“Maggie, these are the owners of the winery. Gino and Adrianna DeLuca, this is Maggie Harrison. She’s staying with me for a few days.”
Maggie shook Gino’s and Adrianna’s hands in turn. They were both definitely of Italian descent, with thick black hair and rich brown eyes. Adrianna was a beautiful woman, with a svelte figure and a mane of curly black hair that fell to the middle of her back. She wore a burgundy-colored dress that hugged every curve of her body, and tall black heels. Her husband, Gino, was as handsome as she was beautiful. His wavy hair curled around his face, and his eyes sparkled when he shook Maggie’s hand. His light-colored suit fit him impeccably and accentuated his olive skin. They were a gorgeous pair, and it was difficult for Maggie to believe that either of these sophisticated-looking people spent any time in the vineyards or working in the winery.
“It’s so nice to meet you both,” Maggie said.
“It is so nice to meet you,” Adrianna said, smiling at Maggie. “Emma told us that Roberto had a guest, but we could hardly believe it. He so rarely brings company home.”
Maggie slid her gaze to Rob, just in time to see him blush. She tried not to laugh and embarrass him even more.
“Emma is Adrianna’s aunt,” Rob told Maggie. “It’s a big area, but almost everyone is related in one way or another.”
Maggie nodded. Having lived in a small town for over twenty years, she knew exactly what he meant.
“I hope you’ll be staying here for a while,” Gino said to Maggie. “It’s so beautiful this time of year, and there’s plenty for you and Rob to do.”
The DeLucas were called away to attend to other guests, leaving Maggie free to mercilessly tease Rob. “Roberto, is it?” she asked, and Rob blushed again.
“Adrianna likes to put on a show for the tourists,” Rob said. “She’s a third-generation Italian American and has no accent. She just plays it up when guests are here.”
Rob took two new glasses of wine from a tray on the bar and handed one to Maggie, taking the half-empty glass from her and setting it on the bar. “Try the rosé,” he said. “It’s wonderful.”
Maggie and Rob sat by the fireplace for a while, eating their food and watching the guests dancing, talking, and tasting wines. Chatter, laughter, and music swirled around the room, and Maggie enjoyed every minute of it. She felt a million miles away from the woman she’d been just two weeks ago. The old Maggie would never have been sitting here, dressed up and sipping wine. She decided that she liked the new Maggie much better.
Rob brought them both a glass of Chardonnay to try next, and Maggie sipped it slowly. She was already feeling the effects of the alcohol, despite being careful. When Rob extended his hand to her as an invitation to dance, she accepted without any reservations. She felt happy and carefree as Rob placed his other hand on her waist and gently led her around the dance floor.
“You can dance, too?” she asked. “Are you good at everything you do?”
Rob raised his eyebrows, making Maggie laugh and shake her head. “Forget I asked that,” she said.
As they danced, night fell and the stars twinkled high above. Inside, Maggie shone as she never had before. Dancing, joking, talking, and laughing, she forgot about the heaviness of her old life and embraced the best night she’d had in years.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Andrew took the noon flight out of Woodroe’s small airport to Minneapolis, and then connected to a nonstop flight to Seattle. After having settled Kaia in at Megan’s house and being assured once again by Megan’s mother that she was happy to have Kaia there for as long as necessary, he’d packed a bag and headed out. He’d called Kyle at work from the airport to tell him where he was going, and Kyle cheered him on and wished him good luck. “Tell Mom we love her and really need her, okay?” Kyle had said. Andrew had smiled at his son’s words. It made him proud that his grown son wasn’t afraid to show affection for his family. He realized he could learn a thing or two from him.
Andrew’s plane landed in Seattle at four o’clock in the afternoon. He grabbed his luggage and stepped into a waiting cab. Before he knew it, he was standing at Cassie’s front door, hoping Maggie was back from her trip and that he’d be welcome in Cassie’s home.
When Cassie opened the door, she stared at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see Maggie.”
Cassie glanced from Andrew to his suitcase on the porch beside him and back again. “She’s not here. I told you on the phone that she’s gone with a friend to California.”
Andrew took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. If he was going to do this right, he knew he’d be doing a lot of pride swallowing over the next few days. “I know she’s with your friend Rob, at his house,” he said. “Maggie told me. Would you mind if I stay a couple of days and wait for her to return?”
Cassie hesitated. Finally, Andrew said, “Please, Cassie. I know you don’t like me. I know you’ve never liked me, for whatever reason. But despite what you may think, I love Maggie. I’ve always loved Maggie. And I just need a chance to tell her that in person. I promise I won’t be any trouble. Heck, I won’t even talk to you if you don’t want me to.”
His speech brought a smile to Cassie’s lips. “Of course you can stay, Andrew. And I’ll even let you talk to me if you’d like,” she said with a sly grin.
Andrew followed her into the house and stopped in the entryway. “Can I ask you one more favor?”
Cassie turned, her eyebrows raised. “Okay.”
“Please don’t tell Maggie I’m here. I want her to come back on her own, because she wants to. I don’t want her to come back just because she knows I’m here and she thinks she has to. Okay?”
Cassie nodded. Then she showed Andrew to his room.
Maggie and Rob danced one last slow dance as the party was winding down and the guests were preparing to leave. By this time, Maggie had tried several varieties of the DeLuca wines, and she felt a little tipsy and light-headed. With her arms around Rob’s neck, and his around her waist, they swayed gently to the music, unaware and not caring if anyone was watching them.
“Thank you,” Maggie whispered in Rob’s ear as the music played on. Her face was so close to his, she felt the softness of his beard against her cheek.
“For what?” Rob asked, looking surprised.
“For making me feel alive again.”
When the music ended, they thanked Gino and Adrianna for the lovely time. Adrianna gave Rob and Maggie each a hug good-bye. “Come again soon,” she said, her thick, fake accent now gone. “I’d love getting to know you better,” she said to Maggie.
Maggie and Rob stepped out into the clear, starlit night, happy that the damp fog hadn’t rolled in. Maggie stumbled, and Rob caught her. She wrapped her arm around his for support as they slowly made their way up the hill.
“I think I drank more than I should have,” she said, giggling. “You shouldn’t have given me so many different wines to try.”
“You really are a lightweight,” he teased. “I’ll make some coffee when we get back to the house.”
When they reached the house, Rob started the coffeemaker and built a fire. Maggie sat in one of the cushy chairs and slipped off her heels.
“I have a surprise for you,” Rob said, heading over to his stereo system. He turned it on and, a moment later, Bob Seger began singing “Roll Me Away.”
Maggie laughed. “Nothing else could be more perfect.”
Rob poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Maggie. She held it tightly in both hands, savoring the warmth of the mug and the aroma of the coffee.
“Bob is quickly becoming my favorite person,” Rob said with a smirk. “Without him, you might never have come here.”
Maggie smiled at Rob. He was sweet and kind, and she’d enjoyed spending the last few days with him. “Thank you for such a nice time,” she said
. “This whole trip with you has been so relaxing and fun. I’ll be sorry when I have to leave.”
“Then don’t leave,” Rob said.
Maggie’s eyes grew wide.
“What I meant is you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. I have nowhere to be and no one needing me, so I’m happy for the company,” Rob said.
Maggie stared down at her mug. “I do have somewhere to be, though,” she said quietly. “I can’t run forever. I’ll have to go home eventually. Probably soon.”
They both sat silently for a while, drinking their coffee and listening to the music. After a while, Rob spoke up. “You look beautiful tonight, Maggie. I was proud to have you with me at the party.”
Maggie gazed into the fire. “If I look good at all, it’s because Emma did a wonderful job picking out a dress for me.”
Rob set down his mug and turned to Maggie. He placed his fingers lightly under her chin, turning her face toward his. “That was a compliment, Maggie. Don’t downplay it and sell yourself short. You’re a beautiful woman. Don’t you know that?”
Maggie lowered her eyes. “I’ve never thought of myself that way. When you’ve been married as long as I have, compliments go by the wayside. I haven’t thought of myself as pretty in a long time. But thank you.”
Rob stood and reached for Maggie’s hand. “Let’s have one more dance, compliments of Bob.”
Maggie stood and followed Rob to the open area between the family room and the kitchen. Bob was now singing “We’ve Got Tonight,” a slow, mellow song. With her heels now off, Maggie was much shorter than Rob, but she fit in perfectly against him as he placed his arm around her waist and held her hand. They swayed slowly to the music in the dim light of the room, the fire giving off a soft glow.
Maggie moved in closer and placed her head on Rob’s shoulder, enjoying his nearness. It had been a long time since anyone had held her close. A long time since she’d felt a caring touch. She cleared her mind of every worry and heartache she’d ever felt and just savored the nearness of this man she barely knew but felt she’d known for ages.
“If I were lucky enough to have someone like you in my life, I’d tell you every day how lovely you are. You deserve that, Maggie,” Rob whispered in her ear as he held her tight.
Maggie lifted her head and gazed up into Rob’s eyes. He lifted his hand and softly touched her face, running his thumb across her jawline, causing her body to feel weak from his touch. Slowly, he lowered his head and gently touched her lips with his. Maggie responded, wrapping her arms around his neck and rising up to meet his lips with her own. For one long moment, they kissed, but then the music ended, jarring Maggie out of her dreamlike state and back to reality. Reluctantly, she pulled away, taking a step back from Rob.
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, seeing the crestfallen look in Rob’s eyes. “I just can’t. I’m married, and I can’t do to him what he did to me.”
Rob stepped forward and grasped Maggie’s hand in his. “Don’t be sorry, Maggie. I’m not. I feel closer to you than I have to anyone else in a long time. But I understand. You made it perfectly clear that we are just friends, and I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you. I’m afraid I couldn’t help myself.”
Maggie pulled away from his touch and moved back to the fireplace. Rob turned off the stereo and flicked on the overhead light in the kitchen, causing the magic of the evening to disappear. He walked over to where Maggie stood.
“I think I should go back to Cassie’s tomorrow,” Maggie said sadly. “It’s time I go home and try to straighten out my life before I make an even bigger mess of it.”
“Please don’t go because of what just happened. I promise it won’t happen again. I’d really love for you to stay a while longer,” Rob told her.
Maggie gave Rob a small smile. “If I stay, it will happen again. I’m not going to lie. I’m attracted to you, and if I stay, it will just complicate my life further. I have to try to fix my marriage. I know things between Andrew and I have been bad for a while, but we used to be good together. I have to at least try one more time to fix things with him.”
Rob looked at Maggie with soulful eyes. “Your husband is an idiot,” he said, then smiled wanly. “But he’s a very lucky man.”
Maggie walked over and pulled Rob into a hug. She was grateful to him for the time they’d spent together, and she hoped they could still be good friends.
Maggie left early the next morning, driving Rob’s black BMW convertible back to Seattle. She’d asked about taking a flight, but Rob insisted she take the car instead. He said he’d fly up the next time he visited Matt and Cassie and pick up his car then.
As she drove, Maggie thought about the past few days with Rob. She was surprised at the strong feelings she’d developed for him in such a short time. In all the years she’d been married, she’d never once looked at another man. But after such a long time of feeling alone and unloved, it had been easy to respond to Rob’s attention. She wondered if that was what had happened to Andrew. Had he felt so disconnected from her that he’d searched for warmth from another woman? A part of her understood now how easy it would be to accept the affections of another in order to hide from your problems. That didn’t excuse Andrew for what he’d done, but she understood his actions a little better.
She was relieved she hadn’t done anything to make her situation even more complicated. She’d never had any intention of looking for love in another man’s arms. She’d stayed with Andrew after the affair not only because of the children but also because she’d wanted to believe they could fix their marriage. And even now, she still wanted to believe it, despite everything.
It was time to go home and face up to their problems, whatever the outcome.
It was a twelve-hour drive from Rob’s home to Cassie’s, taking the main highway. Now that Maggie had made up her mind to go home, she just wanted to get back to Cassie’s so tomorrow she could head for home. She’d spent enough time thinking about what she wanted, and she missed her children terribly. No matter what happened with Andrew, she needed to be home with her kids.
By the time she reached Cassie’s house, it was after seven o’clock in the evening. The sun was just setting on the horizon as she entered the house, carrying a small bag Rob had loaned her for the few items of clothing she’d brought along.
Cassie was in the kitchen when she saw Maggie enter the house, and she rushed to her side. “You’re already home!” she exclaimed. “I thought for sure you’d stay there a few more days. Why didn’t you call me to pick you up at the airport?”
Maggie hugged her cousin, happy to be back after the long drive. “I drove one of Rob’s cars instead. He insisted. He said he’d pick it up on his next visit.”
Cassie seemed nervous and kept glancing toward the kitchen. Maggie was tired and just wanted to go up to her room and sleep. She knew she had a long drive ahead of her over the next couple of days to go home. But she couldn’t help but notice that Cassie was acting strange.
“What’s going on? You’re acting weird,” Maggie said.
Cassie sighed. “It’s Andrew. He’s here.”
“Here? How long has he been here? Why didn’t you call to tell me?”
“He showed up yesterday afternoon. I didn’t call you because he asked me not to. He just wanted to wait for you.” Cassie pulled Maggie toward the kitchen and pointed to the deck where the lights were now on as the sky darkened. “He’s been moping around here the entire time. I kind of felt sorry for him.”
“You felt sorry for him?”
“Oh, stop it. You’d better go out and talk to him before he jumps off the deck.”
Maggie ran her hand through her hair to smooth it down and fidgeted with her T-shirt. She hoped she didn’t look as terrible as she felt after a long day in the car. Taking a deep breath, she opened the patio door and stepped into the chilly night.
“Andrew?”
Andrew turned and his face lit up with surprise. “Maggie, you’re back.”
Maggie walked closer to him. They didn’t embrace. They only stared at each other.
“Maggie. You look . . . wonderful,” Andrew said, his eyes slowly surveying her. “Your hair looks really nice. You look beautiful.”
Andrew’s compliment unbalanced Maggie. She wasn’t used to him noticing how she looked. “Why are you here?” she asked bluntly.
“Am I too late?” Andrew asked sadly.
Maggie frowned. “Too late for what?”
“To win you back.”
Maggie stood there, stunned, as the ocean breeze caressed her skin and the damp air chilled her. But it wasn’t the breeze or the damp air that caused the goose bumps to tingle down her spine. It was Andrew’s words. The words she’d been waiting a long time to hear. She was so taken aback, she didn’t know how to respond.
Andrew drew closer, taking her hands in his. He said softly, “You were right, Maggie. I didn’t try hard enough to win you back. In fact, I didn’t try at all. I just wanted to brush what I’d done under the rug and forget about it. But I was wrong. I’m so sorry. I’ll do anything I can, anything you ask of me, if you’ll give me another chance.” He let go of one of her hands and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket.
“What’s that?” Maggie asked.
Andrew slowly unfolded the paper. It was a copy of the photo of the two of them that hung on their bedroom wall. Before he’d left home, he’d asked Kaia to copy it so he could take it with him. Now, he handed the sheet of paper to Maggie.
“It’s us,” he said. “It’s the couple we used to be, the happy couple I want us to be again.”
Tears filled Maggie’s eyes. She hadn’t even realized he’d ever noticed this old photo on the wall, but he’d actually made a copy of it to bring to her. To remind her that he remembered how good they had once been together.
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