Entering the building, Kat pulled herself up the back stairs, feeling ever so much like she was being dragged deeper and deeper into an emotional quagmire. She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and exited onto the third floor. She had a class to teach.
****
Alex’s dreams of relaxing in front of the fire with Kat and a bottle of his best wine evaporated two hours later when the local weather station predicted wide-spread frost in the Almendra area. Watching the small television in the kitchen while drinking a cup of coffee, he shook a fist at the weatherperson. “You wait until the last minute to give a frost warning? Are you kidding me?” He gulped down the hot drink and hurried out the door to check the sprinkler systems.
As the temperature fell steadily throughout the afternoon and into the evening, Alex drove around the property, checking water pumps and sprinkler heads. As he eyed the thermometer at the weather station at the back of the house, he saw the Berk Family Almond Grove truck turn into their driveway.
With one last look at the thermometer, he hurried through the herb garden. He had just enough time to tell Kat he’d be outside for most of the night before he went back out to turn on the sprinklers.
The rich aroma of basil and garlic reached his nostrils as he walked into the laundry room.
“Do you have time for a slice of pizza?” Kat, still dressed in the dark skirt and white sweater she had worn to work, placed two plates on the kitchen counter.
Alex stopped inside the door. “You stopped for pizza?”
“When you called and said you couldn’t pick me up, I figured you’d be busy.” Kat reached for glasses in the cupboard before fixing him with a look. “Is that okay?”
With the noises emanating from his belly, Alex was acutely aware of his hunger. He tore his gaze from the pizza box. “More than okay, but I’m afraid the pizza will have to wait.” He closed the distance between them. “But this can’t.” He wrapped both arms around her waist and bent her over his arm, pressing his lips to hers. He savored her warmth, pleased with her willingness to accept the sudden change in plans. Breaking off the kiss, he backed toward the door, grinning.
Kat, blue eyes wide, pressed a hand to her chest.
“I’ll be back for the pizza in an hour or so.” With renewed vigor, he drove to the first field of Muscat grapes and entered the little shed housing the water pump. Holding his breath, he switched on the pump, not releasing the breath till the pump surged to life and he heard the sprinkler heads begin to spurt water over the delicate buds.
Soon a protective coating of ice would cover the delicate buds, maintaining a constant temperature and protecting them from a further drop. In the distance, a barn owl hooted. Jumping into the truck, Alex started for the next field. If one pump stopped working, they could lose an entire crop.
An hour and a half later, after checking each field and each line of sprinklers, he returned to the house for pizza, surprised to find Kat had waited. Together, they demolished the pizza and he, a liter of caffeinated soda. Climbing into the truck, his hunger sated, he marveled at the side of Kat he had discovered. More than an academic, she understood when work couldn’t wait.
Sometime in the middle of the night, a pump seized and shuddered to a stop. Working in the quiet under a single bulb, he heard a vehicle and had turned to find Kat, dressed in a pair of jeans and borrowed rubber boots, in the doorway of the small equipment shed carrying a thermos of hot coffee. Her presence seemed to make the work easier and soon she rode with him to check on the fields of Sangiovese grapes. When he found a stuck sprinkler head, she drove to his office for a replacement while he repaired another. After more than an hour, he insisted she return to the house.
Four hours later, he parked the truck and leaned his head against the steering wheel. His legs ached from the constant running back and forth, checking and rechecking. Just a quick cup of coffee and he’d go back out.
When the sun peeked over the horizon, Alex breathed a sigh of relief. The rows and rows of tender buds were encased in a protective coating of ice. With Kat’s help, they had made it through the night without losing a single field. His shoulders heavy with fatigue, he walked into the kitchen for a final cup of coffee.
In the shadows Kat slumped sideways, asleep in the big wooden rocker. The multi-colored afghan lay in a puddle on the floor.
After slipping off his muddy boots, Alex padded over to Kat. He reached down for the afghan and tucked the heavy blanket around her shoulders.
She stirred, her blue eyes peeking through her lashes. “Alex.” She straightened, grimacing as she rubbed her neck. “Do you need some coffee?”
“I’m fine.” Alex leaned down and kissed her forehead. “We did it, Kat. We saved the grapes.” He knelt down at her feet and laid his head in her lap. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Her hand stroked his hair, and his shoulders, stiff from the cold and working through the night, began to relax.
He had to give the woman credit. She was more than an academic, more than a bookworm. Although she had grown up on a vineyard, Kat had been at this vineyard for only a few months, and she had known exactly what he needed. She had been there for him.
Maybe they had more in common than he realized.
Chapter Nine
A few weeks before Kat was scheduled to leave, Alex drove her to school early so they could share a coffee at The Tin Cup. Afterwards, they walked to her building on campus.
As a light breeze stirred the leaves of the trees hanging over the mall, Kat shivered.
“Are you cold?” Alex reached for Kat and swung her around. He brushed the side of her cheek with one finger. “I do believe you’re turning into a California girl, Kat. You actually have some color on your cheeks.”
“I need more than color in my cheeks to be a California girl, Alex.” She glanced at her watch and then kissed him quickly on the lips. “I have to run.” Without another word she turned and ran through the doors into her building.
Early in their relationship, Alex realized Kat was single-minded with regards to work. Strolling back to his truck, he wondered if Kat’s reply hinted at her insistence on returning home. He was unlocking the truck when the barista waved from inside the coffee shop. She held up Kat’s large Italian leather purse. Thanking the barista, Alex retraced his steps.
Checking the directory in the large glass-enclosed lobby, Alex found the German Department on the third floor. He eased into an elevator just as the doors closed and punched the button marked three. He wandered down the hall, peeking into mostly empty offices, then he heard Kat’s voice from a room two doors down on the right. A smile on his face and the purse in his hand, Alex strode into the office and came to an immediate halt. In front of him Kat sat at a large desk, engrossed in a computer screen on a side table.
A tall, blond man perched on the corner of the desk behind her, leaning over her shoulder. He put one hand on Kat’s shoulder and pointed to the screen with the other. “See, Doctor Keune assigns Kafke the second half of the semester.” He glanced at Alex, his eyebrows raised. “Hello.”
Absorbed in the information on the screen, Kat’s eyes were unfocused as she turned from the screen. “Alex, what are you doing here?”
He dropped the handbag in the middle of the desk. “I thought you might need this.” He looked around the room, realizing he had interrupted a business discussion.
Earl Landauer rose from a chair in the corner and stuck out his hand. “Nice to see you again, Alex.”
Alex shook his hand. “Nice to see you, Doctor Landauer.”
“Call me Earl. By the way, my wife and I had a wonderful time at the faculty party. I knew your brothers when they attended here, both excellent students.” He nodded toward the man next to Kat. “This is Dr. Schneeman. We’re trying to talk him into going back to Germany with Doctor Bauer.”
Tall, broad-shouldered, and with eyes as blue as Kat’s, the young man stood and reached across the desk for Alex’s hand. His grip was strong. He adjust
ed his wire rim glasses. “It won’t take much convincing, Dr. Landauer, I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Alex backed up a step. “Nice to meet you, Doctor Schneeman.” He glanced at Kat, black glasses perched on the end of her nose, sitting quietly at her desk. “Kat, I’ll come back at the end of the day.”
The blond Adonis shrugged his shoulders. “No need to make an extra trip, Alex. I’m driving out to the vineyards this evening. I’d be glad to give her a lift.”
Alex’s gaze flicked back to Kat.
She reached for her purse. “Thanks for bringing this to me, Alex. I’ll catch a ride with Bill.”
Earl slapped Alex on the back and studied Kat, a smile on his face. “Did she tell you we offered her head of the department as an incentive to stay? After all, the woman speaks five languages. We’d be crazy to let her go without a fight, assuming she agrees, of course.”
Five languages? Looking from one to the other, Alex’s heart gave a tiny lurch. “No, she didn’t tell me. That’s quite an honor.”
His gaze still on the visiting professor, Earl nodded. “She’s quite the up and comer. I suspect we’ll have a fight on our hands with her home university. I have a feeling they’re about to make her the same offer.”
Kat blushed and looked up at Alex before returning her gaze to Earl. “I’ll be lucky to have a job when I go back. I’ve been gone six months, Doctor Landauer. Somebody probably already filled my vacancy. Out of sight, out of mind, you know.”
Alex’s shoulder began to twitch where Earl’s hand gripped it. He knew Kat had a lot of education, but not until today had he realized her abilities and how they fit into the job market. She was talented. The potential for her growth at the university was phenomenal. His mission accomplished, he backed toward the door, suddenly anxious to flee. “Nice to meet you—” he nodded toward Doctor Schneeman. “Kat.” When his gaze met hers, he saw something there but he wasn’t sure what. He waved at Earl and fled.
With long strides, he hurried down the stairs and burst through the front doors onto the mall. Taking a deep breath, he stared up through the trees at a summer blue sky. A beautiful day…why did he feel like a storm had just swept through his life, washing away everything he cared about?
He wandered along the main street bordering the campus, his mind replaying the scene in Kat’s office. Dating almost six months yet today was the first day Alex had seen Kat in her office environment, working, and the reminder of her status at the university hit him like a physical blow. Suddenly, a hand shoved him up against the window of the jewelry store.
“Where have you been hiding, Marino?”
Alex looked down at a vivid fuchsia streak in black-spiked hair. Fleur. “Hi, Fleur, how are you?” He inched away.
“Have you been avoiding me?” She tapped at his chest with a long lavender nail.
“Not at all.” Alex looked back at the entrance to the campus and his breath caught in his throat.
Kat stood at the foot of the steps leading onto campus, staring.
He tried to breathe but his chest felt as if an elephant were sitting on it. The time had come. As much as he hated to admit, he knew she would understand, and eventually agree. All of those doctors… Doctor This and Doctor That…and then there’s Alex, who never even finished his bachelor’s degree. Pretending he didn’t see Kat, Alex put his arm around Fleur and led her down the street.
The weekend dragged. With activities almost every weekend with Kat since Valentine’s Day, the days and weeks had flown by. When Monday came, Alex threw himself into preparing the vineyards for the coming season, but without the promise of seeing Kat, the day seemed long and colorless.
Friday evening, Alex sat on the front porch staring out over the vineyard. Clumps of green grapes clung to lush, leafy vines. At the end of each row, the rose bushes bloomed profusely, proclaiming all was right in the vineyard. Everything in California had sprung to life. The Monarchs had moved on in search of milkweed and a place to lay their eggs. Spring was a busy time…too busy to be sitting on the porch staring into space.
His father pushed through the front door, a glass of iced tea in his hand. “Long day.” He settled into a chair and breathed a long sigh. “Did you drop off my truck?”
Alex slapped a hand to his forehead. “I forgot, Dad. I’ll take it in next week.” Disgusted with himself, he jumped out of his chair and paced the floor. After leaving Kat standing at the base of the mall last Friday morning and walking off with Fleur, he hadn’t been able to think straight. The look on her face had pierced his heart, but they had agreed the time would come. Kat’s life was planned, as was Alex’s. He just didn’t realize ending their relationship would be more painful than any of his broken bones.
“Are you okay?”
His father’s voice brought him out of his reverie. He turned and looked at his father, his brow furrowed. “What’s that, Dad?”
“I asked if you’re okay. You don’t usually forget things.”
Alex stuck his hands in his back pockets and stared out at the rows of grape vines. Pumpkin whinnied in the barn. Returning to his chair, he perched on the edge, his chin in his hands. “I’ve been feeling a little bit like a fifth wheel here. With Wendy moving in, and then the baby…” He paused. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for Tony. I feel like I—”
“I understand, son. I know how you like your routine and your quiet time.” He sipped his tea. “Don’t let your mother know I said this, but it probably wouldn’t hurt for you to have your own space. Why don’t you try staying at the cabin for a while?”
For the first time in a week, Alex smiled. “That’s not a bad idea, Dad.” Relief coursed through him as he glanced at his father. “Thanks, Pop.”
“No problem, son.” Frank drummed his fingers on the wooden arm of the porch chair. “Is something else bothering you?”
Alex rubbed at the faint pain in his temples. “Kat and I ended things, and not in a good way. But we both knew the time would come when she’d return home.”
“Endings never are pretty.” The ice cubes in his father’s glass clinked as he took a long drink. “You two seemed to be getting pretty close. I thought you might work something out.”
“What’s to work out? My life is in California and hers is in Germany.” Alex leaned back in the chair and stretched out his legs. Pasta, the retriever, ran onto the porch and laid her head on Alex’s lap. “Hey, girl.” He stroked her soft hair and let out a deep sigh. He should have known better than to become involved with Kat. Despite their differences, they were both committed to their families.
“Things happen, son. Relationships are complicated.” Frank took another long swallow of iced tea. “You know people can change.”
Alex continued to stroke the dog’s back as she pressed against his knee. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Frank set down the glass with a thump. “Alex, you know your mother and I were proud of you when you joined the Army and, believe me, we understand the sacrifice you made when you left school.”
Alex felt a jab of guilt at his father’s praise and kept his eyes on the dog. “Well, you know, Dad, I have to tell you—” Alex swallowed, finding the admission harder than he expected, “—I was relieved to have an excuse to leave school.”
Pumpkin whinnied again in the pasture and Pasta settled into a golden heap at his feet. Alex risked a glance at his father and was surprised to see a small smile. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
Frank chuckled. “Alex, do you think I don’t know my own son? You always did like action. You’ve never been one to sit and read a book, like Doug.” He upended his glass and finished his tea. “On the other hand, you’re also extremely regimented, a trait you acquired from the military. Such a trait comes in handy in the creation of a new wine. But when it comes to relationships, and people, you’ve got to be a little flexible.”
Alex eyed his father. “Are you saying I’m…not flexible?”
Frank leaned forward, elbows
propped on his knees. “Son, ask yourself which is more important…a future here, doing what you’ve been doing, alone, or a future with Kat, wherever that may be.”
Alex stared out at the rows and rows of luscious green vines, the efforts of over thirty years of hard work. Could he leave his home, his life’s work, and start anew? “Do you mean if I left, you wouldn’t be upset?” Uncertain whether he understood what his father was saying, Alex turned and studied his father, who returned his look with a smile.
“We would miss you, of course, but every parent wants their child to be happy. Often that involves finding a partner to spend their lives together.” His father turned his gaze from Alex to the vineyard. “I stayed in California because of your mother. My family was, and still is, in New Jersey.”
Alex wiped his hand across his face. “When you put it that way…”
“You were here when we needed you.” Frank rested his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You do what you have to do, son. This is your life, your decision.”
Alex stared at the porch floor, conflicting thoughts running through his head. If he wanted Kat, he would have to go to her, to Germany. He glanced up at his father. “Thanks, Dad.”
They sat in companionable silence as darkness settled over the vineyard and Pasta chased squirrels in the front yard.
Alex considered calling Kat, but still he waited. Although his feelings for Kat were strong, he wrestled with the idea of leaving California. His life was in California. He knew from one month to the next what was needed. A week went by and still he mulled over his situation.
The following Friday, he took in his father’s truck for the manufacturer’s recall. Doug brought him home and stayed for dinner. If his mother hadn’t corralled him in the kitchen, Alex would have avoided dinner.
“What do you mean, you’re not eating? We’re having ribollita, your favorite.” Normally, Alex loved the thick, spicy soup, but his usual hearty appetite had disappeared. He followed his mother into the dining room and sat quietly as the rest of the family chattered about their day. He chewed thoughtfully on a piece of bread and stared at the horse picture on the wall.
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