St. Helena Vineyard Series: Sneaking Up on Love (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  One man in particular, leaning with arms crossed against the largest of the fire engines, had her attention immediately. Seth stood barefoot, in his turn outs and suspenders, sans shirt and sexy as hell. She recalled his rippling bare chest the night he slept over in her chair, but that memory didn’t do justice to what stood before her – smoldering hot sex on a stick. His ability to make her sweat, go weak in the knee’s, and command her most personal parts without a word was a dangerous and exciting realization. He – was – hot!

  She blushed when she noticed him watching her. The effect he had on her was as exhilarating as it was frightening. The wave of relief that he was indeed okay, so okay he was standing there looking like that, flooded her core, forcing her to squeeze her legs together just a bit tighter.

  Seth approached her expressionless. It left Molly a bit unsettled since it was something she hadn’t witnessed before. She stood on her tip toes, reaching around his neck, giving him a sweet hug; both glad he was okay, and happy to see him in all his half naked glory. When the hug wasn’t returned, she slowly dropped her arms confused by the awkward encounter.

  “You didn’t come by the shop today – I was worried.” She said full of insecurity trying to gauge his mood.

  “Were you?” he mocked.

  “Well, ya…I thought something might have happened. You usually text or call if something comes up.” She defended.

  “Thought you might be busy.”

  “Busy? The shop is usually busy, but that’s not a problem. I always make time for…” she was cut off before she could finish her thought by a fiery tone she hadn’t heard from Seth before. She had clearly missed something; this wasn’t like him at all, and it left her uneasy.

  He shook his head, looked her in the eye and declared, “I didn’t want to interrupt your company.”

  “Company?” she questioned, sincerely perplexed by his behavior.

  “I saw it; whole town did. Nora posted you kissing some leather head.” He chided.

  “Dane?” she began to laugh.

  “Oh, so it’s funny?”

  “No! No! I can’t believe Nora managed to capture that even!”

  “I bet…” he left his statement open ended for her to take in any way she so chose.

  “What’s that supposed to mean, Seth? Are you being serious right now?”

  “It means…I guess it’s just better to find out sooner than later that I was reading our relationship different.” He admitted.

  “Wait, there is nothing going on with Dane. He is my uninvited and unwelcome free loading ex! Marc Deluca had to get rid of him for me!” she plead, not sure it was even worth defending.

  Seth felt like an ass, realizing that he very well could have read the entire situation completely wrong. His source was Nora after all. But now, what did he do? Did he believe her; have any reason not to believe her. The troubled look on her face told him that it may not matter if he did or didn’t…he had hurt her, deeply. He watched tears well just shy of spilling over her long lashes when his conscience finally got ahold of him. He was a fucking asshole.

  “I really can’t believe you thought…” she briefly choked on her words, pausing to collect herself because she would not let this man affect her with his implications. “Of all people, you believed that I would...”

  She shook her head and backed away offering her last words on the topic before she turned and walked away, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Guilt felt like a knife to his heart, and he was the one that stuck it there. Had he really just done that? Accused her of something based on a picture from public enemy number one? He wasn’t sure how or why he had let that image take his mind where it did or why he would accuse her of anything…it was Molly, sweet Molly.

  It was time to eat crow and fix what he had wronged. He could reconcile all of the feelings that lead him here later. She waved him off when he called out her name, trying to stop her, even ran part way down the station lot to the sidewalk to catch up, but she didn’t want to be caught.

  The sound of a honking horn stopped him in his tracks when the car full of young girls hollered and whistled out the window, reminding him of his attire, or lack thereof, and bare feet. The last thing he needed was for Nora to capture this and run with it. He would fix this. He didn’t know how, but he would.

  “Dick move, man,” Adam deadpanned.

  Just what he needed; not only his boss Adam, but Adam’s brothers Dax, and Sherriff Jonah to witness his jealous tirade and the humiliation that followed. If that wasn’t enough, Marc Deluca was with them. The Baudouin brothers were tight and all worked as some of St. Helena’s finest in the hero department, real badasses, and they had a Deluca with them. Fan-fucking-tastic. They all liked Molly. Her four best friends happened to be their women. This wasn’t going to end well for him.

  “Looks like you blew it, Spangler. I knew you were an idiot…but that? That was all kinds of asshole!” Jonah accused.

  Seth leaned forward, hands braced against the fire truck trying to collect himself while he sucked in a deep breath, “Might have, damn Nora-fucking-Kinkaid.”

  “Nora Kinkaid?” Adam questioned.

  “It’s her fault. She’s been posting shit about Molly and me for weeks…months actually. She is a ruthless old broad and has it out for Molly. She caught some scene at Molly’s store with some guy, made it something it obviously wasn’t, and I fucking fell for it! What the hell was I thinking?”

  “I was actually heading that way in a bit. Marc mentioned there was trouble there with some wannabe biker guy. Wanted to make sure she was all good.” Sherriff Jonah offered, although Seth was sure smart ass Jonah would pop up any moment.

  “Sounds like you’re jealous, got a little butt hurt over a picture…you’re such a pussy.” Dax cut the bullshit and said what everyone including Seth was thinking. “You should have hauled your ass over there and asked the dickhead with long Barbie hair what the fuck he was doing with his hands on your girl…but that’s just me. That’s what a man would do.”

  Seth felt defeated, evident by his lack of rebuttal of any kind. He stood there and took the insults because he deserved them, and because they were right. He was a jealous jerk, and he may have just ruined everything.

  “Well, I have a little situation with Barbie hair guy; he’s staying at my hotel…as Hyrum Kavecky.” Marc informed the group. “That’s why I’m here actually.”

  “Hyrum Kavecky?” Dax blurted out in a boisterous laugh.

  “Exactly. I was going to have the Sherriff here come down and deal with him since he isn’t a sixty something, but I wonder if there isn’t an opportunity for redemption for the kid here.” Marc had Seth’s attention. He would do anything to right his wrong, and it started with getting rid of Barbie hair.

  “Hmmm, you might be on to something, Deluca. Two birds, one stone. I like how you think.” Jonah replied before giving Seth a once over, “Go get your fucking clothes on, Spangler…you’re getting a second chance here.”

  The group of men took off down the street to Marc’s hotel, the St. Helena Grand, which sat only a few blocks down. Five big beautiful men full of bad ass alpha swagger on a mission to deal with ‘Mr. Kavecky’. Seth may get a lot of shit from these guys, but today, they were there to help him inflict it.

  CHAPTER 11

  Marc let the men into Dane’s room with his universal electronic key, being the owner paid off. Sure it was probably illegal on several levels, but having the Sherriff with them made that less of an issue. The room was tidy with champagne on ice as well as several silver domed platters sitting on a long buffet on one end of the room. Barbie guy was planning something of a ruse to win someone back it seemed; a romantic evening was his ploy. It was time to rid Marc of his freeloading identity thief guest, let Seth defend his woman’s honor, and rid St. Helena of the garbage that blew in earlier that day.

  Dane entered the main living area of the hotel room, fresh out of the shower, to find five oversized men crow
ding the space, eating from the platters of food he had ordered from room service. Equally shocked by the strangers crowding the space and how they were eating his shrimp cocktail, chocolate covered strawberries, and stuffed mushrooms, Dane took a large step back, distancing himself while he tried to piece together what was going on.

  “What the fuck?” he shouted still baffled by the scene before him.

  “Hi Hyrum – thanks for the snack!” Jonah chimed in.

  Seth jumped in, mouth full of baguette and artichoke spread, “Hear you’re an unwelcome friend of Molly’s…”

  “I certainly hope you are enjoying the accommodations, Mr. Kavecky. Your satisfaction is our top priority,” Marc added with a nod and sincere grin, if sincere was even possible given the situation.

  “Oh my God, the food is great…” Dax complimented as he ate his fair share. “My compliments to the chef, Deluca!”

  Marc nodded in thanks while moaning through the plate of large shrimp cocktail sitting in front of him. “I can eat this for days…”

  “Well, I wouldn’t know since you guys are eating all of my fucking food.” Dane chided.

  Seth set his plate down and took on a serious scowl centered on Barbie guy, “Looks like you are expecting company, hope we aren’t…imposing.”

  “Well ya, maybe…” Dane began until Seth rose to his feet, shoulders back and chest puffed, cutting him off.

  “So, Molly won’t be joining you…Dane!” Seth said with emphasis on his real name, the jig was up.

  Dane let out a nervous laugh as if Seth wasn’t a threat and his four friends were nothing but cheerleaders. “I think she can decide that for herself.”

  Marc stood, taking his round with the jackass, “She did – I was there. Remember?”

  Remembering who Marc was struck Dane like a brick wall, his expression giving away the awareness that flooded him. He gave Marc a distinct glare as if his presence earlier that day was a fresh annoyance.

  “Here’s how this is going to work, Dane. You’re going to grab your shit and leave town. You’re going to forget about Molly and forget how to get here. You follow me?”

  “Fuck you!” Dane retorted.

  The rest of the men stood ready to intercept when Seth lunged forward narrowing the space between him and Dane.

  “Who the hell are you guys to her anyway, and what business is she of yours?” He asked before a sudden distorted epiphany full of disgusting innuendo unleashed. “Oh I get it. She’s doing all of you? Kinky, but okay.”

  As if the planets aligned, the heavens opened, and all five men had the same idea cross their minds in the same moment, the four men let go of Seth in unison, and he unleashed his fury on Barbie guy. A few good punches to the gut then a nice uppercut to the jaw, and the four men pulled him back again, as if it was some common order, and Seth reached his maximum punching privileges revoked.

  “She’s my fucking business, asshole.” Seth launched one last shot to the gut before putting his hands in the air, letting the guys know he was done.

  “Alright, big guy. You got a few in; you’re good…he needs to be able to ride that piece of shit bike out of here.” Adam said, a heavy hand on Seth’s shoulder, offering support and warning.

  “Are you really just going to stand there, Sherriff? I want to press charges. This asshole hit me, and you all saw it!” Dane said to the group with one arm wrapped around his waist and the other holding his already swelling jaw.

  “I didn’t see anything. You guys see anything?” Sherriff Jonah asked the men around him, not taking his pointed stare off of Dane while he delivered his final threat. “Hey Marc, you want to press charges against this asshole for using a stolen credit card? I can nail him with identity theft too – that’s a can of worms that will land him with hard time.”

  “Do it Marc. He can find a new girlfriend in prison.” Dax said, getting in on the threats.

  “Be someone’s girlfriend you mean. He’s a real pussy, treating women the way he does. He can be someone’s good time.” Seth threw in like salt on an already gaping wound.

  Fear raced through Dane, and he began to sweat as his knees shook in weakness. He may have acted like a royal bad ass, but at the end of the day, it was all a cheap gimmick, and he wasn’t more than a two bit loser. Prison wasn’t his end game or part of his plan.

  “F-f-fine, I’ll go.” He shrugged away from the huddle the men held him in and said his final say on the matter. “I just need my bag and helmet.”

  Marc called security to haul Dane out of the hotel. Their mission was to escort him out of town by way of following him until he was several towns away and still going, assuring his departure was legitimate, and he wouldn’t be a problem again.

  ***

  Seth sat down, running his hands through his hair and letting out a deep sigh, “Now what?”

  “Get your girl back!” Adam said.

  “How? I was a jerk!” Seth admitted.

  “No…you were an asshole!” Dax corrected in a less than flattering offer of support.

  “That says something coming from Dax. He knows asshole!” Jonah confirmed.

  “Okay, fine…I was an asshole! Now what?”

  It was a well-known fact that Adam was a bit of a ladies man, a real playboy prior to settling down. He took on the pep talk like a real mentor, offering his words of wisdom like he wrote the book on women, “You grovel. Tell her you’re an ass, and apologize until she can’t stand the sound of your voice anymore and forgives you!”

  “You guys sound like you know from experience.” Seth chuckled, sullen mood hanging over him.

  The men chuckled as they each recalled the not so graceful journey to love. If they had learned anything, it was that men liked to learn the hard way where their women were concerned, and they were never really in charge of this fate thing. In a pay-it-forward fashion, they each made a silent pact, when they all walked over to the St. Helena Grand Hotel, to help their younger friend avoid some of their mistakes and get him back on the love train.

  “Why don’t you stay here? The champagne is already iced; I’ll have the kitchen send up more food – maybe a few candles – women like that.” Marc presented as a solid date night plan.

  “Oh! Have them do those rose petals and bubbly things for the bath too!” Dax excitedly offered, earning the ex-military behemoth of a man questioning looks from the guys, as if he broke some sort of macho guy code, “What? Emmerson loved that!”

  Seth shook his head and chuckled at the direction their conversation had wandered, “That’s awesome man, but how do I get her here?”

  Marc smiled and tilted his head, as if it were the least of their worries. He had a plan, a good one, “I’ll have Lexi and Chichi take up that task. I’ll give them a key. They can be pretty…persuasive.”

  ***

  Less than an hour had passed, and Seth had candles lit, several large domed platters had just arrived, and he was fucking nervous. This was a lot of food to eat by himself if she didn’t show up, he thought to himself before hearing the mechanical lock of the door engage. Molly.

  Seth stood as she entered the room, peering around with a look of confusion, unsure what to make of the scene. Her eyes landed back on Seth, her sweet grin quickly replaced with a scowl, forgetting the setting they were in and remembering he wasn’t her favorite person at the moment. Her arms crossed, and she raised an eyebrow, not willing to give an inch, waiting for him to explain what she was doing there, as if it wasn’t obvious.

  He sheepishly said, “Hello”

  She didn’t say a word, just scanned the room once more, identifying the details he had planned. Champagne, candles, fancy foods, but it was mostly his nervousness that her attention lagged on. Molly knew what this was about and what it was he was trying to do. Clever, she thought, that he recruited Chichi and Lexi to get her there. She wouldn’t have come otherwise.

  He felt awful; that was apparent, and she wanted to forgive him because that was just Molly. His attempt was s
weet and chivalrous, but she wasn’t letting him off that easy. He had hurt her. And she was going to make sure he remembered this, so he never did it again. He could feel like crap just a little longer.

  She crossed her arms and cocked her hip, plastering on her best I’m still pissed but I’m listening, especially since I see tiramisu over there face.

  Seth opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His words were as they always were when she was around, lost. “I’m sorry.” Simple and to the point, it had to count for something.

  “Really? Why?”

  “I overreacted. I should have asked – then listened.” He carefully tip toed around the issue, trying to take responsibility for his actions but without reminding her of just how much of a jerk he had been.

  “Ya think?” Molly laid on the guilt, not wanting to make this too easy. Seth’s wallowing was a good indication of just how much he did care about her and how much there was to save.

  “Marc told me – actually Jonah did, Marc went to him after he saw you, and....”

  “So you’ll believe Jonah, you’ll believe Marc – hell, you’ll even believe Nora Kinkaid, but not me?!?! Good to know, Seth.” Molly turned to walk away, that forgiveness she had been holding onto just revoked. Admitting that it took the brothers to convince him that she was being honest, and her word clearly meant shit, was almost worse than the rejection he’d already doled out.

  “Molly, wait! Please don’t go!” She stopped where she stood but didn’t turn to face him, afraid to show just how much his words were breaking her heart. “I’m just screwing this up all over the place.”

  “Seems to be a pattern today, Seth,” and she continued to walk toward the door.

  Seth quickened his pace to reach her, placing his hands on her shoulders, stopping her before she could leave. He knew if she made it out that door, there was little chance of fixing what he had broken. That wasn’t an option; she had become too important to him. He needed her.