. Will you give me until morning and then we can talk about it again?"

"Edward—"

"Just a few hours. That's all I'm asking." He was already on his feet, pushing his arms into his coat as he took a couple of steps toward the door. "Please."

"Okay. It's your time, so if you want to make the effort, I'm not going to tell you no."

His smile was blinding. "Great! I'll be here bright and early tomorrow. We can make a plan and then have the afternoon to play."

"Play?"

"We're going sledding."

I shook my head and crossed my arms as I watched him zip his coat and pull on his gloves. "That's a really bad idea. I haven't been sledding since we were kids."

"All the more reason to go. It'll be fun, and besides, you rarely tell me no and I've already heard it enough tonight." He clapped his gloved hands together and beamed that lopsided grin in my direction as he stepped around me to the door. He grasped the knob and then suddenly reached toward me, cupping his hand around the back of my neck and pulling me toward him. I sucked in a breath as I met his eyes. They were searching my own, full of questions and quiet resolve. We were close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek and my heart began to race with anticipation. A moment later, he closed his eyes and pressed the gentlest of kisses to my forehead. Before I could catch my breath, he was gone.

I stood beside the closed door long after his headlights had faded into the distance.

He hadn't kissed me. Not once since he'd shown up on my steps the week before Christmas. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I wanted him to.

Thirty minutes later, I had locked up the house and was banking the fire for the night when my phone chimed with an incoming text. I finished with the fire and grabbed my phone as I headed upstairs. Once I was settled in bed, I pulled up the text, knowing who had sent it.

Thank you for today. Sleep well, my love.

My fingers danced around the screen as I considered how to respond. Of course, the obvious would be to wish him a good night, but in the quiet darkness, I became brave.

Can I ask you something?

Always.

Why didn't you kiss me tonight?

What felt like hours passed with no response. I stared at the screen, willing him to answer, but it remained dark. I double-checked to be sure I had sent the text and then continued to stare at the screen. My mind was racing with every possible answer he might give and how each one might affect me.

He'd said he loved me. He'd been very honest and forthcoming about what he wanted, and I had no reason to doubt him.

Why wasn't he answering?

The chime startled me when the screen lit up and I almost dropped the phone while frantically trying to unlock the screen.

I'll kiss you when you believe in us.

Did I believe in us? I believed everything he said to me. I believed he might have a real plan to save the farm, but it was probably too late. I believed he wanted a future, but was he able to completely let go of the past? Was I?

The phone chimed again.

Stop overthinking and get some sleep. I love you.

I couldn't help but smile at how well he knew me. I sent him a response telling him goodnight and that I loved him too, then turned off the lamp, hoping sleep would come quickly for a change.

The next morning dawned sunny and crisp. It was still cold enough that the snow wouldn't melt but the wind had died down. Unfortunately, for me, that meant it would be a perfect day for sledding. I was sipping my second cup of coffee and contemplating gathering the clothing I would need for an afternoon of sliding down the hill when I heard Edward pull up in the Range Rover. By the time he knocked, I had poured him a cup of coffee and found myself anxious to see him after our late-night texts. He came in carrying large rolls of paper, a small container, and his laptop.

"Good morning," he greeted as he pressed a kiss to the apple of my cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really. I couldn't turn off my thoughts."

"Why am I not surprised?" He shook his head as he placed the rolled-up sheets in the corner before grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him into the kitchen. "Got any more?" he asked, nodding toward my half-empty cup.

While I handed him the cup, steaming and prepped the way he preferred, he settled his laptop on the table and opened the container revealing Esme's apple cinnamon muffins. I took my seat beside him and reached for a muffin as Edward grabbed my chair and pulled it close to his own. He grinned at my startled expression.

"Just making it easier for both of us to see the screen."

I hummed in response and waited for him to begin what I knew would be a flood of information. He took a deep breath and didn't disappoint.

"I sent all of this to your email before I drove over. You're using the same one, right?" At my nod of confirmation, he continued. "I didn't sleep well either. Well, I guess I should say, I couldn't sleep. I spent half the night researching and crunching numbers. I already had a lot of the information from the research we'd done before developing the company project here."

"Edward," I interrupted. "Before you start, I need to remind you to speak in layman's terms and in short sentences."

He grinned and shook his head. "You'll understand more than you give yourself credit for."

Almost two hours later, he had clearly explained his plan and every possibility to make it work. We would start with some small modifications to the house. We would need to add bathrooms and extend the kitchen and dining areas by moving some interior walls. There would also be some updating and upgrading the current décor and amenities in the house. The minor remodel could begin almost immediately and then we would replant the lost orchards as soon as the ground thawed in the spring. It would take some investment. Edward suggested separate investors for the house and the trees, and he claimed he already had those lined up and waiting for the phone call. In a few short months, we could be operating a successful inn, and the orchard would be growing and producing at full capacity in a few short years.

His infectious enthusiasm had me thinking we might be able to make this happen. I wanted to share his excitement, but there were so many thoughts swirling in my head, I struggled to focus on just one thing.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Bella."

"I'm not sure where to start. I hate that it would require you to invest so much of your own money up front, but the thought that we could rebuild this place … it's more than I ever dreamed. Do you really think we can do this?"

His answering grin was wide and would have brought me to my knees had I been standing. "Sweetheart, you just used the word we twice in the last five seconds, so right now, I believe anything is possible."

We.

I hadn't even realized I'd said the word, but the more I considered it, the more it felt right. If we did this, we would be in it together. There would be no turning back.

As I watched Edward rinse our cups and place them in the dishwasher, I thought back through the details of his plan.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Turning to face me, he leaned back against the counter, crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked, his eyes dropping to my lips for the briefest moment. "Always," he answered.

I could feel my cheeks heat as I remembered our text conversation the night before, and clearly, he did, too. I cleared my throat and continued. "You came up with a solution for this mess really fast."

He watched me for a moment before answering. "That's not a question."

"How?"

Sighing deeply, Edward dropped his arms and held out his hand. When I grasped it, he pulled me up and tugged me toward the living room. "Let's get a little more comfortable."

We both settled on the couch, mirroring one another and relaxed. After a moment, Edward met my eyes with a nervous gaze. "It's what I do. When businesses are cosidered, there is a lot of research involved that determines whether it is salvageable or if we should shut it down, dismantle and rebuild something more sustainable in it's place." He paused, waiting for me to confirm I was still with him. At my nod, he his eyes grew more wary.

"When I knew what was happening here, I began the research. The numbers weren't as bad as I feared, but I didn't have the whole story of how you came to be in financial jeopardy. Once I knew this was what you wanted, the biggest obstacle was finding investors. Fortunately, I have some great connections."

His explanation made sense, and the more I thought about it, the more I wondered about his chosen career. We'd discussed it before when he first arrived back in town but not in much detail. We hadn't talked about his life much at all. I couldn't help but be a little curious.

"You enjoy what you do."

"Very much."

"What else do you enjoy?"

Edward tilted his head and reached for my hand. "What do you mean?"

"I just wondered if there were things you enjoyed outside of work."

"Yes. I go out sometimes with friends for dinner or drinks or the occasional sporting event. Honestly, I work a lot and have moved around more than the average developer, so I really haven't allotted very much time to anything else."

"Did you date anyone?" The words were out of my mouth before I considered the implications, but I found myself unwilling to rescind the question.

"Did you?" he countered. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't lie to him.

"No."

For his part, Edward didn't look surprised, but his eyes were searching my face intently for… something. When he finally spoke, his fingers tightened around mine.

"I tried everything to move on. To get over you…us. I dated two women and neither worked out."

"Why?" I couldn't believe I was asking for details, and I was a little frightened of what he might reveal, but I suddenly needed to know.

He sighed, his face registering his resignation but he never released my hand. "The first was too soon and I wasn't ready for a relationship. We had drinks and then dinner a couple of times. That was it. The second, well, when you call a woman by another woman's name in an intimate moment, it usually doesn't end well. Clearly, I wasn't over you at that point either. And just to clarify before you ask, no, I'm still not and never will be."

"Oh," was my intelligent response.

"Anything else you want to ask?"

"No."

I'd had no right to ask the questions, but he answered, and I had no doubt he'd been completely honest with me. Obviously, he wasn't currently seeing anyone, and my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I'd like to think that if he'd told me of some sordid affair or tender long-term relationship, I wouldn't have been upset, but the truth was I had no idea how I'd react. His revelation that he'd struggled as much as I had didn't surprise me because he'd been telling me that for days.

"Can we be done with this conversation then?" he asked, his eyes pleading. I smiled and nodded in affirmation as he lifted my right hand and pressed a kiss to my palm. "Good. Go grab your boots and let's go play in the snow."