Buzzing underneath my pillow, I pull out my phone to dismiss my 6am alarm, not that it woke me up. I hadn’t slept much all night, tossing and turning, thinking about this morning. I roll onto my back, staring at the ceiling, feeling the first specks of sunlight creeping through my window. Looking around, it still doesn’t feel real that I’m here and not being jarred awake by a plane or helicopter flying by our apartment. Yesterday wasn’t a dream. I’m still in my home starting my life. I scrunch up the covers in my fists and cover my mouth, letting out an excited shriek before jumping out of bed.
I get ready for the day, braiding my hair and putting on a pair of overalls and some new gardening boots and gloves. I am determined to make the best first impression on Mr. Ambrose that I possibly can because there is nothing I want more right now than a job on his farm. I grab a granola bar to eat on the road and head out, making sure to be early for my first day.
After walking for about twenty minutes, I walk across a bridge and arrive at a beautiful property that leaves me awestruck, my jaw hanging open. Stopping next to a patch of yellow and white wildflowers, I gaze upon the Ambrose farm. Yes, Lexie said it was large, but I wasn’t expecting anything this massive. Their home, which I can only describe as a mansion, is covered in stone, tall chimneys, and large staircases leading to multiple outdoor living areas. There’s even a massive windmill in the back corner of the property. The large stable to my left has deep blue paneling and white trim with a fenced in area for what I’m guessing are horses judging by the neighs and whinnies I hear in the background. In the back is a red barn and some silos, which I’m assuming are to house and feed more livestock.
All of this pales in comparison to the rows of grapevines to my right with several greenhouses behind them. That’s where I’ll be working if Mr. Ambrose is impressed with me.
“Please go well. Please go well,” I whisper to myself over and over again with my eyes closed and fingers crossed, willing a great interview into existence.
“Camilla!” My eyes fly open, and I see Lexie waving to me with a big smile on her face from in front of one of the staircases. When I wave back and start walking forward, she jogs toward me.
“I’m glad to see you found the place okay. Welcome to the Ambrose Family Farm! What do you think?” She spreads out her arms and motions around her.
“What do I think? This place is stunning. I don’t know how you ever leave here. I think I could stay here and stare at it forever.”
She chuckles. “It is pretty spectacular, and to think my great grandfather came here and built this place from nothing. It’s one of my father’s greatest sources of pride, aside from me and my brother, of course, but only by the slimmest of margins.” She smiles and I laugh.
We start to walk up to the house. “You said you had a brother?” I ask.
Lexie nods her head. “Yeah, we’re twins actually. He’s off at college so that he can be some hotshot lawyer one day.” She shakes her head, but I notice a small affectionate smile playing on her lips. “He’ll be coming home in about a week for summer break though, so you’ll get to meet him soon enough.”
She turns her head to look at me. “Do you have any siblings?”
I shake my head. “My parents thought it best to have a one child household.” A thought creeps into my mind. Maybe things would have been better with more than one. The pressure of one perfect child is too much for anyone to handle.
“Oh man, I can’t even imagine being an only child. Imagine all the torture I wouldn’t have had to endure – having the hair cut off all my Barbie dolls, reading through my diary, sitting on me and farting and then running away.” She shivers. “Boys are so gross.”
I’m laughing so hard I have to stop walking for a moment. “That’s what siblings do? Now I’m relieved I never had one.”
She rolls her eyes. “I always wanted a little sister, but I was stuck with just my twin doofus brother instead. I love him though. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.”
We reach the front steps of the house, and the man standing at the top of them looks like the quintessential cowboy I’ve seen in every old Western movie my grandmother ever had me watch with her. He has a dark brown cowboy hat showing its years of service with its layer of dust. There is a smattering of sunspots dusted across his nose and a beard of brown tinged with gray. His outfit nearly resembles a Canadian tuxedo, broken up only by a leather belt adorned with a large, traditional wild west buckle. His arms are folded over his chest, his brown-gray eyes looking at me steadily.
This nagging urge to chew on my nails tugs at me and resisting it makes my fingers twitch. I force a smile on my face instead. “Dad,” Lexie says, “this is Camilla Carlisle. She’s the one interested in the gardening job on the farm.”
He walks down the first set of steps to greet me, and as I walk up to meet him in the middle, the toe of my boot catches and I slam my shin into the step in front of me. My eyes well up and I clamp down on the inside of my mouth to keep from shouting a profanity. Lexie and her dad scramble toward me, her dad offering a hand to help me up.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Lexie asks, eyes wide.
Another smile, but this one was harder to produce. “Yeah, just another bruise to add to the collection. I can be a bit of a clutz sometimes. My parents used to joke that they were going to get me one of those bubble suits because I bumped into stuff so much.”
She still looks wary but accepts my answer. I turn back to her father, trying not to show just how humiliated I am. I extend my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ambrose.”
He takes my hand and I notice how rough and calloused his palm is. “Likewise, Ms. Carlisle, even if it wasn’t the most graceful exchange. Are you sure you’re alright?” My cheeks tinge red, but I let out a small laugh.
“Yes, I’m sure, but if you see me tomorrow with a peg leg, you’ll know why.” The three of us share smiles before Mr. Ambrose motions for me to come inside.
We all walk inside the house, and as I turn left to follow Mr. Ambrose into the kitchen, Lexie gives my elbow a small squeeze and whispers “good luck” before turning right and heading upstairs. He sits down in a cow print chair at the dining table, and I take the seat across from him, placing my hands in front of me while trying, and failing, to remember to smile.
“So, Ms. Carlisle, you’re interested in working on my family’s farm?” he asks me.
“Yes, sir, very much so.”
“Why?” His eyes lock with mine, and I immediately look away. The simplicity of the question catches me off guard, and furrowing my brows, I try to formulate a coherent response. Cam, breathe. You know why you want to work here. You love gardening. This farm reminds you of your grandparents’ vineyard. You want to make nectar of your own one day and really need some money to pay your bills and buy equipment. Walking up to this place literally took your breath away. You can do this.
I clear my throat. “Um, I like being outside.” One of his eyebrows raise and I start mentally kicking myself. My face feels like it’s ten inches away from the sun and my mouth goes dry.
“You like being outside?” he asks gruffly.
“And . . . and plants,” I stammer.
He exhales. “Ms. Carlisle, while I appreciate your interest in this job, I need someone qualified for this position. As I’m sure my daughter mentioned to you, my grandfather started this farm with next to nothing and made it grow into what it is today. I’m proud to be the third generation running this ranch and need to have employees I can trust who know what they’re doing, not someone who enjoys lounging in the sun and watering their houseplants. I’m very sorry but -”
Fight for this, Cam. “I really want this job,” I exclaim, standing up from my seat. His eyebrows raise in alarm. “I love gardening and tending to plants and looking down after a hard day’s work to see dirt under my fingernails. I worked on my grandparents’ vineyard in Tartosa every summer since I was ten, and it was the happiest I’ve ever been. I can do this job. I’ll show you that I can if you give me a chance.” I look at him, panting slightly, my whole body vibrating with adrenaline.
He tilts his head to the side. After a moment, he slowly says, “Alright, Ms. Carlisle. I’ll give you one chance to prove yourself and show me what you’re capable of. If your abilities match your passion, the job is yours at the end of the day. Do we have a deal?”
The corners of my mouth pull up into a small smile and I nod my head.
“Good,” he states and rises from his seat. “Ben is our ranch hand who works with all the animals. He’ll show you around and go over your responsibilities for the day. Follow me.”
A/N: Chapter one is officially here, and I’m so excited! I had a lot of fun experimenting with poses for the first time, so hopefully you’re enjoying the picture quality a bit more from the Prologue.
As always, I would love to hear from you in the comments! Predictions, opinions, anything and everything at all ❤
Thank you again for reading!
Bloom Where You're Planted 
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