But she pulled it back, crossed her arms, and tilted her head. Her eyes raked over him, and he felt the look like a touch. A shiver ran down his torso, reminding him he was only wearing jeans.
“Do you play sports? You must work out a lot. You have lots of muscles.”
He suddenly wanted to be one of those jocks who squeezed out reps on a machine instead of a kid who got his workout stocking shelves at the hardware store.
“Who are you talking—” Brady stopped just inside the door, his gaze narrowing on the girl sitting on the bed. “Zoe. What are you doing here?”
She lifted an impertinent shoulder. “You should check your back seat before you take off, big brother. Never know who might be stowed away back there.”
“Daggonit, Zoe, now I’m going to have to take you home, and I just got here.”
“Oh, relax. I’m just having a little fun. What game are you playing? Oh, I love this one.” She grabbed for the controller.
Brady took her elbow. “Oh no you don’t. You’re going right home.”
“You’re worse than Mother and Daddy. I’m not a baby.”
“It’s after midnight.”
She gave a look of mock horror. “Oh no! Midnight. I might turn into a pumpkin.”
“You’ve got to stop sneaking out, Zoe. It’s not safe.”
She rolled her eyes. “This is Copper Creek. I couldn’t find danger around here if I dialed it up on my phone.”
“I’m telling Mom and Dad this time. Let’s go.”
Zoe evaded his grasp, giving him a saucy look. “You won’t tell them. Because I know who was parking with Bridgette Malloy at Sutter’s Bend last Friday when he was supposed to still be at work.”
Brady’s lips flattened. “How did you—never mind. Come on, you’re going home.”
Zoe’s face lit up. “Oh, I know. Let’s go swimming. Or set off some fireworks. We can go down by the bridge where we won’t get caught.”
“The only place you’re going is home.”
“Ugh! You’re such a bore! Fine. I’ll go home, but I’m walking.”
She marched past Cruz, leaving a wake of the sweetest perfume he’d ever smelled.
Brady was on her heels. “Oh no you’re not.”
She turned at the door and gave Cruz an impish wink. And just like that he was smitten.
chapter eight
Zoe slipped inside her parents’ dank barn, the familiar smells of hay and horseflesh assaulting her senses. Her eyes fell on Cruz over by the stalls. The brush in his hand was gliding down Buttercup’s withers.
“Whatcha doing?”
His head snapped toward her, then turned back to Buttercup. “Waiting for Brady.”
Cruz had been coming around for a couple years, hanging out with her brother. He was so handsome, with his beautiful skin and guarded brown eyes. Just looking at him put butterflies in her stomach.
But he ignored her to the point of rudeness. To him, she was just Brady’s pesky little sister.
She stepped up beside him and leaned on the stall door, close enough that her arm brushed his.
He stiffened but didn’t pull away.
She bit the corner of her lip. She couldn’t have picked a worse boy to have a crush on. But now, with the hardened flesh of his arm touching hers and his subtle woodsy scent invading her senses, relentless hope took hold. She’d never been one to lack for courage.
“Are you going riding?”
“If he gets here before dark.”
“I could take you if he doesn’t. I know all the best spots.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed, calling attention to his unshaved neck and jaw. He looked older than other boys his age. It was the five o’clock shadow, she thought. Or the world-weary look in the depths of his eyes.
He set down the brush and stepped away, shoving his hands into his front pockets. “No thanks.”
Zoe’s hand trembled as it glided down Buttercup’s nose. “You don’t have to be so mean. I was just trying to be nice.”
“I’m not being mean. I’m just waiting for Brady.”
She gave him a haughty look. “You ignore me all the time.”
A shadow flickered in his jaw. “No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
He gave her a look.
“Well, you do.”
“I’m Brady’s friend. I’m here to see him, not you.”
“There you go being mean again.” She batted her eyelashes, a trick she’d learned from Marci Allen. “Anyway, I’m only two years younger than you.”
He sighed hard and mumbled something in Spanish.
“What does that mean?”
His eyes twinkled. “I was praying to God for patience.”
Humph. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.
He glanced down to her mouth, and her breath caught in her throat. Had something besides indifference just flickered in his eyes?
But an instant later he was pacing away as if he were bored to death with her and their conversation.
She sighed. Try, try again. “When are you going to college?” Brady started in the fall, and Cruz was a whole year older. He was still working at the hardware store.
“Who said I’m going to college?”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I’ll figure it out.” He looked away, a beam of light cutting across his face, making his features harsh.
She was suddenly aware of the differences in their upbringings. Her parents were paying for Brady’s schooling, and they’d pay for hers too if they could talk her into going. She wondered if Cruz had to stick around and help his mama make ends meet.
“You could go to trade school around here. What do you want to do?”
“You’re very meddlesome.”
She tilted her chin. “You’re very evasive.”
The corner of his lip tucked in, calling attention to his plump lower lip. “Big word for such a little girl. Maybe I don’t even know what that means.”
She rolled her eyes. “Brady told me you graduated fifth in your class. You could get a scholarship if you wanted.”
He stopped and held a hand out to Buttercup, who nuzzled his palm. When he didn’t answer, Zoe continued.
“Brady’s probably working late. I can saddle up a horse for you if you want.”
He spared her a look. “I know how to saddle a horse.”
“I was just trying to be friendly. You should try it sometime.”
Her heart was stuttering in her chest. No other boy had ever made her so nervous, and she didn’t like it one iota. Plenty of boys were sweet on her; she wasn’t going to beg for scraps from someone who couldn’t stand the sight of her.
His feet shuffled to a stop nearby. She hadn’t even heard his approach.
Her eyes cut to his, and she caught him staring at her hair. Heat flooded her cheeks. She lifted a hand, pushing back the untamed mass of curls. She wished she’d taken the time to tie it back. Her hair was the one thing she’d inherited from her beautiful mother—it couldn’t have been her curvy figure or pretty blue eyes.
“Stop staring. It’s rude.” She picked up the grooming brush and ran it down Buttercup’s withers. “I already know I have ugly hair. I don’t need you confirming it.”
“It’s not ugly.”
She snorted.
He mumbled something in Spanish again.
She scowled at him. “If you’re going to insult me, do it in English.”
He looked at her long and hard, until her knees grew wobbly and her chest was so tight she could hardly breathe.
The brush slowed to a stop. He confused her. He was mean to her and yet sometimes he looked at her like . . .
She rested her fists on her hips. “What?”
“I said . . . it’s the color of a lion’s mane.” The rough texture of his voice made her insides hum.
She blinked. The roots of her hair tingled as if he’d just touched it. Heat spread into the tips of her ears, and she couldn’t lo
ok away from him. Couldn’t find a single thing to say. Or even string two thoughts together.
He suddenly tugged the brim of his ball cap and turned toward the doorway. “I gotta go. Tell your brother I couldn’t wait around anymore.”
And then he was gone, taking a little piece of her heart with him.
chapter nine
It was well into fall by the time Cruz saw Zoe again. He was making his last lumber delivery of the day. He pulled the truck to a stop beside the orchard’s farmhouse.
As he exited the truck he spotted Zoe coming out onto her grandma’s porch in a pair of cutoffs and a red shirt tied at her waist. A sliver of creamy skin drew his eyes. He gritted his teeth as he began unloading the deck lumber, reminding himself of the promise he’d made to Brady to look out for Zoe while he was away at college.
Seeing as it had been months since Cruz had even seen her, he wasn’t doing such a good job. Word was she’d gotten her second speeding ticket, and her license had been suspended. Maybe that would slow her down.
“Watcha doing?” she asked.
“Unloading your grandma’s deck lumber.”
His eyes flickered off her slim form. She had her hair down today, a curly mass flowing over her shoulders. The sunlight glinted off it, turning it copper. At first it had only been her looks that had reminded him of a beautiful lioness. But now he also knew her to have the spirit of one.
Mi leona. He shook his head at the fanciful thought. She wasn’t his anything.
He grabbed an armful of wood and skirted her, noticing her Nissan in the drive as he headed toward the back of the house. “I thought you couldn’t drive anymore.”
She dumped an armload of boards down beside his. “It’s just down the road. I won’t get caught.”
“You’re going to lose your license ’til you’re sixty if you’re not careful.”
“I already have one big brother, Cruz. I don’t need another.”
Her tone was uncharacteristically snappish, and he wondered what he’d done wrong. Maybe she was missing Brady. As much as they fussed, they were close.
She was quiet as she helped him with the rest of the load. The sun was over the hills by the time he snapped the tailgate shut. He sent the papers inside with Zoe, and she returned with the clipboard and her grandma’s signature.
“Go for a ride with me,” she said.
“You’re not supposed to be driving.”
“Then you drive.”
“Zoe . . .”
“Are you done for the day?”
His lips pressed together, more tempted than he had a right to be. You’ll be keeping your promise to Brady, one side of his brain said. Brady’d kill you if he knew the thoughts you have about his sister, said the other.
“Well, you can stand around sucking up all the oxygen. I’m going for a spin.” Zoe whirled around, hair flying over her shoulder as she got into her car.
“Zoe, stop.”
She started the engine and looked up at him through the open window with that sassy smile. “Whatcha gonna do about it?”
“Pequeño mocosa,” he mumbled, rubbing his forehead.
“Did you just call me a little brat? I took Spanish this year, you know.”
“Wow, a whole year. I’ll never be able to get anything by you again.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and slid the gearshift into drive. “Adios, amiga.”
“Amigo. I’m a man.”
“Are you? Hadn’t noticed.” She eased off the gas. “Hasta la vista, amigo.”
“Wait.” He grabbed the door handle, heaving a sigh. “Move over.”
A satisfied smile formed on her lips as she slipped the gearshift into park and hopped over the narrow console.
“What about my truck?”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Shouldn’t you tell your grandma you’re leaving with me?”
She gave a saucy smile. “I already did.”
Was he that predictable? He spared her a look as he pulled down the gravel drive. It was a small car, and their shoulders nearly touched. The sweet flowery smell of her wove around him like a spell, making his heart thud in his chest.
When he came to the end of the drive he braked. “Where are we going, since you seem to know everything.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin. “Pick a number between one and fifty.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Five.”
She flipped the coin. “Tails. That means first turn we go left.”
He shook his head but did what she said. “You must be bored if this is what you do for fun.”
He wished he had time to be bored. His mom had gotten laid off, and now he was the sole earner in the family. He was working six days a week, sometimes ten hours a day.
At the next intersection she flipped the coin again. “Heads, go right.”
He slowed the car and turned. It was a country road with rolling farmland on both sides. A creek ran parallel to the lane. The leaves shimmered, gold and red, and the scent of fall hung heavily in the air.
“We’re going to end up in the middle of nowhere. What’s the point of this anyway?”
“Are you always such a Debby Downer?”
He braked as he came to an intersection. “Let’s go right here. It’ll take us back to town.” And back toward her grandma’s house where he could drop her off and put her out of his mind.
Right.
“That’s cheating.” She flipped the coin. “Go left.”
He sighed and indulged her.
“Have you heard from Brady?” she asked.
“He called yesterday.” His friend wasn’t liking college much. Cruz had a feeling he was only trying to please his parents by getting a business degree. All Brady had ever wanted to do was work on cars.
“He didn’t call me.”
He glanced over at Zoe in time to catch the hurt in her eyes.
“Well, he asked about you. You should call him. He misses you.”
At the next intersection she flipped the coin again. “Go right.”
“What are you going to do after you graduate?” he asked.
Her chin tipped up. “I’m going to Nashville. I’m going to be a singer and become famous, and they’re going to play my songs all over the radio.”
She probably would too. She had a voice like an angel. She sometimes sang at church, and her silvery voice practically hypnotized him. “What do your parents think about that?”
She snorted. “Like I’ve told them. They think I’m going to study law at University of Georgia, and then come back here and take over Daddy’s practice.”
“Well, you are real good at arguing.”
“Maybe Brady’s doing things their way, but not me. I don’t want to be stuck in this hick town for the rest of my life. I’m going to go do things. Big things.”
The thought of her leaving put a knot in his chest. He tried to tell himself she was still a while off from that decision. It’d be better if she left anyway. Maybe then he could get her out from under his skin. Maybe then he could actually go out with other girls and stop wishing they had red hair and creamy skin and tiny freckles on their noses.
“What?” she asked. “You don’t believe me?”
“You can do anything you set your mind to.” Heaven knew she had all the resources she needed. He wasn’t sure she appreciated the leg up she’d been given the way Brady did.
Her felt her perusal for a long beat. “That’s probably the nicest thing you ever said to me.”
He glanced over at her and took in her hair, blowing in the wind. The way her green eyes had softened on him. By a sheer miracle he kept his gaze from falling to her lips.
He looked away, swallowing hard. “You’re a good kid, Zoe.”
He could almost feel her bristling beside him and knew he’d said the wrong thing.
“Well, Kyle Jimmerson doesn’t think I’m a ‘kid.’ He asked me to
sing with his band next month, and I’m going to. Brevity gets gigs in Atlanta. Well . . . they got one gig.”
His gut clenched at the thought of Zoe getting taken in by that guy. He didn’t come from the best of families, and from what Cruz had seen, he was as arrogant as his father.
“You should watch out for him,” Cruz said. “He’s a player.”
“There you go again, being my big brother.”
“Well . . . Brady’s gone so . . .”
“I don’t need a babysitter. Kyle actually believes in me. He thinks I’ll be the perfect backup singer for him someday, after my voice has matured.”
Cruz pressed his lips together. He hoped Kyle realized her voice wasn’t the only thing that needed to mature. Zoe might be spirited, but she was innocent. And she was seventeen now. Old enough to get into plenty of trouble, and Kyle Jimmerson wouldn’t help matters.
Cruz tried to tell himself he wasn’t jealous. But the thought of Kyle being anywhere near Zoe made him want to slug the guy in the face.
Zoe flipped the coin and slapped it onto the back of her hand. “Heads. Make a right up there.”
He braked, turning onto an old gravel drive that led into the woods of the foothills. Basically leading nowhere.
“Now you have to stop,” she said.
He eased the car to a stop and put it into park. “Now what?”
“We’re here. Turn it off.”
He rolled his eyes at her bossiness but did as she said.
The overhead canopy of leaves blocked the sun, darkening the car’s interior. The road was one lane and more dirt than gravel, now that he was looking at it. There were steep banks going upward on either side. Outside the window a squirrel nattered, and a thrasher chirped from a nearby tree. The smell of pine suffused the car.
He leaned back in the seat. “And where exactly is ‘here’?”
“We flipped five times, so this is our final destination. Now you have to think of something for us to do.” She gazed out the window, no doubt scoping out the hilly landscape, winding gravel road, and thick woods.
But he couldn’t take his eyes off Zoe. Off her creamy skin, her pert little nose, and that hair, all wild and windblown around her shoulders. His head felt like it was filled with helium, and his heart punched his ribs like a prizefighter.
Blue Ridge Sunrise Page 5
