by Jill Sanders
“Oh?” she asked, her heart skipping sporadically.
“Remember the day after your break-in, when I met you at the restaurant?”
She leaned up again and looked down at him in the darkness. “Yes.”
“I noticed a man outside the place watching you.” He brushed her hair out of her face gently.
“A dark-haired man?” she asked, feeling her stomach roll.
“Yes.” He sat up and turned on the light on the nightstand. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted. “Did you know him?” he asked.
“No, but I’d seen him at the bar before.” She tucked her knees up to her chest. “He creeped me out. What about him?”
“I took down his license plate. It was a rental car, so I had a buddy of mine do a little research into the guy. Turns out he’s a PI.”
She closed her eyes and rested her head against her knees. His arm came around her shoulders.
“I was hoping to find something to tie him to the break-in at the rental.”
“Did you?”
“No, but my buddy found out who hired him.”
“Who?” she asked, feeling a knot in her stomach. She already knew, had known, but hearing it from Alan would seal the deal.
“Your father,” he said, finally.
* * *
“Somehow, I knew,” she said, pacing the floor at the end of the bed. “That explains how he knew about the winery when he called before the closing.”
“I had my friend double-check it. It’s the reason it took so long for me to tell you.” He thought back to when he’d called Nate Harmer again. The man had once again begged him to join his team, but just hearing the stress in the general’s voice had assured him he was where he belonged.
“Why would he hire a PI to follow me? All he had to do was pick up the phone to find out where I was.” She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to pace.
“I was hoping you could shed some light on that.” He patted the spot next to him, and she crawled back in bed next to him. She was still wearing his T-shirt, and her blonde hair was messed up. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her eyes looked so tired, he didn’t know how she was still standing.
“I…” She rubbed her forehead.
“Let’s not worry about it tonight.” He reached over and flipped off the light. “Let’s think about it tomorrow.” He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “You had a busy day, you’re beat.”
“Yes.” She sighed into his chest. “You’re right.”
He held her and listened to her steady breathing until he knew that she was asleep, then he closed his own eyes and allowed himself to drift off.
He woke to the sound of the shower running in the next room. Ralph was laying at the end of the bed, pinning his feet down so that they were both fast asleep.
“Move,” he growled out.
The dog raised his head, then laid it back down with a sigh.
He kicked a little, and the dog rolled over as if he was getting a massage.
“Ralph, move, I have to get up.” He nudged the dog again. This time, the fur ball rolled over on top of his knees.
Alan laughed and sat up to shove the dog off the bed. Instead, he spent the next five minutes giving the beast a belly rub.
By the time he walked into the bathroom, Grace had shut off the water and covered herself with a large white towel. Her long hair was tied up in another towel.
“Morning.” She smiled over at him.
“Morning,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. “Mmm, good morning.”
She chuckled and stepped back. “I have to get ready. It’s my first day.” She did a little dance and he laughed with her.
“I’m due at the Boardwalk at noon. What can I do to help?” he asked, turning on the shower again and stepping under the spray.
“Have breakfast with me,” she said. He could hear her getting ready. She was silent for a while. “Then tell me everything your friend found out about the guy my father hired.”
He glanced through the glass door at her. “I’ll have him send you the full report.”
“Is your friend…” She stopped and then shook her head. “Never mind.”
“A PI?” he suggested. “No.”
“Oh.” She sounded a little disappointed.
He smiled. “He’s the man I was talking to the first time we met. My old general.”
“Oohhh.” She was silent as she dressed. She was applying her makeup when he climbed out of the shower. Since he hadn’t brought a change of clothes, he pulled on his shorts and shirt from the night before, then leaned on the counter and watched her finish her hair and makeup.
“I never had someone watch me do this before,” she joked.
“I’ve never watched anyone do it before.” He smiled. “It’s kind of sexy.” He played with the small brush she’d used to put the pink in her cheeks.
“Now”—she set her hairbrush down—“breakfast.”
Ralph’s ears perked up as if he’d heard something, and he let out a series of barks.
Grace glanced down at her watch and groaned. “That must be Jon.”
“Your manager?” he asked, remembering the older man.
“My manager,” she said under her breath. “Wow, I don’t think that will ever get old.” She smiled. “I asked him to meet me at nine.”
“It’s a quarter till.”
“Yes, looks like he wants to impress the new owner.” She moved out of the bathroom.
“If he really wants to impress you, he’ll have a box of donuts,” he said under his breath.
Alan chuckled when Grace opened the door and the man held out a pink box from the local bakery.
“I thought that you might not have had a chance to do some basic shopping yet.” Jon smiled at Grace, then nodded towards Alan. “I hope you like your coffee black.” The man held up two cups for them.
“Whatever you’re paying the man, he deserves a raise,” Alan said, taking the cups from him and smiling.
16
Over the next few days, Grace spent most of her time with her employees. Since the winery had its own vehicles, she’d inherited a very old truck. She was thankful it was reliable enough for her to run her errands, since she’d turned in her rental the day after closing.
There was a large office space in the front of the warehouse, so she and Alan spent a few hours clearing it out and setting up their office spaces. She set up her laptop and moved most of the files in there from a back room of the gift shop area where Charles Davidson had stored them.
By the end of the week, it looked and felt like a real business office. Alan had even found a few chairs and put his old sofa in there as well. She was thinking of getting a small fridge for bottled water.
She had cut down the daily tour times to only a few hours a week, at least until she had time to implement some of the other changes they were working on.
She’d made a quick visit to the farm down the road and had talked briefly with the owners about working with them in the coming year. She had plans to add blackberry, blueberry, and even a black currant wine and wanted to buy from them since they were organic and close.
The money left in her business account allowed her to pay for the minor construction projects she wanted done.
First off was to add a small dining area along the side of the gift shop. Two of the windows were removed and turned into French doors so that the tables inside flowed to the ones outside on the covered patio. Outdoor heaters could be added during winter months and shade from two large oak trees along with ceiling fans would keep customers cool during the summer months.
Along the stream, a large white gazebo was erected for special events.
She ordered more event chairs and tables so they could host larger parties. She interviewed and hired two chefs for the small kitchen in the back of the gift shop that was currently being renovated so they would be more equipped for events held in the small dining
room.
That weekend she helped Alan move his things into the house. He had a newer leather chair and ottoman, so they spent a full day rearranging the living room area so that everything fit and felt more like their space.
“It’s a good thing I just bought my flat screen,” Alan said. They had finished putting away the last of his things and he’d hung up the massive screen along the empty wall in the living room. She couldn’t bear drilling holes in the stone fireplace, so they’d decided the empty wall was best, especially since the screen could be seen from the kitchen area as well.
“I’ve gone over a year without a TV.” She shrugged. “I guess I’ve kind of gotten used to the quiet.” She had to admit, she was looking forward to relaxing on the sofa with him and watching a movie while eating leftover chicken from the night before.
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, then kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re living with two men now.” He leaned back and smiled at her, making her knees turn weak. “It’ll never be quiet around here again.”
To make his point, Ralph let out a series of short barks.
“Sounds like we have company.” Alan wiggled his eyebrows and walked to the front glass doors.
“Who…” She turned and smiled when she noticed then entire Grayton clan standing on her front porch. “What…”
Alan turned to her before opening the door for their guests. “Don’t kill me. It was their idea to keep it a secret.”
Alan opened the door, and everyone streamed in, their arms full of food trays and dishes. Marcus and Luke carried in a large cooler and set it down on the tile floor near the end of the counter.
“It’s a surprise housewarming party.” Wendy walked over and handed her a potted plant, then kissed her cheek. “Welcome home. Wow.” Wendy glanced around. “This place is amazing.”
“I hope this is okay,” Shelly said, handing her a small gift bag. “They can be a little… overwhelming at times.” She glanced around the room at the men, who were already watching a game on the set.
Grace smiled. “No, it’s perfect. Thank you.” She motioned for the women to retreat into the kitchen, since Cassey, Missy, and Wendy were all carrying large trays of food. A darker haired woman who looked like a younger version of Wendy was standing beside her, her arms filled with bags of chips.
“This is my sister Willow,” Wendy said. “And her husband, Caleb.” She motioned to a tall, muscular man who looked like he belonged on the cover of one of those muscle magazines.
“Hi.” Willow smiled at her. Grace could see the resemblance between the sisters, even though Wendy’s hair was dyed blonde while Willow had almost jet-black hair.
“Hi, welcome.” Grace helped her with the bags of chips.
“Thanks, we’re almost neighbors.” Willow smiled. “We’re a few miles up the road.”
“Oh?” she asked, pulling out several large bowls from the cupboard.
“Yes, my mother and her husband own the organic farm just down the road. We built a home on the land shortly after our daughter, Wynne, was born.” Willow smiled. “Grandma is watching her tonight.” The woman rested a hand over her flat belly.
“Oh, wonderful. I think I’ve already talked to your mother about a co-op—”
“No work talk tonight,” Wendy said, smiling and tugging on her sister’s arm. Willow chuckled.
“Fair enough, it’s my first night off in months.”
“I can swing by sometime this week so we can chat some more.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’ll give you my number.” Willow moved away as Shelly walked over.
“Where’s Rose?”
“Babysitter. We decided not to overwhelm you too much by making this an adult party.” Shelly leaned forward slightly. “Besides, it gives all us parents a night off to have fun.”
Grace was a little sad, since she really enjoyed seeing the kids.
“Grace, do you have a serving spoon?” Cassey asked from the end of the bar area. She was opening drawers and glancing in.
Grace chuckled. “You know, I have no idea if I do or not.”
For the next few hours, her new home was filled with laughter, good food, and friends. From an outsider’s perspective, the Grayton family was interesting to watch. If she didn’t already know, she would have had a hard time telling who was related. Since they were all adopted, one couldn’t simply go off of looks. The men all joked with one another, including Alan, making it seem as if they were all brothers.
She’d never had a sister and couldn’t really gauge how sisters acted, but this group of women acted like more than siblings. They acted like best friends.
After dinner, she gave them a tour of the house, then walked down and showed everyone the winery and gift shop area.
The new areas were still under construction, so she explained what her plans were. Marcus made suggestions for the patio dining area, which she planned on talking to her contractor about first thing Monday morning.
They left the store area and walked back towards the house at the end of the drive. Just seeing the house lit up in the night made her heart swell with joy. That was until she noticed the couple standing stiffly on the front porch, looking down their noses at her.
* * *
Alan felt Grace’s hand jerk in his. He followed her eyes to the front porch and instantly knew why. There, under the lights, stood her parents.
“Grace.” He started to nudge her, but she dropped his hand and marched to the stairs.
“Mother, Father, you should have called,” Grace said in a clipped tone. He stopped beside her and knew that the family stood behind them.
“You refused to answer our calls,” her father said, his eyes briefly moving over him and then the crowd of people behind them.
“For a reason,” Grace said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re not welcome here.”
“Really, Grace,” her mother started, only to be shut down when her husband cleared his throat.
“Grace, we’d like to discuss this in private.” He motioned to the group behind them. “This is a family issue.”
Grace surprised Alan by saying, “This is my family.”
Several of the men behind them puffed out their chests as the women nodded in agreement.
Alan reached over and took her hand. “I think it would be best if you came back tomorrow.”
“Or never,” Grace said under her breath.
Her parents looked at the group, then Alan watched her father’s eyes narrow at him. “Come on, Stephanie.” He motioned for his wife to move. “We’ll be back tomorrow at nine sharp.”
They left without another word and he felt Grace relax slightly. Everyone followed Grace into the house and stood around, waiting.
“I’m sorry,” she said to the group finally. Tears streamed from her eyes. Alan felt completely helpless.
“Family means you don’t have to say sorry,” Missy chimed in, wrapping Grace in a hug. Wendy, Shelly, and Cassey followed, wrapping their arms around the two women. Soon, there was a massive group of people, all surrounding Grace as she cried.
Seeing that they were taking care of Grace, Alan silently moved back out the door and caught up with her father before he could get into the luxury rental.
“Oh, good.” Her father turned to him, shutting the car door lightly. “I wanted a chance to speak with you.” He glanced at the car and motioned for his wife to wait. Then the older man took his arm and they walked towards the new gazebo.
“Did you know the PI you hired to watch her broke into her place and trashed it? He scared your daughter so much that she still has issues opening the door at night.”
The man’s eyes turned harder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Alan watched as annoyance flooded the man’s eyes. “How much?” he finally said after a moment of silence.
Alan must have looked surprised, because her father smiled for the first time.
“Every man has a price. You think I haven’t paid someo
ne before to stop snooping around Grace?”
Alan stepped closer. “You paid a man to leave your daughter at the altar and break her heart?” He felt his entire body vibrating with anger as the man’s smile grew. “You can’t afford me,” he said clearly. “I plan on marrying Grace someday, hopefully soon, and no one would be rich or strong enough to keep me from showing up that day.”
“You’d be surprised.” The man pulled out a slim envelope from his pocket. Alan took it and tossed it on the ground.
“Why? Why do you hate your daughter so much? Why don’t you want her happiness?”
The man looked taken aback by the question. Then his eyes narrowed. “I’ve given that girl everything in life, everything my boys deserved, and why? She’s no blood to me.” He glanced quickly towards the car where his wife sat, watching them.
“She’s not your daughter?” Alan said, feeling his heart sink at the pain for Grace.
“Ours?” The man turned back to him, a sneer on his lips. “No, she’s Rita’s, my wife’s sister. That woman couldn’t keep her legs shut, much like her slut of a daughter—”
Alan’s fist had swiped out faster than his mind could catch up. Before he knew it, the man was lying in the dirt, his expensive suit covered in a layer of dust as he wiped blood from his lip.
Grace’s mother rushed over and helped her husband up.
“I think it’s best you left now,” Alan said, turning his back on them.
“You think this is over?” the man said to Alan’s back.
Alan didn’t stop until he was back inside the house. The sound of cheerful voices surrounding Grace soothed his anger slightly.
“I think we all deserve some wine. After all, this is a winery,” Wendy joked as everyone stood around. He was thankful when he’d entered the room that only Luke had noticed he’d been missing.
“I have just the bottle.” Grace smiled as she wiped her eyes dry, then glanced around for him. “Alan, will you get it?”