Save the Date

by R. J. Groves

  It had never bothered her before Joseph, before their engagement fell through. And since then … well, she hadn’t been back there. Hadn’t been able to for fear of falling apart. Joseph didn’t deserve her tears. Didn’t deserve her feeling miserable over him. And whether he knew it or not, she would never put herself in a situation that might give him the satisfaction of knowing what he’d done to her. No, she had to come out of this stronger. Even if her ego and her romantic ideas had been battered a little. Or a lot.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ she muttered, refusing to look Libby in the eye. It wasn’t nothing—not on any scale. But she had to move on, had to be brave. She had to dare herself to be better than him.

  ‘So, you’ll come?’

  She hesitated a moment more, then, sighing, she nodded.

  God, she hoped she wouldn’t fall apart the second she saw the vineyard.

  Chapter 10

  Andie took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Thank God Libby had managed to get rid of her friends before going to the vineyard. She couldn’t deal with any more of their nonsense. Not when there was a very real possibility she could fall apart. The fewer witnesses, the better.

  She walked slowly towards the reception building of the vineyard, Libby’s arm looped through hers. Libby was practically bouncing beside her, sending a jolt through her body with every step. She wasn’t sure if it was enlightening or nauseating.

  ‘God, Andie, this place is breathtaking,’ Libby said, scanning the view around them. ‘How did you hear about it?’

  ‘I came to a wedding here when I was a kid.’ She hoped her voice didn’t sound as shaky as it felt. ‘I’ve loved it since. I dreamed of having my own wedding here.’

  ‘And have you?’ Libby said, her eyebrows waggling.

  ‘Hmm?’ Feign ignorance—it’s all she had to do … right?

  ‘I don’t mean to pry,’ Libby added, her eyes wide. ‘I mean, you’re not wearing a ring, but not everyone wears a ring to work, right? And since you came straight from work—’

  ‘No. I’m not … married.’

  She could have sworn she saw a flash of something in Libby’s eyes before her lips curved into a wide smile. ‘Not yet?’

  ‘Not … at all.’

  ‘Surely you must have some handsome man who’s got his eyes set on you.’

  ‘No.’ It sounded harsher than she’d wanted it to, but she really didn’t want to go into detail—not with Libby. Not after she’d kissed her brother and hadn’t heard a word from him since. She continued. ‘But, back on topic, you’ll love it here. The staff are lovely. I’ve visited often.’

  The bounce was back in Libby’s step. ‘Oh, I already love it.’

  ***

  ‘These figures look promising,’ Tay said, flipping through the books.

  ‘You’re still keen on the sale?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘I’ll have the paperwork sent through to your office, then.’ Alberto Fernandez stretched his hand out towards him, and Tay shook it. ‘Pleasure doing business with you—’ He paused, smiling. ‘Capo.’

  Boss.

  Tay smiled. He liked the sound of that. At first, he’d only wanted to invest in the company. But after visiting the vineyard earlier in the week and discovering that Alberto wanted to sell the business, he couldn’t resist the opportunity. What were the odds, he wondered, that he’d stumble across such an incredible place that felt so peaceful and refreshing and have the opportunity to call it his own? Of course, Alberto wanted to stay on as an employee. He’d simply wanted more time to spend with his family, now that his children were all married and having children of their own.

  A weight settled in his chest at the thought that he’d never have that luxury, but he reminded himself that it was better that way. At least he could spoil Libby and Connor’s children—that was something. And now he had a vineyard that he could call his own. And it was a good feeling.

  One of the girls he’d seen at the reception desk poked her head through the door and smiled. ‘Alberto, are you finished with the wedding reservations book?’

  Completely booked out for almost two years. Tay knew the one. It was one of the reasons why he was so impressed with the place. Maybe it was being caught up in Libby’s wedding that had got him thinking along those lines, but a place that excelled in weddings was guaranteed to be successful in the long term. And there was a lot of money to be made in it.

  Alberto held the book out towards her. ‘Another booking, Poppy?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ she said, taking the book. ‘Just changing an upcoming wedding into another couple’s name.’

  Alberto frowned and stepped towards her. ‘Which one?’ Her eyes shifted towards Tay, and Alberto waved his hand between them. ‘Meet the new owner of the vineyard.’

  Poppy smiled at him. She was pretty. And young. Early twenties, if he guessed correctly. Still, he couldn’t find himself overly interested in her. Especially now that she was going to be his employee. And since he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of Andie’s lips against his, how her body felt pressed against his …

  ‘Now, which wedding?’ Alberto repeated.

  ‘Gray’s,’ Poppy said.

  Alberto nodded as though it didn’t surprise him. ‘And who’s taking the spot instead?’

  ‘Miss Ballin.’

  Ballin?

  Alberto shifted his gaze towards Tay. ‘Any relation to you, Mr Ballin?’

  ‘Quite possibly,’ he muttered, rubbing a hand over his chin. Gray. He didn’t know of anyone by the last name of Gray. Then again, Libby seemed to know a lot of people he didn’t know. But why would anyone give up their venue for someone else? ‘Did you say she was here?’

  ‘They both are, sir.’

  ‘Both?’ He ignored the sir part. It wasn’t something he liked. He’d correct her if she said it again. But for now, he was curious.

  ‘Miss Ballin and Miss Gray.’

  Puzzled, he followed Poppy and Alberto out to the reception area to find Libby tasting some of the vineyard’s finest. She almost dropped the glass when she saw him.

  ‘Libby,’ he said, scanning the nearby surroundings for a Miss Gray, whoever that may be. No one seemed to be with Libby.

  ‘You’re not stalking me, are you, big brother?’ Libby teased.

  ‘I’m here on … business,’ he said flatly, refocusing on her. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘We selected the bridesmaid dresses today.’

  He quickly scanned the room again. ‘Are they here?’

  She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Why? Are you hoping to see a certain someone?’

  ‘What? No. I’d rather avoid those girls if at all possible.’

  She eyed him as though she knew something, then opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Poppy’s voice.

  ‘Andrea, there’ll be no problem swapping that reservation over. There’s still plenty of time for catering decisions to be made.’

  Andrea?

  ‘Thank you, Poppy.’

  He felt ice slide down his spine, and he hesitated. He’d know that voice anywhere, even though he’d only heard it a few times. There was no mistaking it. He should have known. Libby talking about the dress shop. Andrea.

  Andie.

  He turned towards her, meeting her face to face. Her eyes were wide once she registered his presence. Then she seemed to recover. Possibly quicker than him.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she blurted.

  Or maybe not.

  ‘I was going to ask you the same question,’ he managed.

  His body was a battlefield. On the one hand, he was annoyed that he had to see her now, after being so careful to avoid her all week, which was surprisingly harder to do than he’d first thought, considering he found himself driving past her work frequently. On the other hand …

  Seeing her again only confirmed his aching for her. And how dangerously close he’d been to taking her that night, showing her just how attentive he could be an
d proving every one of her preconceived ideas about him wrong. He swallowed. It was just as well he’d managed to control himself that night. He knew he was likely to bump into her from time to time. Still …

  ‘Andie told me about the vineyard,’ Libby piped in, looping her arm through Andie’s. What, they were best friends now? ‘Isn’t it lovely? She said they even had a spot available. We have a date now.’

  A spot available? Only in two years. ‘When is it?’ he said, trying to focus on his sister rather than the woman standing next to her—the one who affected him in ways that no one ever had.

  Libby hesitated. ‘In three months,’ she squeaked out.

  His eyes widened. ‘Three months? Libby!’

  ‘I know, it’s soon,’ she said, reaching out to touch his arm. He could practically feel Andie through Libby’s contact. ‘But we’ll be okay. I’ve already told Connor and he said the sooner the better and we already have the main parts planned—’

  Libby continued talking about her wedding plans—things to do, things that were already organised, what the vineyard supplied. All of it, he supposed. He wasn’t exactly paying attention. Three months? He’d seen the books. There was nothing available in three months. Nothing available in almost two years. Unless …

  His gaze drifted to Andie. She was staring at the ground between them, her expression unreadable. A thought occurred to him. Poppy had talked about swapping another reservation into Libby’s name. A reservation that was three months away. Could it possibly be … no … could it?

  Andrea Gray.

  Now that he thought about it, the name sounded familiar—on the invoice for the dress, perhaps. He felt his jaw clench. Surely the reservation wasn’t in Andie’s name. It couldn’t be. She’d agreed to go on a date with him, damn it.

  His blood chilled when he recalled that he hadn’t given her much of a choice. And that she’d purposefully tried to sabotage the date. Both were reasonable things to do if she was already in a relationship but still wanted the sale. A fine line, but reasonable … he supposed. But that kiss…

  Again, he was responsible for that. He hadn’t thought she might have been in a relationship—a serious relationship. He hadn’t been thinking at all, actually. He seemed to lose all capability to think around her. So why would she cancel her wedding so soon, and give her spot to Libby?

  Unless there was no longer a wedding.

  Hell.

  He’d broken them up.

  Fuck.

  He was about to open his mouth to say something—anything—when she spoke instead. ‘Sorry, Libby, but I really have to go. I’ve got some prior engagements. I’m glad I was able to help with the venue.’

  Libby looked sad—more genuine than he’d seen her with her actual friends. ‘Of course. It’s Friday,’ Libby said, trying to hide her disappointment. ‘You must have plans for tonight.’

  The look that flickered across Andie’s eyes made him think otherwise. She was making her getaway while she could. ‘I’ll see you next time, Libby,’ she said, accepting Libby’s hug. She glanced up at Tay, her expression stone cold. ‘Mr Ballin.’ And then she pushed past him and out the door.

  ‘Andie,’ he muttered, but he knew she couldn’t hear him. And hell, if it wasn’t for Libby grabbing hold of his arm again, he might have chased after her. Like a bloody fool.

  ‘We need to talk,’ Libby said, tugging on his arm.

  He groaned. ‘Why?’

  She smacked his arm, then her expression grew serious. ‘What happened on Friday?’

  He gave her a thoughtful look. ‘You had your engagement party?’ Surely Andie hadn’t told her about the arrangement they’d made before the party.

  Libby sighed. ‘At the engagement party?’

  He tilted his head to the side. ‘I’m not following, Lib.’

  She sighed again, dropping her gaze to the floor. After a deep breath, she looked up at him with a hard look. ‘Did you, or did you not, kiss Isabelle?’

  He hesitated. So, it wasn’t Andie he had to be worried about. That snake of a woman Libby liked to call a friend—

  ‘Tay,’ she said shakily. ‘Tell me she was lying.’

  ‘What did she say?’

  ‘That you … kissed. A lot.’ Her face looked genuinely concerned. Good to know that she wouldn’t have approved with anything going on between him and her friends—even if he was remotely interested, which he certainly wasn’t.

  He scrunched his nose up. ‘I wouldn’t say a lot. And for the record, she kissed me. If you could really call it that. I didn’t kiss her back.’ She let out the breath she was clearly holding on to. ‘Why do you need to know?’

  She waved a hand as if dismissing the question. ‘Are you seeing anyone at the moment?’

  ‘Libby—’

  ‘No, I know that you like to keep it private,’ she said. ‘But I’m your sister. You’d tell me if you were serious about someone, wouldn’t you?’

  He nodded. ‘But it’s not going to happen.’

  ‘Because you don’t think you’re worth it, blah, blah. Are you seeing anyone right now? Serious or not.’

  He studied her. Why the sudden interest in his love life? Maybe because she was so caught up in her own romantic story. ‘No,’ he said flatly. ‘No one.’

  ‘And you’re not interested in my friends, right?’

  ‘Why do you even have to ask that?’ he said. Her eyebrow lifted. ‘No. I’m not. At all. So you can tell Isabelle to stop spreading rumours or whatever it is she thinks she’s doing.’

  Libby’s expression softened. ‘She’s just being Isabelle.’

  ‘Well, she scares me. And that’s saying a lot.’

  Libby laughed. ‘She scares everyone.’

  ‘Are you heading home?’

  Libby shook her head. ‘Connor’s meeting me here for dinner. Figured we could get a proper look around. You?’

  ‘I’ve got one more thing to check and I’ll be gone.’

  He said his goodbyes and accepted a kiss on his cheek before going back to the reception desk. He wasn’t yet sure exactly what he was going to do with the information when he got it—or what part of him was making him get it. But he knew he had to do something.

  ‘Poppy,’ he said, leaning on the reception bench. She smiled at him. ‘Tell me, what information do you gather on that database of yours about the wedding clients?’

  ‘Everything, sir,’ she said. He let it slide again. He’d correct her next time, when he had more time. ‘Names, contact numbers—’

  ‘Histories with the vineyard?’ he said, hopefully. She nodded. ‘Great,’ he continued. ‘Can you show me one?’

  ‘Anyone in mind?’ Her eyebrow lifted.

  He bit the side of his cheek. There really would be no going back from this. Still … it was the only thing he could think to do.

  ‘Andrea Gray.’

  Chapter 11

  She had no plans for the night, contrary to what she’d let Libby and Taylor think. Truth was, Andie couldn’t stand to be there, standing under the hard, scrutinising gaze of those grey eyes. She’d tried not to look at him too long, but she couldn’t help but notice that the hint of blue in his eyes was paler today than the other times she’d seen him. And then it had started to look like there was no trace of blue whatsoever.

  She sighed, flopping onto the couch with her glass of wine. She’d changed into yoga pants and a loose shirt as soon as she’d made it home. An outfit that was a hell of a lot more comfortable than her workwear. She sipped her wine slowly.

  Out of all the places she might bump into him …

  The vineyard must have been the last place in the world that she thought she would see him. The vineyard was her place. It had always been special to her. The place she went to when she needed to clear her head or remind herself that hope did actually exist. That there was a future happily ever after for her somewhere out there. That all seemed unlikely now.

  But it was still her favourite place to be. The place she’
d spend countless hours walking among the vines, enjoying the sunsets—sunrises, even—and thinking, clearing her head. Dreaming.

  Judging by the look Libby and Taylor had on their faces, they didn’t know the other was there. And he certainly hadn’t expected her to be there, either. Why was he there? From what she’d gathered, he wasn’t looking for a venue to get married in. She’d overheard him say he was there on business, but what did that mean? She knew, well and clear, that he had very interesting interpretations of business. Which also meant that he couldn’t possibly have been looking for a venue for Libby—he would have said if he was, surely.

  Still …

  She’d already been nervous about going to the vineyard, worrying that Libby would find out about her misfortune. With Taylor there, it would have only been a matter of time before the truth came out.

  She had wondered what she would do if she saw him again. Would they share a look and kiss again? Would she slap him for being a jerk and not calling her or anything after leaving her on edge like that?

  As it turned out, she had run like a coward. But she had to. She couldn’t get a grip on the way he made her feel by looking at her with those cold grey eyes. She hadn’t been prepared for the tingling in her body at the memory of his touch. And she certainly couldn’t hang around to be interrogated, or long enough for her blushing to become overly noticeable. She hadn’t even been able to give Poppy an answer on whether or not she wanted to reschedule her reservation.

  She never thought she’d agree with Libby’s friends, but they were right. Taylor Ballin was the kind of attractive man who had power over a woman, and he knew how to use it. And that was the kind of danger she wasn’t ready to face. Not again. Because thinking she could have it all got her nothing but heartache. And she deserved it. Deserved it for being so foolish and naive. She should have known better than to believe in a love like that.

  She heard a knock at the door and glanced towards it, running through the possibilities of who it could be. Harley, no doubt, had plans with her boyfriend, it being Friday night and all. Jannette would still be out of town. She had no nearby family to speak of, and considering no one else really knew her address, her list was a lot shorter than she realised. She frowned as she realised how few friends she had. Her eyes fell to the save-the-date cards still sitting on the coffee table. She mentally ran through the people who were meant to receive those cards.