Read Then Came Alexandra (Southern Love #1) for Free Online Page A

to school.”
    “You need to pursue what you came here to do, not take care of the fields, Alex.”
    “But family comes first, Martha.”
    She smiled. “Just don’t worry about it, dear.”
    Alexandra was going to help no matter what. “Would you like some dinner? I can make something.”
    “I’m not hungry,” she whispered. “Just tired.”
    “Okay,” she said as she patted her on the leg. “Call me if you need anything. I’m just down the hall.”
    “I know, kid.”
    Alexandra left the bedroom then shut the door behind her. She got her clothes and boots ready for the next morning. She wasn’t looking forward to getting up at the crack of dawn to work in the field before she went to school, but her aunt needed her. Alexandra knew her aunt would do anything for her, and she would do the same.
     

7
    When the alarm clock went off, she groaned. She wanted to hit the snooze button but her determination outweighed her laziness. Finally, she rose out of bed and washed her face, getting the sleep out of her eyes. She quickly braided her hair and placed it over one shoulder before she put on a baseball cap. She knew she looked hideous but she didn’t care. She was doing yard work, not a photo shoot.
    A truck was parked outside, and an extra dog was sitting with the Rottweilers. It was a large German Shepard. He was playing in the dirt with the other dogs, like they already knew each other.
    Alexandra walked onto the field and saw a man in the distance, working the irrigation pump at the end of the line. The sun obscured her sight so she had to look down, letting her baseball cap protect her face as she waked over.
    When she came close, she looked up. He was staring at her, bright blue eyes shining intensely. He had a chiseled jaw and some stubble on his chin like he hadn’t shaved in a few days. His hair was dark like hers, slightly curly.
    Alexandra had to look up to get an entire view of him because he was much taller than she was. His wide shoulders were tight with muscles. Even his forearms were striated with lines of muscle and veins. Every inch of him looked chiseled, perfectly sculpted. Alexandra didn’t need to see him shirtless to know how he looked underneath.
    She wasn’t sure what to expect when she walked onto the field, but it definitely wasn’t this. She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn’t think of anything. She was completely at a loss of words. Now she felt stupid for coming outside looking like a slob.
    He stared at her for a long time, his eyes prying into the shadows of her hat. “I hate to be rude, but who are you?”
    “Oh,” she said. “I’m Alexandra.” She regained her composure so she wouldn’t look like a total idiot.
    He nodded. “I’m Blaise.” He extended his hand.
    Alexandra stared at it for a moment before she took it. “It’s nice to meet you.”
    “Are you Martha’s niece?”
    “Yes.”
    “She mentioned you. But I wasn’t expecting you to join me.”
    A strand of her hair came loose so she tucked it behind her ear. “I want to help. You shouldn’t have to do this by yourself.”
    He smiled. “I can handle it. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”
    “Thank you so much for helping my aunt. I would do this on my own but I don’t know how everything works just yet.”
    “I can teach you, if you’d like.”
    “I would love that.”
    He stared at her for a long time. “Where are you from?”
    Alexandra flinched at the heat of his stare. She normally felt calm under pressure, but he intimidated her in a profound way. She was suddenly aware of her body, how she looked, what she was doing, the racing speed of her heart. “New York,” she said gently.
    “That’s a long way off,” he said.
    “Yeah…”
    He turned to the pump. “Do you know how to use this?”
    She nodded.
    He turned the dial and let the first pump flood the rows. “When are you planting?”
    “Uh, I’m not sure.”
    “You should do it soon. My fields are behind