AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nobutswhen it comes to love. We’re the Rutledge boys, remember? When we find a woman who doesn’t seethatbefore she seesus... Well, we need to hang on to that woman. You need to hang on to Andrea.”
Zayne winced. “I want to, but her mother managed to turn her against me before.” If he gave her his heart completely, it would crush him to lose her.
Luke leaned forward, looking up into Zayne’s eyes. “You can’t live in fear of whatmighthappen—especially something as unlikely as that. Our upbringing made us one way, andherupbringing made her another. We’ve all had a chance to evolve in twenty years.” Luke clapped his hand on Zayne’s shoulder. “Take it from me—a woman’s love can heal a lot of wounds, brother.”
“But what if I’ve already blown it?”
Luke chuckled. “Wereallyneed to work on that cheery disposition of yours. Stop defeating yourself before you’ve started. Did she tell you what it’ll take to win her back?”
Call me when you’re ready...
“She wants me to give her my all.”
“So...do it.”
Zayne nodded, staring down the hill. To the maze. Which was still a raggedy mess. They’d managed to get the design roughly mowed, but it was hardly the smooth pathways everyone said Cliff had provided. The festival was a week away. He looked around. The whole farm looked...tired.
He pulled his phone out again, and his brother sighed.
“Her text isn’t going to change.”
“Maybe not.” He started to dial. “But her plans are about to.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ITWASTHEopening morning of the Blessing of the Grapes Festival, and Andrea was running down Main Street in a panic.
“Tani!” she shouted, waving a fistful of brochures in the air. “Whatisthis?”
“What iswhat? Slow down!” Tani excused herself from one of the festival’s vendors, who was setting up a food tent in the expansive park near Brady College. “And stop yelling,” she hissed. “You’re gonna freak everyone out.”
“Well,I’mfreaked out.” She stopped to catch her breath. “The brochures still say there’s a corn maze! You said you were going to cover that up with stickers or something. What happened?”
Tani pressed the tip of her tongue to her top lip as she took a brochure. “We must have missed a few. It’ll be fine.”
“It’snotfine. This says there are going to be shuttles to the maze like every other year.”
“Wait—didn’t you say you weren’t going to be bothered if we didn’t have a maze this year? That Zayne’s happiness was more important than the festival?”
Andrea put her fists on her hips. “I never said his happiness was more important. I just didn’t want himunhappy. Even if we’re not together...”
Her voice trailed off. She hadn’t spoken or texted with him in a week. Not since she told him there wouldn’t be a maze. She’d just have to figure out another way to prove her management skills at the college. Another job would roll around eventually. And she was pretty sure she never wanted to run another festival in Rendezvous Falls.
“Okay, okay.” Tani put her arm around Andrea’s shoulders. “I’ll make sure everything works the way it’s supposed to. And no one’s going to be disappointed with the shuttle bus rides, since they’ll now take them up to Eagle Rock Distillery. That was a brilliant idea on your part.”
“But not as family-centered as the maze was.”
She had a feeling quite a few parents would get the same earful from their kids that Hudson had been giving her. Although his distress may have had more to do with missing Zayne than missing the corn maze. Her son had been moping around all week, asking to go to the farm. Asking to go see Duke. Asking why Momma didn’t like Mr. Zayne anymore.
Whitney had advised Andrea to love Zaynethrough his fear. But first, she needed to know that he lovedherenough to try. But every day that passed without him reaching out to her made her feel more lonely. She’d been grateful for the festival, because it kept her too busy to think about how much she missed him—at least until nighttime came. But now the festival was here, and in a few days it would be over and then she’d be forced to confront a future without Zayne in it.
“Yoo-hoo! Andrea!” Iris Taggart was walking her way, using the cane that had become a regular thing since the octogenarian broke her hip a few years ago. Vickie Pendergast was with her. They’d both been chairs of the festival multiple times in the past. “Everything looks lovely, dear. You’re going to have a smashing success this weekend—I just know it. Even without the corn maze.”
And there it was. The first of what would probably be a thousand mentions of the missing maze. Andrea forced a smile. “Thank you, Iris. What has you here so early? The festival doesn’t officially start until this afternoon.”
“We’re here for the traditional first bus ride, of course.” Vickie smiled, patting Andrea’s arm. “Even if we are going to a different destination this year.”
And there was mention number two. Andrea pulled her shoulders back. She could do this. “What bus ride? The festival hasn’t start—”
