Entangled

by Melissa Brayden

  “Too many. He just laughs and ambles away. Parents don’t care, either.”

  “Can we sue?” It was a legitimate question.

  Bobby shrugged. “Can’t prove anything. Not like we have security cameras in the back ten.” He shook his head. “Now we gotta look ahead. It’ll take years to get those acres back to what they used to be. Can we make it on twenty-six, still pay our workers, and make the restaurant happen?” he asked.

  She sighed. “You’re asking about money.”

  “Yeah. That was always my brother’s department. I grow the grapes. He makes the juice and runs the business. Less grapes now. That’s a real problem.”

  “There’ll be the insurance payment, but overall, this is really going to hurt. Dad was an optimist and his policy covered the bare minimum. He didn’t keep a lot in the bank, either. You can’t instantly replace ten acres of mature vines.” She shook her head.

  “Damn well can’t. Damn it.” Bobby squeezed the ball cap he held in his hands, dropped his head back, seemingly in as much disbelief as she was. They’d been hit so hard lately. This latest blow didn’t seem fair.

  “The restaurant will have to be put on hold. I don’t have any room to breathe now.” Joey had never been more preoccupied with money in her entire life, and in just twenty-four hours, things had gotten exponentially worse. She knew her options. Buy grapes from another farm to replace what they would have yielded next year, or scale back their operation. A death sentence. She would need to consult with Madison first, but she had a feeling they’d be purchasing those grapes. She sighed and so did their bank account. At least she had the deal with The Jade in the works. She had guarantees on a portion of this year’s bottles, and that went a long way.

  “You know what? We’re gonna be okay,” she said, placing an arm on her uncle’s shoulder. “We just have to get creative for a while.”

  “I trust you, Chipmunk. You know that, right?”

  She nodded. “I do. You take care of those fields and let me worry about the rest.”

  He met her eyes tearfully, which hurt. Bobby wasn’t the emotional type. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He tried again. “I see my brother in you.” He pointed at her heart. “He’s right there.”

  Her throat ached with emotion, and she placed a hand on her chest, gripping the fabric of her shirt, and nodded. Finally, out of necessity, Joey turned away, refusing to break down. She had to stay strong for the vineyard and the people who worked hard every day for it to thrive. She squeezed Bobby’s hand as she passed him and made her way to the window where the smoke still hovered and clung.

  * * *

  Becca woke feeling emotionally hungover and a little nauseous. When her conversation with Maria came rushing back to her, she remembered exactly why. The Tangle Valley deal was a no-go, and she was going to have to find a way to explain it to Joey, who needed it now more than ever. She pushed herself out of bed with a dry mouth and a headache, not looking forward to the day ahead. She made her way to her bathroom, where she turned on the local radio station to that lively couple that liked to argue way too much for the morning hours. Today, they were arguing about who brewed the best cup of coffee in town. She knew the answer. The Jade did, but the resort was unfortunately not included in the debate. She vowed to make sure that changed with time. In the end, The Bacon and Biscuit won out, which was fine.

  She finished getting ready for work, gave her now blow-dried hair a final fluff with her fingertips, and reached to turn off the raucous morning show, when Darby, who was also known as Tater Tot, strangely, segued with a more serious tone. “If you’re wondering about the fire last night, we are happy to report that no one was injured.” Becca paused, her interest piqued. What fire? “The air is still a little smoky if you’re anywhere near Tangle Valley, but that should ease in the next twenty-four hours. Keep those folks in your thoughts, will you? They’ll have some rebuilding to do.”

  Becca went still and then sprang into action.

  What in the world? She looked for her phone, fumbling now, her brain ahead of her body. She reminded herself that the report said no one was injured. She focused on that and found space enough to breathe. It didn’t kill off any of the dread as she searched her phone, finding a message from Joey that was short but essentially told her not to worry, that they were all okay. Like not worrying could ever happen.

  Finally, abandoning the idea of sending a message or calling, Becca kissed Skywalker, who blinked sleepily at her, and hurried to her car. The radio was right—smoke permeated the air, never fading as she drove the short distance to the vineyard. She followed the winding road through the entrance. When she emerged at the top of the hill and looked down on the land below, the view she loved was noticeably marred. The back portion of the vineyard in the distance was black, charred, and ultimately missing. She closed her eyes and let her forehead rest on the steering wheel.

  This wasn’t fair.

  Joey and her family had been through enough.

  Disbelief took its turn, followed by resolve. Joey would need her support, her shoulder for comfort, and she was prepared to give it.

  * * *

  A loud knock at the door tore Joey from her thoughts. She and Bobby had fallen into silence, each sitting quietly in the kitchen of the Big House, exhausted, in shock, and sad. When Joey warily answered the door, expecting a neighbor with yet another offering, she found Becca, dressed in a navy and white business suit, standing on her porch, her facial expression dialed to sorrow.

  “You heard, huh?”

  “I got your text. I can’t believe I didn’t see it until this morning. God, come here.”

  She didn’t hesitate. Becca pulled Joey into a tight hug, and for the first time since the knock on her door last night, Joey felt like she could exhale. Air seemed accessible for the first time in hours. Becca was here, and she was smart and in charge of so much that her presence allowed Joey to relax. She hadn’t fully expected that, but she leaned in to it now. She had her soft place to fall.

  “It’s awful,” she said, when Becca released her. She gestured to the field behind Becca. “We lost ten acres. The vines are gone.”

  Becca nodded and cradled Joey’s face. “Look at me.” Joey did. “You’ll grow them back. Are you sure you’re okay?” She smoothed Joey’s hair as she nodded. “What can I do? I’m taking the day off. The resort will call if there’s an emergency.”

  Joey studied her, touched. “You can do that? You don’t have to—but you can?”

  Becca nodded. “Of course I can, and you need me, so I will. This is more important. Even if it’s just to make you food. Are you hungry?”

  “I forget what food even is.” Becca didn’t hesitate and headed past Joey, into the house, and straight to the stove with Joey following behind her. “Are you really going to cook right now?”

  “Yes, of course I am. You can’t face big things on an empty stomach. My mother taught me that, and she’s the smartest person I know.” She glanced around. “I’m thinking maybe an omelet? Do you have avocado? Hey, Bobby,” Becca said, spotting him at the table, hat still in hand. “Would you like an omelet, too? You’ve had a rough day already.”

  He sat up straighter like the puppy he was. “Oh. Me? Sure. If you’re offering.”

  “I definitely am.”

  Joey settled into one of the stools along the counter and watched in awe as Becca raided the fridge and went to work in her had-to-be-expensive business suit. It was a sight to behold. She scrambled the eggs like a boss. She diced the onions, prosciutto, avocado, and tomatoes, tossed them into a pan with tons of cheese, and just when Joey thought she couldn’t be any more impressed, Becca flipped the damn omelet in the air and made two more.

  “I know my business is in ruin, but I’ve never wanted you more.” Joey blinked in exhaustion but stood by every word.

  Bobby coughed at the declaration, and Becca laughed as she carried the plates to the table. The omelets had been perfectly folded. Jo
ey’s always seemed to break. But then, she wasn’t as polished at anything as Becca Crawford was.

  Bobby took a bite and shook his head. “Damn,” he said finally, more to his plate than to either one of them. He was never a guy of too many words, so the ones he said mattered. He looked from Becca to Joey and back again, suddenly aware of himself. “Gonna take this out on the porch and get some air if that’s okay. See how smoky it still is.” They nodded, setting him free. “Thanks for the killer breakfast,” he said, raising his plate to Becca. He scurried out of there at lightning speed.

  “It’s hard for him to see me date,” Joey informed Becca. “I’m still seven years old in his eyes.”

  Becca sat back in her chair. “What would your dad think of me? Sometimes I wonder about that.”

  Joey paused, a bite of omelet halfway to her mouth. “He’d have to get past the evil empire thing, but after that, he would think you’re a pretty cool chick. That I’d leveled up.”

  Becca pressed her lips around her fork and elegantly slid a bite of her omelet into her mouth. Joey watched, enjoying the view. Becca’s mouth was a favorite, even when her brain could barely function. “Is that what you think?” Becca asked, sitting back in her chair. “That I’m a cool chick? I had no idea.”

  Joey didn’t hold back. “Becca, you are the coolest chick I’ve ever met. That’s why I take my clothes off whenever you blink in my direction, and don’t think that’s not unnerving for me. God, this is good.” She shook her head at her plate. “Who knew that omelets help curb devastation?”

  “I did. What else can I get you? A nap? Fuzzy slippers? A distraction? I can be that, too, sweetie. Just tell me what you need.”

  Joey sighed and met Becca’s gaze. “Nothing. Just you. That’s the craziest part. Having you here makes a real difference.”

  “I’m glad. And I’m not going anywhere.” She pushed her plate to the side, leaving half of her omelet uneaten, which was a crime in this house. Joey let it go. “What do we have to accomplish?”

  Joey thought on it, still amazed that the day went on in spite of what had happened. “Well, Loretta doesn’t want to close the tasting room. She thinks it’s important that we let everyone know we’re okay and still open for business. I imagine lots will be stopping in to check things out. Small towns tend to be more curious. Might as well sell them a glass of wine.”

  “I like the plan.”

  “Speaking of enterprising, I want to thank you again for putting together that deal with the resort. I’m forcing myself to concentrate on it. It was the one thing that made me feel we could survive all of this. Can you imagine? The Jade, the entity I hated more than anything, is now my savior?” She shook her head. “Life is so unpredictable.”

  “Oh,” Becca said, brushing past the sentiment, “not a big deal.”

  “It is.” Joey grinned. “So thank you.” She leaned across the table and kissed Becca, who gave her hand a yank, pulling Joey into her lap where they kissed some more. “I like this jacket,” Joey said, running her thumbs over the lapels and using them to pull Becca back in again.

  “Put it to work,” Becca murmured around the kiss. “I’m yours today, boss lady.”

  “Seriously?” Another kiss. “You want to pour Tangle Valley wine? We’re a scandal now. Well, I should say, again.”

  “It’s my dream to pour scandalous wine.” Becca kissed the soft spot just under her jaw.

  “Hired.” She pressed her center against Becca’s thigh. “Maybe there is something to this distraction line of thinking. I could lose myself in you for hours. Forget the realities of the world, of today.”

  Becca passed her an amused look. “I’m available for that kind of hiring as well.”

  Joey felt that offer low in her body and checked the clock. She smiled ruefully. “We open in an hour, and I need to shower. Later?”

  “Of course. I’ll be around.”

  Joey dove in for another long, lingering, and breathtaking kiss that would have to hold her over until later. She climbed off Becca’s lap and carried her plate to the sink, scarfing the rest of her omelet as she walked. “Back in fifteen,” she told Becca, who had already started gathering the dishes for washing.

  “Take your time,” Becca said, holding up a plate. “I got this.”

  Once Joey was alone and standing beneath the hot water stream, the details of the day came rushing back, and the weight upon her shoulders rose to an unbearable level. She gripped the walls for support. Her thoughts felt scattered and disjointed as if pelting her like missiles in a video game. She thought of her father, the fire, stupid Caleb Hollis from Fable Brook, who likely caused this whole thing with his buddies, how wonderful Madison and Gabriella had been last night, and about Becca and The Jade. Her heart swelled with gratitude for Becca, who today had proved to truly have her back. As she stepped out of the shower, she gave herself a stern pep talk. She would reel in those thoughts and focus on only what she had immediately ahead of her. And today, that meant her customers in the tasting room.

  An hour later, Loretta smiled at Joey from behind the marble tasting counter. “I told you they’d come.”

  “You weren’t wrong. You can always count on the folks in Whisper Wall.”

  Whether the town wanted to sneak a peek at the damage or simply support the vineyard during a difficult stretch, they’d certainly shown up in droves. Add them to the usual handful of tourists, and the tasting room was hopping. Joey had called in one of their part-timers, Evan, and had even taken Becca up on her offer to pour, given they were slammed. Between the four of them, they conducted a multitude of tastings, and sales by the glass. Outside, Gabriella had fired up a batch of amazing pumpkin ravioli and spicy calamari that had the smell of smoke taking second place to her fantastic aromas. The line at her truck now stretched past the seating area and showed little sign of easing up. It helped patch up Joey’s soul, seeing the outpouring of support.

  “This one is my favorite. Give it a whirl,” she heard Becca tell the Biddies, her current customers. They’d gathered around, clutching their glasses, ready to listen intently to the tasting notes Becca had to offer. “The pinot noir is what we’re known for.”

  “But you’re the manager of that new resort,” Maude pointed out. “You moonlighting?”

  “She’s helping her girlfriend,” Thelma supplied knowledgeably. “They’re hot and heavy, remember?”

  “You looked so pretty at that grand opening with all the cookies and bubbly,” Birdie chimed in.

  “You’re correct. I am the manager of The Jade,” Becca told them. “But I love to come out to Tangle Valley whenever I can. Gives me a chance to get out in the community and help out our neighbors. And I get to see Joey, too.”

  Joey, from off to the side, suppressed a grin.

  Thelma leaned in. Her hair carried a definite blue tinge that had not been there the last time Joey had seen her at the Scoot. “Terrible about the fire. So glad no one was hurt.” Thelma meant what she said, but Joey knew the fire was also good gossip that would keep the Biddies chatting for the next week. She longed for a time when the Wilder family, or at least what was left of it, wasn’t the sympathetic talk of the town.

  “I feel the same way,” Becca said and pointed to their glasses as she referenced the cheat sheet Joey had supplied her with. “This particular wine is the Tangle Valley crown jewel, and a multiple gold medal winner.” She did the same ta-da gesture with her fingers that Joey had executed the first day they met, which made Joey laugh with pride. She loved that it had resonated with Becca. But then again, Joey also remembered everything about that first day herself. It was just nice to hear that Becca did, too.

  Joey made her way down the bar to get another group of new arrivals started. They were from California and so sorry to hear about the fire. As she walked them through the tasting, she couldn’t help but steal glances at Becca. Ever the professional. Still wearing her pin-striped business suit. Working in Joey’s tasting room.

  The
woman was kind, sexy, and hardworking, it turned out. She also showed up on your doorstep and made a killer omelet when you didn’t even realize you needed one. In the midst of a day that had Joey questioning the universe, Becca, she realized, was a blessing to count.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Becca sat on the steps leading to the Big House. The pinks of the setting sun were almost too beautiful for her heart to handle as she stared at the sky above the expanse of quiet farmland. She had no right to enjoy that sunset. Not while she sat there holding on to a piece of important information she should have divulged nearly two weeks ago now. She hadn’t had the courage or the right words to do so with Joey still in recovery mode from the fire. She knew that it had been the wrong move to wait. The guilt practically consumed her, and she realized she had to give the news to Joey. She never should have let this much time pass, but now that she had, her crime was exponentially worse.

  She threw the ratty tennis ball for Sky and watched as he tore off through the field, galloping between the rows of sleeping vines, easily retrieved the ball, and bounded back with extra height in his step. “Nice one, buddy.” She gave him a good scrubbing behind his ears, knowing how he liked a little extra pressure.

  “Sky, you’re getting too good,” a voice said. “The Olympics are going to call us up, looking for you.”

  Becca turned and grinned at Gabriella, who approached from the pathway that led to the cottages. “He says he was born to race through wine country. He’s a wine dog now.”

  “Then he hit the jackpot at this place. I have some Italian sausage in my pocket.”

  Becca quirked her head. “Is that a come-on?”

  Gabriella laughed. “It should be. For the dog. Is that okay?”

  “Of course. He’s going to be even more in love with you now.”