by Darcy Burke
Like a date. “It’s fine. I’ll talk to you soon—thanks again.” She flashed him a smile and jumped out of the Jeep.
“I had a great time.” His gaze found hers. “See you soon, I hope.”
Yeah, don’t count on that. Except it was hard to avoid people in Ribbon Ridge, especially if someone wanted to run into you—as apparently he did—but she’d do her best.
She waved before closing the door and heading to her apartment. She climbed the stairs and unlocked the door, then stopped as she realized it was empty again. Gram had only been here a short time, but Kelsey suddenly felt very alone. It had never bothered her before. In fact, she’d been thrilled to have her own space for the first time since she was eighteen and in her second year of college.
Tossing her hat on the couch, she made her way into the small kitchen. This morning’s dishes were stacked neatly in the drying rack, despite her telling Gram that she should leave them.
Yep, she was going to miss having Gram as a roommate.
She texted Gram to let her know that she was home. Gram responded with an invitation to join her at the Archers’ for a salmon bake. Rob and Emily, who owned the apartment and lived in the house where it was located, had insisted on making her a welcome dinner, and she wanted Kelsey to come too.
After the way today had ended, Kelsey wasn’t sure she wanted to mingle with people she didn’t know very well. It was amazing—and frustrating—how raw she could still feel. Screw that. Noah wasn’t going to control her anymore. She’d go to the damn dinner, and she’d have a great time.
Although she felt proud of her outlook, a tiny voice in the back of her head asked why she couldn’t take that tack with Luke.
Because she was scared to death.
Chapter Six
After spending the morning in the vineyard, Luke sat at his desk to eat a sandwich. He fired up his laptop and scanned his e-mail. Disappointment nagged at his insides. What had he been hoping for? That Kelsey would e-mail him because she’d somehow forgotten how to text?
He wasn’t surprised given how shaken she’d been yesterday. He still couldn’t quite process what she’d told him, which had been damn little. He wanted to know everything about this abusive asshole and ensure he could never hurt her again.
Which is why he’s in prison, dick-for-brains.
But for how long? It wasn’t as if domestic violence would give him a life sentence. No, those fuckheads usually got out long before they should. And in many cases, they never went to jail at all.
His office phone rang, and he immediately picked up the receiver without looking at the caller ID. “West Arch, this is Luke.”
“Hey, Luke.” The voice was feminine, but not the one he wanted to hear.
“Paige. Hi.” He sat back in his chair and briefly closed his eyes. That’d teach him to answer without checking the caller ID.
“It’s been a while,” she said. “How are you?”
“Great. Just finished the harvest. Busy, busy.”
“Right. How’s it going up there? I remember it being gorgeous in the fall.”
She’d come up to visit several times after he’d moved back—when they’d tried to maintain their relationship long distance. In hindsight, he’d known it wouldn’t work. Rather, that he’d wanted out. But he’d let the distance do the breaking up for him. Shit, was he that big of a jerk?
He sat up and scooted his chair toward his desk. Paige was a nice person, and when he’d told her they could be friends, he’d meant it. He’d never wanted to hurt her. Which was perhaps why he hadn’t handled things well. He’d hoped she would be the one to break things off. But that plan had failed. “It’s going well, thanks. How are things with you? Still liking Westerly?”
“No, actually. I got laid off last month.”
“Wow, I’m sorry to hear that. But you’re great at what you do, and you’re in the right area to find something relatively quickly.”
“It looks that way on paper, but I haven’t found anything yet.” She sounded frustrated, and he felt bad for her. “I’ve actually been looking up in your area. Will you let me know if you hear of anything?”
She was an event planner and had managed the cellar club at Westerly Estate. Before that, they’d worked at the same winery where she’d done the same job. The owner hadn’t liked them seeing each other and because he didn’t want to lose his vineyard manager, he’d let her go. Luke had felt terrible, and he’d pulled some strings to get her on at Westerly. Not that it had been tough because she was great at what she did. But networking was huge in their industry.
“Um, yeah, I’ll keep an eye out.”
“I don’t suppose your winery is hiring.” She laughed. “That wouldn’t be weird, would it?”
Maybe not weird, but definitely awkward as hell. “We can’t afford you.” That was true. They couldn’t really afford any additional staff right now. As far as he knew. He left that to Jamie and Cam. And he wasn’t going to ask. He didn’t mind helping her out, but she couldn’t work here.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said. “So are you seeing anyone now?”
She’d never been one to mince words. He’d liked that about her. He thought of Kelsey and wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t. Not in good conscience. “Not really.”
“Interesting.” She strung the word out a bit. “That’s not a firm no. So maybe there is someone.”
He smiled and shook his head. “No, there really isn’t.” Even if there was, he wouldn’t talk about her with his ex. “Listen, I need to get back to things here. It’s good to hear from you.”
“It’s good to talk to you. I still miss you. Sorry, I can’t help it.” She exhaled. “Anyway, if you hear of anything that might work for me up there, will you let me know? I really need a job.”
He felt for her. Truly. And he would see what he could find—maybe in the southern valley so she wasn’t too close. “Definitely.”
“Thanks, Luke. Keep in touch, okay?”
Cam and Jamie appeared at the threshold to his office and stalked inside, each taking a chair near the windows that looked out over the vineyard. Luke angled himself away from them to finish the call. “Sure thing. Talk to you later. Bye, Paige.” He hung up and swung back around.
Jamie’s brows climbed his forehead. “Paige?”
“Yep. What do you guys need?” He could see from their exchanged look that he was not going to dodge the Paige conversation.
“What did she want?” Cam asked.
“Just checking in. She’s looking for a job and wanted to know if I knew of anything up here.”
Cam set his elbow on the armrest. “Well, that wouldn’t be awkward.”
“Not at all,” Jamie said. “What did you tell her?”
Luke shrugged. “I said I’d keep an eye out. Maybe in the southern valley.”
Cam smiled. “Good call.”
“She asked if we were hiring—now that would be awkward. Thankfully, I didn’t have to lie.”
“Actually, that’s why we’re here,” Cam said, exchanging another look with Jamie. “Juggling this cellar club along with everything else is just proving too much. And sales are going much better than we anticipated.”
Luke grinned at them. “Great problem to have.”
Jamie nodded. “For sure. I’ve crunched some numbers, and we can afford to take on an employee to help with sales and manage the cellar club as well as plan events.”
Damn, that sounded right up Paige’s alley. If they advertised this job, she’d apply in a heartbeat.
Cam chuckled. “I can see the fear in your eyes, brother. Don’t worry, we already have someone in mind, and I know she’ll take the position.”
Luke had a suspicion he knew who this was, but asked anyway. “Who’s that?”
“Brooke,” Cam said. “She’s more than qualified.”
“And she can put up with you that much?” Luke teased.
“So she says.”
“Maybe she’ll ke
ep him in line,” Jamie said, winking at Luke.
Cam rolled his eyes. “Like I need that. You guys are tools. I’ve talked to her about it, and she’s totally on board.”
“You talked to her first?” Luke asked. This was their business.
“Only to see if she was even interested. I made it clear that it wasn’t a job offer—that we hadn’t discussed it yet.”
Luke appreciated that. And, really, he shouldn’t have doubted his brother. “Hayden should be in on this too.”
“Definitely,” Jamie said. “We stopped in and asked him to join us, but he’s up to his eyeballs in grapes right now. He said he’d come up when he could.”
“Well, I have no problem with bringing Brooke on. She’s sure sold a shit ton of our wine.” They’d contracted her as their distributor last summer, and she’d done a bang-up job. In fact, she was the reason their cellar club had taken off so well. He looked at Jamie. “As long as you say we can afford it.”
Jamie gripped the arms of the chair. “We can.”
Luke cast Cam a skeptical look. “And you’re sure you don’t mind working with your wife? That’s a lot of together time.” That sounded hellish to Luke. He’d hated that Paige had lost her job after they’d started dating, but he’d also been relieved not to spend so much time together.
“Not at all,” Cam said, his eyes taking on a blissful sheen. “I’d spend every moment with her if I could.”
Luke blinked and then looked at Jamie, who promptly made a gagging motion, jabbing his finger into his mouth. Luke laughed, and Cam reached over and socked Jamie in the arm.
“You guys are just jealous,” Cam said.
“Nah.” Maybe, a rebellious voice clamored in the recesses of Luke’s brain. He ignored it. “I like my space too much.”
“Yeah, about that,” Jamie said slowly.
Luke leaned forward, suddenly very alert. And expectant. And maybe a wee bit excited.
Jamie turned toward Cam. “Any chance Brooke is giving notice at the lofts? I’d kind of like my own digs.” He jerked his head toward Luke. “No offense, bro. Our situation is great and was super helpful after we sank all this money into buying the vineyard.”
“None taken.” Luke felt as though something that had been coiled tight inside him was beginning to unfurl.
“Actually, Brooke did give notice just yesterday,” Cam said. “She thought she knew someone who might want it, but it turns out they don’t.”
Jamie grinned. “Excellent. I’ll contact the property manager and submit an application. Hopefully beat anybody else to the punch.” He looked back to Luke. “You okay with that?”
“Yeah.” More than okay. He was ecstatic. “How soon do you think you’ll move?”
Cam laughed. “Can’t wait to get rid of him, eh? I can’t blame you. He’s always been the messy one.”
“Hey. I’m cleaner now,” Jamie protested.
“Not much,” Luke stage-whispered toward Cam.
Jamie snorted and jumped to his feet. “I’m going to call the manager now. Catch you losers later.”
“Good talk,” Cam yelled after him as he left. He turned his head back to look at Luke. “How was your hike yesterday?”
Luke hadn’t mentioned that he’d gone with Kelsey and decided not to say anything now. Not after what had happened. Not since he doubted there’d be a repeat, though he hoped he was wrong.
“It was good. Just an out and back at Gales Creek.”
“I bet it felt great to have a day to yourself. You more than deserve it.”
Luke appreciated the sentiment. He was surprised at how much he enjoyed working with his brothers. He’d been a little nervous about it at first, because he did enjoy his autonomy so much, but things had turned out well so far. “Thanks. You deserve some time off too. Maybe with Brooke joining the team, you’ll be able to do that.”
“That’s the idea. I need more time to spend with my future wife—we have wedding planning to do, apparently.”
Luke laughed. “Well, you’ll be spending a lot more time with her.”
“Yes, but I mean nonwork related. I just need to get through the cellar club dinner and then we can focus on wedding plans.”
“You pick a date yet?”
“Not yet. That’s something else I need to talk to you guys about. We’d like to get married in the vineyard and have the reception here.”
For some odd and very stupid reason, Luke felt a burn of envy. He was very proprietary about his vineyard, and it just felt like if someone was going to get married in it, that person should be him. Which was ridiculous. “I have no problem with that. Makes sense, really.”
Cam exhaled. “I’m so glad you feel that way. I was concerned you wouldn’t want us messing with the vineyard. Actually, I see us getting married closer to the winery here, really with the vineyard in the background. We’re looking at dates in June.”
“Weather’s tricky in June,” Luke said. “But we’ll have a few more tents by then.” Part of their long-term planning involved adding a few tents every year as their events grew over time. They planned on hosting dinners in the vineyard and during certain times of the year, Oregon weather could be unreliable.
“Yeah, that’s my thought. We talked about August, but I think we’d rather get married sooner than later.” His eyes took on a far-off look—that blissed-out expression again. “That’s what happens when you find The One. You can’t wait to start your life together. Which we already have, really.”
“I think it’s great.” Luke was really happy for his brother, particularly after the heartache he’d endured.
“Thanks, bro.” Cam stood. “I’m going to go talk to Hayden about Brooke, since he didn’t make his way up here.”
“Good plan. Catch you later.”
Cam waved as he left, and Luke went back to finishing his sandwich. Damn, he was going to have his own place again! He could hardly wait.
And yet, he was surprisingly envious of Cam and his happiness with Brooke. Luke had never seen his brother so full of joy and peace.
His mind turned to Kelsey again, and he promptly told himself to knock it off. She’d tried to dissuade him when he’d asked her out. But then she’d changed her mind, he reminded himself. Her nonverbals yesterday had told him all he really needed to know—she still wasn’t over her last relationship. Not that he could blame her. He wished the timing were different, because he really liked her.
Damn.
Wednesdays were the only day Kelsey worked a full eight-hour shift at the pub, because the library was closed. It meant she was able to take a whopping half-hour lunch break, which had just started. She carried her favorite salad—and a Diet Coke—to the table in the corner.
George called out to her. “I see you remembered your drink for once.”
“I did, thanks, George.” She chuckled to herself as she sat down.
A few minutes later, she looked up, thinking she heard Gram’s voice. And she had—there she was, talking to George at the bar. They stood in profile, but Kelsey could see their expressions. They were both grinning, their eyes dancing in open flirtation. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t so adorable. Wow, had Gram just giggled?
At last, their heads turned as George nodded toward Kelsey. Gram gave him a last coquettish smile as she turned.
Kelsey sipped her Diet Coke and noticed Gram was carrying a brown paper bag with handles. “I see you and George are getting along famously.”
Gram blushed as she sat down opposite Kelsey. “Yes. He just asked me out.” Her eyes widened, and she giggled again. “I wasn’t sure what to say.”
Kelsey leaned forward. “What did you say?”
Gram shrugged. “I said yes. We’re going to the Oktoberfest on Saturday night. He says it’s quite the event.”
“It is. Great food, music, and, of course, beer. The Archers sponsor it.”
“Yes, Emily mentioned it this morning.” Gram gave her a pointed look. “That woman makes the best crockpot oat
meal.”
Kelsey let out a laugh. “Sounds like you’re fitting right in here.”
“Yes, in fact, I think I’m going to stay. Well, I guess I have to since I just accepted a job.”
Kelsey had picked up her fork and nearly dropped it into her salad. “You what? Why do you need a job?” She didn’t remember Gram working. Maybe ever.
“I realized I needed something to do when I was still living with your mother. I’m bored, dear. Maybe if you got married and gave me some great-grandchildren, I’d have something to do!” She laughed, and Kelsey just shook her head, smiling. Gram understood why Kelsey was single—at least Kelsey thought she did. They’d talked about it briefly since she’d come to town, and Gram hadn’t pressed her when she’d said she just liked being on her own.
“So what’s the job?” Kelsey asked before digging back into her salad.
“I’ll be working at The Knitty Gritty just down the block.”
Kelsey loved that store, even though she didn’t knit. They had a variety of stuff from home décor to paper goods to funny gifts. They also sold yarn and knitting supplies. “Gram, you don’t knit.”
“I know, it’s crazy, isn’t it?” She picked up the bag she’d set next to her chair. “I bought some yarn and needles and a book. The owner said she’d give me a lesson tomorrow.”
Kelsey sipped her Diet Coke to wash down her last bite. “So in one day, you’ve picked up a job, a hobby, and a date. I think you’ve more than solved your boredom.”
Gram laughed. “Isn’t it marvelous?”
Yes, it was. Kelsey loved seeing Gram this animated. She just loved seeing Gram period. “I’m so glad you’ve decided to stay. Have you told Mom?”
Gram’s expression dimmed. “Not yet. She’ll say it’s a mistake.”
Kelsey made a sound of disgust. “Who cares? She thinks everything that isn’t her idea is a mistake.”
“True. She’ll try to talk me out of it.”
“Can she?”