by Carla Luna
“I don’t envy you, man, dealing with that for the next three weeks,” Ernesto said.
Rafael did not envy himself either.
Chapter 6
By Sunday afternoon, Victoria was a wreck. The combination of planning her ex’s wedding, dealing with her former lover, and enduring her father’s scrutiny had sent her into a tailspin. She’d already been for a five-mile run, followed by a lengthy session of stretches and meditation, but she couldn’t calm her restless brain. After spending hours trying to work through her to-do list, she gave up. She needed to talk to someone.
Unfortunately, her social circle had dwindled after Ben called off their engagement. But she could always count on her older brother, Connor.
She sent him a text. You around?
He replied a few minutes later. At the winery. Tasting room closes at 5 so I’ll be done soon. Come have a drink.
Perfect. She hopped in her car and headed down the De Portola Wine Trail, where many of Temecula Valley’s boutique wineries and smaller vineyards were located. Connor was co-owner of Maverick Winery, a venture he’d started four months ago with a couple of partners. Like Victoria, he’d once worked for Blackwood Cellars, but he’d chafed under their father’s demands. Since opening the winery, he’d worked nonstop to get it going, but he was happier than she’d ever seen him.
Maverick Winery sat in a prime spot, between Cougar Vineyards and the Danza Del Sol Winery. Victoria liked the way it stood out from the other wineries in the area. Instead of going with the usual Tuscan-themed architecture, the tasting room resembled a rustic barn, utilizing vintage finds and recycled materials. A covered patio, adorned with wrought-iron tables and decorative wine barrels, provided a view of the vineyards surrounding the property.
As she got out of her car, she surveyed the winery with pride, knowing she’d played a part in its modest success. Back when Connor was struggling to pull the funding together, she’d signed on as an investor. In one fell swoop, she took the money she’d been saving to pay off her debt to her father—forty thousand dollars—and invested it in her brother’s dream. At the time, she thought her debt was a nonissue because she’d agreed to marry Ben. As per her agreement with her father, he’d promised to wipe the slate clean once she and Ben tied the knot.
But after Ben dumped her, she was back where she started, still owing her father but with barely any savings left. Even so, she stood by her decision to support her brother. If his winery ever took off, she might recoup her investment.
Despite the chill in the air, a few groups lingered outdoors, seated at the tables closest to the patio heaters. Among them were two people Victoria could still call friends—her cousin, Brody Blackwood and Connor’s girlfriend, Jessica Chavez. They sat together, drinking wine and eating pistachios from a small ceramic bowl.
While Victoria was glad to see them, she hadn’t planned on baring her soul to anyone except Connor. After a moment of hesitation, she approached them. Brody was family, and she’d known Jess since they were kids. She could trust them.
She stopped at their table. “Hey, you two.”
Brody lifted his wineglass in a salute. “Victoria. What brings you to this humble winery?”
“May I remind you I have a vested interest in Maverick’s success?” she said.
“And you obviously have a discerning palate if you’re coming here instead of drinking that Blackwood Cellars crap,” Jess added.
Brody tossed a pistachio shell at her. “It is not crap.” Like Victoria, he worked for the family company, but his job was in website and app development. “Most of it isn’t. Except for the Eagle Ridge brand.” He made a face. “I’d sooner drink Two-Buck Chuck.”
Victoria sat next to them. “I came to see Connor. He said he’d be done soon.”
“He’s finishing up with a tour group. A bunch of rich women from La Jolla, here on a wine-tasting weekend.” Jess rolled her eyes. “You know how he is with the ladies.”
“That doesn’t bother you?” Victoria asked.
“Nah. He’s trying to drum up business. Sell a few more bottles of wine. It’s harmless.”
In the past, Connor would have done more than sell them wine. But he’d changed considerably over the last few months. He was so devoted to Jess that Victoria couldn’t imagine him sneaking off with anyone else.
“Everything okay?” Jess asked. “No offense, but you look like shit.”
Ouch. Victoria had forgone her usual makeup routine—something she never did—but she hadn’t thought her neglect was obvious. “Are you always this blunt?”
Brody laughed. “This is Jess we’re talking about. No filter whatsoever.”
“Sorry,” Jess said. “But you’re usually so put together. Not that I blame you for falling apart. Your dad is a dick. Who forces their daughter to coordinate her ex’s wedding?”
Victoria rubbed her hands over her face. “I feel as though my life has gone completely off the rails.”
Jess stood and grabbed her glass. “You need wine. Let’s go rescue Connor, then we can get you a glass of pinot.”
“Okay if I join you?” Brody asked. “Or would you rather talk to Connor and Jess alone?”
Few people were more compassionate than her geeky cousin Brody. After the hell he’d gone through this past summer with his ex, he could be counted on to offer a sympathetic ear. “It’s fine. You can join us.”
Victoria followed Jess into the winery’s tasting room. With its distressed wood walls, copper pendant lights, and vintage signs, the place had a laid-back, rustic charm. Old wooden barrels were arranged along one wall, next to a selection of antique wine equipment, including a grape press, a crusher, and a set of scales from the nineteenth century.
Connor stood behind the bar, where a row of wine bottles was lined up next to a chalkboard listing the day’s tasting options. Tall and well-built, he’d never had trouble attracting the opposite sex, as evidenced by the group of women clustered around the bar, chatting with him animatedly. Many of them carried bags bearing the Maverick Winery logo.
At the sight of Victoria, Connor pointed to the oversize barnwood clock on the wall. “I know five o’clock usually marks the beginning of happy hour, but it means I need to close up shop. It’s been an absolute pleasure serving you and listening to all of your stories. Come back again anytime.”
A few of the women tittered, and Victoria suppressed a groan. Her brother could lay it on thick. Jess kept quiet, hanging back until the last of the ladies had left. Once they were gone, she came around to his side of the bar and poked him playfully. “All done, Mr. Smooth Talker?”
He put his arm around her shoulder. “Hey, I sold a lot of wine. And most of them signed up for the wine club.”
Jess grinned. “The more the better. But now that you’re done flirting, you need to get your sister a drink.”
“I’ll get right on it.” He gestured to Brody’s wineglass. “You need a refill?”
Brody set down his glass. “Hit me up.”
Victoria perched on one of the stools, waiting as Connor poured her a glass of his winery’s trademark pinot noir. Her favorite, and by far the best seller of all the vintages offered in the tasting room.
She took a sip, sighing in gratitude. The smooth red wine felt light on her tongue, with a slight hint of spice. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He leaned on the bar. “What’s up?”
“What do you think’s up?” Jess said. “She’s planning her ex’s wedding. How dysfunctional is that?”
“It’s gotten worse.” Victoria forced herself to sip the wine slowly. Though she’d love nothing better than to get raving drunk, she’d regret it on Monday, when she had to meet with Rafael. She glanced at the others. “What I’m about to share is top secret. No telling anyone.”
Jess nodded, but Brody twisted the stem of his wineglass between his fingers. “Umm…maybe I should go, because…”
Because, knowing Brody, he wouldn’t keep anything a secret from his g
irlfriend, April. The two had been inseparable since they started dating in October.
“You can tell April,” Victoria said. “We’re good friends. Besides, she confided in me when you two were in Wisconsin for her brother’s wedding, and I managed to keep her secrets. So, she owes me one.”
“Wait. She did?” Brody said. “What…what did she tell you?”
“This isn’t about you, bud,” Jess said. “Let Victoria talk.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Right. Sorry. Carry on, Victoria.”
“Okay if I clean while I listen?” Connor asked. When Victoria nodded, he gathered up the wineglasses, dump buckets, and empty bottles from the last group of visitors, and set them on the counter along the back wall, next to the hand sink.
Jess reached under the bar and pulled out a block of butcher paper. She unwrapped it, revealing sliced Gruyère, which she set on a plate along with some water crackers, and passed it to Victoria. “Here. I’ll bet you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
Too true. Her last meal had been the blueberry-kale smoothie she’d consumed at ten, after her grueling run. She took a piece of the Gruyère, enjoying the sweet, nutty flavor. Her brother ordered his cheese from a local farm, and he often incorporated it into his tastings.
“Thanks,” she said. “I guess I should start at the beginning. Connor, do you remember the summer I got back from France?”
“Yeah,” he said. “That summer was rough. Dad was being a jerk because I refused to consider business school. Then you came home, and there was all that fallout from Paris.”
Jess looked between the two of them. “What happened in Paris?”
Victoria hesitated. The others knew she’d spent a semester abroad in France during her sophomore year, but only Connor and her father had heard the full story. The fewer people she told, the less chance they’d judge her for what she’d done.
“I…I’d rather not say. But while I was there, I got involved with an older man and made a terrible mistake. Two weeks after I got home, it came back to haunt me. My father was furious and belittled me every chance he got. By August, I couldn’t stand to be around him, so I flew to Los Cabos and checked into a resort in Baja, where my friend Nadine was staying.”
Nadine Hightower, who came from even wealthier stock than the Blackwoods, had booked a monthlong stay at the Villa del Sol for a romantic vacation with her boyfriend. When he bailed at the last minute, she invited Victoria to join her instead.
Victoria had felt so bold, sneaking away in the dead of night with just her passport, some cash, and a suitcase. Though she’d left a note, she hadn’t told anyone where she was going.
Jess came around to Victoria’s side of the bar and hopped up on the stool beside Brody. “A few weeks in Baja sounds like a perfect getaway.”
“At first, it was great,” Victoria said. “Nadine was staying in this huge suite. But three days after I arrived, she got really sick. Some kind of dysentery. She decided to fly home but told me to keep the suite, since it was paid for. Three weeks at a beachside resort should have been heavenly, but the place was totally geared for couples.”
Without Nadine to distract her, Victoria found it too easy to wallow in regret for the mistakes she’d made in Paris. She continued. “Two nights after Nadine left, I went out and drank myself into oblivion.”
“You?” Brody stared at her. “I always thought you were too classy to get drunk.”
His comment reinforced how poorly she’d behaved. “Not this time. I passed out on the beach. I was so wasted I was easy prey for a couple of college boys out looking for a good time.”
Connor whipped around to face her. “What the hell? Did they hurt you? You never told me about this.”
She held up her hands to stop him from flying into a protective rage. “Nothing happened. A bartender who worked at the resort—Rafael—was out for a walk, and he scared them off. He rescued me, like I was a damsel in distress.”
Jess gave a dramatic sigh. “That’s so romantic.”
Victoria looked down. “What wasn’t romantic was the way I lied to him. I made up a fake name and told him I was from L.A. I couldn’t trust anyone, not after…Paris.”
As she sipped her wine, she shared more of her story. How she’d met up with Rafael the following night, after his shift ended, and spent hours talking to him. The next two nights had followed the same pattern. But he’d managed to resist her, even when she upped her flirting game. And then—when he had a couple of days off—he invited her to come camping with him at a site on the beach, near Cabo Pulmo National Park. That’s when it had happened. Without question, the best sex of her life. She’d never felt that way with anyone.
After returning to the resort, they met up every night, going for long walks on the beach, followed by room service and wild, passionate sex in her suite. She never wanted to leave.
Until her father tracked her down, called the resort, and demanded she come home. Immediately. When she balked, he threatened to cancel all her credit cards. So, she took off in the early hours of the morning when Rafael was still asleep.
“I left without saying goodbye,” Victoria said. “Since he didn’t have my real name or my phone number, he had no way to get in touch with me.”
“Didn’t you guys send each other sexy texts when you were together?” Brody asked. “To…umm…build up the anticipation? That’s what April and I…” He flushed. “Never mind. You know what I mean, right?”
Victoria laughed. “Sexy texts? I hope you’re behaving yourself at work. But no, we couldn’t text because I lost my phone when I passed out on the beach. Without it, I could pretend to be anyone I wanted. But Rafael gave me his number so I could call him from the landline in my suite. After I left Baja, I could have reached him at any time and apologized, but I never did. I thought it was better that way.”
Jess flinched. “Speaking from experience, that really sucks.”
Five years ago, Connor had ghosted Jess in a similar fashion. Knowing how deeply she’d been hurt, Victoria regretted her actions even more.
Connor reached across the bar and squeezed Jess’s hand. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
She gave him an adoring smile. “No worries. You’ve completely redeemed yourself.” She turned to face Victoria. “Are you thinking of finding Rafael now that Ben’s out of the picture? To see if the spark is still there? I could help you look for him.”
“Just playing the devil’s advocate, but you might want to wait until after Ben’s wedding,” Brody said. “You’ve got a lot going on right now.”
“That’s the thing,” Victoria said. “I don’t need help finding him. Rafael is the one who’s catering the wedding.”
She derived a small measure of amusement from the stunned looks on their faces.
“Trust me, I didn’t plan things this way,” she said. “I thought he worked at a place in San Diego. Turns out, he’s been in Escondido working at Tres Hermanos.”
“You’re using Tres Hermanos?” Brody said. “I took April there last month. Their Sunday brunch is awesome.”
“Even if the food is great, don’t you think things will get awkward if you’re working with Rafael?” Jess asked.
“They already have,” Victoria said. “The tasting was stressful as hell.” She didn’t know which had been worse—Missy’s vomiting or Rafael’s pent-up anger. “But I’m out of options. The last caterer quit, and it was nearly impossible to find a replacement this close to Christmas.”
“Well, shit,” Jess muttered. “That’s a total clusterfuck.”
“Isn’t there someone else in your office who could take your place?” Brody asked. “What about Lindsay?”
“She’s out on leave until January. But even if she was around, I think my father would still want me to handle it. He claims it’s his way of teaching me a lesson.”
Connor topped up her glass. “Bullshit. It’s his way of controlling you. Like the way he tried to control me before I left Blackwood Cellars.”
> Victoria shuddered, recalling her father’s furious reaction after Connor announced he’d purchased Maverick Winery. She still hadn’t revealed that she’d helped fund her brother’s venture. That would have pushed her domineering father over the edge.
“Can’t you just keep things professional with Rafael?” Brody asked.
“You think?” Jess said. “They had sex together. Great sex, by the sound of it.”
Victoria put her head in her hands. “Can we not belabor the sex part?”
“It’s only for three more weeks, right?” Brody said. “Once you’re done, you’ll never have to see this guy again.”
“I guess I don’t have any other choice. Do I?” She surveyed the group, all of whom shook their heads ruefully.
“What’s Dad going to say when he finds out about Rafael?” Connor asked.
She tensed up. “You can’t tell him. And Ben can’t find out either because he’d never believe it was a coincidence. He already accused me of trying to sabotage the wedding.”
“Ben doesn’t have any claim over you,” Jess said. “If I were you, I’d rub his nose in it, especially if Rafael is as hot as you say.”
Connor placed his hand over hers. “Easy there. Victoria doesn’t need to get Ben all riled up. It’ll only make things worse. The best option is to keep things quiet. Got it?”
“I won’t breathe a word,” Jess said. “But secrets like this usually blow up in your face.”
“I can vouch for that,” Brody added. “They tend to explode at the worst possible time.”
Victoria sighed. That was what she was afraid of.
Chapter 7
Nineteen Days Until the Wedding
After a busy Sunday at the restaurant, Rafael was grateful for a day off, even if it entailed spending the morning with Victoria. Though his resentment toward her had eased since Saturday’s tasting session, he still had a lot of questions. Why was she coordinating her ex’s wedding? And why had she ever agreed to marry the bastard in the first place? But as much as he wanted answers, his best course of action was to set aside his feelings and do the damn job.