Let Me Love You

by Kristin Miller

  There was bitterness in his voice. Anger and resentment. Did he know about the cavern and what happened between them? Was that the reason for the anger, or did cords of tension always rattle between them?

  “Do you enjoy running the family store?” she asked, curious to hear his side of the story.

  He took another drink; this time it was longer. He swiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt as Skylie and Janice hopped around in the barrel in front of them. “The only reason our father gave the business to me is because Joey had his hands full taking care of Janice. He won’t say so, but I know that’s it.” The girls shrieked in sheer elation. “And I think part of him thought the responsibility would settle me down.”

  She knew the feeling: in the first few years after she’d inherited the winery, after Phillip left, she thought her days of fun were over. Some of them were, but once she’d learned to clearly compartmentalize her professional and personal lives, she’d gotten some sense of freedom back. It was the only way she’d survived the stress.

  “How’d it work for you?” she asked.

  As the timer for the last session of the stomping went off, the two teams sagged over the sides of the barrels and waited for their grape juice to be measured and checked. Zin trotted over to sniff the goods.

  Dane tilted his head to the side as if he could think better that way. “I love being outdoors and all of the sports in this area, so you’d think the store would be perfect fit. Thing is, I wouldn’t mind running the store if I could do it my way.” He shrugged as if what he’d said didn’t bother him. “But if Joey is the one who steps up for everything, then why should I? My ideas will only get shot down next to his.”

  Lucy felt as if the final puzzle piece to the Brackett family picture kerplunked into place. Joey was the town hero, a fireman, a gentleman, the quintessential “good guy” that every granny in town wanted to hook up with their doting granddaughter. Lucy bet having a twin like Joey would cast a looming shadow…probably one that was hard to shine beyond.

  “Personally, I think you’re doing amazing things with the store,” she said. “Everyone is talking about the focus shifting from clothes and furniture to sports. We needed a store like that downtown.”

  Skylie and Janice jumped up and down as the amounts of grape juice were measured, revealing they’d won. Smiling brightly, Dane moved both wineglasses to one hand and then clapped his free hand against his thigh.

  “That’s what I thought,” he said. “There are plenty of opportunities to expand since we’re in a prime outdoor sports territory.”

  “Speaking of opportunities,” she said, watching Skylie and Janice claim their ribbons, “while I was waiting for our date at Whipside, I heard about your partnership with the cavern. I think that’s a great move.”

  He nodded, smile faltering on his handsome face. “And I heard about you and Joey going down the ropes. That’s why I haven’t called to reschedule our date.”

  She turned and opened her mouth to speak.

  “No need to say anything,” he interrupted before she could start. “Trust me, I know how this goes by now.”

  Puzzled, she said, “How what goes?”

  He leveled her with a surprisingly somber stare. “You think you’re the first woman to go out with me and then want to switch to my brother?” He smiled without showing his teeth. “Oh, he’s a catch, all right. Too good not to take a chance on, I’ve heard. Women date me once or twice and then realize they’d get a better shot at the white, fluffy, dream wedding with Joey. Don’t worry. No skin off my nose. I already have another date scheduled for tonight.”

  Lucy heard his words loud and clear.

  No skin off my nose. I’ve already moved on.

  But his tone and the solemn expression on his face contradicted his words. Having the women he dated leave him for his twin did bother him. How could it not? It’d bother anyone with a heart. He hadn’t moved on, either. From any of them, probably. The clouds parted as realization set in. Dane moved from woman to woman because if he felt something for them, and they fell for someone else—namely, the Golden Child of the Brackett clan—the pain would cut too deeply.

  She had the urge to hug him and hold him tight. Not because her breathing hitched when she looked at his face, or because her heart stopped when he gazed at her with those familiar eyes. She wanted to embrace him as a friend, a sister, a woman, and as someone who knew the kind of pain he suffered. Living with the weight of expectation wasn’t easy, though he certainly hid the burden well.

  “I’m sorry how that went down,” she said. “I didn’t expect this to happen.”

  “What is…this, exactly?”

  She didn’t know how to express what the pinch in her chest meant.

  “I like your brother.” She hugged him, and then patted his back. “More than is good for either of us, I fear.”

  “It may not seem like it,” he said, breathing into her hair, “but if you make each other happy, I’m happy. If he were coming today, I’d tell him to his ugly face.”

  “Ugly?” She laughed. “You’re nearly identical.”

  He pulled back and kissed her on the cheek. “The difference between being handsome and claiming the title of Sexiest Man on Earth is in the details, Lucy. It’s all in the details.”

  His earlier words resonated. “You said Joey’s not coming. I’d hoped he might’ve shown up after his shift ended.”

  “Nah, they had to cover the last part of it so he could take off.”

  “Take off? Where?”

  Dane emptied his wineglasses and set them on the railing behind her. The railing was full of glasses now that the event was finally starting to wind down. Once the grape stomp ended, most guests headed into town to take part in the harvest festival. There’d be a carnival, fried everything to eat, and an air show at the small airfield located east of town. Then later tonight, when the adults took the children home, the party crowd would drive to the eastern ghost town of Birch to continue the celebration. She’d never been to the carnival or air show, as she’d always managed the cleanup in the cellar, but a few times she’d joined friends in Birch to party until the wee hours of the morning.

  Dane strode alongside the main building along the parking lot, as if she hadn’t just asked him a question. She followed.

  “Joey’s at the air show,” Dane said, without checking to see if she was behind him. “I’ve got to pick up a few things from my buddy’s house, and he lives not far from the airfield. If you want a ride, I can drop you off.”

  Confusion stumped her.

  “Joey’s flying in the show?” She hustled to keep up. “He told me he hasn’t flown in years.”

  Dane straddled his Ducati and started the engine. The bike roared to life, vibrating the ground at her feet. “Joey doesn’t fly anymore,” he said, grabbing his helmet. “Not since our brother died and he was up in the air. But his buddy Walker still flies his plane for the show.” He handed her a second helmet.

  She stared, digesting his words.

  Joey had been flying when their brother died? Could that be the reason he didn’t fly anymore? The shadows in Joey’s eyes made sense. He’d somehow associated flying with the death of his older brother and his wife. That had to be it.

  “You coming?” Dane said, revving the engine.

  Indecision warred within her. She should stay at the winery to make sure the jubilee wrapped up well. She should manage the cleanup, the way she always did.

  But more than anything, she wanted to see Joey again, to talk to him about why she left this morning…and how much she wished she could’ve stayed.

  Hell, the jubilee was almost over anyway, right?

  “One second.” She pulled her cell out of her pocket and sent out a mass text message to the managers and assistants on staff, letting them know she’d be out of the winery for a few hours. “Okay, let’s go.”

  She grabbed the passenger’s helmet, hopped onto the back of Dane’s bike, and wrapped her arms ar
ound his waist. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Lucy glanced back. Zin sat at the entrance to the tasting room, watching them drive away, his gray fur blowing in the breeze.

  He’d be waiting for her to return. Surprisingly, Lucy liked to think Zin would be waiting for her when she got home. He’d welcome her with sloppy kisses and warm her feet when she fell asleep.

  Although she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, Lucy knew the dog had changed something inside her. Whether or not it was for the better, she didn’t have the faintest clue.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lucy had never been to Blue Lake airport before. Probably because it wasn’t located in the town itself. It was a thirty-minute drive up the highway, deeper into the Sierras. When they reached the summit, the mountains opened enough for the valley to appear below them. Smack in the center of the valley, trees had been cleared to allow a runway to stretch through it.

  As the motorcycle rumbled through the pass, hugging turns and racing down the stretches, Lucy hugged Dane’s middle for dear life. She liked adventure, but with every turn, her insides wrenched, threatening to revolt against the ham and eggs she’d scarfed for breakfast.

  She couldn’t wait to talk to Joey.

  Dane took the next exit and weaved along the narrow road that led to the airfield. The smell of smoke and pine hit her, and she breathed in deeply. Okay, so riding a bike wasn’t so horrible. As they rounded another curvy bend, cars appeared on either side of the road. A gravel parking lot appeared on the right, chock-full of cars. Hangars stood out in the distance. Overhead, two planes zoomed over their heads, twisting and turning through white and wispy clouds.

  Lucy gawked, following their path through the sky.

  An announcer buzzed in the distance, though Lucy couldn’t make out what he’d said.

  Dane turned, and pulled up behind a large grandstand. It was packed. People crowded everywhere, holding pamphlets, beer, churros, and binoculars. It looked like the place had standing room only left.

  Another plane zoomed overhead, its engine rumbling as it sped through the sky directly over the stands. The crowd screamed and clapped, oohed and aahed.

  “Thanks for the ride, Dane.” Lucy dragged her leg over the side of his bike. Her foot caught on something and she tripped. Hopped. Tried to regain her balance. And landed smack on her backside on the grass. “Oomph!”

  Muffled laughter surrounded her.

  “You okay?” Dane said, dismounting like a damned motocross pro. He extended his hand, and she took it, hauling herself to her feet. “You’ve just got some…” He reached around her to brush dirt off her backside.

  She spun away, dodging his hand before it touched her rear. He smirked.

  “I’ve got it.” Blushing, she wiped loose grass and dirt off her backside and thanked the Lord she’d decided to wear pants today. “I’m fine. Thanks for the ride.”

  “No problem.” He leaned in close, and took the helmet from her hand. “I know you’ve got your heart set on Joey, but if you ever want to take a ride again, next time we’ll leave the bike behind.”

  How crude. How…tacky.

  A week ago, she’d been so thrilled at the possibility of going out with the bad Brackett brother, the thrill seeker. Now, weighed against Joey’s goodness and the way he made her feel light and genuinely happy, she couldn’t understand Dane’s appeal. For a second there, back at the grape stomp, she thought she’d gotten through to him. She thought she might’ve seen the soft center behind his hardened shell. But if she’d broken down any walls, they were back up now.

  It was sad, really…did Dane really think he had to act that way to get a woman’s attention?

  Lucy clenched her fist so she wouldn’t smack him in front of the entire town of Blue Lake, and then took off to find Joey.

  * * *

  From the moment he’d first opened his eyes this morning and caught Lucy reading a text from the winery, Joey should’ve known the day wasn’t going to get any better.

  He understood the reason Lucy left.

  Something had happened at the winery and she needed to be there.

  He’d heard what she said after her phone went off with a couple texts. I should’ve been there.

  On the surface, there wasn’t a problem. She was late for the jubilee, they needed her help, and as the owner, she needed to jet over to fix the issue. But the underlying issue remained as strong as ever.

  StoneMill Winery was more than a job to Lucy. It was her life. She’d worked her ass off to make it the success it was today. She couldn’t afford distractions. She’d said it again and again. It was the main reason she didn’t want a relationship to pin her down.

  Although it’d be better for Lucy if he disappeared from her life, Joey couldn’t muster the strength to do it. He yearned to be the one to prove her wrong, to show that she could have balance in her personal and professional life.

  He’d never been more at odds about what he should do versus what he wanted to do.

  To distract himself from the indecision niggling his gut, Joey left the station and came to the air show. He tuned up his Cessna, watching as Walker drove it out of the hangar and onto the starting line. The plane started up like a champ, as if it hadn’t been sitting for months. Walker came out to get it running every now and then, but it wasn’t enough.

  The thought stung him.

  He should’ve been the one flying the skies today. Hell, he should’ve been the one flying the skies every day. He ached to rise off the ground, tilt over wind currents, and feel the pockets of air beneath him, lifting him to the heavens. What would Lucy think if she watched him fly? Would she be impressed? Ooh and aah and gasp when he looped through the air?

  The white paint of the tail wing shone bright in the glare of the afternoon sun, blinding him as it turned. He and Walker had repaired the damage from the crash six years ago. The frame had been bent back into proper form, the metal smoothed, the paint perfectly coated. The only physical evidence of the tragedy that remained was the scar beneath Joey’s chin.

  He brushed his fingers along the blemish and eyed the plane. He’d been sitting right there—where Walker sat now—when he’d gotten the call about Alec. If only he’d been on the ground, ready to pull out of the hangar. Just like this. They could’ve bolted into town and saved him.

  Things could’ve been different.

  What a difference a few measly minutes could make…

  From the hangars on either side of them, planes emerged, their propellers whipping through the air with deafening grumbles. Joey’s plane was powerful, but if Walker wanted to win, he’d have to fly hard and fast, pushing the Cessna to its limit.

  Joey’s chest tightened and ice water lurched through his veins merely thinking about it.

  He couldn’t fly.

  He wasn’t ready yet…and he’d probably never be.

  As his plane approached the bleachers, Joey’s attention shifted to a fiery redhead standing in the parking lot closest to the bleachers. Her locks blew in the afternoon breeze, flittering about her face. Dane stood next to her—too close for Joey’s taste—with his bike at his back. They must’ve come together. Twinges of jealousy made his lip crinkle. As Dane leaned in close to whisper in her ear, Joey groaned and averted his gaze.

  It was a like a bad accident. He couldn’t not watch, even though his stomach lurched as if he was going to be sick.

  When he looked back, Dane was peeling out of the parking lot, and Lucy was tramping over the grass in front of the bleachers. When she reached the fence near the starting line, she caught Joey’s eye. And smiled.

  God, she really was angelic.

  He’d always dreamed of a gorgeous woman catching his eye from across a crowded room—a packed airfield was even better, though he couldn’t have painted the scenario in his wildest dreams—and smiling, her entire face lighting up.

  “Hi!” she mouthed, waving. “Can we talk?”

  He nodded, and kept his eye on his plane as he walk
ed off the field. He planted one hand on the fence and hopped over, landing in a crouch at her feet. When he stood, her grin was bigger than it’d been before.

  “Is that yours?” She pointed over his shoulder. “The one you were walking behind?”

  “The white Cessna with the blue stripe,” he said over the growl of the planes. “Number four-oh-six.”

  She looped a wavy stray strand of crimson hair behind her ear. “It’s pretty.”

  He’d been thinking the exact same thing. The deep green hue of Lucy’s sweater picked up the brightness of her eyes and played off the fairness of her skin. Her smile was fixed, her eyes twinkling. His heart skipped a beat.

  “Can we go somewhere to talk?” she hollered as the announcer asked the planes to ready for takeoff.

  “Did you need to let Dane know how long you’re going to be here?” It was a jab. He knew it, but couldn’t hold back.

  She frowned as the buzzer blared over their heads and planes shot down the runway. His Cessna broke away from the pack as Walker drove it hard. He lifted off the ground before the others and then jetted into the sky.

  “I didn’t come with Dane,” she said flatly. He opened his mouth to rebut when she said, “Well, he gave me a ride, so I guess I came with him if you want to talk about it literally, but we didn’t come together. I’m not here with him. I came to look for you.”

  “For me?” The planes completed their first round around the airfield, each one passing by like a rumble of thunder. “Why?” he hollered between flybys.

  “I can’t hear a thing out here.” She tugged on his arm. “Take me somewhere quiet.”

  He put his hand over hers and led her to the hangar where he stored his plane. It didn’t take long before they were distanced from the crowd, though they couldn’t escape the smell of oil and exhaust, and the rumble of planes as they sped overhead.

  Since his was the only plane to occupy the space and the hangars were off-limits to the public, they wouldn’t be disturbed. The hangar was wide and vast. Clean concrete floors. Posters of famous flights framed on the walls. Workbenches against the back. Couch and chair against the far wall near the door to the office.