Blue Ridge Sunrise

by Denise Hunter

  “Believe it or not, as nasty as she can be, she’s good to Sammy— apple juice notwithstanding. That’s the only thing that stops me from going after custody.”

  “You’ve got to be busy with the new building you’re putting up,” Hope said.

  Brady stuck the last French fry in his mouth. “Getting a business off the ground is time consuming.”

  “Please,” Hope said. “It’s way more than off the ground. You’ve got more work than you can handle.”

  “That’s true. I had to turn away a project just last week. It was a Porsche 911 too. ’Bout broke my heart.”

  “Bummer,” Cruz said.

  Brady shook his head sadly. “Turbo S. All-wheel drive.”

  “Poor baby.” Hope fished through her salad. “How about you, Cruz? How are you adjusting to fatherhood?”

  He couldn’t help the smile that formed at the thought of Gracie. “It’s funny. If you’d have asked me a month ago if I was ready to be a father, I would’ve said heck no. But now I can’t even imagine not being Gracie’s dad.”

  Hope’s eyes sparkled under the lantern lighting. “Look at you. You’re totally smitten.”

  “What’d I tell you?” Brady said to Cruz. “Wasn’t long ago you were giving me grief about all this.”

  “I’m eating my words now.” And happy to have it so. “My mom’s pretty smitten too. You should’ve seen her with Gracie. All the rules that applied when I was a kid are out the window now.”

  “That’s how it’s supposed to be,” Hope said.

  Gracie was like a ray of sunshine in his life. He looked forward to seeing her and thought about her in the middle of the workday. If only he could figure out his more complex feelings about her mother.

  chapter thirty

  Zoe expected the phone call that came later that night. She hadn’t thanked Kyle for the roses; why should she when she hadn’t even wanted them? Her daughter was asleep, and she wanted nothing more than to drop into bed. She’d pushed herself too hard after being sick all week.

  But if she didn’t answer the phone, Kyle wouldn’t leave her be, and she worried he might show up out of the blue. She sank onto the edge of her bed and answered.

  “Did you get the flowers?” he asked as soon as she greeted him.

  “They’re beautiful. But you shouldn’t have sent them, Kyle. I’m still angry about the lies you told Cruz, and I’ve been clear about how I feel.”

  “Well, I wanted to be clear about how I feel. I still love you, Zoe. I miss you.”

  “You poked your nose in where it didn’t belong, Kyle.”

  “I gave you your dream, Zoe. I took you on the road, and I took care of you, didn’t I? Both of you. And now you’re just letting that tool shuttle her all over town?”

  She blinked. “How do you know that?”

  “It’s a small town, Zoe. I have friends.”

  Zoe sighed. “Well, that really doesn’t concern you.”

  “Is that a fact? Maybe she’s not mine, but I treated her as my own for four years. I took care of you both.”

  He had been good to Gracie, that much was true. “I appreciate the role you had in her life. I really do. But I need some space right now. I’ve got a lot on the line with the orchard.”

  “Don’t you mean with Cruz?”

  She frowned at the phone. “What do you mean?”

  “Like I said, I got friends, Zoe.”

  “Cruz has nothing to do with this. I don’t want to argue, Kyle. I haven’t changed my mind. I’m staying put. I’m making a go of the orchard.”

  “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but there’s been a big development for the band . . . Colonial wants to sign us. Can you believe it? Finally. But the backup singer we’ve been using isn’t nearly as good as you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot, Zoe. Come back to me, and we’ll take Brevity all the way to the top. We’ll do it together.”

  Maybe she was jaded, but she wondered if this was the real reason he’d been pursuing her so ardently. Even so, for a moment her dream of making it big tugged at her. She did love performing. She loved losing herself in the music, loved the rush of a live audience. But she didn’t love the nomadic lifestyle the way she’d thought she would. And she didn’t love Kyle.

  “I’m really happy for you and the band. You’ve worked hard for this. But I’m staying put. This is my home now. I have an orchard to run, and I’m going to make it work.”

  “Get real, Zoe. You’re not a farmer. You’re a musician. A vocalist.”

  His words were wired with a familiar kind of tension. The kind that used to make her eye twitch. Funny, that hadn’t happened once since he’d left. She was stronger now. Braver. And he was hundreds of miles away. He no longer had control over her.

  “You’re wrong. I am a farmer. My grandma left me this land, and I’m going to carry on her legacy if it’s the last thing I do.”

  “You’re making a big mistake.”

  “Well, it’s mine to make, Kyle.”

  “This is about Cruz, isn’t it? You think now he knows about Gracie you’ll be a nice little family. But he’s a loser, Zoe. Why can’t you see that? He failed you before, and he’ll fail you again.”

  “I’m not talking to you about Cruz.”

  “Because you know I’m right. Come back to me, Zoe, and I’ll make sure you’re a household name.”

  She thought of her old life, going from town to town, dragging Gracie along, stuck on a tour bus with guys whose lifestyle set a bad example for an impressionable young girl. Kyle, making her feel like a little bit of nothing.

  Somehow the old dream no longer had the same appeal. “I’m staying here, Kyle, and it’s over between us. I’m done answering your calls and texts. We don’t have anything else to talk about.”

  “I was there for you when you needed someone.” His voice had grown louder. “When your dad rejected you. When Cruz turned on you. I took care of you for five years.”

  “Cruz turned on me on account of your lies.” She sighed hard. “I wish you the best, Kyle. I really do. But it’s time we went our separate ways. Please leave me alone.”

  “You’re nothing without me. You’ll change your mind.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  She wasn’t surprised to hear a click in her ear a second later.

  chapter thirty-one

  The barn had been transformed in the past three weeks. The electrical was finished, and as of this afternoon the plumbing was complete too. With Peach Fest two weeks away, Zoe had already received a lot of merchandise and was beginning to stock the shelves.

  In the field Cruz and his crew had started harvesting. The peaches had sized up better than expected. Maybe she’d be able to pay back the loan after all.

  If only she could get the rest of this stuff figured out. She headed into the kitchen and started a small pot of decaf. She’d just spent over an hour peppering Daisy Pendleton of the Oopsy Daisy Flower Shoppe with business questions. She’d been a huge help, but now Zoe’s head spun with all the advice.

  She rubbed her temples as she waited for the coffee to brew. Self-doubt crowded in as her heart sped. Keeping track of money and merchandise was going to be an ongoing battle, and she couldn’t afford to hire someone who knew what they were doing. She wasn’t smart enough for this. Even a phone conversation about it had overwhelmed her.

  You can do this, Zoe. You’ll figure it out. Focus on the part of the business you enjoy.

  Tending the trees. Customer service. Making people smile. The smell of fresh peaches she’d grown on her own land.

  You’ve got this.

  She’d come so far. And she’d kept the renovation on schedule, hadn’t she? She’d be open on time, and she was determined to open with a big splash. She already had some marketing in place—not only in Copper Creek but in outlying areas.

  She pulled the carafe from the burner and poured a steaming mugful. The house was so quiet tonight. It was going on midnight. Hope had taken Gracie for her first s
leepover, and Zoe kept expecting a call asking her to come pick up her daughter. But Gracie was well adjusted, and she loved Hope. Plus she’d slept in a variety of places, so she wasn’t attached to her own bed.

  Zoe carried her mug into the darkened living room, the wood floor squeaking under her bare feet, the scent of hazelnut rising to her nose.

  She wondered what Cruz was doing tonight. He’d probably gone to the Rusty Nail with Brady. There was a new band playing. Her brother had tried to talk her into going, but she’d needed to use her childfree hours to get some work done. Plus she figured Cruz would be there.

  She avoided him as much as possible. It was too hard to be around him when he treated her with such polite indifference. She knew he wasn’t trying to punish her—that really wasn’t his style. But somehow it felt that way.

  Kyle seemed to have given up—finally. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d hung up on her a few weeks ago. She wondered how things were going with that record label, if what he’d said was even true. Maybe it had only been a ploy to get her back.

  The orchard was silhouetted beyond the picture window, the moonlight falling over it like a downy blanket. Her land. Passed down to her, entrusted to her. She drew in a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs until they stretched. Times like this she could almost feel Granny’s presence. Hear her words of encouragement. The hymns she hummed while she worked.

  “I’m going to keep your legacy alive, Granny,” she whispered.

  The mountains rose in the distance, an imposing presence against the starry sky. Her eyes climbed to the heavens, to the pinpricks of light, millions of them it seemed, scattered across the night sky.

  He’s got me this far. I reckon He can carry me the rest of the way.

  Granny’s words brought a smile to her lips. She wished she’d inherited her grandmother’s strong faith as easily as she’d inherited the land. Somehow believing was scary. Zoe’s hopes had been raised too many times only to be dashed, and then the sting of disappointment lingered far too long.

  She took a sip of the brew and was just turning away from the window when a flare of light caught her eye. She looked back, thinking at first it was only a glare from the stove light behind her.

  She moved closer to the window, cupping her hand around her eyes. It was no glare. It was a light. And it was coming from the direction of the barn. She’d turned everything off when she’d left this evening. Hadn’t she? But it had still been daylight, and it was possible she’d missed a light.

  She’d just resolved to throw on her sandals, pajamas and all, and go shut off the lights, when she noticed that the glow in the distance was flickering. Had it also grown brighter in the last few moments, or were her tired eyes playing tricks on her?

  But as she watched, the light flared. Then an orange flame shot up above the treetops.

  Fire!

  She gasped, her heart suddenly thudding against her ribs. She shoved her feet into her muck boots and grabbed her phone and keys, then darted out to the porch, punching 911 for help. She was halfway to her truck when she remembered the fire extinguisher in the kitchen. She dashed back inside while spewing out the information to the operator.

  “Hurry, please!”

  She jumped into her truck, gravel churning behind her tires as she sped down the lane.

  Please, God. This can’t be happening.

  But as she neared the barn she saw flames shooting out the window. She rushed into the lot and jumped out. Her fingers trembled as she unlocked the door. The metal of the doorknob wasn’t yet hot. Hope flooded through her.

  She threw open the barn door and choked on her first lungful of acrid smoke. Her eyes stung. Heat licked at her skin as she entered the building, aiming the extinguisher at the base of the nearest fire.

  He must be a glutton for punishment. Why else would he be thinking about taking the long way home, driving by Zoe’s at midnight on a Friday night?

  Don’t be an idiot, he thought as he approached the intersection where he’d have to make the choice. It’s a waste of time.

  The band at the Rusty Nail had been entertaining enough. But as much as he’d tried to distract himself with games of pool and small talk, he couldn’t get his mind off Zoe. He’d been convicted of his attitude toward her in church Sunday while she’d been onstage singing her heart out. He was harboring resentment, and he knew he had to forgive her.

  Yeah, she’d messed up. But he wasn’t perfect either. He’d too easily believed the worst of her back then—his own insecurities driving his doubts. Her dad hadn’t believed him good enough for Zoe. And deep down Cruz hadn’t either.

  He’d always thought of her as being in a different league. He’d told himself she was too young, but in truth he hadn’t believed he measured up. He hadn’t been enough for his dad to stick around, after all.

  He pushed the thought away. Amazing how something he could barely remember could impact his thinking all these years later. He’d worked hard to overcome those doubts. A loving mother had helped. Proving himself helped. Remembering God had created him with worth and value helped most of all.

  He pulled to a stop at the intersection. Straight toward home, or left toward Zoe?

  There was no reason to go left. It was after midnight. She was in bed by now.

  But he wasn’t tired yet, and he remembered the one time her barn door had been left open all night by one of the contractors. There hadn’t been much to steal at the time, but now the barn contained boxes of merchandise.

  He turned the wheel. He’d just drive by and give it a quick glance. Make sure the barn was shut up tight.

  He chided himself for his weakness even as he drove toward her place. Excuses. Zoe didn’t need him taking care of her. She’d done just fine on her own—as a single mom no less.

  She’d always been strong, which was why it’d been so infuriating to see that Kyle had snuffed out her spirit. At least she had her spunk back now. He’d rather see her eyes shooting sparks than dull and lifeless, avoiding eye contact, as they’d been when she first returned to town.

  He let off the gas as he approached the orchard. There was enough moonlight to see by, and the barn sat close to the road. He’d just give it a quick glance and be on his way.

  But a glow over the low treetops made him frown. And as he neared the barn, the sight of flames licking the building was like a sucker punch.

  He swerved into the drive, his stomach sinking even further at the sight of Zoe’s truck in the lot, the door hanging open.

  Querido Dios.

  What was happening? He braked hard, shifting into park before his truck even came to a full stop. He threw open his door and leaped to the ground. The fire was a live creature, crackling and roaring. The flames seemed confined to the inside at the moment. But where was Zoe?

  He ran for the open door. “Zoe!” He threw his arm up against the heat that engulfed him on the threshold. Black smoke clouded his vision and burned his eyes.

  “Zoe!” He coughed.

  Raising his T-shirt to cover his mouth, he crouched lower, darting through the barn. The flames hissed. Something clattered nearby. He couldn’t see a thing through the smoke.

  “Zoe!”

  “Cruz!”

  He barely heard her voice. Coming from the corner, he thought. He inched toward her, heat licking at his skin. The glow of fire shone through the wall of smoke.

  He found her near the shelving, coughing violently. Her arms sagged as she aimed an extinguisher at the base of a ten-foot wall of flames. The retardant had turned the smoke white.

  He grabbed her arm. “Come on!”

  She jerked away from him, continuing to spray through another coughing fit.

  “Zoe, it’s too late!” He tore the extinguisher from her hands and dropped it on the ground.

  The heat was almost unbearable. The flames surrounded them, the acrid smoke burning his lungs. Somewhere above them a lightbulb popped.

  “We have to get out of here!” He took h
er hand and weaved through the thick smoke.

  Seconds later he stopped to reassess. Where was the exit? He’d turned himself around. He found a wall and slid along it, hoping it led outside. Which way?

  ¡Ayúdanos, Dios!

  They continued along the wall through the endless smoke. The fire crackled and popped all around them, a distant orange glow to the right. Not that way. He bumped something waist high and felt for it. Smooth as glass. The bakery case. He was close. He moved them forward, his lungs begging for cool, fresh air.

  Finally the smoke began clearing. He made out the outline of the barn door and burst forward through the doorway, still holding tight to Zoe’s hand. Cool air washed over his heated skin, and he sucked in a lungful only to cough it back out.

  “Where’s Gracie?” he gasped.

  Zoe was coughing too, hands braced on her knees. She was shaking, ready to collapse. Staring at the burning barn, seemingly in shock.

  He caught her around the waist and eased her to the ground.

  “Zoe, where’s Gracie?”

  Mention of their daughter seemed to get through. “At Hope’s. She’s fine.”

  A coughing fit seized her. She hacked and hacked as the rush of blood thrashed in his ears. As the coughing spell receded her rigid body slackened, her weight sinking into him.

  Cruz sagged with relief, his arms loosening. He blinked against the sting in his eyes, catching his breath. His heart rate slowing.

  “It’s gone,” she said. “It’s gone.”

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  Moments later a siren sounded in the distance, barely audible over the roar of the fire. Thank God. Zoe needed oxygen. She probably had burns too. Now that the adrenaline was easing up, he noticed his own skin burning.

  The flames licked at the building, now moving to the exterior walls. She was right. It was too late for the barn. Anything left after the fire was put out would be ruined by water. But Zoe was all right. Gracie was safe. And that was all that really mattered.

  He set his cheek against her temple, brushing the hair from her face. “It’s all right,” he said softly into her ear. Then he tightened his arms around her, suddenly more grateful than he’d ever been in his life.