by Jenna Mindel
This morning Eva had made Adam breakfast and then she’d gone out to mow after he’d slouched onto the sofa. She wondered if he’d gotten any sleep at all last night. The propane rental had been an unneeded expense, but she wouldn’t dream of telling him so. His commitment had struck a chord deep inside her. Making her proud. Adam had the makings of a fine grower.
Puttering in the kitchen making sandwiches, Eva didn’t hear Adam’s approach. But she felt his arms slide around her waist as he kissed the back of her neck.
“Morning,” he whispered.
She laughed and slipped away to fetch lettuce from the fridge. “It’s afternoon, sleepyhead. Almost two.”
Adam stretched. “Wow. I was out cold.”
“Hungry?”
“Yes.” His eyes darkened.
Eva needed a work subject to discuss and fast or they’d end up in each other’s arms when there was work to be done. “We might have an early harvest if it stays warm, thanks to no freezing last night. At this rate, we’ll have sweet cherries to pick for the Fourth of July. Just in time for the Cherry Festival in Traverse City.”
“I better follow up with that list of workers your father gave me.”
Eva set a sandwich plate and a bag of chips on the table before she grabbed glasses and lemonade. “I can help with that. Who’ve you called?”
Adam sat down. “A couple guys are already working for a larger orchard. They didn’t expect to be hired back once your dad sold.”
Eva slipped into her seat. “I’ll look over the list.”
“Your dad said you wouldn’t know the guys he hired the past two summers. You were in New York.”
Eva cocked her head and mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich. “How often do you talk to my dad?”
“I don’t know.” Adam shrugged. “Every week, every couple of days.”
“Why are you calling him when you’ve got me?”
Adam chuckled. “Sometimes your dad calls me to get an update on the orchard. He said you don’t give him enough details.”
Eva swallowed her irritation, but it lodged in her throat like an underchewed piece of bread. “It’s not easy when I hear in his voice how much he misses it.”
“He told me that he’s glad to be out from under all this.”
Eva knew her father. He might put up a good front for Adam’s sake, but he missed the farm. It was his livelihood for so long, so how could he not?
“I wish they didn’t live so far away.” Eva bit into her sandwich even though she’d lost her taste for it. Adam and her father were leaving her out of the loop on purpose. What she couldn’t figure out was why.
“What if they spent their summers here?” Adam grabbed a couple more chips.
“That’d be great.” Eva smiled.
“Good.” Adam returned an even broader smile. Even without sleep, an unshaven chin and hair that stuck out in places, he was the most handsome man she’d ever known.
And loved.
The realization of how deep her feelings had grown warmed her insides. She loved him. But could she tell him? Or should she wait until she knew that he loved her back?
Adam took his plate to the sink and stretched. “Well, I’m heading out to mow.”
She smiled at him with her heart feeling as if it had ballooned on her. “I’ll be out in a bit. Make sure you take water. It’s getting warm out there.”
“Will do.” He grabbed an apple and kissed her cheek. Settling his hat on his head, he gave her a wink and left.
Humming, Eva folded the throw blanket that Adam had left in a bunch on the couch when she noticed that his cell phone lay on the coffee table. As if on cue, it rang. Should she answer it or let it go to voice mail?
She peeked at the screen. And the name Bob Marsh flashed as it rang again.
Eva picked it up. “Hello? Dad?”
“Eva? I must have dialed the wrong number.”
“This is Adam’s phone.”
“Is he there?”
“No. He’s mowing the field. What’s up?”
Her dad’s pregnant pause made her worry. “Nothing. Tell him to call me.”
Now she was really curious. The two men she loved most had something going on behind her back. The fact that they were both hesitant to let her in on it irritated her. “I can give him a message, you know.”
She heard her father’s chuckle at the other end. “I know you can, honey.”
Eva waited. When her father still didn’t spill his message, she got mad. “What’s going on, Dad?”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you. You and Adam have this secret society thing going and I’d like to know what it is and why.”
“Eva.” Her father sighed. “Now you’re overreacting. I’m just helping Adam out.”
Her hunch that this was more than simple farming tips cut to the quick. “How?”
“The man has a lot at stake. He needed someone he could talk to.”
A splinter of hurt dug deep. Why couldn’t Adam talk to her?
“Eva? There’s something you should know. Your mother was right. She said we should tell you, but Adam wanted it to be a surprise.”
Her gut clenched. “What’s that?”
“Adam’s flying us up to help bring in the harvest.”
Eva’s mouth went dry. “When?”
“This weekend.”
Hauling herself behind the wheel of her truck, Eva started the engine and pushed the gas pedal too hard. She drove out into the field, jostling in her seat. It was time she got to the bottom of why Adam had left her out of the loop. She drove until she spotted Adam’s tractor deep in the orchard gingerly mowing the lanes.
She pulled far enough in front of him so that he’d see her. She slammed into Park and got out, not bothering to shut her door. Classic rock tunes poured from the big John Deere.
Adam climbed down fast, his expression alarmed and full of concern. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“How could you not tell me?” she spat.
Confusion marred his handsome face. “What?”
“Fly my parents up for more than a month’s stay without so much as giving me a heads-up?”
His eyes closed for a moment. “Who told you?”
“My dad.” She tossed his cell phone at him. “You left this on the coffee table and he called. I saw it was him and picked up. You go to my dad and you go to Ryan, so why don’t you talk to me?” She pointed at her chest. “You hired me, remember?”
He took his hat off, ran a hand through his hair and then settled the cap on backward. Dressed in yesterday’s jeans and a T-shirt, his arms and face browned by the sun and dark stubble raking the line of his jaw, Adam Peece had never looked so good. Or more at home in the orchard.
He stepped toward her, his hands spread wide in surrender. “I thought you’d be pleased to see them. You said yourself that you wished they weren’t so far away.”
“That’s beside the point—”
He cut her off. “Then what’s the point, Eva? Why are you so fired up?”
She sputtered. How did she put to words the betrayal she felt when her dad admitted to Adam’s need to talk to someone other than her about the farm? Their orchard? “Because there are things I need to do before they get here, like clean my house, grocery shop.”
He chuckled as if her concerns were a paltry reason to get mad. “I can help you if it makes you feel better.”
She stepped closer. “No, it doesn’t make me feel better. You still haven’t answered my question. Why do you keep going to my dad and Ryan for confirmation on what I’ve shown you? You check on everything I do.”
“Whoa, hold on a minute. That’s not fair.”
She glared at him. “Isn’t it?”
His face darkened and his blue eyes blazed. “You never expected me to make it, Eva. From the moment I started, you thought I’d bail. You didn’t think I had a chance without your expertise. Well, I can figure out some things, too, you know.”
/> She opened her mouth but nothing came out. He was right.
“You’ve shown me what to do and how to do it, but you never tell me the whys. I need to know the whys. Why wouldn’t I seek out second opinions from people I trust to give me a straight answer?”
She inhaled a deep breath. “You don’t trust me?”
“How can I? You hit me up with a partnership offer before we’ve had a full season of working together. Do you think I’m stupid? I know how much this orchard means to you.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve done what you’ve hired me to do. I can’t help it if I doubt your commitment. Look where you come from.”
“And you can’t see past what you think I am, can you?” His voice hardened as he stepped closer.
“Not when you throw money at problems—like those propane heaters, for example.”
“Come on, Eva. You know why I did it. I couldn’t sit by and do nothing.”
She stepped closer and poked his shoulder with her index finger. “Maybe not, but you’re flying my dad up here to help you with the harvest because you don’t trust my help. Maybe I should give you my two-weeks’ notice right now and save you the expense of my salary. You don’t need me.”
“I do need you, Eva.” His voice dipped to a hoarse whisper. “Too much, I’m afraid.”
They stood mere inches from each other. In that instant, the fight went out of Eva even though the heat remained. In fact, it cranked up a couple degrees. She’d never quit and Adam would never fire her. They were meant to work this farm together.
Adam moved first, pulling her close.
Eva wrapped her arms around him and hung on. Her knees gave way when Adam’s fingers combed through her hair, drawing her head back so he could look into her eyes. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. He was going to kiss her. And this time, he wasn’t holding back.
She didn’t want him to.
The contact of his lips against hers made her dizzy. Exhilarated. Nervous. Eva slipped and he supported her by leaning against the wheel of the tractor. The pressure of Adam’s lips grew more insistent as he deepened the kiss.
Like a warning flare, caution edged into her brain. Careful.
But this was Adam.
She stiffened when the contours of the tire bit into her back. Eva braced against Adam’s chest to make more room, but he captured her hands, threading his fingers through hers. He wasn’t letting her go.
A sliver of panic pierced her.
Pinned.
For a split second the memory of that awful night with Todd crashed into her mind. She’d been thrown to the ground, the wind knocked out of her. Todd had trapped her against the hard-packed dirt of a two-track. She couldn’t breathe.
But this was Adam.
She’d be okay. With some air. She just needed air.
Eva pulled her hands free and pushed at Adam’s shoulders. Nothing. Her fingers and toes tingled. Numb.
Adam murmured her name as he kissed her cheek, her jaw, the hollow of her neck, giving her the chance to gulp a few breaths. But she saw stars. She was losing peripheral vision and darkness threatened.
No. She couldn’t freak out with Adam.
But it was too late.
She pushed at him when his mouth sought hers again. Shaking like a fruit tree getting picked, she ground out, “Stop it!”
Adam immediately backed away. “Eva?”
She read concern in his eyes, but her breaths came fast and her eyes blurred with tears.
“Talk to me, Eva.” He reached for her.
She turned away from him and bent down. Placing her hands on her knees, she struggled to stave off the dizziness that threatened to overtake her. “I can’t.”
“Sweetheart, it was just a kiss. I wouldn’t ever—” His voice carried a hint of panic.
She figured no other girl had ever reacted to Adam Peece’s kiss like this. The thought almost made her laugh.
She shook her head, trying to clear it, trying to regain her strength. Her dignity. She saw her truck with the door wide-open. A Led Zeppelin song wailed from Adam’s tractor, making everything seem surreal.
She had to get out of there, if only she could make her feet move. Straightening, she whispered, “I’m sorry, Adam. I’m so sorry.”
Adam didn’t know what to do or how to help her. Eva looked ready to shatter if he dared touch her. He watched her fight tears as her gaze darted from the truck to him and then back to her truck.
His heart broke. He’d rushed her. This was his fault. She’d told him before that she wasn’t ready—but the way she’d responded…
He reached out and rubbed her shoulder. “We can get through this.”
“I can’t, Adam. I want to, but I can’t.” A tear slipped down her cheek and then she darted for her truck.
“Eva, wait.” He went after her.
“Just leave it alone, Peece. Leave me alone.” Her voice sounded tight as she slammed the truck door. Then she drove away.
How was he supposed to fix this? He couldn’t buy his way out of this one. Adam gripped his forehead and closed his eyes tight when it dawned on him. Had she lied about what had happened to her? Was it worse than she’d let on? He clenched his jaw and felt sick.
Dear God in heaven, show me what to do.
He waited, knowing no clear answer would suddenly appear. It didn’t work that way, at least not for him. He walked to the tractor and kicked the tire before climbing in. And then he sat for a long time, stunned.
Not since his mom died had he felt such a blanket of helpless despair wrap around him. What should he do?
There was nothing he could do…
Except pray.
Chapter Fourteen
After a couple hours of mowing, Adam couldn’t take any more. He pulled into the barn, shut everything down and closed the big metal door with a rattle and snap. He had to see Eva before he left for his town house. At least talk to her.
Taking the porch steps in two strides, he knocked on the door into the kitchen.
Beth answered. “Hey.”
“Is Eva here?”
Her roommate stepped back to let him in. “She’s upstairs.”
Adam adjusted his hat. “Is she okay?”
Beth looked him square in the eye. “She told me what happened. Adam, I’m so sorry. I think Eva’s scared you’ll give up on her. Please don’t.”
He’d never walk away. Not now, not ever. “I don’t know how to help her.”
Beth gave him an encouraging smile. “Just love her.”
“What if that’s not enough?”
Adam paced to the kitchen sink and stared out the window that overlooked the side yard and driveway. He could see the lower orchard from here. The very spot he and Eva had worked to save with the rented propane heaters. But their efforts hadn’t been needed. God had come through that night. The temperatures had held.
Love was a big step. One he couldn’t take until he’d come completely clean with Eva. When she knew the tenuous hold he had on the orchard, she might not want his pledge of forever.
“Eva’s the most giving person I know, Adam.” Beth’s voice interrupted his thoughts. She stood next to him, leaning against the same counter.
He turned and gave her his full attention.
“My family moved here when I was in junior high and Eva was the first person to reach out to me. When my dad died in the line of duty my freshman year, my mother lost it. Eva was there for me. She pulled me into the Marsh family and without her and her family, I don’t think I would have made it through high school.” Her expression was serious, as if this wasn’t something she talked about often.
Adam could easily imagine Eva’s determination in helping her friend. It was no wonder they’d remained close.
“Todd stripped Eva’s trusting nature away from her. It hurt to see that part of her shrivel up and die. But I prayed that God would someday send a man who could bring her back to life. And He did. He sent you, Adam. Don’t ever doubt that.�
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Deep down, Adam wondered if that might be true. The power of Beth’s prayers blew him away. God had drawn him here before he’d even turned his life around and it humbled him.
“Thanks, Beth,” he said.
She gave him a quick hug. “I’ll tell Eva you’re here.”
Adam nodded and waited, but his insides churned.
With a straightening of her shoulders, Eva came downstairs. She stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans to keep them from shaking. The saying went that there was cleansing power in tears. Well, she felt as if she’d been scoured with steel wool. Raw, spent and her heart aching for Adam.
“Hey,” she said.
The worried look in Adam’s eyes confirmed that he was having a hard time, too. He gestured toward the door. “Can we take a walk?”
She nodded. “I think we should.”
After such a cold night, the afternoon’s warmth still came as a surprise, like a hint of the promised heat to come. This weekend, Memorial Day weekend, was the official opener of summer. And the busiest time for a cherry grower right up until the first week of August.
Silently, Eva walked with Adam around the other side of the pole barn to a picnic table situated on level ground. The view of the orchard was spectacular here, the same vantage point that Adam’s sister had admired less than a couple months ago.
Adam sat on the table’s top. Resting his elbows on his knees, he looked up at her. “What happened today?”
Eva twirled the end of her ponytail, wrapping it around into a makeshift bun and then stuffing the ends under the elastic holder. “I’m sorry. I…panicked. It was like I had a flashback and it freaked me out.”
“Flashback? Of Todd?”
Eva nodded.
Adam’s eyes widened with shock and hurt. By the desolation of his expression, he thought the worst. He looked scared. “What did that guy do to you, Eva?”
Looking out over rows of cherry trees with their deep green leaves hiding the developing fruit, Eva swallowed hard. “We were at a party in the woods. Todd and I had walked away from everyone. He’d been drinking. I never should have followed him—” She stopped and looked at Adam.