by Frank, Ella
“Don’t say no.” He looked to the courthouse and then back to me. “I’ve had a horrible morning, and the last thing I want is to be alone to think about it. So what do you say? Want to help an old friend out?”
If he was just an old friend then I wouldn’t have a problem with that at all. But he wasn’t, and when he added that heartbreaker smile to the request, I was instantly reminded of that.
God, how was it possible that after all this time he still had the ability to make me feel like this? Heart thumping, a rose-colored haze, until all I could see was him.
Pull yourself together, Laurel—you’re an adult, for God’s sake.
“Sure. Okay,” I heard myself say, as though I had everything under control. “But not at Betty’s.”
Noah slipped his hands into his pockets and moved up beside me as we made our way down the sidewalk.
“But Betty makes the best lattes. We always used to go to Betty’s.”
“I know. Which is exactly why we’re not going there this morning. We wouldn’t even get a chance to sit down before everyone in town knew what we ordered.” We stopped at the corner where Wilson’s Market was, and I looked up at him. “Have you been away that long that you’ve forgotten the way news travels here?”
Noah chuckled, and the low sound was smooth and hypnotic. I wanted to hear it over and over again, softly by my ear.
“I guess I have. I’m not used to watching my every step anymore.”
I blinked, shaking myself out of my daydream. “Well, get used to it. You’re the biggest piece of gossip to hit Chamberlin since—” I cut myself off, not wanting to go down the rabbit hole of when he left, and, seeming to understand that, Noah let it go.
After checking both ways for cars, we crossed the road and walked in silence for a minute or two before he asked, “If we aren’t going to Betty’s, where are we going?”
I grinned to myself as I led him down one of the town’s narrow side streets. “If I tell you that, I’ll have to kill you.”
“Oh, I see. It’s a secret.”
“It’s not a secret. I just don’t advertise that I go there.”
Noah laughed. “You hide the fact that you sometimes go to a different coffee shop so you don’t hurt Betty’s feelings?”
Okay, when he said it like that, it sounded slightly ridiculous.
“That’s really…sweet.”
I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “It’s not sweet; it’s self-preservation.”
“Huh, that’s funny.”
“What is?”
“Ryan said something similar yesterday about self-preservation.”
I nodded as we reached our destination. “It’s definitely necessary for small-town living. Otherwise, you’d go insane.”
“Then why stay?”
“Because not all of us had a father who sent us off to Italy.” The words were out of my mouth before I even thought them through, and the air around us shifted from comfortable to awkward.
What was I thinking saying that to him? It wasn’t like he’d had a choice in the matter. But really, if he’d hated it so much, why had he stayed?
Before I could focus on that, however, Noah reached for the door and pulled it open.
Dave’s Coffee House had opened five years ago, and while it was never quite as busy as Betty’s Bakery, it still turned a good profit and offered a quieter, less trafficked eat-in area. Dave was a newbie by Chamberlin’s standards and wasn’t heavily involved in the local gossip. He also left his customers to their own business, which was something I appreciated very much at this moment.
We each placed our order and then took a seat at one of the back tables, and once we were settled, Noah gestured for my books. I handed them over, and he placed them on the chair beside himself, then he sat back in his seat and let his eyes wander over me.
I flushed under his intense once-over, and when he finally brought his gaze back to mine, I shook my head.
“Be a little more obvious, why don’t you?”
He grinned unrepentantly. “Should I say I’m sorry?”
“Are you?”
“No.”
“Then I guess not. Would you like me to get up and do a twirl for you?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
I smirked. “Uh huh. Still the same old Noah, I see. Always trying to push your luck.”
“Like you said, some things never change.”
As a waiter brought over our coffees, I took a moment to look at Noah the way he’d just done with me. Willa was right: there was something incredibly put together and sophisticated about him.
The last time I saw Noah, he’d been nothing but a boy. But now the fit of his suit and shirt showed off the powerful body I’d run into earlier, and the stubble lining his strong jaw line made me wonder how it would feel against the soft skin between my—
“Want me to stand up and do a twirl?”
My cheeks flamed at being caught, but when he chuckled, I shoved it aside and decided, why should I be embarrassed? He’d been checking me out—it was only natural for me to do the same, and this feeling of familiarity and unfamiliarity at the same time was a head trip for sure.
“I can see all that I need to from here, thank you very much.”
“Ah, well, if you want to see more, just let me know.”
I shifted slightly on my seat, that feeling of awareness from earlier returning and moving a little lower.
Knowing I needed to change the subject or risk saying something completely inappropriate, I went with the first thing that came to mind: “So, tell me about Italy. What’s it like? It must be exciting to live somewhere so glamorous.”
Noah took a sip of his coffee before he relaxed and rested his arm on the back of the chair holding my books. “It’s amazing. At first it was…hard not knowing anyone. But by the time I graduated, I’d secured a job on one of the vineyards—Sergio’s—as a ‘cellar rat.’ I worked hard and learned not only the steps of being a winemaker, but the artistry behind producing a great bottle of wine. My background helped too, I hate to admit. But Harry taught me a lot over all those summers he forced me to work. The real learning began when I got over there, and eventually I worked my way up to be Sergio’s business partner. I’ve been there ever since.”
I placed my cup down and schooled my features the best I could, trying not to show how much it hurt to hear that he’d had such a wonderful life-changing experience after he left.
It wasn’t that I hoped he’d been miserable, or that I’d wished him ill will. But after not hearing from him—not even an email—it was difficult to sit there and listen to how he’d replaced his original life with something completely new. I could only imagine how quickly he’d replaced me.
“I heard about that part. Sergio’s? It kind of became Harry’s archnemesis.”
“One of the side perks of being sent away. I made it my mission to be better than Harry, and make damn sure that he knew about it.”
“I know. It must’ve all been very exciting.” I lowered my eyes, unable to help the tears that had formed, and suddenly remembered all of the reasons why revisiting the past was such a bad idea.
I was trying to think up an excuse as to why I had to go, when Noah placed his hand over mine on the table.
“Laurel, I never wanted to leave. That was—”
“Years ago,” I interrupted, and drew my hands free. This little stroll down memory lane was bringing back all of the heartbreak I’d buried for so long.
I quickly got to my feet and smoothed my hands down the front of my dress. “I, umm, have to get back to work. We’re starting a little late today, since we’re not opening to the public. I’m sure you know—you probably spoke to Emily. But I need to get going now.”
I reached for my books, knowing I was rambling, and once I had them in front of me like a shield, I suddenly felt a whole lot better.
“I hope you have a good day. You know, better than the one you were having earlier.” Before
he could get a word in, I gave a quick wave and then hurried out of the coffeehouse.
9
Noah
“ARE YOU DONE yet?”
“No.”
“What about now?” I threw a daisy over the top of Laurel’s book, and when it landed on her page, she picked it up and twirled it between her fingers.
“Still no.”
“But you’ve been reading for—”
“Ten minutes?”
That was about nine minutes more than I ever liked to read, but Laurel? That was her thing, and since I was the one who’d suggested doing our homework together, I was stuck, whether I liked it or not.
“That’s enough time, right? I mean, how much more could you possibly need to read today?” I plucked the book from her hands and rolled to my back. We’d picked a sunny spot under one of the large oaks at the end of Willow Lane.
It was Laurel’s favorite place to come, because there was only one house at the end of the road—that was currently empty—and other than that, the place was secluded. Perfect for reading and relaxing, according to her.
Me, however? I was getting restless. I hated sitting still, even for ten minutes.
“Noah, give it back. I want to be finished before next class, and—”
“We only have to read to chapter twenty. You’re already up to”—I flicked through the pages of her book—“chapter twenty-five.”
She leaned over to take the book, and I dropped it to the grass to grab her arm, pulling her down over me. She landed with a cute little oomph, and her long blonde hair fell forward to curtain our faces.
“Now this is better.”
“How is it better? We have an exam tomorrow, and I need to study. You need to study.”
“I am studying.” I kissed her gently, her soft lips always so tempting. “I’m studying the shape of your mouth. The color of your hair in the sun. The way you feel squirming around on me the way you are.”
“I’m not squirming.” She planted her hands on either side of my head and pushed up from me. “I’m trying to get away from you so I can study. I need this grade if I’m going to have a chance at that scholarship.”
She was right, and suddenly I felt like a total asshole for interfering with that.
“Sorry,” I said, and reluctantly let her go. “I wasn’t thinking.” I picked up the book and handed it back to her, before settling in against the trunk of the tree.
“Don’t be sorry for wanting to kiss me.” She laughed. “That’s why I’m working so hard. I want you to be able to kiss me for the rest of my life, and you won’t be able to do that if I’m stuck here and you’re—”
I placed a finger to her lips and grinned. “What did you just say?”
She frowned, and I swear I could see the wheels in her head rewinding. Then a rosy flush hit her cheeks. Yep, there it is.
“I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”
“You didn’t? ’Cause I kind of like the idea of you and me for the rest of our lives.”
Laurel looked down in her lap as she fiddled with the edge of her book. “You do? I mean, I know we talked about going to USC together and getting out of here, but—”
“But what? You don’t think I’m going to let you go once we get there, do you?”
She raised her head so we were eye to eye.
“I’m not letting someone else have you. You’re mine, Bonnie. We go together, you and me. Forever.”
Her shy smile made my heart thump. Laurel put her book to the side and moved to her knees next to me. “Give me your keys.”
“What?”
“Your car keys. Give them to me.”
I handed them over and watched as she began to carve something into the trunk of the tree, and when she was finally done, she sat back and grinned.
“There.”
I looked at her handiwork, and when I saw what she’d written, I smiled. Bonnie & Clyde, and under that, Together Forever.
“Come here.”
Laurel nodded and closed her eyes as she moved into my arms and snuggled into me. “I don’t want to read any more.”
“No? I thought you wanted to finish the book.”
She shrugged and tipped her face up to mine. “You were right. We only have to read to chapter twenty. I was being ambitious. Overreaching, as always. I just don’t want to mess this up for us.”
“Stop worrying. You could never mess this up.”
She smiled at me, and with the sun in her hair and her blue eyes twinkling, I knew I was done. Laurel was my forever, and I knew I’d love her—always.
YEAH… FOREVER HADN’T really worked out for us, and it seemed Laurel was content to leave anything we did have well in the past.
In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever seen a woman run away from me so fast in my life. But as Laurel had shoved out the door of Dave’s Coffee House, you could all but see the cloud of dust in her wake.
Not that I could blame her—up until she’d asked about Italy, we’d slipped back into familiar territory as we tried to reacquaint ourselves with one another. There was too much history there, however, too many landmines to dodge. So it wasn’t that much of a surprise when one of them blew up in my face.
I finished off my coffee and headed back to where I’d parked my car behind the courthouse, and when I climbed inside, I pulled out my cell. For a minute I just sat there staring at the screen, trying to come up with a solution to the problem facing me.
I had one of two choices. I could say fuck it and Harry and go back to Italy, and in the process screw over my mom and siblings, giving them every reason in the world to hate me. Or I could call up Sergio, explain to him what had just gone down, and see what kind of options we had.
Honestly, it didn’t feel like I had any. It was like déjà vu: Harry blackmailing me and threatening me with something he knew I would never say no to.
He’d put me in a horrible position, one I’d never actually wanted. CEO of Chamberlin Winery? I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to carry on his legacy. Not to mention that it was so much fucking work running a business that size. Not only were you in charge of making sure the vineyard was a success, you were also in charge of the lives of the people working for you, and unless you were all in, it was a job that would make you truly miserable.
I was no stranger to hard work, so that wasn’t the problem here. The problem was that I’d have to give up my life in exchange for the one Harry had decided for me, and that was the exact same thing he’d done to me all those years ago.
Not seeing any other choice, however, I called my mom and waited for it to connect. I needed to sit down with her and see where her head was about all of this. I also wanted to know where the business was. How it was doing? It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Harry had left me a sinking ship just to be spiteful. But if that were the case, I would do everything I could to turn it around for Mom, just so he could roll over in his damn grave.
One year. That wasn’t all that long in the scheme of things, right?
“Noah?”
“Yeah, hi, Mom. Are you back at the winery or still here in town?”
“I’m back. Ryan drove me.”
“Good, that’s good,” I said, and gripped the steering wheel as I stared out the windshield. “Do you mind if I head over that way now? I think we need to talk about what happened this morning.”
“Of course. I can’t begin to imagine what you must be thinking…or feeling. I’m still trying to process it all myself.”
“It’s a big ask, Mom. A year?”
“I know. He shouldn’t have done it.”
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the headrest. “Well, what else is new when it comes to Harry?”
There was a pause, and then she said, “There’s a staff meeting scheduled this afternoon at three to talk about how we’ll be moving forward. But we don’t need to tell them anything until you’ve made a decision.”
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Let me c
ome over there and talk to you. Then we can try to work out what to do.”
“Okay.”
I was about to end the call when I heard her say my name.
“Yeah?”
“I really am sorry.”
“I know, Mom. I know.”
BY THE TIME I arrived at the property, the sun was high and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful spring day, and this time when I pulled into the drive, there were only a handful of the staff’s cars.
I parked in one of the guest spots and made my way to the front door, and this time, instead of knocking, I headed right inside. There was no one to greet me today, no one to cut me off at the pass and make sure I only went where I was told. So I took a second to look around the front entrance.
It hadn’t changed much over the years. A circular rug covered the hardwood floors, and beyond that a thick wooden desk that was a hand-carved work of art served as the check-in point. It housed a computer at one end and a display of souvenirs and knickknacks at the other.
There were wine glasses, bottle openers, keychains, and postcards. They all had the winery’s logo, phone number, email, and address stamped on them, and behind the desk, built into the wall, was an enormous wine rack that went from one side to the other. It must’ve housed over fifty or more bottles, and the overall feel of the place was warm and inviting, classy and elegant.
I was about to hunt down my mom when she walked out of the hallway that led to the tasting area. Her face lit up the second she spotted me, and as she crossed the lobby, my anger at Harry from earlier begin to ease.
I didn’t want to be tied to this place—that was the God’s honest truth. Small-town living was not how I’d envisioned my life. Laurel and I had talked of L.A. and college, and after that, traveling had been the dream. But that hadn’t happened, so maybe getting to know the family I’d been forced to leave would be one of the highlights of this shitshow Harry had made me the star of.
“Noah. I can’t tell you how nice it is to walk in and see you standing there.”