by Jenna Mindel
“No,” Eva answered too quickly.
“When I have time.” Beth flashed her an odd look.
“What do you ladies do for fun?”
Beth laughed. “Fun? What’s that, right, Eva?”
Eva shook her head. “I think I’ve forgotten.”
“Don’t you two go out?”
Beth got up from the table, taking her plate to the sink. “I’m getting my master’s degree, and ever since Eva’s parents gave her this house, she’s worked on it nonstop. Painting, putting up wallpaper, you name it.”
Adam gaze pierced her. “That’s right, the bed-and-breakfast. You’ve got some stiff competition with the resorts around here.”
Eva felt her defenses rise. Pursuing a bed-and-breakfast was perfect considering the incredible views from the farmhouse. Besides, she was a trained pastry chef who wanted to bake on her own terms. “Exactly why I think it will do well. This is a quiet place away from noisy lakeside accommodations and it happens to be surrounded by a cherry orchard.”
“And romantic, don’t you think?” Beth said. “Perfect for honeymooners, especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.”
Eva could have clocked her. She didn’t want to think of anything remotely romantic when it came to Adam. “We’re not far from the beaches. Plus, there are several vineyards nearby.”
“Too bad there isn’t a ski hill closer for winter business.”
“We have cross-country trails on the bike path.” Besides, Eva planned to cater to families, couples, honeymooners and other safe people. Not a bunch of rowdy partiers. Not guys like Peece booking her rooms.
He shrugged. “That’s cool. It’s definitely a playground up here.”
Considering what she’d read about him, he qualified as one of the players. The sound of the wind wailing outside covered a stretch of silence.
“Well, I have to study, so I better get to it. Good night, Adam.” Beth made her escape, leaving Eva alone with him once again.
“Want some help with the dishes?” he finally asked.
“Sure.” Eva got up from the table. She wasn’t about to get cozy with him in the living room, so she might as well let him help her load the dishwasher.
“Who are all the scones for?” Adam handed her a dish.
She stacked plates into the bottom rack. “My aunt Jamee. She’s catering a women’s group breakfast. I’ll deliver them in the morning.”
“Where’d you learn to bake?”
She knew he was making polite small talk in an attempt to be nice. But Eva didn’t feel nice. The large kitchen that doubled as her office was her favorite room in the house, but tonight his deliciously expensive cologne blended with the oven-warmed air to suffocate her.
Eva let out a short sigh. “My aunt’s catering business is where I got my start. I helped her out on weekends when I wasn’t needed in the orchard. I love to bake, so I went to college in Traverse City for culinary arts. I worked the resorts awhile and then went to New York City to study pastry. I came home when my folks told me they were selling the orchard.”
Adam smiled. “In hopes of talking them out of it?”
Eva’s gaze flew to his. Too bad she’d been too late. Not that she could have changed anything. Eva wouldn’t hold her parents back from their dreams, even if it meant losing part of her own.
“Your dad told me at the closing that you were the only one of his kids who’d miss the orchard. He said you have cherry juice pumping through your veins.”
Eva shut the dishwasher door too hard and then flipped the switch. “You’re pretty chummy with my dad, aren’t you?”
Adam shrugged. “Your father’s a nice guy. He took the time to introduce me around to the local processors in an attempt to smooth my path. We met several times before and after he agreed to sell.”
No doubt the price was higher than her father could refuse. Just like the salary Adam had promised her. After a few months with a steady income, maybe she could try again for that loan.
“Yeah, well, my dad talks too much.” And so do you.
Adam gave her another soft laugh. “Your father’s proud of you. You’re fortunate.”
Eva wasn’t in a count-your-blessings kind of mood. Adam’s easygoing charm challenged her fortified walls. Her carefully built up guard. Working for him was one thing. She didn’t want to like him, too. “Thanks. Why don’t we check out the weather report?”
“Don’t worry, Eva. I’ll be on my way. The wind sounds like it’s dying down. Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you in a couple weeks.”
Eva nodded as she followed him to the door. The snow had stopped.
Calling Adam Peece an attractive man was an understatement. She didn’t look forward to showing him how to run her family orchard, but she’d do her job. It didn’t help that Beth’s teasing had planted a seed of interest. A seed Eva couldn’t let grow.
Chapter Two
Two weeks later, Adam drove the hour commute from his town house to Eva’s place. He couldn’t wait to get to work—an odd sensation for him. When at Peece Canning, Adam resented each day buried in boring paperwork and dull meetings, no matter how good his head for business might be.
Hands-on work. That was what he’d always preferred. He liked control of his own results. He’d tried several positions at Peece Canning but had failed to stay interested. Inspired. The feeling that he was about to strike gold had everything to do with learning how to prune his cherry trees. It had nothing to do with a pair of milk chocolate–colored eyes framed by thick, dark lashes.
He turned off the main road and pulled into the driveway, parking near a big red truck with a plow. Eva’s? If so, it was a mighty big vehicle for such a diminutive woman. He climbed out of his Jeep and breathed deeply. The February air seared his lungs, but he didn’t care about the cold. He felt alive for the first time in a very long while.
Recommitting his heart to God at Christmas had been part of a series of changes he’d made in his life. Pushing thirty, it was about time he discovered his purpose. What God meant for him to do and who to be.
God, please be with me and help me get it right. I don’t want this to be one more screwup.
Adam stared out over the eighty acres that now belonged to him with a sense of awe. The morning sun shrouded by thin clouds cast a pink glow against the bare orchard sloping in front of him. The gray waters of Lake Leelanau shone in the distance like a flat stone dusted with snow and ice. Beyond the far hills, Lake Michigan bled into a gray sky with the sandy face of South Fox Island breaking the color of the horizon. The view was spectacular and humbled his spirit. Could he make this work?
“Morning, Peece. You going to be warm enough?” Eva Marsh dressed head to toe in deer-colored canvas, stepped off the porch with a big basket over her arm. Was she planning an ice picnic?
He walked toward her. He’d skied in frozen temperatures all over the world. He didn’t have to dress like a northern Michigan yokel to stay warm. “I dressed for outside work, if that’s what you mean.”
The guy that followed Eva could have been her twin, except that he stood about a foot taller than her. Also dressed in heavy canvas coveralls, he towered over both of them.
“This is my brother Ryan. He’s helping out today. A couple of interns at the research center can join us later in the week if you decide not to stay,” Eva said.
He’d given Eva an expense budget, but he wasn’t ready to use it. It looked as if he’d have to prove to his pretty employee that he had every intention of staying on permanently. God willing.
Even so, Adam extended his hand to Ryan. “Nice to meet you.”
“This your first time pruning, Adam?” Ryan didn’t look much older than Eva.
“Yes.” And he was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Ryan glanced at Eva and she gave him an I-told-you-so look. Either Eva had picked up on his excitement or she’d conveyed her city-boy-can’t-do-real-work prejudice to her brother. Probably the latter.
“We�
��ve got fifteen acres of dormant sweet cherry trees to do. Another five acres of young sweets need pruning come spring. My dad had the tart orchard pruned last year so that’ll be good for another couple years yet,” Eva said over her shoulder.
Adam followed her as she strode toward a two-story barnlike garage with red clapboard siding that matched the house. With a push of a button, one of the two doors lifted with a squeak against the cold. Three ATVs were parked inside.
His pulse kicked up a few beats. “Nice.”
“You like to ride?” Ryan asked.
“Anything with speed and I’m there.” Adam kept pace with Ryan into the garage.
Ryan laughed, making clouds of white with his breath. “Me, too. My dad bought a third four-wheeler because Eva doesn’t play passenger very well.”
Adam glanced at Eva. He could see that.
Eva started the engine of her ATV, drove it into the driveway and stopped. A small wagon loaded with gear had been hooked onto the back. She pulled up her fleece balaclava to cover her nose and revved the engine. “Follow me, Peece.”
“You seem to like my last name.”
Eva’s pretty eyes widened over the rim of her fleece covering. “I can call you sir if you’d rather.”
He wondered why she wouldn’t use his first name. “No way. Peece is fine, but it’s what my college roommates called me. If I regress, that’s on you.”
A smile reached her eyes. “I’ll take my chances.”
Adam enjoyed this spunky Eva who looked ready for anything. He started his engine and, with a grin, squealed the tires out of the garage. In no time, they were jostling down a pristine white path into the orchard. They passed a section of smaller trees, their bases wrapped with what looked like plastic tubes. At one point, Ryan veered off into a parallel row and sped forward, spraying a tail of snow.
Adam grinned and followed suit. He couldn’t get lost with only one way to go, straight ahead. So he gunned it.
He looked back to see Eva chugging behind them. Ryan tore down the next row over, so Adam bit the racing bait with a jerky jump forward as he revved the throttle. Playing chase, they sped along slipping between trees until Ryan darted in another direction. From out of nowhere, the path ended. The orchard stopped and a fence loomed ahead.
Adam swerved left. Applying the brake too quick, he spun and tipped into a cherry tree. His shoulder hit first, then the four-wheeler pinned his leg against a surprisingly solid mass for a thin trunk. Great. He was stuck. After a few minutes of trying and failing to loosen his leg enough to leverage the ATV back onto all four wheels, he heard Eva’s approach.
She shook her head at him as if he’d been caught stealing one of her scones without asking. “What are you, twelve?”
So much for worrying about him. He wasn’t physically hurt, just his pride, but still, she could at least look concerned. He laughed. “Sometimes.”
He heard her chuckle under her breath, and then she climbed up onto the high side foot bed and grabbed the handlebar. With considerable strength for her small stature and a deep grunt, she leaned back and righted his ATV.
He rubbed his calf. “Ow, that was my leg…”
“You’re the one tearing around.” She gave him a smarty-pants grin and then, without tossing an ounce of pity his way, she knelt and gently ran her gloved hands down the trunk of the tree he’d hit.
“Hey, what about me?”
She pulled down her balaclava. “You’ll live. The tree might not.”
He climbed off his four-wheeler and knelt next to her. “Why?”
She scooted around to the other side of the tree, looking for damage there. “See this gash?”
Instead of concentrating on her instruction, he watched her pretty face. The tip of her nose looked red. “Yeah.”
Abruptly, she stood and stepped to the other side of the ATV. “Wound a tree and insects or rot can set in. Get a bad case of bugs because of a wound, and lose an entire section of crop.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” She’d reduced him to feeling like a twelve-year-old. One who’d just been clued in to the serious consequences of his actions.
“Can’t you put some goop on it, or wax?”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t work that way. Artificial remedies usually make it worse. I’ll have Ryan check it out. It’s a young tree. It might heal itself. We’ll have to keep an eye on it come spring.”
Adam liked the sound of her using the word we. He wanted them to work as a team. Despite being her boss, he wanted to establish a comfortable working relationship that was friendly. But not too friendly. Considering how attractive he found Eva, that might present a challenge.
“Come on, we’ll trim a few rows down.” Eva climbed back on her four-wheeler.
He followed at a sedate pace. In minutes they stopped and Eva grabbed a milk crate from the back of his ATV.
“What’s that for?” Adam asked.
“Reaching the middle branches. I’ve got extended loppers for the tops.”
She lugged a small stepladder from her wagon. “I need a little more height.”
Adam laughed.
After getting set up, Eva motioned for him to come closer. “This is what we’re trying to do. Look at the tree and envision it covered with leaves. Prune back branches that will block sunlight to the center of the tree. Light makes more cherries.”
He recognized the same fire in Eva’s eyes that had been in her father’s. The same passion for the work. Robert Marsh had been right. No one cared more for this orchard than his daughter. Last fall, Adam had fallen in love with this land just as they had, only he needed to learn how to make it grow and produce a living.
She gestured for him to come near. “Watch how I make the cuts. We’ll work down this row, then come back on the next one over.”
Eva stood on the top step, so Adam took the bottom. Through the smell of ATV exhaust on her jacket, he caught a delicate scent. Maybe it was her perfume, or the shampoo she’d used. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t mind getting a closer sniff. He peered around her shoulder, breathing deep. “Looks easy enough.”
“Once you get the hang of it.” She turned to look at him but leaned too far back and slipped.
“Whoa.” Adam grabbed her upper arms to keep her from toppling.
She overcompensated and slipped down onto the bottom step, landing on his foot. Her eyes went wide and Adam caught a flicker of panic race across her face. “You can let go.”
He stepped back and raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t want you to fall. Worker’s comp is not good on the first day.”
Adam smiled but he was curious to know what pulling her close would feel like. He suspected that she’d fit pretty well in his arms.
Eva inhaled big gulps of frosty air while her pulse hammered in her ears. She needed to put space between her and Adam fast. Those bright blue eyes of his were a drowning place where she worried she couldn’t stay afloat. “Thanks. Think you can handle your own set of loppers?”
He chuckled. “Absolutely.”
“Good.” But could she handle working beside Adam? She wasn’t sure. It didn’t really matter. She had a job to do, so she’d better toughen up real quick.
They pruned tree after tree with little conversation other than Eva checking his cuts and admitting he did them well. She’d catch Adam humming and then he’d smile at her, making her insides pitch.
She wished she didn’t find Adam Peece so attractive. She might as well ask the sky to stop snowing for all the good it would do. Why, God? Why’d it have to be someone so handsome like him?
Although Eva attended church every week, she wasn’t exactly on good speaking terms with the Lord. She stopped expecting His help a couple years ago after blaming God for what her boyfriend Todd had done. There was no easy way of getting over that kind of betrayal.
Eva made another vicious chop, but cutting off her memories wasn’t as easy as trimming a cherry tree. Mistrust lurked deep in her still, ruining a
ny hopes she’d had of dating. It was easier to keep guys at a safe distance. She stayed in control that way.
Eva blew out a breath of pent-up air. But then Adam Peece barged into her controlled world and lingered in her thoughts far too often. Working long hours beside him was bound to be more difficult than she anticipated.
What if she grew to care for him? Not likely, but working together for months in the field, who knew? Still, Eva wasn’t cut out for a guy like Adam Peece. And someone like him wouldn’t give her a serious look. Not in a thousand Sundays.
Shortly after noon, Ryan pulled up on his four-wheeler. “I’m hungry, Eva, what’d you bring to eat?”
“Stuff.” She trudged toward her ATV, stepladder in hand. Her brother had eaten a huge breakfast before they came out, but it was tough keeping that six-foot-two frame of his filled. “Come on. I guess a break’s in order. Bring your crate to sit on, Peece.”
Adam had caught on to pruning quickly, making clean cuts and moving on. She’d checked his work repeatedly and was more than satisfied with what she saw. She didn’t want him to enjoy this. She wished he’d go back to his canning kingdom in Detroit and let her do the work in peace. She’d make a good farm manager, but hands-on teacher? Right.
She opened her basket and drew out three thermoses. “Here’s tomato soup.”
“Come on, Eva, that won’t fill me up,” Ryan whined, perched on his four-wheeler.
“And chicken salad sandwiches.” She offered one to Adam before handing the plate to her brother. “There’s hot chocolate, too. Well, it’s probably lukewarm by now.”
“Cherries?” Adam looked up from his sandwich.
“She puts them in everything,” Ryan said.
Eva made a face. “If you’re going to complain, you can make your own lunch.”
“I’m just stating a fact.” Her brother laughed at her.
Eva knew she’d overreacted. Just because Adam got under her skin was no excuse to take it out on Ryan.
“How long will pruning take?” Adam blew into his gloves.
