Season of Dreams (3 page)

Adam tipped his head. “Your brother's name is Sin?”

“Short for Sinclair.”

“Ironic nickname for a minister.”

Ryan laughed. “Not if you knew him.”

“Just stop it.” Eva bit into her sandwich. It hurt that her brothers hardly spoke. They were both hardheaded
and sticking to what they thought were noble principles. Sinclair punished himself for his part in an accident that took the life of Ryan's girlfriend. Ryan blamed himself, but he resented Sin's absence. He'd had to face Sara's folks alone.

After lunch, Eva grabbed the long pruning loppers to tackle another row of trees. Within hours, the snowflakes grew fatter and more insistent. They stuck to her eyelashes and blurred her vision. She brushed them away.

She glanced at Adam on his milk crate. He'd slowed down considerably from this morning and kept blowing into his gloves. “Are you cold?”

“Just my hands.”

She searched the wagon. Pulling out another pair of heavy-duty work gloves, she walked toward him. “Try these.”

Adam tucked his expensive-looking ski gloves into his coat pockets. The tips of his fingers were white with a purple hue.

Eva grabbed his hands. “Let me see.”

Adam tried to pull back. “They're fine.”

“No, they're not.” Eva took off her gloves and touched his frozen skin. “We have to get you back to the house.”

“Give me those and I'll be fine.”

“Nope. You've got frostbite starting on your fingertips. Time to call it a day. I'll let Ryan know.” Eva looked at Adam's face. The tip of his nose had turned white, too. The most important thing was to get Adam back home where it was warm.

 

Adam sat in Eva's cheerfully decorated kitchen once again. Antiques mixed with brightly colored modern-looking fabrics but it blended well. The place had life. Vibrance. This time his hands were plunged into bowls of
warm water while Eva built a fire in the woodstove. The snap and crackle of igniting wood cut the silence. And Adam felt like an idiot. Obviously he needed better gloves, and he'd have to pick up a fleece balaclava to protect his face if he planned to work an eight-hour day alongside the formidable Eva Marsh.

“So, I take it your family are churchgoers, to have a brother in ministry.” Adam couldn't take the quiet. It was too much like when he was in grade school and sent to the principal's office.

“Yup.”

“I went to church when I was a kid.” His mother used to take him to Sunday school and church every week. A few years after she'd died, when he'd hit his teens, Adam took a detour away from everything he'd been taught about honoring God. He stayed on that road too long, making choices he wasn't proud of now that he'd given his heart back to the Lord.

Eva shut the woodstove doors. “Do you attend now?”

“When I can.” He wanted to settle in somewhere and go regularly. He needed a home church to call his own. A place to grow.

After attending a Christian concert with his sister over the holidays, Adam hadn't anticipated God grabbing hold of him, but he was grateful for the second chance. Another puzzle piece of his life found its place. Adam might not have all the pieces locked in yet, but he was on his way.

He looked her square in the eye and wanted her to know he'd changed. “I recently came back to my faith.”

Her eyes widened with surprise. “Looks like you'll have to change your lifestyle.”

She couldn't know what his life had been before—the parties filled with women and friends looking for what they could glean from him. Not that he cared to enlighten
her. He was over it. Finished. Still, he smiled at her sharp tongue, and then laughed when the shock on her face registered as if she'd accidentally spoken her thoughts out loud.

Adam knew he had a lot to live down. “I thought Christians were supposed be nice. Love thy neighbor and pray for your enemies.”

Her eyes glazed with remorse, and then she laughed, but her amusement sounded forced. “Yeah, well, I'm working on that.”

“So, have you decided if I'm your neighbor or your enemy?”

She glanced at the clock on the wall, obviously uncomfortable with his probing. “I don't know yet.”

But the brief flash of pain in her chocolatey eyes bothered him. It wasn't easy accepting his part in her disappointment. He knew buying her family's orchard had been a blow to her dreams of one day taking over the farm. Her father had pretty much spelled that out.

But Adam suspected the resentment went deeper than the sale of the land. She seemed lost and alone. Almost afraid, like a small force in a big world gone awry. Which was crazy considering that Eva Marsh proved quite capable of taking care of herself.

“Let me see your hands.” Eva peeked into the bowl, effectively shutting down his thoughts by her nearness. Something about her definitely piqued his interest.

He lifted his hands and winced.

She glanced at him with real concern and then gently touched the skin of his fingers. “As they thaw, it's going to hurt.”

“You're not kidding.” Adam had experienced cold but never like this. He peered into Eva's eyes, and for a few
moments she didn't look away. She didn't let go of his hands either.

And then the door opened, and Eva's roommate blew in with a rush of bitter air. Beth took one look at him and rushed forward. “Adam, what happened?”

“Frostbite.” Eva moved away, leaving Adam to wish her roommate back at school.

Beth's expression turned to mush. “Oh, you poor thing. Can I get you anything?”

This
was what Adam was used to, but oddly enough he didn't want Beth hovering over him. “I'll be fine.”

She smiled. “You gotta watch Eva, she's a tough taskmaster.”

Adam noticed the flush of color on Eva's cheeks and grinned. “She's not so bad.”

“Wait till you get to know her better.” Beth winked at him.

Had Eva heard Beth's comment? By the way his prickly little employee bustled about the kitchen, he was pretty sure she had. Maybe she wasn't immune to him after all.

 

After the first week's worth of pruning beside Adam, Eva needed to unwind. Saturday night, she succeeded for a couple of hours at the movies with Ryan and Beth. She hadn't thought of Adam Peece once during the big-budget sci-fi flick. Except for the moment she decided that the lead actor's brilliant blue eyes were no comparison to Adam's.

After his bout with frostbite, Adam had shown up for work wearing better gear and he went the distance in the field. She thought for sure he'd bail after a few days spent working outside in the bitter cold. Instead, he arrived every morning eager to work. Ryan had shown him how to use
a small chainsaw on the bigger branches needing to be clipped from older trees.

The instant camaraderie between the two men pricked like a thorn in her finger. She'd always considered her brother a good judge of character. Either his discernment was off or her apprehension of Adam was overblown. Neither sat well.

“Wanna grab a bite to eat?” Ryan pulled his truck into the latest hot spot in Traverse City.

“Why here?” Eva didn't care to hang out in a loud place.

“They have the best wings in town. Come on, Beth, back me up.”

Beth laughed. “You're looking to scope the ladies.”

“Right.” Ryan's mouth twisted.

Eva had given up badgering Ryan to ask Beth out since her brother showed no signs of interest. For anyone. His hurt still ran too deep. But then, so did hers.

After they found a table, Eva looked around the crowded restaurant. The bar was full, and the surrounding tables were jammed. She spotted movement in the corner and heard shrill feminine laughter. And then she saw him.

Adam sat at the end of a table made for eight with at least twelve people squeezed around it. Adam sat between two women, his arms draped loosely around each one.

“Hey, Adam.” Ryan waved.

Under the table, Eva pinched her brother's thigh. “Don't call him over here.”

“Why not?” Ryan feigned innocence.

Beth turned and waved, too.

It was hard enough working with him—Eva didn't want to socialize, too. But like a fly drawn to rotting fruit, Eva glanced at Adam. His blue eyes stared straight through her
as he disengaged from the pouty-lipped women and made his way toward them.

“Great,” Eva growled.

“How come your cheeks are red, Eva?” Ryan winked.

She wanted to hide, which made her cheeks feel that much hotter.

Beth played traitor and pulled out a chair.

Adam slipped into the seat. “Had some great skiing today. What are you guys up to?”

“We went to the movies,” Beth answered.

Eva peeked at the table Adam had left behind. Some of the women took pictures with their cell phones. Maybe that was why he'd been cuddled between two beauties—he was getting his picture taken. Not that it was any of her business what he did.

“Are you guys interested in coming to my place to ski tomorrow? I'll spring for your lift tickets.”

“Cool.”

“No, thanks,” Eva answered with more volume than her brother. “We've got church in the morning.”

Ryan looked at her as if she'd spit ice cubes across the table and then turned to Adam. “Why don't you come with us to church? We can ski afterward.”

Eva jumped in before Adam could answer. “He's not going to want to drive all the way from Benzie County for church.”

“Let the man answer for himself,” Ryan said.

Eva glanced at Adam. He fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers, but his gaze rested firmly on her. The taunt she'd flung at him about changing his lifestyle rang through her brain. Surely he wouldn't attend church to spite her.

“Hmm. I'm staying at a friend's place not too far from you guys, so I could make church.”

Eva cringed. Ryan had a big mouth.

“I'd love to ski, but I have dinner plans with my mom right after service. Why don't you pick us up at nine thirty?” Beth's smile was a little too wide.

Adam tapped the table with his fingertips. Not a trace of damage from his scrape with frostbite. “Is that okay with you, Eva?”

What could she say? Refusing now would only make her look like being around Adam got to her. Backed into a corner, she decided nonchalance was the best shield of defense. “Sure, that's fine.”

He studied her longer than she thought necessary before answering. “Then I'll see you tomorrow morning.”

Eva watched him return to his table of
friends
. The volume of laughter rose, and one of the women he'd had his arm around threw her a curious glance and then settled on Beth. Creases of doubt wrinkled the woman's forehead.

Ryan rubbed his chin. “I'm definitely taking him up on his offer to ski tomorrow. You going, Eva?”

“No!” Maybe she'd been abrupt in her answer, but the company Adam Peece kept supported what she thought. He was a shallow guy trying out a new hobby. Those women at his table no doubt thought a gentleman cherry grower was a charming side job. Eva might work for the man, but she wasn't about to hang out with him, too. No way, no how.

T
he next morning, Adam knocked on Eva's door wondering if he'd made a wise choice. It was the perfect day to ski, blue skies filled with sunshine and temperatures topping out at a balmy thirty degrees. He had the strangest sense that he'd feel closer to God on the slopes rather than sitting in a pew next to Miss Prickly Prim Marsh.

Beth opened the door. “Good morning, Adam. Come in. Eva will be down in a minute. Want some coffee?”

Adam stepped into the warm kitchen and shed his coat. “I'd love some.”

Beth handed him a mug of steaming brew. “Have you had breakfast? It'd only take a minute to warm up Eva's oatmeal.”

Adam nestled on a stool, propping his elbows on the ceramic tile-covered island while he cradled his cup. “I'm not much of a hot cereal fan.”

“I promise you'll like this. If not, no big deal.” Beth shrugged, but Adam got the distinct feeling that if he didn't like it there was something wrong with him.

Maybe there was more than just the cereal at stake here, Adam mused. He suspected that if he messed with Eva,
he'd have to answer to her roommate. A tall, solid-looking woman, Beth was a formidable force. “I'll give it a try.”

Beth smiled. “You won't be sorry.”

They were talking about the cereal, right?

He shook off his musings. Something about the brown sugar and spice smell of Eva's kitchen felt like home. A real home. Not the rambling, fully staffed estate of his father's where Adam and his siblings each had private apartments.

Adam stirred milk into his bowl of oatmeal that was loaded with nuts and berries. “She puts cherries in everything, doesn't she?”

“Just about. She loves them. She loves this orchard, too, if you haven't already noticed.”

Adam didn't miss the serious note in Beth's voice. He remembered the way Eva fussed over the young tree he'd gashed with the ATV and felt like a heel all over again. “That's why I hired her.”

Beth quickly turned to put away the remains of breakfast. Though he couldn't guess why, Beth seemed disappointed with his answer.

Adam took a bite of cereal, savoring the heat and texture. “Wow. This is good.”

“Thanks.” Eva entered the room dressed in a butter-colored sweater and matching pants that hugged her slender form. Her hair gleamed against her shoulders and her lips had been slicked with berry-tinted gloss.

Adam dropped his spoon. He glanced at Beth, who smiled at him again, only this time with beaming approval. She'd witnessed his jaw-drop reaction to seeing Eva dressed like a girl instead of a farmhand. And he could practically hear the matchmaking gears turning inside Beth's head.

Adam focused on his breakfast. He had no business finding Eva Marsh so attractive. Any entanglement with
her would throw a wrench in what he was trying to figure out. Trying to do.

He'd done more than his fair share of dating. He needed to stay away from that slippery slope. Besides, he'd never get tangled up with an employee. Unlike his father, who had a habit of getting involved with his secretaries, Adam kept work and his personal life separated.

He peeked at Eva leaning against the counter. She watched him over the rim of her coffee cup. Attending church with her inched pretty close to that personal line.

Eva didn't like the hitch in her breathing when she read the appreciation in Adam's eyes. She didn't like admitting that she'd taken extra care getting dressed this morning either. But that was exactly what she'd done, all because she was trying to compete with the beauties at Adam's table last night. Ridiculous, considering she'd never come close by comparison. She shouldn't care. Eva knew who she was and where she came from.

Still, she hadn't been prepared for his approval or searching curiosity when he'd stared at her. She took too big a gulp of coffee. Swallowing the heat brought tears to her eyes and she coughed.

“You okay?” Beth asked.

“Coffee too hot.”

Adam brought his bowl to the sink, putting him much too close for comfort. “You going to make it?”

Eva coughed again.

He touched her elbow. “You okay?”

She stepped away. “Thanks, I'm fine. Really. Let's go.”

But she wasn't fine. For a split second, Eva had wanted to sway closer to Adam. Like a magnet drawn to steel, she'd felt a sharp pull between them. She didn't need to act on it. She wouldn't.

“Eva, you coming?” Beth slipped into her coat.

“Yes.” She brushed her thoughts aside and grabbed her jacket.

Could men like Adam Peece be trusted? Not by her. No matter how nice he seemed, Peece was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. Despite having to work with him, Eva would keep her distance. Despite friendly outings to church, Eva was his employee. There was no point in dressing to catch his attention. She shouldn't want it.

But she did.

 

The small church was full of people chatting in the foyer when they arrived and Adam felt the weight of several stares. Both men and women scrutinized him closely. He didn't fit the flannel shirt and blue jeans dress code of a northern Michigan small town. So what if his clothes screamed out-of-towner? He liked to look nice.

Eva was pulled aside by a little old lady with blue hair. The elderly woman whispered in Eva's ear and made her laugh out loud. Adam realized he'd never heard Eva really laugh. He liked it.

“Adam, this is my grandma Marsh.” Eva's eyes were shining with amusement.

Adam looked at the woman, who was not much taller than Eva but with the same chocolate-brown eyes that proved a family resemblance. He took the lady's hand in his own. “Very nice to meet you.”

Grandma squeezed his fingers with surprising strength. “My, my, but you're a looker. I've got my eye on you, young man.”

Adam swallowed a laugh and winked at her instead. “I hope so.”

He glanced at Eva, who shook her head before saying,
“I'm going to get Grandma settled next to Aunt Jamee and Uncle Larry.”

“I'll catch up with you in the sanctuary.” He watched them walk away.

“So, what do you think?” Beth asked him.

Adam turned to see Beth looking smug. “Of what?”

“Of Eva.”

Adam didn't understand why her roommate kept tossing Eva at him as if she was incapable of attracting a guy on her own. That was a new one. He was used to pushy girls like Beth hoping to snatch him for themselves, not their friends. He wasn't interested in romancing Eva. He shouldn't be. “Ah…yeah…well, she's capable. Why do you keep asking me?”

Beth shrugged her shoulders, but she gave him that satisfied grin that only girls could muster. The one that said she'd gotten the answer she was looking for even though he hadn't said a thing. “No reason.”

He rolled his eyes when she walked away. Maybe he should find an excuse to leave early. But then Ryan made a beeline for him with an intense-looking man pushing fifty.

“Hey,” Adam said.

“Adam, I want to introduce you to my uncle. He's been our beekeeper for as long as I can remember, but Eva can fill you in on details. Uncle Larry, this is Adam Peece. He bought the orchard from Dad.”

“Peece? Any relation to the canning company?” Larry extended his hand.

“My father's business, third-generation owner.”

The man gave him a shrewd look. “As the fourth generation, are you looking to move into cherries now?”

Adam saw where this was going. He wanted to set Larry straight. “No, I decided to go it alone. Although, if my
dad wants to buy them from me come harvest, I won't complain.”

Larry slapped him on the back, satisfied with the answer. “Absolutely not. Come on, I'll introduce you to a grower that also rents bees from me. He's a good man to know around here.”

Adam gave Ryan a nod and went with his uncle. Larry introduced him to Jim Sandborn, a cherry and apple farmer who lived about five miles south of Marsh Orchards.

“New to fruit farming then?” Jim eyed him with apprehension.

Last year, Adam had come to Leelanau County to investigate buying fruit from the area processors. He'd made no secret of researching the particulars for a new product line he wanted to propose to his father.

Adam met Robert Marsh at one such processor and after a long conversation Adam toured the man's property. That first glimpse of Marsh Orchards had been like hearing a siren's song that dug deep into his blood and stayed there. The more he listened to Eva's father talk about growing cherries, the more Adam wanted to experience it. The more Adam saw of the land, the more he wanted to own it.

“I'm brand-new. But I've hired Eva Marsh as my manager to show me the ropes.”

The hardened farmer with hair whiter than the snow piled up outside cracked a hint of a smile. “Lots of you young fellers trying yer hand at cherry farming. But Eva's a smart girl, that one. Known her since she was knee-high. Tiny but just like her dad, and stubborn, too. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks. I will.” Adam hoped the guy meant what he'd said. Admitting that he worked with Eva was what had melted Jim's frosty stare. He wondered if the other grow
ers might relax as quickly once they knew Eva was his manager.

The music started and Adam extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jim.”

The man shook it, nodded and wandered into church.

Adam followed suit, surprised to see Eva waiting for him.

“We sit near the front.” Her eyes challenged him.

He wasn't about to back away, even if they'd been in the very first row. “Closer to the action. I like that.”

He slid into the fourth-row pew right before Ryan could slip in. Adam sat beside Eva. He grinned at the annoyed look she flashed him before she scooted as far away from him as the large lady seated on the other side allowed. He couldn't help but chuckle at her prickly reaction.

The service started with singing, and the congregation didn't hold back in volume or enthusiasm. Adam glanced around. Most of the church members looked like farmers or typical small-town stock. He spotted Uncle Larry sitting between an attractive woman who had to be Aunt Jamee and Grandma Marsh. Larry nodded in acknowledgment.

Adam faced the front and clapped along. He liked the feel of this church with its warm, open faces. By the time the minister stood at the podium, memories of attending services like this with his mom flooded his thoughts. Coming to church had been a good call, even though Eva's proximity distracted. He was aware of her every move.

Eva tried to concentrate on the service, but it was impossible with Adam next to her. From the deep tone of his singing voice pleasantly tickling her ears, to the sincerity of his whispered prayers, she was undone.

Incredible! Adam Peece was a real man of faith. He hadn't been kidding. The knowledge didn't mix well with the image of Adam with his group of friends last night.
Not that any of them did anything wrong, but it was hard to reconcile those two sides of her boss. He was the life of the party but quietly serious in worship.

Watching him with his eyes closed pierced her spirit with an ache of longing. She missed the close relationship she used to have with the Lord. Eva had kept prayer journals during her daily devotions, but she hadn't opened one in two years.

A gnawing in the pit of her stomach hinted that maybe it was time to stop blaming God for what had happened to her. She'd held on so long to the Lord's lack of protection, when she needed to accept that she'd made a horrible mistake trusting Todd. Her mistake. One she'd never make again.

Once the service concluded, she inched her way out of the crowded row, sensing Adam right behind her. The warmth of his nearness surrounded her even though he remained a proper few inches away. She stopped to wait for a woman to gather up a diaper bag.

“Hey, Eva.” Beth appeared from behind two elderly ladies. “Ryan's dropping me off at my mom's. I'll see you later tonight.”

Eva nodded. Great. That left Adam to drive her home alone.

“I see an opening.” Adam took her by the hand. “Come on, we better make a break for it.”

Eva noticed that Adam's touch was warm, although his palm felt rougher than she expected from a paper-pusher. Careful to watch that she didn't bump into anyone, she followed Adam's weaving between groups of people.

An expanse of solid man stood in her way, then he spoke. “Hello, Eva.”

She stopped short at the sound of that terrible voice. The
voice she hadn't heard in two years. The voice belonging to a man she'd thought she loved until he'd attacked her.

Todd!

The last time she'd heard Todd's voice he'd bellowed drunken obscenities when Beth had helped her get away from him.

Her hand slipped out of Adam's grasp as the clamoring buzz in her ears drowned out the sounds and faces of the people surrounding her. Todd blocked out the light of her tunnel vision, making her feel dizzy. Sick.

She sucked in air, but it didn't help. Stars formed before her eyes. She was going to faint. Right there. In the middle of the sanctuary, she'd fall. Adam would see and he'd know. He'd tell Ryan. And Ryan would go after Todd.

No!

Stepping back until her bottom connected with a pew, Eva gripped the solid wood until she felt a fingernail crack. The pain helped her focus, helped her calm down a shade. She tried to make her mouth work, but nothing came out despite hearing herself scream on the inside.

“It's been a while.”

“Yes,” she croaked.

“This is my wife, Susan. We're up from Grand Rapids visiting my in-laws who attend here.”

Eva's eyes widened when she took in the pretty woman standing next to him with a pink bundle of baby in her arms.

The woman's eyes narrowed as if recognizing her. But they'd never met. “Nice to meet you.”

She felt the warmth of Adam's hand at the small of her back.