“Ah. That’s never a good thing. No wonder Faye looks a little lost today.”
“About that. Do you think her relationship with Beckham is getting a little too serious?”
“Uh-oh, I see that protective father-figure rear its head. I think they’re fine. They’re good kids. Does Faye miss curfew? Does she defy the rules you’ve set down?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Then I think you’re fine. Until she gives you a reason to worry, don’t go looking to pick apart her only friend. She’ll resent you for it.”
“I guess you’re right. I just don’t want to blow this. The teen years are a lot of responsibility. I’m not sure I’m cut out for this role.”
“You’re doing a great job with her, Andy. Just remember, you also deserve a life. Don’t forget that.”
“My life right now consists of putting in ten-hour days so I don’t have to worry about paying bills.”
“Did you ever want to go to college?”
“Nah. My grades weren’t that good in high school. I like working construction, building something with my hands. Ryder keeps reminding all of us what a remarkable thing we’re doing by working on getting the hospital ready for its grand opening after Easter. It’s a vital addition to the town.”
“I know Quentin and Sydney are so excited they can hardly wait. They’ll probably get lost in that huge space and need a map to find their way versus that tiny, overcrowded clinic.”
Faye ran over to Hannah carrying her straw hat in her hand. “It smells so wonderful out here with all this stuff growing and coming to life. It’ll be Easter soon. Do you have enough eggs for the overflow from Phillips Park? The kids will be upset if they get here and find out there are no eggs to hunt. Beckham and I already talked about volunteering to hide them from the little ones this year.”
It had become a town tradition that the Saturday before Easter, the kids would head to the lighthouse after the town’s official Easter Egg Hunt. After scooping up all the eggs the park had to offer there, the kids and parents would move on to the hilltop where the Easter Bunny would make his second grand appearance of the day.
This year, Barton Pearson had agreed to wear the full costume, complete with bunny head and giant ears, and the big rabbit feet. Word around town said Barton couldn’t wait to strut around in his purple frock coat, the one designed by Cora Bigelow, hoping the outfit would add extra depth to the character.
“Thanks for the reminder. I’ll have to order a lot more of those pastel plastic eggs that come apart. You know, the ones you can put candy inside or dump in those little tacky prizes. What I could use are two eager helpers willing to stuff them and get them ready to hide,” Hannah said, testing the water for a volunteer.
“Beckham and I will do that, too.”
“Super. Do you think Beckham will be out of trouble by then? I heard he’s grounded.”
“Sure. Sydney and Quentin weren’t all that mad. Not really. They just needed to make a statement that said next time Beckham shouldn’t blow anything up in chemistry lab near Mr. Proctor’s desk.”
“That sounds like good advice to me. I guess I’ll head over to the keeper’s cottage and order those bags of eggs, and just to be on the safe side, the chocolate candy to go inside.”
Hannah called for Molly and took off for the office, which by Memorial Day would act as the general store where the co-op could sell additional goods, like preserves, jams, and jellies, to the tourists.
But as soon as she opened the door to the cottage, she heard arguing. She found Landon deep in dispute with Caleb. The two men immediately went silent when they spotted her standing in the doorway. “What’s up, guys?”
“Nothing.”
“You guys weren’t arguing over nothing. What gives?”
Landon sighed and took a step back so she could see what was on the desk. “You might as well tell her. In fact, show her.”
“Show me what?”
Caleb grunted and shook his head. “We don’t know where it came from at least not specifically.”
“Where what came from? What are you guys talking about?”
Caleb held out a small burlap sack with a brown branch sticking out of the opening.
“What is that?”
Caleb exchanged sheepish looks with Landon. “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. The nearest I can tell is it’s a rare grapevine root that hasn’t been seen in Napa Valley since the Casa de Havilland Vineyard burned to the ground in 1939.”
“You’re kidding? How’s that even possible? Where’d you get it?”
“I found it in a shipment of roses from one of our largest vendors out of Fairmont. It was in a special growing container about two feet long. This card was attached and addressed to you.” Caleb handed her the cream-colored envelope with her name scrawled on the front. “I thought the vendor had made a mistake until I saw the card. I almost sent the canister back. I did call and the guy who handles all our orders and he basically questioned my sanity.”
“He didn’t send it?”
“Nope. He doesn’t even know how it ended up on the truck. He accused me of making the whole thing up.”
“Weird. Why would anyone send me a vine in a shipment of roses to The Plant Habitat?”
She ripped open the paper and took out the card, which had a picture of the vineyard on the cover before it had been destroyed. “Look at this. What a charming old photograph. How wonderful. Look at the sign in front of the winery. It says it was established in 1909 by the de Havilland family.”
She flipped open the card but didn’t recognize the handwriting.
“What does it say?” Caleb prompted. “I’ve been dying to find out who sent it.”
This grape cutting is a descendant from the de Havilland family vineyard that specialized in merlot, a personal favorite of mine. It hasn’t been seen in California since before the war. If you plan to start a vineyard of your own, you couldn’t go wrong with this classic grape. It’ll probably take three years for this seedling to produce its first fruit and another two to make enough for your first bottle. You have nothing but time to become the winemaker you want to be, to create that perfect blend of vino that pleases the palate. Enjoy every aspect of the process. Don’t rush the grape.
I ask but a small favor. Your first bottle must be shared with Nick and his lovely wife, Jordan. It must take place overlooking the cliffs at Promise Cove, where my grandmother first told me the story about how her family started their vineyard when she was just a little girl. With any luck, she’ll be looking down on that spot, at that moment in time, watching as a long-lost tradition is brought back to life, thanks to you, and to Caleb, and the dream you two share.
Our paths are unknown to us. But if you follow your heart and are true to yourself and the ones you love, your journey will always be a happy one. Remember that as you walk through life.
Hannah looked from Landon to Caleb. “It’s signed by Scott. How could he possibly have written this?”
Caleb looked at the note. “Yep. That looks like something he’d write. I’ve seen several of these before.”
He reached over to Hannah and tenderly wiped away a single tear that trickled down her cheek. “Good to know we’re following our hearts then.”
“It is. But I don’t know how he does it—Scott always manages to get in the last word.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beneath Winter Sand is Vickie McKeehan’s twenty novel and tenth in The Pelican Pointe Series. Vickie's novels have consistently appeared on Amazon’s Top 100 lists in Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense and Mystery / Thriller. She writes what she loves to read—heartwarming romance laced with suspense, heart-pounding thrillers, and riveting mysteries. Vickie loves to write about compelling and down-to-earth characters in settings that stay with her readers long after they've finished her books. She makes her home in Southern California.
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http://www.vickiemckeehan.com/
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