Hearts in Bloom Read Online Free

desk where Ivy indicated. He showed her a few website layouts/designs to choose among and examples of some he’d found for other flower markets to compare, as well as the scant listings of any others in the Eugene/Springfield area. Ivy was convinced—this would be a big step forward for their business. He pulled out his standard service agreement and allowed her to read it over before she signed on the appropriate line. The agreement only asked for half up front; Ivy pulled out the company checkbook and handed over the fee.
    In between customers, they discussed colors and features needed in the website design. Ivy endured the exhausting search through stock art to find the right images, bolstered by his arm looped across the back of her chair. But by 1 p.m., she was spent.
    CJ had more suggestions. “What you really need is a photo of the storefront here and a nice view of the family greenhouses— show the size of your operation. The hard part is you’ll want high quality photos—not as strict as for print ads but still nice. I have a great camera for that.”
    “That would work. Why don’t you come out to the farm and take those tonight? The sun will be at a good angle still. Inside the greenhouses could be impressive too.”
    “I’d like that. I’ll talk to my guy and get the web pages all set up tomorrow. We’ll need to secure domain names and get hosting so it may take a day or so to activate the site.”
    “You know more about that than I would.”
    He gathered his notes then slid them into his laptop case alongside the computer.
    “See you later,” she said. “You know where to find us?” At the shake of his head, she drew a quick map on a notepad. The sheet tore at the top corner when she pulled it off but nothing important was lost. Except a piece of her sanity when his fingers brushed hers to take the map.
    The afternoon passed as slow as a banana slug. She and Jake closed up shop. Jake handled the last few deliveries while she went home to eat dinner and alert everyone to expect CJ’s arrival to take photos. Her mother fussed over the state of the outer yard—weeds had sprung up and dried in the corners. Ivy was sure her mother was overly worried about what impression folks on the internet would have if a weed made it into the photos.
    By the time CJ rolled his BMW through the farm gates, the sun had taken on a golden hue, straining through the lower-valley haze hanging over Eugene. Not pretty for allergy sufferers but great for artsy photos.
    Ivy descended the front porch steps as CJ exited the car, pulling a small camera case up by the shoulder strap. He’d changed clothes since earlier. Gone were the slacks and slick shirt and tie. Now he looked like a regular guy in a T-shirt and cargo shorts. His khaki shorts showed off nicely-defined calves. The rust-color shirt made his skin look more tan. He greeted her with a smile.
    The exposed skin must have increased the amount of testosterone that could reach her through the air. Ivy caught her breath. The casual nature of his outfit enhanced his athletic figure, hidden earlier beneath tailored shirt and tie. She hadn’t thought shorter inseams on a guy could be sexy too.
    CJ unzipped the case and pulled out a camera similar to her dad’s 35-mm Nikon. He looped the strap around his neck and took off the lens cap. “Mind if I grab a few shots of the house here and the front of the greenhouse?”
    “No, go ahead.” Ivy tucked her hair behind her ear, looking toward the greenhouse. She heard a beep and turned to find the camera aimed at her. Her cheeks warmed. “I thought we agreed no people on the web photos.”
    “Bonus shot. For me.”
    Would she ever get tired of that cheeky grin? “We should start with the greenhouses before it gets too dim inside.”
    “Lead on.”
    CJ trailed her through the corrugated plastic door into the Quonset hut building of the same material. Moist soil sat in the humid air mixed with odors of composted manure.