The Apple Of My Eye Read Online Free PDF

clear, I am not about to help him do anything. If you do decide to hire me, I will do everything I can to assist you with your problem.”
    Kara folded her arms over her chest, her eyes sliding between her friend and the arborist. After a moment she blew out a breath. “I’ve got to run to the store, Shell. I’ll be back. Bye!” With that, Kara turned and headed to her car.
    “She’s kind of having a bad day,” Michelle said apologetically.
    “Don’t worry about it. Should we have a look at the tree?” Hayes strode forward, Michelle trailing in his wake. Michelle found herself entranced by his powerful stride, her eyes rooted to the denim as it slid over his athletic legs. While they walked, Hayes asked her what she knew about the tree, if anything.
    Michelle dragged her eyes back to his handsome face as he looked over his shoulder at her. “It’s a McIntosh semi-dwarf apple tree. It was planted when I was three or four, so about twenty one years ago. The other apple tree in the west yard was planted at the same time. I know they were both well taken care of, up until my grandfather passed away five years ago. After that, I’m not so sure.”
    “Good, that’s more information than most owners have for me.” Hayes reached the tree. He knelt on the ground carefully inspecting the tree’s base and then ran a reverent hand over the trunk. He spent several minutes carefully circling the apple tree, silently evaluating the tree’s health, while Michelle looked on.
    He was mesmerizing to watch. There was more to it than simply his good looks, although that didn’t hurt. He was intent, completely focused on his evaluation of the tree. His hands stroked the tree bark, searching for something. He bent down and picked up some soil from the base of the tree roots, rubbing it between his fingers. Michelle found herself wondering what that fully focused attention would be like if he turned it on her. A tiny, anticipatory shiver of delight threaded its way up her back at the thought. She had the feeling Hayes would be an incredibly attentive lover. She could imagine what his strong hands would feel like stroking her back in the same way he touched the bark of the apple tree. She could almost feel his fingers sifting through her hair as tenderly as he sifted through the soil he currently held.
    Hayes turned back to her from his perusal of the tree, and Michelle was suddenly glad he couldn’t see the erotic thoughts dancing in her head.  She hoped he would chalk up the pink in her cheeks to the cool March weather. “Well, what do you think?”
    Hayes pursed his lips as he thought. “Well there is good news, and there is bad news. Which do you want first?”
    Michelle hugged herself. “Give me the bad news first.”
    “Well, this tree is getting close to the maximum age at which it will still bear fruit. Semi-dwarf trees like this one usually only have a fruiting expectancy of twenty five to thirty years. Plus, it is very overgrown. I don’t believe the tree has been pruned in the last five years at least. I think the tree may have had some trouble with fire blight over the last year or two.” He bent down and gestured for her to come over to where he crouched. Michelle knelt next to him and looked to where he pointed at the ground under the tree.
    “There is a lot of leaf litter and even some old fruit on the ground under the tree” Hayes showed her the detritus under the tree. “All of this can harbor disease, as well insect larva that will attack the tree once everything wakes up in a few more weeks.”
    Michelle felt a little wave of helplessness roll over her. “Is there anything we can do at this point? My grandmother was really sick last year. Everything in the yard went to hell while we concentrated on trying to help her get better.” Michelle picked up a mummified apple from under the tree and looked at it despondently.
    “Hey, don’t blame yourself. These things happen, and people are always more