The peach blossoms opened their petals along the branches of the trees all across the rolling hills of our orchard, and a light seemed to appear at the end of my long tunnel.
This morning, I’m not wearing heels.
I’m in my boots and a sweater, and I stand at the top of the hill, watching as the sun touches the pink blossoms with golden light.
“Good to see you’re not crying anymore.” Leon’s voice appears at my side, and I put an arm around his shoulders.
“I’m not crying.” I exhale slowly. “It’s time to get busy. What needs to happen here?”
He shrugs out of my embrace, stepping over to break off a small twig sticking out of the trunk of a tree. “Sawyer handled the pruning in July, so we should be good. Maybe head into town and see what the old timers are saying about frost?”
“Yes.” I nod, the knowledge seeping into my memory. “Late frost is bad.”
We have special windmills throughout the orchard to pull warm air from the ground to protect the young crop.
“I’ll drive to town and see what they’re saying.”
“Good luck.” Leon laughs, shaking his head. “I’ve got to get to school.”
“You need anything?”
“Nah, I’ve got it covered.”
Holding a skinny branch, I make a decision. This is my land, and I won’t let my brothers down.
I’m at the Denny’s next to the truck stop in under an hour, but it’s deserted except for a few weary travelers. Glancing at my phone, I’ve only got twenty minutes before I have to be across the highway in class.
“Morning, Sugar. Coffee?” Flo walks up to where I stand beside a vinyl-covered booth.
“I
was just looking for Mr. Hayes and the rest of the men.”
She gives me a short laugh. “You have to get here earlier than this to see those guys.”
Shit. Chewing my lip, I nod and hurry to the door. “Thanks, Flo.”
My best friend has a pencil stuck in the bun on her head, and we’re whispering in management class. “Frost?”
“Yeah, what have you heard about a late frost this year?” I’m thinking about my lack of management skills the first half of the year and feeling guilty.
Mindy looks at me like I just sprouted an additional head. “Are you serious right now?”
“I’m trying to do a better job keeping track of things while Sawyer’s away.”
Our professor gives us the homework assignment, dismisses us, and our voices grow louder over the roar of departing students.
“I’m glad.” She stands, and we make our way to the end of the row, where I see Deacon waiting at the door.
He’s hard to miss, tall with dark brown hair and brooding eyes. As usual, he’s dressed in jeans and a blazer. I don’t think he means to exude wealth. I think it’s just his normal state of affairs.
“I thought he went back to Dallas?”
“He did.” She glances over and gives him a little wave. “His family pissed him off again, so he came back.”
“So are you dating now?” I squint at her. She has never made anything official between them.
“I don’t know.” She does a little shrug. “I’m not sure he’s my type.”