by Frank, Ella
When she reached me and held out her hands, I took them in mine and gave them a light squeeze. “It’s been a long time.”
“Too long,” she said, and moved in beside me, slipping her arm through the crook of my elbow. “I know you didn’t get to really take in the place yesterday—too many people watching you. How about we go and sit out on the back deck? It’s a beautiful day, and it offers such a lovely view of the vineyards.”
I nodded and patted her hand, letting her lead the way, and when we stepped out onto the deck, the sight that greeted me was breathtaking.
With spring now in full season, the first buds were beginning to appear on the vines. It was known as “bud break,” and it turned the bare, dormant vines into a thing of beauty, as the cover crop—which was a vibrant mustard color—blanketed the grounds between the vine rows. It went on and on for as far as the eye could see, and under the bright rays of the sun, the fields looked golden.
“It’s beautiful,” I said in a reverent tone, as we stopped by the rail and looked out at the property.
“It is. It’s my favorite time of the year. Although it makes your brother kind of a bear.”
I chuckled, knowing just how stressful bud break could be, especially for the vineyard manager. It was one of the most precarious times for the crop. It could either make or break you for the season, because one night below freezing and all of those new shoots could sustain irreversible damage. That meant long nights monitoring the weather, and often having to implement strategies like giant fans as loud as airplanes to save the fragile harvest.
I knew firsthand the strain and pressure that could put on a person. It was enough to even make Ryan foul-tempered.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I said as I looked down at her. “Are there are any other helpful hints you need to tell me before I start working here?”
Mom gasped, and then she quickly covered her mouth. “Do you mean it?”
“I do. It’s not going to be easy, though. I’m going to have to get in contact with Sergio and work out how I can make this happen. But there’s no way I’m going to hand this place over to the town. It’s yours, Mom. And if I have to stay here for a year and work the place to make that happen, then I’ll stay.”
“Oh, Noah.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tight, and when she began to shake, I knew she was crying. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry he did this to you again. Disrupting your life like this.”
So was I, but it wasn’t her fault. “Don’t you be sorry. That’s on him. Let’s just get everything squared away so the year can begin. I want a smooth season, and that’s going to start with me getting the lay of the land.”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded. “You’re right. Of course. Where do you think we should start?”
I turned around and faced the main building behind us. “You said there was a staff meeting this afternoon?”
“Yes. I was just going to let them all know that they didn’t need to worry about their jobs with Harry being gone. That’s all.”
“Okay. Well, that’s a good place to start.” I thought about Laurel and what a shock she was about to get when she found out I was her boss. But there was nothing I could do about that now, and it wasn’t as though I’d really had a choice.
“Why don’t I show you where your father’s—well, your office will be, and I can run through the staff and who works what.”
“That sounds good. Is Ryan here? It might be helpful to bring him in on all of this.”
“He is, yes. Let me call down to him and have him meet us.”
“Sounds good. You lead, I’ll follow.”
With a final look at the vineyards I’d just agreed to take on, I followed Mom inside and wondered what in the hell Harry had just gotten me into.
10
Laurel
“DID YOU HEAR? Apparently Harry sold the place to some bigwig family from out of town, and that’s what this afternoon’s meeting is for, to introduce them.”
“No way. Why would he do that? Emily and Ryan work here. It’s their family’s business. He’s not gonna just sell it out from under them.”
“Umm, we did work for the same guy, right? Harry was an ass—”
The gossipy whisperings from two of my servers ceased as I pushed through the door to the kitchen, and when Amy and Miles saw who it was, they let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Working hard, I see.” I gestured to the wine glasses on the counter in front of them. They had been forgotten somewhere around mid-shine.
“We were just giving our wrists a rest.” Miles flexed his hand back and forth, making both Amy and I laugh.
“You’re the last person whose wrist would ever need a rest,” Amy said.
Miles shoved her in the arm as the two of them busted up laughing, and I headed over to the fridge to grab myself a bottle of water. I’d spent the morning doing inventory on the wine—in-house—after the wake. Anything to keep my mind busy and off the embarrassing way I’d run away from Noah earlier.
What had I been thinking, accepting an invitation to coffee with him? Nothing good was ever going to come of that. But when he’d given my books back and his fingers had brushed over my skin, it was like he’d flicked a switch and my brain had shifted to autopilot.
That was my only excuse, or at least the one I was sticking to. He’d short-circuited my brain, and nothing I did after that could be blamed on me. Especially not giving in to my curiosity and saying yes to a coffee, when every other warning sign had been flashing NO! NO! NO!
“Laurel?”
“Huh?” I glanced over at Amy, who was watching me with a curious look on her face.
“You okay?”
I unscrewed my bottle of water and nodded. “What were you saying?”
“Oh, I asked if you knew anything about the meeting this afternoon?”
“Emily told me it was just a formality. She wants to make sure that we all know nothing’s going to change with Harry not being here anymore.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Miles said as he leaned a hip up against the counter. “Emily’s been in Harry’s office for the past hour with someone, and Pete says it’s the new owner.”
“New owner? The Chamberlins are not about to sell the winery, Miles. This is their family’s legacy.”
“I didn’t say sell it. Rumor is, Harry gave it away.”
No…there was no way Harry would ever do that. He’d poured his blood, sweat, and tears into this place. Alienated a son over it. He’d schemed and plotted and God knew what else over the course of his life to make Chamberlin Winery as successful and profitable as it was. There was no way he was handing that over to someone else. He’d loved this place more than anything—except perhaps Emily.
“Rumors.” I rolled my eyes. “This town would be so boring without the live updates we receive on the hour.”
“Right?” Miles waggled his brows. “So do you know anything?”
“I know that you’re a gossipy busybody.”
“Yeah, well, we all knew that.” Miles picked up the towel he’d been using to shine the glassware as the door to the kitchen pushed open and Emily stuck her head inside.
“If you could please meet me in the tasting room, we’re about to start the meeting. Thank you.”
When the door swung shut behind her, I glanced at Amy and Miles and gestured for them to follow. “Guess we’re about to find out if the Chamberlin gossip mill got it right, huh?”
We headed into the room where the rest of the employees—including the cleaning crew, maintenance, the vine workers, and winery staff—all waited, and when I spotted Ryan at the back of the small crowd, I made my way toward him.
He offered up his usual friendly smile, and I said under my breath, “Should I be worried?”
He looked down at me with a question in his eyes.
“You know this place—rumors are flying. I was just wondering if I should be worried about my job.”
Rya
n smirked and shook his head. “Emily didn’t tell you yet?”
“Tell me what?”
“Good afternoon, everyone.” At the sound of Emily’s voice, I turned to see her walk through the door and wondered what Ryan was talking about. But when a second, very familiar person walked in directly behind her, my stomach dropped and my head began to spin.
What was Noah doing here? More importantly, what was he doing standing up there with Emily? My mind began to race with possibilities, even as my eyes drank in the sight of him.
The jacket he’d been wearing this morning was gone, and he’d rolled the sleeves of his white shirt midway up his forearms. His hands were resting loosely in the pockets of his tailored pants as though he didn’t have a care in the world, and the picture he made had my pulse humming.
Casual, confident, and sexy, that was Noah, and when his eyes scanned the room and landed on me, my stomach flipped.
Would I ever get used to seeing him back here in town? Judging by my body’s irrational responses to him, I was going to go with no.
“What’s he doing here?” I whispered to Ryan.
“Noah?”
I aimed a droll look his way, and Ryan grinned.
“Shh, you’re about to find out.”
“Thank you for coming in today, everyone, even though we aren’t open.” Emily looked around the room, her eyes touching upon each and every one of her employees before she continued. “This past week has been extremely difficult for me and my family, and I appreciate all of your help and support. It’s meant the world to me. I understand with Harry’s passing that some of you might be concerned with the future of the winery, your jobs, and where we all go from here, and today I wanted to come in and reassure you that you have nothing to worry about.”
As Emily continued to talk, Noah looked around the room at the other staff listening. But I was more than aware every time his attention came back to me. The intensity of his stare caused my blood to heat.
“Some of you may be wondering who is going to be running the winery now that Harry is gone.”
No… Oh God no. Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say.
“And as of this morning, I’m happy to say that I have an answer for you.” Emily turned to Noah, and when he smiled at her, my legs threatened to give out.
“Noah, my eldest son, is going to be coming on as the CEO effective immediately. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge all the way from Italy, and I’m extremely grateful to have him here.”
Holy shit. I whipped my head around and looked to Ryan for confirmation, and when he nodded, my mouth fell open.
A barrage of questions slammed into me after that.
How? Why? When? Oh my God, did Noah know about this this morning at coffee?
I looked back to the man now smiling and introducing himself to his new employees.
“I don’t know about you guys, but this has come as quite a shock to me. I’m still wrapping my head around it. Don’t worry, though—Ryan is still going to be in charge of the vines and Laurel will continue on as the manager here inside the villa. In the meantime, just go about things as you always have and I’ll try to catch up. We won’t keep you any longer today, so feel free to head out when you’re ready and we’ll see you all back here tomorrow morning.”
Everyone began to talk amongst themselves as they exited the room, and as I tried to get my feet to move, tried to walk over to where Noah and Emily were, I realized they’d already left.
Damn it. This was not good. Noah was only supposed to be staying a couple of days, not take on a job as my…my boss. I couldn’t work with him. No way I could be that close to him every day and keep him locked in the he’s just a memory box where I had kept him all these years.
I followed Ryan outside and into the wine production facility that was his home away from home, and when I was satisfied we were alone, I asked, “Did you know this was happening today? That he was going to be my new boss?”
“We literally found out this morning.”
“Unbelievable,” I said to no one in particular.
Ryan grabbed a pair of gloves and shoved them in his back pocket before picking up the wire cutters. “He didn’t have a choice, Laurel. He was ready to pack his bags and go back to Italy at the end of the week. This is all Harry’s doing.”
Harry? Of course this was Harry’s fault. What else was new?
“I can’t work for him, Ryan.”
“Why not?” Ryan picked up a bundle of wire and slung it over his shoulder. “Because you used to date? If anything, I think that’d make it easier. You know you get along with him.”
“I got along with him when he was a teenager. Now he’s…he’s…”
“An adult?” Ryan laughed. “News flash, so are you. I think.”
“Helpful, Ryan. That’s really helpful.”
Ryan headed for the door, but before he walked out of it, he looked back over his shoulder at where I was frozen in place. “He’s feeling just as weird about all of this as you are. When he found out, he stormed out of the courthouse like his ass was on fire.”
Oh shit. So that was why he’d had a horrible morning.
“He’s been told he has to stay a year or Mom won’t get the winery.”
“What? That’s…that’s crazy.”
“Yeah. His whole life has been turned upside down. He’s going to need your help getting to know everything and everyone around here. I think it’s good that it’s you stuck with him.”
While I disagreed on that, I kept it to myself, and with a final wave, Ryan headed out to mend one of the wine trellises.
I stood there staring after him, thinking about this morning and my coffee with Noah, and as everything Ryan just told me came rushing in, I did the one thing any respectable woman in a conundrum about a man would do.
I sent off a text to my best friend.
Need a girls’ night this weekend. You free?
11
Laurel
“MOM? YOU READY to go?”
Jake’s voice traveled downstairs to where I was standing in my bedroom’s en suite applying the finishing touches to my makeup. It was a routine I could generally do with one eye closed and little to no caffeine in my system, but this morning I seemed to be running behind.
“Nearly! Why don’t you go on ahead? I don’t want you late for school.”
I tossed my tube of mascara on the counter and reached for the hair curler to do a quick touch-up on the front few layers of hair.
That was how Jake found me a couple seconds later when he stuck his head in the door.
“Wow, you look nice.”
My eyes found his in the mirror, and I frowned. “I look like I always do.”
“No, this is a different kind of nice.” He looked at his watch. “And you’re running ten minutes late.”
“Shit.” I released my hair, which bounced back in a nice curl just beneath my chin, and placed the wand down on the counter. I knew I’d been running a little behind, but not by that much.
Great. The last thing I needed to do was be late on my first day with my new boss.
Jake drummed his fingers against the doorframe and cocked his head to the side as I pulled the plug from the wall and did a final quick spray of my hair.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the new management at the winery, would it?”
Yes. “No.”
I screwed my nose up as my son gave me the eagle eye, and then I made a break for it, brushing by him and heading to my closet to hunt down a pair of heels.
“Because I wouldn’t care if it did. I already told you that.”
I located the black strappy heels I’d been hunting for and scooped them up, then took a seat on the chest at the end of my bed to slip them on. “It’s not like that. This is his first day, and I have to show him around. I want him to be impressed with how we run the place.” And yes, maybe a little impressed by me. Okay, a lot impressed.
When Jake
said nothing, I looked up from the strap I’d just secured. “What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll see you there after school.”
“Yes you will.” With the other shoe on, I got to my feet and smoothed my hands down my skirt. “What do you think? Do I look professional?”
Jake pushed off the door and kissed my cheek. “Yep. I’ll see you later.”
“Later.” I waved, followed him out of my room, and put a Pop-Tart in the toaster as I listened for the front door. The second I heard it shut, I let out a sigh.
I needed to pull it together. I was acting like this was some kind of date, not work. Nothing was going to be different. It was going to be like any other day. Except this time, I’d been in close proximity to the man I’d shared my first kiss, my first dance, and my first time with.
Yeah, sure, it was just going to be like any other normal day. That was why I’d spent all of last night picking out an outfit that screamed professional, in control, and, okay, maybe a little bit I’m a smart, sexy woman.
But I wasn’t going to think about that. I was going to find my keys, get in my car, and blow Noah’s mind—with my knowledge on the winery, of course.
I slung my handbag over my shoulder and headed to the door, but before I rushed out, I skidded to a halt and cursed—my Pop-Tart. I quickly dashed back, tore off a paper towel, and juggled it from hand to hand as I again made my exit.
BY THE TIME I’d parked my car and made a mad dash for the front entrance, I’d somehow managed to shave a couple of minutes off my time. I pushed through the front door and was relieved to note that no one was around to see me sneaking in late.
I sent up a quick note of thanks to the big guy and ran a hand over the wayward curl that had fallen across one of my eyes. The door to my right opened, and in walked…Noah, of course.
So much for my unnoticed tardiness.
Looking as put together as ever in a charcoal suit and white shirt, which he’d casually left unbuttoned at the neck, Noah looked devastating in that relaxed and self-assured way I was coming to associate with him.