The Sweetest Summer

by Kenna North

  “I love what I do. Losing my grandfather wasn’t easy, of course, but I’m glad I was able to turn everything around before he died.”

  I pulled off the highway, using the distraction to collect my conflicting thoughts. At least my love for the vineyard tempered the lust I felt for Abby. Somewhat.

  “That must have been hard,” Abby said, putting her hand over mine on the stick shift.

  I didn’t want to tell her she didn’t know hard. I also didn’t want to move my hand from beneath hers. All I wanted to do was let her know I didn’t need any comforting. Before showing her how to use those lovely, slender fingers of hers in other ways.

  “It was,” I said, stroking her hand with my thumb, “especially with my family. A year before, they made it sound like they would divest themselves of the property and move forward without it, but they gave me one chance to turn it around and prove myself. My father is so proud of me, he put me on the board of directors. But it wasn’t about just about the money for me. It was about the legacy. This was a hundred year old family business that my grandfather built from the ground up by hard work and love. We wouldn’t have our billions if not for it, but I wanted to continue that out of love, not greed. Here we are, ten years later, and I have a thriving winery.”

  Abby smiled at me, squeezing my hand, and my body throbbed in response as she did. Why couldn’t she be squeezing my thigh, instead? And then delving between my legs to...

  I almost missed my turn and yanked the wheel to the right, hoping I didn’t toss her around too much as we rolled onto the gravel road. She sat upright and let out a little whoosh of breath, which gave me time to point at the building looming ahead of us.

  “Speaking of which, here we are,” I said as I stopped the car in front of the manor.

  Chapter 3

  Nora looked at me and I squirmed, hoping she wouldn’t notice. She was just beautiful to look at, and the fact that she was paying attention to me made the summer heat unbearable. The time she spent in the fields, lovingly checking her plants, had transformed her lanky form. Now her arms showed tanned muscles that rippled with every movement. I imagined the rest of her body was much the same – athletic and muscled all over. Her dark hair was short, with waves that framed her face, and slightly mussed in a way that was so sexy, I couldn’t keep a straight thought in my head.

  Of course she looked perfect, while I’d battled the Freshmen Fifteen in college and still held on to some of the weight. Not that anyone had ever complained, but my soft, voluptuous curves were definitely the antithesis of Nora’s lean perfection.

  I stepped out of the car as she retrieved my bag from the trunk. People appeared on the front lawn to greet us. Some came from inside the house, and I thought they might be staff. I didn’t know if Nora had butlers and maids, but she certainly didn’t seem to be the type, despite her upbringing.

  Then again, she probably didn’t have time to clean the whole house herself and her father would probably expect a full staff to run the household. Other people came from outside, wandering from the surrounding acres of grape vines, or maybe from the warehouse structure that stood a half mile from the house.

  One woman approached us with a clipboard and a tablet, asking Nora questions as she closed the trunk.

  “Can’t this wait?” Nora said, looking around the crowd of more than a half dozen people. “You do realize I hired you because each of you can do your jobs without me standing over you, right? So how about you do them. You don’t need to formally greet me every time I come home with a guest. Anything you need from me can wait until I get Abby settled in.” The firmness beneath her command made me shiver, despite the heat. If only she’d boss me around like that...

  The woman stepped back, nodding and smiling. She was beautiful, her straight red just perfect, framing a porcelain face dominated by ruby red lips. Her figure was accented by a pencil skirt and a tight blouse. She reminded me of a secretary out of the 1950s, very Mad Men-esque, all hourglass shape, with a little something extra on top.

  I tried not to glance down at my own bust, cushioned by extra weight more than a natural gift.

  “I just thought you’d like to know I’ve heard from an advertising firm looking to woo us for our business,” the clipboard-wielding redhead said, touching Nora’s forearm. I felt an intense burst of jealousy shoot through me. How dare this woman touch her?

  But it made sense that Nora would be an eligible bachelorette, perhaps even dating. She could have anyone she wanted, and why wouldn’t she want to be with a woman like her – the stereotypical hot secretary? She was all grace and style, perfect in every detail.

  Nora pushed her hand away. “Michelle, that isn’t anything you couldn’t have told me when I came into the office. If they want our business that badly, they’ll wait. Besides, you already know I won’t trust my business to a bunch of suits that don’t care about what I do, and only want a fat bottom line. To truly sell our product, they’re going to have to love every part of what we do, and you know what that means.”

  “Of course, Nora,” the woman purred, still smiling. “I’ll wait until you’re ready, as always, and we can review their offer together. You know where to find me.”

  She looked at me, her smile falling into a frown.

  “I’ll just let you attend to your little guest,” Michelle said, her eyes taking me in with a glance, judging me. “I’m sure the distraction will be good for you, considering how hard you work.”

  “Go away, Michelle,” Nora growled.

  I saw then that I was a nuisance, a distraction from Nora’s work and this beautiful woman. Who was I but a kid wasting her time, time worth billions of dollars?

  A pang of hurt pierced my chest and I turned away from the two. I saw a group of men to one side; three Hispanic workers and a broad-chested man who appeared to be in charge of them. The foreman, if that was what he was, devoured me with his eyes, smiling at me when he saw me looking.

  “Senora,” the man said, stepping forward to take my hand and raise it to his lips, “it is a pleasure to have you here.”

  I felt his lips brush my knuckles, and suddenly Nora was there pulling my hand away.

  “Miguel,” Nora said, her mood darkening further, “you don’t need to be here either. I’m sure the crops don’t need me, or Abby, to continue to grow.”

  “Of course not, Senora,” Miguel said, facing Nora, “but your grandfather always insisted on knowing when we were ready to begin the harvest, and I thought you would want to know also, the moment that it was ready.”

  “Fine,” Nora said, taking my hand in hers and pulling me toward the door. “I trust that you’re the one who knows best and you don’t need to let one guest distract you from what you should be doing.”

  It’d been a long time since I saw Nora frustrated or angry, but it was very obvious that I’d caused her frustration. Being here meant I was stopping her from tending to the business that she had rebuilt with so much care and hard work. The people who worked here felt they had to do the proper thing and greet a new guest, and Nora didn’t see it that way. This woman I adored was so focused on her work that she was upset when others showed simple courtesy. I knew at that moment that I was nothing more than an inconvenience to her. She probably still saw me as a kid tagging along.

  I clasped my hands in front of me as I followed her. The only thing I could possibly do was show her my value, prove I had at least some use here. She might not feel the way about me that I felt about her, but I could at least show her that I could help her beloved business continue to thrive.

  My heart ached with the realization that we’d never been more than friends, but I was a grown woman and wasn’t going to be driven by my emotions. Just because I wanted her so bad when I was younger, didn’t mean I had to be that way now.

  Nora led me through the large wooden double doors into what could only be described as an hacienda, a Spanish-influenced mansion, and we walked into a cool interior. In front of us was a grand ent
ryway with a marble-topped table in the center. A double stairway went upward, splitting into two at a landing where each staircase turned and went up again. Doorways lined the hallways below the stairs, leading to sitting rooms, the dining room, the kitchen, and other yet unknown rooms.

  The woman I’d adored since I was a child led me up the stairs, to a room with stucco walls and ten-foot ceilings. A canopy bed dominated the room, sheer curtains hanging down around it. A bathroom that was larger than my bedroom back home was off to one side.

  “Abby,” Nora said stiffly, setting down my suitcase, “I hope you’ll find this comfortable. I’ll give you some time to unpack and freshen up. Dinner is in an hour. That should give you enough time to settle in.”

  “Thank you,” was all I could think to say as I looked around the grandeur of the place.

  Nora turned and stalked out of the room, her strong shoulders stiff, and I could feel the tension drain as she left.

  I was standing in a bedroom that was fancier than any hotel room I had ever been in, but all I could think was that I was just a bother to a woman I couldn’t get out of my head for more than ten years.

  I shoved my suitcase toward the closet with my foot and it spun in lazy circles as it slid across the floor on its wheels. Dropping my purse and laptop bag onto a cedar chest at the foot of the bed, I threw myself across the duvet and sighed. I sank into the cool feather blanket and rolled over onto my back. Looking through the wooden slats of the canopy above me, I thought about my trip so far.

  Nora had picked me up and we’d talked about nothing except how she came to run the business. I didn’t know how she liked California or if she was seeing anyone, and she never asked if I was. She must think I was just here for business. And why would she think anything except that, especially when I’d spent the entire morning trying to convince myself that was all I wanted? Why would she even consider the possibility that I’d been in love with her for almost a decade? Well, I couldn’t tell her.

  Changing the direction of my thoughts, I thought about the other people here. I saw dozens of people since I’d arrived less than an hour ago. Most from a distance as they did their jobs, but a few closer. All of them seemed friendly enough, except one.

  Michelle didn’t seem to be happy to see me. Was that because I was interfering with her professional life or her personal one?

  Chapter 4

  I had to leave the room. The bed and Abby in one place drove me to think of only one thing: her naked and underneath me on the bed. I wish I could go to my room, get undressed, and soak away my woes in the hot tub. Even though no one could see my state of desire, it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

  Abby had become a very desirable woman, not the high school girl I’d last seen so long ago, peeking around a doorway at me at a party. I wanted nothing more than to taste her lips, push her onto the bed, tear open her clothes, and taste her to see if the rest of her was as sweet as her face. My old feelings resurged, but with much more intensity now that she was a woman and not a girl.

  She wasn’t like the other women I’d dated in the past. She was a real woman, not a false one who covered themselves with makeup and surgeries to become some twisted effigy of perfection. Abby had curves, dressed how she liked, didn’t plaster makeup on to cover her true self, and I found the whole package so goddamn sexy and irresistible that I had no choice but to leave the room before I told her what I thought.

  I had to remind myself that Abby had no interest in me, beyond professional curiosity. Sure, she was polite and considerate, but she was that way to everyone she encountered.

  When Miguel was ballsy enough to touch her, I almost fired him on the spot. He might be the best at his job, but I didn’t need him flirting with my special guest. If he dared do it again, I might not be able to keep my mouth shut, and that bothered me more than anything. One woman shouldn’t strip me of my self-control, yet Abby managed it without even trying.

  And Michelle needed to watch her step also. If she acted like she had any claim on me and gave Abby reason to think I was with her, I would fire her ass so fast it would make her head spin.

  With a deep breath, I reminded myself Abby wasn’t mine. She was my best friend’s little sister, an old friend herself. Back then, I’d adored her when she followed me around, and bought her milkshakes when we all went out to eat, got her popcorn at movies, and whatever else I could to make her happy. Sometimes it took convincing with her big sister to let her tag along, but it’d always been worth it to see Abby smile.

  But this was now. She wasn’t a kid following me around anymore. She was a woman, a new college graduate, with the whole world laid out in front of her. I could be a real friend to her and help her get the right start in her career.

  I found myself outside, moving with a determined stride toward the offices. I never took the golf cart unless I had to. I even walked in the rain. Fat old men took the shortcuts. I wanted to feel the wind on my face, the soil under my feet, and smell the grapes on the vine. This was how you connected with the land and made good wine; not by letting someone else tell you how things were and when things were ready.

  I stopped and inspected the vines tied to the lines as I walked through the rows. I would make it to the office soon enough to deal with things like tedious paperwork and pushy salesmen who thought I’d be impressed by their business connections. No one impressed my family. My family did the impressing. People looked up to us and that meant if some ad agency wanted my account, they’d have to prove they deserved it.

  The grapes looked good, full of color, and ripe for the harvest. Miguel did know what he was doing, and his Latin passion served him well when it came to the vines. I reminded myself he was only being polite with Abby, not flirtatious or inappropriate. There wasn’t any man better to supervise the vineyard, so I let go of my annoyance at how he’d greeted her.

  I knelt and checked the soil, making sure it was moist enough, but not so much that it would cause problems. Looking up, I saw the warehouse where my office was. It was time to go inside and deal with the business side of things.

  My thoughts went to Abby as I strode toward the doors which housed paperwork, email, and phone calls. She was smart, so much smarter than I was, when it came to organizing and the business side of things. She was always the one who spoke up and soothed ruffled feathers, even when she was just a kid. Even then, she’d shown she had the charm to handle people. I wondered what it would be like to have here with me, taking care of the business side of things. My thoughts then wandered to meeting her near the vats and kissing her, stroking her pale skin, tasting her lips, and more.

  I opened the door to the warehouse and Michelle appeared in front of me. Of course she’d been watching through the window, just waiting for her moment to pounce. She was like a viper in human clothing. I sighed as she began prattling on about the advertising agency who wanted our account and asking what I thought about it.

  She’d been pushing me toward marketing firms for the past three years, now, ever since I hired her. Why didn’t this woman understand? I didn’t want to deal with some idiot who wanted to take my money to tell people how great my product was. There had to be another way to reach potential customers.

  After telling Michelle to put the man off and leave the details on my desk, I secluded myself in my office. I glanced at reports without seeing them as thoughts of Abby kept my mind from focusing.

  Chapter 5

  One of Nora’s employees came to let me know dinner had been served and led the way to the dining room. The formality didn’t surprise me, considering I knew Nora’s family cared very much about appearances. My own was slightly less well-off, but I still knew which utensils to use for every course, so I got comfortable and started on the salad.

  Nora came in as the first course was being cleared. They left the salad for her and she worked through it quickly, not speaking. I couldn’t help but watch as she forked bite after bite into her mouth. She ate as if she was on a missio
n, someone who knew what they wanted and what had to be done. As the meal was brought in, she slid her plate to one side. It was just the two of us at the large dining table, which left at least ten empty chairs. I heard chatter coming from what I assumed was the kitchen, but no one else joined us.

  “Thank you,” Nora said to the woman who set the food on the table. “I have it from here. I know where the kitchen is and can get the rest myself. Why don’t all of you go home for night?”

  The older woman nodded and smiled, glancing at me and offering a knowing look. I didn’t know what that was all about, but smiled back anyway. I’d never bought into the idea that it was okay to treat servants and employees like crap. Maybe life would have been easier if I turned out as spoiled and entitled as my friends, like Marie, but I couldn’t just go on blithely as if the only thing that mattered was myself.

  Minutes later, a few women said goodbye as they passed the doorway, purses in hand. Nora wished them a good night and then nodded toward the front door as I heard it open and close. “I have a cook and two women who work in the kitchen. That’s not exactly my decision – my father insisted on it. But they make sure the entire staff gets a good lunch every day. I just wish my father would let me raise their salaries.”

  The house was silent except for the two of us alone at the table. “Has everyone gone home?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” she said without looking up from her food.