Season of Dreams

by Jenna Mindel

  “Oh, man, this isn’t good.” Adam tossed his wallet at Eva and then clutched his stomach.

  With shaking hands, she gave the E.R. nurse his insurance card and driver’s license. “He’s having an allergic reaction to ibuprofen.”

  They got him in to see a doctor right away, while Eva stayed behind filling out Adam’s paperwork to the best of her ability. Slipping into a vinyl chair that crinkled when she sat down, Eva tapped her pen against her leg. She had no clue about Adam’s health history.

  “How is he?” Beth flopped into the seat next to her.

  “I don’t know.” Concentrating on the form attached to a clipboard, Eva let out a groan. “Immediate family? Beth, I don’t even know who to call in an emergency.”

  “Check his coat and see if his cell is in there.”

  Eva found Adam’s phone tucked into an inside pocket. Holding the state-of-the-art phone in her hand, she hesitated. “Maybe I should wait. We don’t know anything yet, and what if he doesn’t want me calling his family?”

  Beth shook her head. “Check his contact list. If you need to make a call, it’s best to be prepared. You can jot the numbers on that form.”

  Sucking her lip between her teeth, Eva flipped the phone and scanned the menu until she found Adam’s contact list. Scrolling through dozens of names, she couldn’t ignore how many of them were women’s names. A twinge of unease that felt too much like jealousy flitted through her.

  And finally, a number tagged “Dad.” She jotted it down.

  “What if he freaks out about me giving him those pills and fires me?”

  “He’s not going to fire you, Eva. It was an honest mistake. You were just trying to help.”

  A LeNaro News headline flashed through her mind. Local grower killed by employee’s good intentions. Nice.

  Beth threw her arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Quit worrying. He’s going to be fine, Eva.”

  Maybe Eva exaggerated, but she was responsible for bringing him here. Why hadn’t she asked Adam before she slipped those two little tablets in his mouth? He’d been so out of it, he hadn’t said a word. Who was allergic to ibuprofen, anyway?

  “Are you Mrs. Peece?” A nurse asked.

  Eva felt like a deer blinded by bright headlights. “No. No. I mean, we brought him in.”

  “The doctor would like to talk with you.”

  Eva’s gut clenched when she stood.

  “I’m coming, too.” Beth grabbed Eva’s cold hand.

  Eva squared her shoulders. She’d face the consequences as hers alone, but it still felt good having Beth’s support.

  Walking into one of the E.R. examining rooms, Eva heard Adam’s groan before spotting him lying flat on the bed with his arm over his eyes. She glanced at the doctor. “Is he okay?”

  The doctor introduced himself and shook her hand. “He’s going to be out of it, but he’ll be fine. He threw up most of those meds, but the shot of epinephrine I gave him should speed whatever’s left out of his system. Here’s another dose in case, but I think he’ll sleep it off.”

  Eva’s knees went rubbery with relief. “Rest.”

  “And water or juice and maybe some food in the morning if he feels up to it. He’s all yours, ladies.”

  Eva nodded. She owed him a gourmet breakfast for this one. Stepping close, she touched Adam’s elbow. “Peece?”

  Nothing.

  “Adam?” It came out a breathy whisper.

  His eyes opened, but he looked groggy. “What?”

  She smiled. He wore the same surly expression as the little boy he’d been in the picture hanging on the wall in his townhome. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  Eva looked at Beth. “We better have Ryan meet us at home to get him upstairs.”

  Before Eva could hope to fall asleep, she needed to make sure Adam was okay. Ryan had to practically carry the guy upstairs. Considering the fever and throwing up in the E.R., Eva made sure Ryan brought down Adam’s clothes so she could wash them. The first exercise in trying to make up for what she’d done.

  She slipped into her parents’ old room and padded quietly to the trunk at the foot of the bed. Setting down Adam’s neatly folded and cleaned clothes, she looked at him lying perfectly still in the middle of the queen-size bed.

  A nightlight from the connecting bathroom threw shadows on the far wall. She remembered as a kid climbing in between her mom and dad whenever she’d been scared or had a bad dream. After Todd, Eva had been tempted to do the same thing more than a few times.

  Funny that she felt safe around Adam. Protected. She stepped closer to him, her heart filled with concern. Was he breathing?

  She narrowed her eyes, trying to see if his chest rose and fell, but the covers were drawn up over his shoulders. The bedspread looked smooth, as if he hadn’t moved an inch since climbing into bed. His dark hair draped the pillow, framing his head, but he didn’t look peaceful in sleep.

  Eva stepped closer and placed her hand near his nose. Air went in and then came out. A stray swirl of his hair distracted her from pulling back. Begging to be smoothed, Eva reached for it.

  He grabbed her wrist.

  She squealed. “You scared me!”

  “Me scare you? What are you doing in here?” He let go and sat up. The deep tone of his skin looked even darker against the blinding-white sheets. A silver chain hung around his neck with a tiny medical alert charm dangling against the center of his chest. A little late for that now.

  She clutched the side of her neck, feeling the heat crawl up her skin. She tried to catch her breath and tried even harder to look away from the man in front of her. But failed on all counts.

  “I wanted—” She wanted to touch his hair? “I wanted to make sure you were still breathing. Don’t you move around when you sleep?”

  “How should I know? I’m asleep.” He still looked a little dazed but also amused if the quirk of his lips was any indication.

  “Right.” Eva laughed, and it sounded loud and awkward. But then she was standing in a bedroom with her boss. Picking up an empty glass from the nightstand, she headed for the bathroom. “I’ll refill this for you.”

  “Eva, I’m fine.”

  She returned with the water. Setting the glass gingerly on the table, she chanced a peek at Adam. “I’m so sorry about this.”

  He held up his hand. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

  “Okay.” She hurried to the armoire and pulled out a handmade quilt to drape across the foot of the bed. “In case you get cold. My cousin Steve made this with Grandma Marsh. Pretty cool, huh?”

  He smiled. “Good night, Eva.”

  She felt her face flush. “Good night, Peece.”

  Adam woke in the morning feeling oddly refreshed if a little weak. He’d slept ten hours straight according to his watch. Wait, that ten hours had been interrupted by a midnight check from Eva that had spooked him. Like an apparition from a ghost story, he’d woken to her hand hovering near his mouth. The memory of her huge eyes had him wondering if she’d been real or a product of his dreams.

  He flung the covers back and stepped onto the chilly hardwood floor. Weak light filtered into the room. Shuffling to the window, he peeked through lace curtains. Big fat snowflakes fell, blanketing the orchard in yet another layer of white.

  Adam needed to get out there and help finish the pruning. Eva had probably started without him. He ran his hand through his hair and knew a shower was his first priority.

  When he stepped downstairs, instead of finding the kitchen empty, Eva leaned against the counter wearing a baggy sweatshirt over even baggier flannel pajama bottoms spotted with pink poodles. She sipped coffee and stared at a warm fire bobbing in the woodstove. The place smelled like vanilla and cinnamon.

  “Hey.”

  Eva’s eyes widened and she immediately straightened. “How do you feel?”

  “Much better. And thanks for washing my clothes.”

  “It’s the least I could do after—”
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  “Poisoning me?” He liked they way her cheeks turned rosy-red.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were allergic?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. They looked like Tylenol to me, so I just figured they were.”

  She gave him a sad expression as if she’d run over someone’s cat. “I feel terrible. What if you went into shock or something?”

  “I did, but you girls saved the day.”

  “Beth’s good at that. She’s quick in a crisis. Maybe it’s a teacher thing. Speaking of which, we need to exchange our emergency contact info in case something happens to either of us in the field.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes. “You’re serious.”

  “Of course, I am. Accidents happen, you know. My grandfather accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun. I was only five when he died, but it still makes me think. You can’t be too careful.”

  “I guess not.” So far with Eva he’d been the only one who ended up in pain. But she made a good point. He hoped they never had to execute an emergency call. He should have thought of it when they started working together. “Got a pen and paper?”

  “Yup. I printed out mine for you.” She pushed a couple pieces of paper toward him and then looked up. “Are you hungry?”

  “Yes,” he said quietly. Eva’s hair hadn’t been combed and it hung in a tousled mess past her shoulders. Her cheek still bore a crease from her pillow. His fingers itched to smooth that tiny red line on her face. He slammed his hands into his pockets.

  Finding her cute was one thing, but this attraction to her was definitely something else. He should hightail it out fast, but his feet felt nailed to the floor. “Are we pruning later then?”

  She shook her head. “Not today. I think you should go home and rest. I’ve got some personal stuff I need to take care of anyway.”

  He nodded but couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to today.

  “Coffee?” She turned to get a mug from the cupboard and then handed it to him.

  His fingers slid over hers. “Thanks.”

  She gave him a searching look before pulling away, and then she got busy pouring the strong brew in his cup. “The E.R. doctor gave me an extra dose of epinephrine. Make sure I give it to you before you leave.”

  “Keep it here.” He grinned. “Just in case you slip me another mickey.”

  Her eyes widened, and her full-lipped mouth dropped open.

  “I’m teasing you, Eva.”

  She shook her head. “Not funny. I could have killed you.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  With a slight smile she said, “I have a new recipe for you to try if you’re up for it. Baked cherry pecan French toast stuffed with sweet ricotta cheese. It’ll be done in a couple minutes.”

  “Sounds amazing.” Eva and cherries. He couldn’t think of one without the other. “Did you remodel the room I stayed in?”

  “That was my parents’ room. And yes, I wallpapered and painted and found some comfy furniture at a yard sale. I planned on making it the main suite. The other three bedrooms need private baths installed.”

  “That’ll be expensive.” He sat on a stool on the other side of the island, content to sip his coffee and watch her put out plates and silverware.

  She shrugged. “I’ll figure out a way.”

  The clunk-clunk of Beth coming down the stairs prevented Adam from prying into how Eva planned to do that. Her plans were none of his business.

  “Morning, Adam. How are you feeling?” Beth grabbed a cup of coffee and slipped into a chair next to his. “Better.”

  “Did Eva tell you the news?” Beth stirred two heaping teaspoons of sugar into her coffee.

  “What news is that?” He watched Eva stuff her hands into oven mitts and pull a steaming pan out of the oven.

  “I’m going with her to see her folks. We’re flying out of Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City.”

  He wasn’t surprised, but the quick stab of disappointment he experienced was far from expected. “When?”

  “Less than two weeks is spring break. We got a great deal. My mother works at the airport.”

  “That’s great.” Adam figured that Eva wasn’t the kind of person who’d pull in a favor from Beth’s mother on her own. She certainly hadn’t taken him up on his offer, but he hadn’t expected her to. He couldn’t believe he’d thrown it out there.

  The fact that Eva wouldn’t look at him while she sliced into her French toast confirmed a stubborn desire to do things on her own, without help. He appreciated her independence. He practiced it, too.

  Eva served both Adam and Beth and then waited for their reactions. She’d baked this for Adam, really. Exercise number two in trying to make up for putting him in the emergency room. The golden hue of his skin had returned. His shower-damp hair and stubble-lined jaw made him look strong and healthy. A far cry from the man who’d crashed on her couch yesterday. “Well?”

  “This is excellent, Eva.” Beth was the first to give her opinion.

  “Amazing,” Adam said. “You’ll make the perfect B and B hostess.”

  “Thank you.” Eva’s insides swirled at the compliment. And then she glanced at Beth, who grinned at her.

  Great. Was it obvious? That something had changed. That she liked taking care of Adam. Making him breakfast, washing his clothes…

  “Well, I’d better go or be late for school.” Beth gulped her coffee.

  Eva held her breath as she watched Beth leave. The silence her roommate left behind throbbed in Eva’s ears. Or maybe it was that sharp awareness that she and Adam were all alone. What now? She exhaled with a short sigh.

  “I’d better go, too.” Adam finished the last of his French toast.

  Eva walked him to the door as if an invisible string had been tied from him to her. “You sure you’re okay?”

  Of course he was okay, better than okay. He looked great. And she couldn’t think of a single intelligent thing to say. A new apprehension filled the space of the kitchen, making the air hum and her pulse beat harder. Could he hear the thumping going on inside her chest?

  “I’m fine.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m glad you didn’t fire me.”

  “For what?” He gently tugged on a strand of her hair. “I can’t fire you, Eva. I need you.”

  The warmth in his voice made her breath catch. But he was talking about the orchard. He needed her experience. That was all.

  But could he need more?

  Chapter Six

  “This is awesome.” Eva ignored the tightening sensation of the skin on her shoulders from the hot Florida sunshine. Lying on a floatie in her parents’ pool, she paddled close to her dad, also in a floating lounger with a thriller paperback in his hands.

  He wore a floppy hat and white zinc oxide on his nose, but she couldn’t tell if he really enjoyed living here. Her folks had rented a nice little home with a pool as a test of their aptitude for retirement. Eva wasn’t sure they were old enough to retire. A fine-looking, healthy couple in their mid and late fifties, her parents seemed a little out of place in the land of cotton tops. But the Keys were different. Not so elderly, Eva mused.

  “We’re glad you’re here, cupcake. And Beth, too.” Her father smiled.

  Eva glanced at her friend snoozing on a lounge chair with her paperback novel draped across her middle.

  “Bob?” Eva’s mom stepped out onto the patio. “Phone call.”

  “Who is it?”

  Her mother gave him a pointed look, and Eva couldn’t begin to guess what that was all about. And then her mother finally said, “It’s Adam.”

  Eva’s mouth dropped open and she rose up on her elbows, tipping her rubber mat in the process.

  Her father slipped out of the pool and into the house.

  “What’s he want?” Eva asked her mom.

  “I don’t know, honey.”

  A slice of worry cut through her. She hoped nothing was wrong. Slipping into the water, Eva swam to the ladder an
d got out. Grabbing a towel, she went inside to find out why Adam had called.

  Her dad was just finishing the call by the time she found him outside on the front stoop.

  “What’s up?”

  “Adam had a question about dewinterizing the well head.”

  “Why didn’t he ask for me?” Eva stared at two white birds walking around the corner of the house across the street.

  “Could you answer his question about getting the water systems ready to go?”

  Eva scrunched her nose. “Not really.”

  “Well, there you go. Plus he didn’t want to bother you on vacation.”

  “Oh, so it’s okay to bother you?”

  Her dad laughed. “Yes. Now, tell me how he’s doing.”

  Eva sighed. Adam was doing better than she’d expected. He’d been focused on pruning, but would his interest fade when the work got tougher? “He seemed to enjoy dormant pruning.”

  “But?” Her father seemed to sense her reservations.

  She shrugged and nearly winced. She’d been in the sun too long. “But what’s to keep him from bailing? I mean, what’s a guy like him doing with our orchard?”

  Her father chuckled as he gazed out over the tropical-looking neighborhood. “Do you think I would have sold the farm to someone I didn’t think belonged there? To someone who wouldn’t love it like we do?”

  Eva glanced at her dad. Of course he still loved the farm, but Adam Peece? He wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t even a local who understood the risks of fruit farming. “What makes you think he’s got what it takes?”

  Her father shrugged. “Just a hunch when I watched him drink in his first view of the land. It had been after the harvest, Eva, when the trees aren’t pretty like blossom time. The man’s eyes glowed.”

  Eva shook her head. With Adam’s bright blue eyes, maybe her father had mistaken the play of light as something more. Or maybe it was greed. Adam wouldn’t have bought the orchard if he didn’t want it. But after a full season, would he still?

  By the first full week in April, Adam understood why Eva called it the mud season. Slogging through the early April mess of melting snow, Adam experienced what she meant. Mud spattered his Jeep and covered his work boots, and the brown stuff congealed near the entrance of the pole barn. He found his farm manager inside peering into a big ole John Deere tractor engine.