Chapter 15
“What a great idea for a road trip.” Ivy turned to Bennett, who was at the wheel winding through the mountains in his SUV.
She breathed in the fresh mountain air, happy that they’d all managed to get away from the inn for a short trip to the nearby Cuyamaca Mountains. Shelly, Mitch, Daisy, and Vanz filled the two back rows of Bennett’s SUV.
They’d left Poppy in charge at the inn. Sunny had begged off for plans with friends.
The small town of Julian was known for its apples and apple pies, and this weekend was their annual harvest event, a tradition that dated back more than a century.
Ivy glanced back at Vanz, who pressed his fingers against the window, eyes wide with wonder.
Since coming to stay with Mitch and Shelly, he’d started to relax.
His shoulders were less hunched, and a shy smile crossed his face from time to time.
But this was the first time she’d seen him look guardedly excited.
“Those trees don’t look real.” Sitting in the last row, Vanz pointed at a cluster of trees, their leaves turned golden yellow in the autumn sun. “What are they?”
“California black oak trees,” Shelly replied from the middle row. “The leaves are losing their chlorophyll, which causes them to turn yellow. Wait until we get higher up on the mountain. It gets even more impressive.”
“I’ve never seen leaves change colors before.” Vanz’s voice held amazement. “In Palm Vista, leaves go from green to dead.”
“That’s because Palm Vista is in the high desert.” Shelly twisted in her seat as she spoke. “Here in the mountains, we get four real seasons.”
“Trees, trees.” Daisy bounced gleefully in her car seat between Shelly and Mitch, pointing out the window.
Shelly had dressed Daisy in an apple-red dress with a blue denim jacket and cowboy boots. She wanted to take photos of her daughter today.
“All these trees are amazing.” Vanz’s voice held a sense of awe that Ivy found endearing.
She caught Shelly’s eye and sensed they were both wondering what kind of life he’d known. Clearly, this was quite a departure from his usual life.
Bennett navigated a hairpin turn, and a new vista opened before them. Mountains rose around them, with a valley visible far below.
Vanz caught his breath. “It’s so beautiful.”
Ivy’s throat tightened with compassion. This runaway boy who’d been existing in an underground bunker and had been so angry and lost that he’d vandalized property, needed to see this kind of natural beauty that soothed the soul.
“Look at that.” Vanz pointed again. “Are those cows?”
In the distance, Ivy saw a small herd of brown and white cattle grazing in a meadow.
Bennett grinned at the question. “Those are Holstein dairy cows. A lot of small farms up here have livestock.”
The boy’s eyes lit up. “Can we stop and see them?”
“We’ll have plenty of animals to see at the orchard,” Bennett said. “They usually have a petting zoo with goats and chickens. Maybe some pigs.”
“Pigs, pigs,” Daisy echoed, clapping her hands.
Something caught Bennett’s attention, and he slowed, pulling into a turn out off the road. “I saw a deer. Let’s watch for a minute and see if she comes out again.”
A hush came over them as a doe emerged from the trees, her burnished-red fur sleek in the sunlight. Vanz sat still, watching the deer with an expression of pure wonder. The animal paused, ears swiveling, then gracefully bounded away into a stand of trees.
“That was amazing,” Vanz whispered.
Bennett pulled back onto the road, climbing higher. They wound past maple trees with leaves turned burnt orange and Sierra gooseberry trees aflame in a blaze of crimson. Wild turkeys decked in brown and gold feathers strutted and pecked in a meadow, their heads bobbing for grubworms.
They crested a rise, and Julian came into view, spreading before them. The small mountain town was lined with wooden storefronts preserved from another era. As they passed a cider mill and a pioneer museum, Vanz and Daisy took it all in with a sense of wonder.
Ivy called out, “Who wants apple cider? The nonalcoholic type, of course.”
“Speak for yourself,” Shelly said with a wink.
Bennett chuckled and parked by a cider mill that advertised fresh apple cider on a faded sign. When they piled out of the vehicle, crisp air stung Ivy’s cheeks. She zipped up her fleece jacket. While it was still sunny, the breeze was brisk. They’d all worn jeans, sweaters, and lightweight jackets.
They warmed themselves with hot cider and splurged on cinnamon-spiced apple pie. Ivy watched Vanz, whose mood had lifted. He seemed to be adapting and enjoying the journey.
Feeling full, they returned to the SUV to continue through town toward Volcan Valley, just a few minutes outside of town.
As they neared the apple orchard, Bennett pulled into the parking area. Families wandered through rows of apple trees, carrying paper bags. The air was sweet with the scent of fresh apples, and goats bleated nearby.
“I see red apples,” Daisy exclaimed, spying the trees.
They climbed out of the SUV, and Vanz turned slowly to take it all in. “This is like another world.”
Mitch purchased some bags and handed one to Vanz. “I love the beach, but it’s pretty cool up here. And so close. Ready to pick some apples?”
Vanz took the bag, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Shelly lifted Daisy from her car seat, and the toddler immediately reached for Vanz.
He looked uncertain, but Mitch nodded encouragingly. Vanz let Daisy hold onto his hand as they walked slowly toward the orchard entrance.
Daisy babbled happily, identifying things with her new words. “Look, birds, trees, apples.”
Mitch and Bennett followed behind them, watching them.
Ivy fell into step beside Shelly.
Her sister nodded toward Vanz, biting her lip. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?”
“I think so,” Ivy replied. “He’ll probably need someone to talk to about what he’s been through. Maybe a school counselor. But this is the best chance in life he’s ever had.”
Shelly smiled at that. “I didn’t think I’d be ready for a teenager yet, but he seems like a sweet kid. Mitch has really stepped up for him. That makes me love my husband even more.”
Ivy sensed that Shelly was mentally preparing herself. “You’re going to be okay, too. Come on, let’s catch up with them and make some memories.”
They jogged ahead to join the others. Soon they were armed with bags and began plucking ripe red Empire apples from the trees. Their sweet fragrance smelled delicious.
Ivy laughed as Shelly hoisted Daisy to pick apples.
“Hold it right there,” Mitch said, snapping a photo.
The toddler stretched her little hand toward a red apple, tore it from the tree, and dropped it into their bag. She turned her face up to Shelly. “More, Mommy. More.”
Shelly blew stray strands of hair from her face and glanced at Mitch. “Are you still taking photos? I can’t hold her much longer.”
“I’ll take her now.” Mitch switched places with Shelly.
Quickly, Ivy took her phone from her pocket to take pictures. She caught all three of them laughing. This day reminded her of how she used to take Misty and Sunny apple picking when they were young.
Daisy shrieked with delight as her father hoisted her onto his shoulders. Her tiny fingers clutched fistfuls of his sun-bleached hair. Suddenly, she yanked it, and Mitch yelped, dropping the bag of apples slung over his shoulder. Shelly leapt over the apples rolling all around them.
Ivy laughed as she snapped a series of photos. “Got it.”
Looking over her shoulder, Bennett laughed. “That’s a great shot. Look at their expressions.”
Mitch made a face. “You want to trade places?”
Bennett shook his head. “My hair is too short for her to hang onto.”
Vanz quickly knelt to help pick up apples.
Knowing how much this outing meant to her sister, Ivy kept taking photos. In a few months, snow would blanket this quaint mountain village that was so close to Summer Beach.
Ivy filmed a short video, recalling how she used to take her daughters to play in the snow in Boston as kids. But she and Shelly had grown up along the sunny Southern California coast.
Ivy turned to Shelly. “Remember when Mom and Dad used to bring us up here to see the snow?”
Shelly’s eyes brightened. “We’ll have to do that later this year. Daisy can build a snowman, and I’ll teach her how to throw snowballs at Daddy.”
Daisy laughed and squealed at the idea.
Shelly motioned to Ivy and Bennett. “Come help us. Before Daisy gets cranky, we need more apples for all those pies Mitch has planned.”
“She’s doing fine,” Mitch said. “Ginger Delavie gave me some family recipes for apple pie, apple fritters, and an almond-apple butter cake. Those will go well with our pumpkin spice coffee.”
“Sounds like you’ll be busy in the kitchen,” Ivy said.
“Anything for my girls.” Mitch grinned as he plucked an apple for Daisy, and Shelly kissed him on the cheek.
Laughing, Ivy snapped a few more photos. She noticed Vanz holding back, so she encouraged him to join them. He was a little awkward at first, but Mitch clowned around with him until he laughed.
“Look at Daisy go.” Shelly picked an apple with her daughter and laughed, placing it in the canvas bag slung across her shoulder. Already half-full, the bag bounced against her hip as she reached for another branch. They switched off with Daisy again.
A few minutes later, Mitch emerged from between the rows, his paper bag bulging. Leaves clung to his flannel shirt. “This is so cool. Maybe we could invest in an orchard up here someday.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Shelly shot back, though her smile softened the words.
Ivy watched her sister’s easy banter with Mitch and Vanz as they picked apples. Mitch instinctively steadied Shelly when she stood on her toes to reach higher fruit, and Vanz shyly helped her pick apples.
Bennett held out his hand to her. “Let’s pick some apples, sweetheart.”
“We need a lot of apple pies for our extended family.” She tucked her hand into his. “We’ll have a huge celebration this year.”
Ivy’s mind was spinning with Thanksgiving feast possibilities. Pumpkins arranged across the inn’s wide front terrace, strings of lights giving a soft glow, and a buffet laden with a harvest-themed menu.
Bennett chuckled. “We should fill a barrel with water and have apple bobbing. The kids would love that.”
“More, Daddy.” Daisy’s high voice rang out. She was perched on Mitch’s shoulders, reaching toward an apple just beyond her grasp.
He obliged, lifting her higher.
After they finished picking apples, they loaded them into the back of the vehicle. Next, they stopped for pumpkin soup at a cafe and then stopped to buy pies.
“Can’t go wrong when a place is called Mom’s.” Mitch took his time to choose the best-looking flaky pies to bring home with them. “We’ll have homemade pies for our big feast, though.”
As the pies were being wrapped for take-out, Daisy began to grow tired and fussy.
“Babe, can you hurry?” Shelly held Daisy in her arms, pacing to soothe her. “I think we need to get back on the road. Daisy is growing tired. I hope the car ride will lull her to sleep before she starts screaming.”
Mitch was paying for the pies. “Just a minute.”
“She’s had a big day.” Shelly bounced Daisy to quiet her cranky cries.
Vanz watched with interest as they hurried back to the vehicle to put Daisy in her car seat.
When they all got back into the SUV, Daisy was irritable from exhaustion, so Bennett started the engine right away. But the low rumble agitated her even more. She let out an ear-piercing scream.
“That was impressive,” Mitch said, trying to distract her, but it wasn’t working.
“Wow, Daisy-cakes.” Shelly tried to give her a bottle, but Daisy pushed it away. “You’re hitting the high opera notes now.”
Ivy had been through this before, but it was clearly new to Vanz. He put his hands over his ears, his eyes wide at this new development. He picked up one of Daisy’s toys, but the red-faced child just pushed it angrily away.
“She doesn’t mean that. She’s overtired.” Shelly put her hand on Bennett’s seat. “Just get on the road, and please hurry.”
Bennett put the vehicle in gear and eased back onto the road. Sure enough, within a few minutes, the rhythm of the vehicle on the twisty road calmed Daisy, and she began to suck on her bottle, satisfied at last. Her half-lidded eyes finally closed, and she nodded off.
Relieved, Shelly drew a hand across her brow. “Thanks, guys. I know that was a little tense. But she always falls asleep in the car. You have no idea how many times we’ve driven the coast road to soothe her so we could get some rest.”
Ivy turned back to her. “That’s how I used to get Misty to sleep when all else failed.”
“And to think I missed most of that fun,” Bennett said, smiling. “I experienced a little of that with my nephew Logan, but he was a pretty good kid, at least when I was around.”
They all settled into their seats for the ride back to Summer Beach. Ivy’s mind wandered as she thought about the holidays ahead and how they would pull off a harvest feast for the entire family.
She wanted this year to be special, particularly for Vanz. As soon as they got home, she would start making a list.
At the top of her list would be a call to Forrest to discuss the underground bunker and the impact that would have on the library and museum. At the very least, the structure would have to be inspected and probably reinforced. Shelly’s community garden might be out of the question now.
She hoped they could still build over the bunker, because she didn’t want to remove this piece of history.
All that would cost more than they’d budgeted.
Then, another thought struck Ivy. She would have to inform Lea, Amelia’s great-niece from Germany who funded this project, about the potential cost overruns given this new discovery. She couldn’t ask Lea for more money.
Suddenly, the viability of the project seemed bleak.