Luke followed Alex to the dock and loaded up. “Jules said these bottles are only a drop in the bucket. Must be a pretty big order.”
“Biggest I’ve ever had. Distributors tell me they can’t keep the bottles on their shelves. This one comes pretty close to draining my supply.” Will stopped to swipe his sleeve over the sweat on his brow. “Harvest is right around the corner, if you want to come back and help with that as well.”
Alex shouldered past him. “Gonna have my hands full with Jules’ grapes. But thanks for the offer.”
“Sorry. City boy here,” Luke said with a chuckle. “I’m good with lifting and toting, but you don’t want me out in the fields picking grapes.”
“I tried. Jules told me you’re a professor.” Will went back for another load.
“Yeah. Left my job at a medical center in Medford and became a Duck. I’m CFO of the University of Oregon health center and get to teach a couple of classes. Best part is Jac and I are in the same town. Stroke of luck when I met her at Team Vino.”
Alex clapped him on the shoulder, making Luke bobble the boxes he was holding. Grabbing the corner, Alex steadied the load. “Best thing that ever happened to either of us.”
“Best thing to ever happen to me was being a disorganized slob. Thank God Ava was the consultant assigned to this job.” As Will uttered the words, something in his chest shifted and expanded. Warmth suffused his body. Tightly controlled Avalon Reese really was one of the best things going in his life. He plopped the crates he carried on the stack and neatened the corners as he contemplated his recent changes in fortune.
Having Matt Samone from It Takes Two Therapy visit his winery, out of all the places available in the area, had led to amazing things for Will and Rolling In The Clover. But his life had surely changed the day he’d met Ava. And he needed to share that with her. Like right this minute.
He took a step forward, intent on racing to the house and telling Ava just what she meant to him. Alex jostled past with another armload, halting Will in his tracks. There was a job to do, and these guys were volunteering to help. And doing it because their women had asked them to. While the old Will might have chucked the job to the side, knowing he could come back to it, New Will was going to stay and finish what he started. Ava would be so proud of him.
“Let’s hustle, guys. Forty boxes unloaded, only fifty more to go.”
“Um, better make that seventy,” Luke groused. “My cargo area and back seats are full as well.”
Slowly, they emptied the van, stacking cartons neatly on the pallet. As soon as it was full, Will wheeled the contraption into the facility. While he dropped one load, and picked up a pallet for the rest of Jules’ bottles, Alex moved the van aside. Luke parked his SUV by the dock.
As they were preparing to finish the job, a truck emblazoned with the insignia for Clover Vines drove in.
Will’s mom leapt from the cab and scurried across the lot. She threw her arms around Will and clasped him in a tight hug. “Thank you for asking your dad for help. He’s been . . . lighter all day,” she whispered against his cheek. Her lips skimmed his face, then she stepped back to stand by Dad, who nodded tersely and grunted a greeting.
The old bastard wasn’t going to make reconciliation easy. At least he was a bit more civil to Alex and Luke. After greeting them, he reached into the back of the SUV.
Arms crossed over his chest, Will stood to the side with his mother, keeping one eye on Dad.
“You don’t have to worry, Will. I threatened divorce if your father blew this with you.” She said it with a smile, but determination glinted in her eyes. “I’m tired of this feud between you two.”
“I didn’t start it.”
Mom patted his elbow. “Maybe not, dear. But you haven’t helped matters.”
Will bristled. He hadn’t done anything but pursue his dream. The way his father had twenty years earlier when he’d bought the Clover Vines. “Mom, can we not get into this right now? Why don’t you run up to the house and see if you can help with dinner. Or just grab a glass of wine and sit on the patio.”
“Avoiding the discussion won’t alter the facts, Will. Because I can see it annoys you and you have enough on your plate, I’m willing to drop it. For now.” She stretched up on her toes and pressed another kiss to Will’s cheek. “I do believe I’ll go find that glass of wine.”
On her way past Dad, Mom stopped, laid a hand on his chest, and slid in close the way Will had seen her do hundreds of times throughout his life. Her low voice didn’t reach Will’s ears, but the quick frown and then reassuring smile on his dad’s face confirmed Mom’s admonishment to behave. Dad pulled her close for a hug, then eased her away, patting her backside as he turned her toward the house. Mom’s grin as she moved past Will said it all. Her world was a much happier place seeing her husband and son working to mend the chasm between them.
Will joined the line moving boxes from the SUV to the pallet.
After the last four cartons were hauled out, Luke hopped behind the wheel and drove from the loading bay. Will stretched his back, massaging the ache caused by the physical labor. Dad slid into his truck, fired it up, and backed it into place.
The four of them worked in companionable silence as they emptied the contents. The stack on the pallet grew until it resembled a small mountain.
“That’s the last one.” Luke hefted his load to the top of the tidy stack.
“Thank God.” Alex leaned against the doorframe and dusted his hands on his jeans.
“It’ll be worse for us tomorrow, when the bottles are filled.” Dad rubbed the small of his back, arching a little to ease a kink.
Hang on a minute. Dad had just said us. “You’re coming back tomorrow to help with the bottling process?”
Holding Will’s gaze, Dad nodded. “Don’t mind coming back. It’s a big order and you could probably use the extra help.”
“I’d . . . I’d be happy to have your help, Dad.”
Will loosened the end of a large roll of plastic wrap and handed it to Dad, who stooped at one corner and secured the plastic in place low on the stack. Holding the ends of the rod running through the center of the roll, Will circled the stack, explaining to Alex and Luke as he went. “Got to secure the boxes to move them. Wouldn’t want any of these cartons to fall and bust the glass.”
“Hey, since Jac and I are leaving early tomorrow, when we’re done here, can I get a mini-tour?” Luke swept a curious gaze around the interior of the building. “I’d love to know how this all works. Like Jac, I’ve spent way more time taking wine out of the bottle.”
Alex slapped Will on the back. “I’d like to know how it works as well. Jules hasn’t bottled anything yet, but she tells me it’s coming soon.” He rubbed his chin and arched one brow. “While we were working, a kernel of an idea for a story started forming. How would you feel about me featuring your vineyard in a bigger article I’m writing on finances in family run operations?”
“Really? That would be cool.” Will ripped the plastic free of the roll and patted it into place.
Dad grasped the handle of the pallet jack and leaned backward to pull it into motion.
Once he had it positioned at the mouth of the bottling line, Will led the other men toward the intact box at the mouth of a conveyor belt. Rubbing his palms together, he started the tour.
Chapter 26
“Look who I found,” Guin called from the entry to the kitchen.
Ava, Jules, and Jac had been quietly chatting about Jac’s herb farm as they chopped and diced through a pile of veggies and chicken breasts. Ava had located a recipe for roasted balsamic vegetables and chicken to feed Will’s friends. And it looked like attendees at this dinner party just swelled by a couple more guests.
Ava lifted her head to greet Guin and the woman accompanying her. The newcome
r’s intense brown eyes immediately arrested Ava’s motion. So much like Will’s, there was no doubt she was his mother. Her dark brown hair, streaked with the same red and gold as Will’s, also held a generous sprinkling of gray. Although at the moment her expression seemed somber, the lines at the corners of her eyes were proof she was a frequent smiler.
“Bettina!” Jules’ excited shout filled the air.
Ava was right about those wrinkles in each corner of the woman’s eyes. Bettina opened her arms and Jules stepped into them. Their bodies rocked side-to-side as they hugged. A thin spear of jealousy jabbed Ava’s belly. She’d love to have a similar kind of greeting with Will’s mom. It also made her long to become as warm and welcoming as Jules, instead of the cool, reserved professional she’d always been. Right then she firmed her vow to locate the elusive balance between the two sides of her demeanor.
Swiping her hands on a dishtowel, Ava rounded the counter. “I’m Ava Reese. You must be Will’s mom.”
Her quick grin lit up the room. “Bettina Bradford. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“You’ve met Guin, my mom.” Ava cocked her head slightly. “Do you know Jacqui Bishop?”
“I haven’t had the pleasure. But I have heard Will talk about you.” Bettina shifted her grin toward Jac, who waved and smiled. “You’re another of Jules’ very smart investments.”
“It’s like we’re one big happy investment family.” Jules’ laugh was infectious. “I can’t wait for you all to meet Brynnden Dormir. Ava, she said she’d come down and help tomorrow.”
Jac set aside the knife she’d been using to chop peppers. “Luke and I are staying at her B and B tonight. We’ll leave after dinner. Luke is teaching a class tomorrow afternoon. We need to get an early start. Like oh-dark-thirty early.”
“That means one of you will have be the designated driver. But I’ll grab a couple extra bottles from Will’s premium stash to give you a road-trip bottle.” Will’s keys jingled as Jules held them aloft. “Ava, care to join me in the search for the best wines Will has? I think we’ll need six or eight for this crowd.”
“Sure.” Ava handed the towel to her mother. “You got this?”
She nodded. “Go. I’m sure Bettina and Jac and I can finish up here. Bettina, I think I saw some good cheese and fruit in the fridge. Would you mind fixing an appetizer plate?” Guin might not be able or willing to manage her finances, but she was a pro at taking charge in a kitchen.
Their footfalls bounced softly off the hewn rock walls as Ava followed Jules down the narrow staircase.
“This is the only thing I hate about this villa.” Jules raised her voice above the clunk of their shoes on the wooden steps. “These stone walls make it feel like I’m descending to the bowels of the earth.”
“I’ve only been down here one other time, but I felt the same.” As they moved past the pile of discarded household items, Ava averted her eyes. The first time she’d made the trip to the cellar with Will, the jumble of junk had annoyed her sense of order. Her fingers still itched with the need to organize it. But worse, another glimpse of the baby buggy, so like the one she’d had as a kid, would reopen the crater of loss in her heart. No sense going there.
Instead, she focused on the now. Will had explained how the original owner of the house had blasted the foundation in order to connect to a natural string of caverns. “Did you know they’d used the caverns as a root cellar?” The large cave had been converted to a wine cellar after the first vines had been planted. “Knowing the history of the place doesn’t do anything to lessen the fact the cellar is creepy.” Ava had declined most opportunities to follow Will down here.
“But the treasure it holds! Liquid sunshine.” Jules laughed as she led the way to the rear of the cellar.
The lock clicked loudly when Jules finagled the key in it. As she swung the wrought iron covered glass door open, the metal scraped harshly on the stone floor. Ava tugged the string attached to the light fixture, illuminating the space and its brightly glinting bottles.
“It certainly is a treasure.” The bottles were cool and slightly dusty as Ava trailed her fingers along them. “Which ones are you going to pick?”
Jules cocked her head. “We’re having chicken, so white would be most appropriate.”
“But it’s being prepared with a balsamic glaze, so wouldn’t red work better?”
Jules beamed a smile at her. “Good call. I’d say between the two of us, we can manage eight bottles. You grab the red and I’ll pick some whites. But be careful when handling the reds. Don’t want to stir up any sediment if we can avoid it.”
“Shh, don’t let Will hear you mention sediment in the same breath as you’re talking about his wine. It’s a guarantee he’ll launch into a lesson about decanting and how his wine doesn’t have debris.”
“It doesn’t,” Will said from behind them. He advanced into the room and slung an arm around Ava’s shoulders. “My wine is perfect. And since I’m here now, we can manage twelve bottles between us.”
Ava’s heart had tripped lightly, then sped up at the sound of his voice. The press of his side to hers accelerated the beat and started tingles deep in her body. She curled against him, the action completely natural now.
Jules eyed them speculatively. “It must be me.”
“Huh?” Ava didn’t bother to hide her confusion.
Will skimmed his fingertips over Ava’s bare arm, sparks shimmering under her skin. The air between them crackled with the volatile connection. “It’s not you. It’s Ava.”
Ava sure as hell didn’t understand the conversation.
Apparently, Jules got it. “Yeah, but if I hadn’t bankrolled your venture here at Rolling In The Clover, you’d have never met. All my investments are lucky in business and in love.”
Whoa! Love?
Will’s even teeth gleamed in the overhead light. “You might have bankrolled me, but my slovenly, haphazard way of doing business guaranteed I’d meet Ava.”
Heart skipping wildly, Ava pressed her hand against his chest. “I’m not following either of you.” Not about the business, or whose fault it was they’d met, or why the conversation turned to love.
Jules cradled three bottles of white in one arm, and plucked a fourth red from its spot in the rack. “I’ll just take these upstairs. You guys will be up in what? Thirty minutes? Dinner should be ready by then.”
Heat flashed into Ava’s cheeks, and she noted Will’s color was a little high as well.
Jules’ laugh echoed back to them as she swept out of the cave.
Will gripped her shoulders and turned her. He touched his mouth to hers and let his lips linger seductively. Ava melted against him, her lips clinging to his. Their kiss filled with desire, but there was something more there. Promise.
He released her mouth, but tightened one arm around her, and trailed his other hand up her ribs, stopping at the sensitive underside of her breast. Laying his cheek on her hair, his chest rose and fell as he calmed his breathing.
“I have a lot of things going in my favor right now,” he whispered. “My wines are popular, I have an efficiency expert bound and determined to make me an even bigger success. Looks like my relationship with my dad might be on the mend.” He straightened and cupped her cheek, his eyes searching her face. “But the very best thing in my life is you, Ava.”
Her heart did a pitch and roll in her chest. Like it was caught in an earthquake, or on a roller coaster. There was a deeper meaning in his words. Something so scary wonderful, she couldn’t find the words. “Will, I—”
He pressed his fingers to her lips and stroked the pad of his thumb over them. “Shh. I’m probably premature in expressing how I feel about you. But you know me. I’m spontaneous. I live for the moment.” He grinned. “You’ve shown me I can do that and still be organized. When this is all said a
nd done, and your assignment here is over, I’d like to schedule a meeting to discuss our relationship. And unlike anything else I’ve ever done, this discussion will be serious, and lead us to the next phase of our lives.”
“Will—”
He silenced her words with his lips. This time just a gentle press, a skim of his fingers on her jaw as he cupped her head. The tender, slight touch swelled her heart, crowding out all other emotion.
Is he saying he loves me? No man had ever uttered those words to her before. At least, not in the way she thought he was expressing it.
He ended the kiss with a nibble on her lips. She teetered slightly when he released her and she reached one hand out to the nearest rack to steady herself, the other pressed against her heart. Will had turned away and was selecting wine, as if he hadn’t just rocked her world with his statement.
Spinning around, he handed her four bottles, which she accepted while functioning on autopilot.
He took in her bemused expression, a grin warming his gaze. “By the way, Jules and Alex will be sleeping in your room tonight. That means you’ll have to bunk in with me. We’ll move your things after dinner.”
Her heart stuttered then kicked against her ribs. Excited tingles spread through her body. She licked her lips. “Um . . . that’ll be fine.”
Chapter 27
The buzz of her watch on Will’s nightstand rattled Ava out of a deep sleep. In that instant she decided she loved waking up in his bed. Pressed against his warm, solid bulk, she tried to silence the alert with her mind. Not happening. Reaching for the iWatch, she sent up a prayer of thanks for Jules’ and Alex’s need to sleep in her room. Her old room.
Will’s warm hand clamped around her wrist. Pulling her arm away from the table, he pressed her palm to his naked chest. “Morning, and leave that alone.” His sleep roughened voice drifted over her like silk.
Chaos Among the Vines (Romancing the Vine Book 2) Page 21