Blue Ridge Sunrise Read online

  A moment later Pastor Jack began the graveside service, speaking loudly enough for his voice to carry to the back of the large crowd. Nellie Russell had been a town favorite. A feisty woman with a keen sense of justice. She’d given him a chance, hadn’t she? When others thought he was just another loser from the wrong side of the tracks. He’d loved her as though she were his own grandmother.

  The service was short but heartfelt, and when it ended Cruz stood on the outskirts, waiting his turn to approach the family. His best friend, Brady, seemed to be holding up well, accepting condolences with a stoic smile and a firm handshake. This was a big blow on the heels of his divorce from Audrey.

  It was Zoe, though, that his eyes kept returning to. Chin tucked, eyes turned down. Meek was the word that came to mind. No, he wouldn’t have recognized her on the street. What had happened to his lioness? His leona? He had a bad feeling he knew.

  She knuckled a tear from the corner of her eye, and a wave of protectiveness swept over him. Where was Kyle now? He should be here holding her hand. The trio had arrived in town yesterday in a red Mustang. That bit of news was too juicy for the grapevine to miss: return of the hometown boy and girl made good gossip.

  He eased to the front of the line as people slipped away, his heart going like a jackhammer. Almost five years since she’d swapped him for a dream. Since she’d left and broken his pathetic schoolboy heart.

  She was still a beauty, with her flawless skin and lean build. Still had those long legs, though she’d grown into them now. She was no longer the gangly colt.

  Her lashes swept up just then, her green eyes landing on him. A direct hit. Her face softened for the briefest of moments, her lips parting.

  His heart seized up as a dozen images flooded into his mind. Zoe hanging out his passenger window, red hair snapping behind her like a proud flag. Leaping from the high bank of Sutter’s Bend, her squeal carrying on the sultry breeze. Hopping onto his back as they ran through the orchard, her laughter ringing out like the most beautiful melody.

  He blinked away the memories, feeling disoriented as Zoe came back into focus.

  Her eyes were shuttered now, and her lashes swept the tops of her cheeks, a tight smile forming on her lips. She received condolences and made small talk. And then it was his turn.

  She turned toward him. Her eyes sparked, and her chin tilted up. “Hello, Cruz.”

  Ah, there was his leona. Though why on earth she was peeved at him, he didn’t know. He brushed the past aside as he clasped her hand. “Sorry for your loss, Zoe. She sure was a special woman.”

  “Yes, she was.” Her voice was like velvet, soft and quiet, her drawl all but gone. Her eyes everywhere but on him.

  She pulled her hand from his.

  “Granny Nel loved you an awful lot, you know. Talked about you all the time. She was very proud of you.” He didn’t mention how much it hurt to hear Zoe’s name spoken so often—or in tandem with Kyle’s.

  Zoe blinked rapidly and folded her arms over her stomach. “Thank you for saying so.”

  “Brady didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  “He didn’t know for sure.”

  Cruz felt the sting of guilt. She and her brother had been so close once upon a time. It was Cruz’s fault the wedge was there. His fault there’d been a wedge between him and Brady too. It had taken months to restore their friendship after Zoe left.

  The moment stretched on, awkward and uncomfortable, the words they’d said before she left a messy pile on the ground between them.

  Zoe had been dreading seeing Cruz again since the second she’d left him. Which didn’t explain why her heart squeezed tight at the sight of him or the way his touch sent a shiver racing up her arm.

  “How’ve you been, Zoe?”

  She’d forgotten the low scrape of his voice and the way it made her insides hum.

  “Good. Just fine.” She wanted to see those amber flecks in his brown eyes again, but she’d gotten good at avoiding eye contact with men. “You? How’ve you been?”

  “Not bad. Not bad.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  If there was an award for most boring conversation of the year, they were a shoo-in.

  “Congrats on all your success,” he said.

  She didn’t feel like a success. Whatever she’d achieved had come at a high price. And she was no longer sure it was worth it. “Thank you.”

  She wondered if he ever Googled her or checked the band’s social media pages. God knew she’d had to stop herself from keeping tabs on him. Kyle would’ve found out, and there would’ve been hell to pay.

  “What have you been doing with yourself?” she asked.

  “Excuse me, Zoe,” Joe Connelly said as he stepped closer.

  She released a pent-up breath at the welcome interruption.

  “I’m sorry to intrude, but I have a two o’clock appointment.” Joe looked every inch the attorney in his pressed suit and sideswept hair. “We need to schedule a meeting to go over the will.”

  “Oh,” Zoe said. “I’m afraid I’m leaving today. I have an event to get back for. I thought Brady could just handle everything?”

  Joe made a face, then checked his watch. “You should really be there for this. Listen, I have an opening at four o’clock. Would that rush you too much? I know you must want time with your family.”

  She’d planned to introduce Gracie to her dad—not that he’d asked. “Suits me fine. I’ll let Brady know. Thank you, Joe.”

  He took her hand. “Your grandmother loved you very much, Zoe. She made no bones about that.”

  Too bad Zoe had all but thrown that love back in her face. A burn started at the back of her eyes, and her throat tightened. “Thank you.”

  With a final nod he was gone.

  And it was only then that she realized Cruz had left too. Had slipped away as quickly and silently as his love.

  chapter three

  Connelly Law Offices was about as homey a place as such a business could be. The lobby and halls were painted a warm taupe, the walls sported Georgia landscapes, and the air smelled of freshly printed documents and new carpet.

  Joe ushered Zoe and Gracie into a room, Kyle on their heels, and said, “I’ll be right in.”

  An oblong mahogany conference table dominated the space, its surface bearing a few battle scars.

  Zoe tugged Gracie along as they joined her brother at the table. Zoe was conscious of Kyle’s looming presence and the tension he’d hauled into the room with him.

  Brady’s gaze lit on Kyle, probably noting his long tousled hair and careless style of dress that actually took longer than one might think to achieve.

  Her brother’s jaw went rock-hard. “What’s he doing here?”

  Kyle set a hand at the small of her back. “Somebody has to look out for Zoe’s best interests.”

  “Am I supposed to think that’s you?” Brady’s eyes slid to Gracie, his face softening.

  Zoe approached her brother, who’d stood to meet his niece. “This is your Uncle Brady, Gracie.”

  “Hey, sweetheart.”

  Gracie turned her cherub face into Zoe’s leg.

  “She’s a little shy,” Zoe said.

  “That’s all right. We’ll get acquainted afterwards.” Brady looked at Zoe. “She looks just like you did. Those red curls and pale skin.”

  “Remember me telling you about Uncle Brady, honey? About how we used to dig for worms and go fishing in the creek?”

  Gracie peeked out, blinking up at Brady.

  His eyes softened. “Hey, squirt. You’re getting so big.”

  Before Zoe could respond she felt the pressure of Kyle’s hand on her shoulder. She let him guide her to the opposite side of the table, where they took their seats.

  The air conditioning kicked on, and Gracie shivered. Zoe wrapped her arms around her daughter. She should’ve brought her girl a sweater. Why on earth couldn’t she do anything right?

  Silence stretched out, and tension closed in li
ke a spring valley fog as Brady and Kyle eyed each other across the table.

  “Nice you decided to join us for the will portion of the day, Kyle,” Brady said. “Where were you two hours ago when Zoe was weeping graveside?”

  Zoe winced. “Brady.”

  Kyle stiffened, almost imperceptibly. “Watching Gracie so Zoe could grieve in peace. Don’t you judge me. You don’t know anything about us or our lives.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  “I’m guessing it’s yours.”

  “Zoe always answered my calls before you took her away.”

  Kyle smiled smugly. “I didn’t kidnap her. She came of her own free will. Maybe she just doesn’t want to hear from you. That ever occur to you?”

  “Guys, come on,” Zoe said. “This isn’t the time.”

  “All right.” Joe blew into the office like a welcome breeze and sat at the head of the table beside Zoe.

  She breathed a sigh of relief as all heads swung his way. Blood had rushed into her cheeks, making her warm. The air seemed stuffy and thick now.

  “So here we go,” Joe said. “Thank you for making it last-minute like this, and on such a sad day. Your grandma was a special lady, and it was my privilege to help her get her affairs in order. She loved the two of you so much.”

  He shuffled the papers and set them flat. “She begins with the normal preliminaries, naming the two of you as her beneficiaries. I won’t bore you with the details, but my secretary is making copies for you.”

  He nudged his glasses up high on his nose and began reading.

  Zoe was already having difficulty focusing, with Kyle bristling at her side and Brady glaring at him. The legalese jumbled anything of value she did manage to hear.

  She was relieved when Brady spoke up. “Joe, would you mind just cutting to the chase? No offense, but you attorneys sure know how to muddle up the simplest of things.”

  Joe’s lips twitched. “Not at all. Is that okay with you, Zoe?”

  “Of course.”

  Joe folded his hands over the document. “The gist of it is, your grandmother wanted the two of you to share equally in her worldly goods. But she was keenly aware of your different needs and passions.”

  He looked at Brady. “Brady, to you she left her various stocks and bonds and mutual funds.”

  “Granny played the stock market?” Brady asked.

  Joe chuckled. “Like a pro. She started investing early, and she’s grown quite the portfolio. It’s substantial.”

  “Go, Granny,” Brady said.

  “I can go over the details with you later, but she knew how you like working on high-performance cars, and she was aware of how the divorce left you financially. She wanted you to continue your work and be able to take care of your son. There’s plenty here to do all that and get your boy through college someday, if he’s of a mind to go.”

  Brady nodded, his jaw tightening, his eyes finding the tabletop.

  “As I said, she loved you immensely.”

  “I never dreamed she had all that money,” Zoe said. “She lived so simply.”

  “It was never about things with Granny,” Brady said.

  He was so right. Granny’d always had time for her. Always had an ear to lend, a hug for the taking.

  Zoe dabbed the corners of her eyes. “It was about love.”

  “And being independent,” Brady said. “She taught us to stand on our own two feet. Just last week I caught her mowing that hill by the road with the old push mower.”

  Zoe snorted. “Sounds about right.”

  Joe looked at Zoe. “Your grandma ran the 5K last spring. The one benefitting cancer survivors? She didn’t finish last either.”

  “Came in somewhere in the middle, actually.” Brady smiled wistfully. “She buzzed right past Mayor Walters. Embarrassed the daylights out of him.”

  A longing rose up in Zoe. To see Granny one more time. Walk the orchard. Snap green beans with her on the porch. How was it possible she was gone?

  She set her cheek against her daughter’s head, regret flooding through her. Gracie had only known Granny’s love from a distance. Zoe had cheated her daughter of so much.

  Kyle shifted beside her, checking his watch. Boredom practically rolled off him in waves. Zoe knew he was eager to get back on the road. Get back to the studio where he was in charge and important.

  “That leaves you, Zoe.” Joe’s eyes softened on her. “Your grandmother had such fond memories of walking the orchard with you. She felt you had an affinity with the land, and an insatiable curiosity about the process that reminded her of her husband.”

  A terrible dread rose in Zoe even as the words left Joe’s mouth.

  “She left the orchard to you, Zoe. The orchard and the farmhouse, minus a few personal things you’ll read about later. She hoped you’d return home and run the place.”

  “What?” Her exclamation was more breath than word.

  Kyle bristled beside her. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Nonetheless,” Joe said. “Nellie was adamant that the orchard go to Zoe.”

  “She’ll have to sell it then,” Kyle said. “She has a career and life away from here.”

  Brady nailed him with a look. “This is none of your affair. You shouldn’t even be here.”

  “The heck it ain’t.”

  “Let’s just simmer down,” Joe said. “Decisions don’t need to be made today. Let’s just take some time to let this sink in.”

  Kyle stood. “There’s nothing to sink in. She’s selling it. Come on, Zoe.”

  “Is there . . . is there anything else, Joe?”

  “Nothing of consequence. Sheila will have your copy of the will ready at the front desk.”

  Kyle was already at the door, a dark look on his face. Aimed at her.

  Zoe rose, taking Gracie’s hand.

  Brady looked as if he were about to come out of his chair. Joe had his hand on Brady’s arm as if holding him there.

  Zoe gave Brady an apologetic look. “I’ll call you later.”

  “I CAN’T LEAVE tomorrow, Kyle. I have responsibilities.” Zoe stood between the two hotel beds, her purse still hanging from her shoulder. He’d only agreed to one more night, but tomorrow was Saturday. She needed at least a few days.

  Somehow being back home—near Brady and Hope and the people who loved her—had given her courage.

  Or maybe it was only stupidity.

  Gracie had fallen asleep in the car, and Kyle had hardly said a word since they’d left the law office. They’d secured another night at the hotel and lugged their suitcase back inside. Kyle had plopped on the bed, and now he surfed through the channels, his jaw tight. The longish brown hair his female fans were so enamored with flopped over one eye.

  He was giving her the silent treatment. It was his most effective form of punishment. Zoe couldn’t stand being shut out, so she sucked up to Kyle and soon gave him his way. Anything was better than his cold shoulder.

  Her grandma’s will had thrown a wrench into everything, but Brady hadn’t helped matters either. At least Kyle hadn’t come face-to-face with Cruz today. She didn’t see that going well. Thank God Kyle hadn’t attended the funeral. He never would’ve let her go alone if he’d known Cruz would be there.

  She hated this side of him. The stubborn, angry side that made her feel so alone and helpless.

  But he had a good side too, she thought, remembering the gentle way he’d laid Gracie on the double bed, tucking the covers around her as if she were his. And he was generous. He’d donated the profits from their last concert to his bandmate’s son who was fighting leukemia.

  It was his compassion and generosity that had attracted her in the beginning. He’d taken her under his wing and provided stability at a time when she had nothing to offer. When the foundation of her life was crumbling. When she’d felt stuck and afraid.

  He treated Gracie as his own, and his tenderness toward her daughter had endeared him to Zoe. But as their relationship shifted into
more, his possessiveness and manipulations had become more apparent. She’d been blind in the beginning to his faults. But she was blind no longer.

  She looked at him now. At the tightened skin at the corners of his eyes. If she pushed him it would only make things worse. But they had some decisions to make.

  “Kyle, we have to talk about this.”

  He calmly punched the channel button on the remote.

  “It’ll only take a few days to tie this up.”

  Although she didn’t know how, exactly, it was going to get “tied up.” She now owned an orchard, for crying out loud. What was she going to do with it? The thought of selling it about broke her heart.

  Her grandma and grandpa had built that business with their own two hands. Grandpa died when Zoe was young, and Granny had spent the rest of her life growing it into a successful operation.

  Zoe couldn’t sell the orchard. She owed her grandma so much.

  But she couldn’t run it either. She had a life. One that included a lot of traveling and a boyfriend who was never going to stick around Copper Creek. Especially not for a bunch of peach trees.

  Would Brady want it? He’d never expressed much interest in the family business. His passion revolved around cars. There wasn’t the room or desire in his life for farming.

  Or in hers for that matter.

  That wasn’t exactly true. Farming was in her blood. She’d always loved the orchard. Her grandma had been right about that. Even now she woke up sometimes in the dead of night missing the loamy scent of earth, the smell of morning dew on the grass, the sweet tang of a ripe peach, still warm from the sun.

  It was almost April. Harvest season would arrive mid-May. Even if the orchard “almost ran itself” as Hope said, someone would have to be there to make decisions and oversee operations.

  For a moment she let herself imagine she was that person. She closed her eyes as her breath left her body in a long, weight-shedding exhale.

  “Kyle . . . I’m going to need more than one day to sort this out. If you need to leave, you can go ahead. I can join you in a few days.”