Blue Ridge Sunrise

by Denise Hunter

  Somehow she made it through her solo of “Lead Me to the Cross” without breaking down. After church she found the opportunity she’d been waiting for. Her dad was chatting with the assistant pastor about a legal matter, and Noah Mitchell had pulled Brady aside.

  She slipped out the back door and made her way down Main Street to Cruz’s apartment. The heat dampened the back of her neck and by the time she climbed the outside stairs her hair clung there. At the top of the stairwell she knocked on his door, impatience evident in the loud, hard raps.

  A long moment later the door swung open.

  She sucked in a breath at the sight of his swollen eye and bruised jaw.

  “It looks worse than it feels,” he said.

  “Liar.” She touched his jaw tenderly, but he flinched anyway. “I’m going to kill him. Why on earth didn’t you hit him back? Or at least defend yourself?”

  “I deserved it.” He looked over her shoulder as if she might’ve brought company. “You shouldn’t be here. Where’s Brady?”

  “Who cares? After last night I don’t care if I ever see him again. He was so loud he woke Daddy, and now he knows everything.”

  Cruz ran his hand over his mouth. “Great. I was hoping to at least handle that one right.”

  She grabbed his other hand, needing to feel connected to him. He seemed distant somehow, would hardly look at her. Even when he did, the warmth was gone from his eyes.

  A heavy weight settled in her chest. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what they say. I’m an adult. I can date anyone I want. Why didn’t you answer your phone? Aren’t you going to let me in?”

  He shifted in the doorway. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  The look he gave her made a shiver of dread pass through her. “Zoe . . .”

  “What? This doesn’t have to change anything between us. They know now. That means we can go out in public like you wanted.”

  “It changes everything.” He paused to give his words thought. “I think we need to take a little break.”

  “No.”

  “We need to give Brady some time to cool off.”

  “I told him it wasn’t your fault. That it wasn’t what it looked like. That we . . . we have feelings for each other.”

  Something flickered in his eyes. “They need time to adjust to the idea.”

  “I’m not going to let them dictate who I see!”

  “It’s not about that. I need to earn their respect—and their trust. We kept this from them for four months. And we shouldn’t have moved so fast—that’s my fault. Now they think the worst of me, and I deserve it. We went behind their backs, and that only made things worse. It’s going to take some time for me to prove myself.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “Fine, but you can do that while we’re together. Come over to the house for supper tonight.” Her dad would have a conniption, but anything was better than taking a break.

  “I’m the last person your dad wants to see right now. Not to mention Brady. We need to take a step back and reassess.”

  “Reassess?” That sounded so permanent. “No, I don’t want that.”

  “I don’t either, Zoe, but it’s the risk we took when we started sneaking around. Now we have to live with the consequences.”

  Her muscles quivered as heat flushed through her. “So it’s my fault?”

  “Not at all. I should’ve done the right thing.”

  His calm, even tone scared her more than anything else.

  “But I talked you out of it, right? You do think it’s my fault.”

  His jaw twitched. “I’m not going to fight with you, Zoe. Brady’ll come around in time when he calms down. When he realizes I have feelings for you. But your dad . . . That’s going to take longer.”

  “I don’t care what my dad thinks.”

  “Well, I do.”

  “You’re never going to earn his approval, don’t you get that?”

  He blinked, hurt flashing in his eyes.

  But she couldn’t bring herself to take it back. It was true. Cruz came from a different background, and her dad could be such a snob. He’d never support her dating a guy who didn’t even go to college, a guy who worked at the local hardware store. And though he’d never said as much, she guessed the color of Cruz’s skin didn’t help matters much.

  “I hope you’re wrong,” he said.

  “Why do you think I didn’t want to tell him in the first place? I knew this would happen.”

  “All we can do now is play it out. And that means stepping back and doing it right this time.”

  “Aren’t you even listening? Time won’t change anything. Not with my dad.”

  He crossed his arms, and the resolute set of his jaw filled her with fear. “I have to have his blessing, Zoe. I’m not dating you without it.”

  She threw her hands up. “Argh! You’re so frustrating!”

  “You have to trust me.”

  She blinked against the sting of tears. She was too angry to cry. How could he do this? He didn’t care as much about her as she did about him. Her heart gave a heavy thump.

  “I did trust you. I trusted you with my heart, and now you’re pushing me away.”

  His eyes squeezed in a wince. “It’s not like that.”

  “Sure sounds like it to me! You want a break? Well, that just suits me fine. Let’s make it a nice, long, permanent one!” She whirled away, shaking.

  “Zoe, come on . . . You don’t mean that.”

  “Yes I do!”

  “Zoe!” he called after her as she fled down the stairs.

  She didn’t want to hear any more excuses. If he cared as much as she did he wouldn’t want some stupid break. He wouldn’t be able to stand the thought of being apart. He wouldn’t let her go.

  But when she reached the church and finally looked back toward his apartment he was nowhere to be seen. And the next day there was no phone call. Or the day after, or the one after that.

  Three weeks came and went. Zoe was so distracted she barely realized she’d missed her period. After work one day she drove to the next town over and purchased a pregnancy test. Her hands shook as she took it first thing the next morning.

  And three minutes later her heart quaked as the pink line appeared in the window.

  chapter sixteen

  Zoe fretted for the next two weeks. She told only Hope about the pregnancy, and Hope encouraged her to tell Cruz. Zoe knew she had to tell him, but she dreaded it. She’d had nothing but doubts since he’d pushed her away. If he had plans to make her dad like him, she had yet to see them in action. It seemed as if he’d dropped off the face of the earth. As if he’d only been patronizing her with all his talk about winning her dad over.

  And all hell was going to break loose when her dad found out she was pregnant.

  But she had to tell Cruz. Late at night she lay in bed, mapping out their conversation. He’d do the right thing by her; she didn’t doubt that. But she didn’t want him to marry her because of the baby. She wanted him to love her as much as she loved him. She wanted him to believe in her. In them.

  Meanwhile, Kyle was pressuring her to go on tour with the band. They were leaving soon, and he made it sound like so much fun. But she held her ground. She had to deal with this new turn of events.

  When she finally got up the nerve she texted Cruz, asking him to meet with her. The text went unanswered, so she sent another, and another. Then she called him. But that went straight to voicemail.

  She disconnected the call. She was about ready to tell him the news in a text. She punched his number again and, as expected, voicemail kicked on.

  “This is Zoe. I need to talk to you, as I’ve mentioned to you three times already. It’s important, Cruz. Meet me at the creek tonight at eight. If you’re not there I’m showing up at the hardware store tomorrow morning, and we’ll have this conversation right there.”

  By the time she disconnected her heart was pounding in her chest. It was hu
miliating. She felt as if she were chasing someone who only wanted to be left alone. And now she was going to make him feel trapped.

  Kyle’s words came rushing back. This is a huge career opportunity. Don’t let some guy stand in the way of your future. You’re not even together anymore. When’s the last time he’s checked up on you, huh? He’d shrugged, an I-rest-my-case look on his face.

  But Kyle didn’t know about the pregnancy. She’d tell him tonight after she told Cruz. He’d surely give up on her then. The band was leaving in two days, and having some pregnant girl along for his whirlwind tour would surely cramp his style.

  ZOE ARRIVED AT the creek early, her heart in her throat, her legs shaking so much she stayed in her car. She put her window down and turned off the ignition. A glance in the visor mirror told her she looked as tired as she felt. She hadn’t been sleeping well, and she’d been dogged by fatigue. She slapped the mirror closed.

  A few minutes later Cruz’s truck came rumbling down the lane, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

  “You can do this,” she whispered, placing her hand over her flat belly.

  Cruz pulled up beside her and got out. She met him at the front of her car. He looked so handsome in the evening light. There were no dark circles under his eyes.

  “Nice of you to show up.” Okay, so she was still mad. “Obviously nothing’s wrong with your phone.”

  He stopped several feet away, his hands tucked into his front pockets. “I got your texts, but I didn’t see any point in meeting. I already know what you’re going to tell me.”

  Her lips parted as nausea twisted her empty stomach. How could he know? She’d only told Hope. She realized belatedly his guarded stance. The strained expression on his face.

  “You don’t owe me anything, Zoe.” His tone was clipped. “If you want to run off with Kyle and pursue your music together, that’s your decision.”

  Wait. She blinked. “What?”

  “You really didn’t have to tell me in person. You made your choice. I got the message loud and clear.”

  Was he really implying she’d moved on with Kyle? After she’d reassured him there was nothing there? She stared at him. She couldn’t believe he thought so little of her. May as well just add him to the list, right behind her dad. Her shoulders stiffened.

  “Well, glad we had this talk.” He was already backing away. “Good luck, I guess.”

  She was still shaking her head as he walked around the front of his truck. As he got inside and turned it over. This wasn’t the way this was supposed to go.

  She opened her mouth to stop him. But how could she tell him about the baby now? How could she be with a man who believed as little of her as her father? But he’d know soon enough if she stayed.

  Kyle called later that night, and Zoe found herself telling him everything. About the baby. About her conversation with Cruz—as short as it had been. Hearing the compassion in his voice she broke, weeping until she could hardly talk. Until she could hardly swallow against the lump in her throat or breathe for the ache in her chest.

  When he pressed her again about going on the tour she hesitated. She couldn’t believe he’d still have her. But he was so understanding. He even said she could bring Brownley along. And he made some good points. This would solve most of her problems. If she stayed she didn’t know what she was going to do once the baby started showing. Cruz would end up trapped in a relationship he didn’t want. And her dad sure wasn’t going to be any kind of support.

  She would leave. It’s what Cruz expected of her anyway.

  Two days later, after her dad left for work, she wrote a note for her family and packed up her things. She’d made decisions that had changed the course of her life. All she could do now was take the next step forward.

  part three

  chapter seventeen

  So many emotions washed over Zoe as Hope drove them down the orchard’s long gravel drive. How life had changed in the five years since she’d last been here.

  Memories rushed back. All the times she and Cruz had spent hiding out in the orchard. At the swimming hole on the north side of the property, stretched out in the bed of his truck or cuddling on the bank of the creek under the moonlit sky.

  Memories, good and bad, tangled together like a knotted ball of yarn. There was no going back. Only forward.

  She’d hardly slept last night, worried that Kyle would return and make more trouble. But the night had passed uneventfully.

  Her jaw still throbbed, and an ugly red bruise marked the spot where his hand had connected. Her efforts at covering it with makeup had been futile.

  Behind her in her new booster seat, Gracie slurped her orange juice as she watched the passing landscape. Their trip to Walmart the night before had set Hope back seventy-eight dollars. Zoe was keeping a running tab.

  She surveyed the seventeen acres of the orchard and the rolling hills beyond it. It was thinning season now, and harvest would soon be upon them. The trees would require over a dozen laborers.

  Zoe was meeting the accountant and orchard manager at the house to go over basic operations. She was completely out of step with any changes they might have made in recent years. She hoped she’d feel more at ease once they brought her up to speed.

  Hope rolled the car to a stop in front of the white clapboard farmhouse. Granny’s house. Their new home. There would be house bills and orchard bills and financial statements, and she knew diddly about any of it. Kyle had always done the bills. And she was terrible at math.

  Hope grabbed her hand. “Breathe. I can see the panic in your eyes. Let’s just take one day at a time.”

  “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “Why, of course you can. We’ll all be right here. Me, Brady, and . . .” Hope bit her lip, something flickering in her eyes. “Honey . . . there’s something I need to tell you before you go in there.”

  A truck pulled up alongside their car, and Zoe’s eyes swung to the driver. Cruz sat behind the wheel of the black Silverado, Brady in the passenger seat.

  “Mama, it’s Uncle Bwady!”

  What was Cruz doing here? He was the last person—well, second to last—she wanted to see this morning. Maybe he was just giving her brother a ride. Obviously the two had overcome the rift in their relationship while she was gone.

  But no, he was getting out of the truck. Did he think he could just pop back into her life so easily? Maybe he’d come to her rescue at the Rusty Nail, but that wasn’t an invitation back into her life.

  Zoe slid from her seat.

  “Zoe . . . ,” Hope said.

  But the door had already shut behind her, and she was busy fighting the rise of irritation. She felt a sharp stab of guilt at the thought of Gracie and the fact that she’d kept Cruz from her.

  But he was the one who’d assumed the worst of her. He was the reason she’d gone on the road to begin with. The reason he had no relationship with his daughter. Even now she wanted to gather Gracie up and run far, far away. It was unsettling having them in the same space together.

  Too bad she had nowhere else to go.

  Cruz adjusted the ball cap on his head, wincing as he caught sight of her jaw. He didn’t look so swell either, with that black eye.

  “How you feeling this morning?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. What are you doing here, Cruz? I don’t aim to be rude, but this is a family matter.”

  Surprise flickered in his eyes. They toggled toward Hope, who was coming around the front of her car, then to Brady. Finally they came back to her.

  “I’m obliged for what you did last night,” she said. “But I can handle things from here, all right?”

  “Um, Zoe . . . ,” Hope started.

  “Mama! Get me out!”

  “I’ll get her.” Hope skirted Zoe.

  “I’ll be in the house,” Brady said, taking off as if his clothes were on fire.

  Cruz was looking at her, that enigmatic look in his dark eyes. “Nobody told you.”

/>   A shiver of foreboding passed over her. She looked at Hope, who was pulling Gracie from her booster, deftly avoiding eye contact.

  “Told me what?”

  He adjusted the brim of his hat. A nervous habit that drew attention to his expressive eyes and held her captive for a beat too long.

  “I work here, Zoe,” he said. “I manage the place. I thought you knew. Your grandma hired me when Glen moved away four years ago.”

  She blinked, hearing but not yet digesting the information. “How would I know?”

  “I don’t know . . . Your grandma, Hope, Brady . . . I figured someone would’ve told you.”

  “Well, no one did!”

  He seemed to absorb her anger, his jaw twitching once, his eyes steady on her.

  Sure, maybe she hadn’t kept in touch the way she should’ve. Maybe she’d even cut Granny off a time or two when Cruz’s name came up.

  But this.

  Her grandma had left the orchard to Zoe, which was going to put her in very close proximity to the man who’d stolen her heart and forgotten to give it back.

  What had Granny been thinking? She’d been meddling, that’s what. Meddling from beyond the grave.

  She watched a dark shadow move over Cruz’s face. Maybe he thought he should’ve inherited the place. He’d been here, after all, holding down the fort for her grandma while Zoe had been traveling the country. Barely keeping in touch.

  “You think she should’ve left it to you.”

  He looked away for a long moment before meeting her gaze again. “I never said that.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  “I have no claim on the land. I’m glad you’re staying.”

  Her gaze swung to his in time to watch a flush crawl up his neck.

  “It’d be a shame to see the orchard pass from the family. A lot of people depend on this place to put food on their tables.”

  “Of course.” Guilt pricked hard. She hadn’t even given the laborers a second thought until now. Until it was convenient for her to keep the place. When had she become so selfish?