Awakened

by HELEN HARDT

  “And that’s when you realized you had creative talent?”

  He chuckles. “Hell, no. I can’t draw to save my soul, though the exercise did help me remember my mother’s image. But drawing is what sparked my interest in other creative pursuits. My aunt Marj—she’s my dad’s sister—is a chef, and cooking kind of interested me, so I did some of that and realized I had a talent for seasoning each individual dish with herbs and spices. Then, once Uncle Ryan asked me to go to work at the vineyards that day, I found…my calling, I guess. It sounds corny as hell, but I don’t know how else to put it.”

  “It’s not corny,” I say.

  “It is, but that doesn’t make it any less true. These vines…they’re a part of me.”

  A part of him.

  A part of him that he resents sharing with me.

  He’d never say it, but the truth is palpable as we stand here together among the clusters of black fruit.

  “These vines are you,” I say.

  He turns to me, his eyes as clear and green as they were earlier in the sunlight. “Yes. These vines are me.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Dale

  No truer words.

  I once read about the world’s largest single organism—a group of Aspen trees covering over a hundred acres in Utah that share a single root system. Though they appear to be single trees, they aren’t.

  I doubt my vineyards share a single root system, but they’re connected in a way that I understand. In that same way, I’m connected to them. I’m so alive here. I feed off their energy just as they feed off mine.

  Not that I’m an overly philosophical or spiritual person.

  But being here, in my vineyards, awakens something in me and helps me feel something close to peace. As close as I’ll ever get, anyway.

  We’re one, the vineyards and I. One being. In essence, we complete each other.

  Ashley stares up at the moon, the light shining on her beautiful face.

  She understands. Even standing here, regarding her, I can’t believe I just spilled out a piece of my soul to her. My childhood, how I got interested in wine, my mother’s face…and my feelings about being here among my vines.

  No. I haven’t even trusted my father, who I’m closer to than anyone, with my feelings about the vineyards. I certainly can’t trust a woman I just met.

  But I just did.

  Truly frightening.

  “So…” Ashley clears her throat. “Where do you sleep?”

  “Anywhere, really. See that small shed over there?” I point to the small structure built from wood.

  “Yeah.”

  “I keep supplies there. A sleeping bag. A tent. Water and other stuff.”

  “It’s no coincidence that your shed is close to the Syrah, is it?”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  She rubs her shoulders. “I guess I should get back to the house.”

  I pull the key fob out of my pocket. “Here you go. Bessie’s clutch is a little feisty. Just ease up and she’ll be okay.”

  She smiles. “Bessie?”

  “Uncle Ry names all his cars. He always has, so I decided to name mine.”

  “I get it. But Bessie?”

  “What the hell’s wrong with Bessie?”

  “I don’t know. Sounds like a cow’s name.”

  I can’t help it. I smile. “It was. We had a breeding cow on the ranch named Bessie when I was a kid. I was distraught when she died.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s the circle of life. You learn all about that growing up on a ranch.”

  She nods. “Well, I guess I’ll go now.”

  “I can walk you to the truck.”

  “Thanks.”

  We walk in silence until we’re close enough for Ashley to click open the door lock.

  I abruptly grab the key fob from her. “I’ll drive you.”

  “But…the Syrah.”

  “Will still be here in an hour when I return.”

  “Really, I can handle your clutch.”

  I don’t doubt it. Ashley strikes me as the kind of woman who can handle just about anything.

  And anyone, including most men.

  “Dee would never forgive me if you had any trouble.” I open the passenger door for her and help her climb in.

  My words are true. My sister would me mad as hell if Ashley ended up stranded somewhere on the ranch. Heck, she doesn’t even know where she’s going.

  What was I thinking, offering to let her drive herself back to the main house?

  I’m such a loner that sometimes I don’t consider the consequences of my actions on other people.

  I hop into the driver’s seat and turn on the engine.

  “Really, I could have handled it,” she says.

  “I know, but you don’t know where you’re going.”

  “I have a phone and GPS.”

  True. She’d be fine. But I don’t want to leave her alone. Not on her first night. It wouldn’t be a nice thing to do. I may be a loner with shitty people skills, but I’m still a good person.

  Lurking in the back of my mind, though, is the semi-painful truth.

  I don’t want to leave her yet.

  I can’t invite her to stay the night in the Syrah vineyard with me. No one—other than Dad, when I was a young teen—has ever spent the night with me here.

  So I just can’t.

  Even though, in the back of my mind trying to hide, is the knowledge that I want to.

  And that pisses me off.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ashley

  After a silent drive, Dale pulls into the driveway next to the main house. Night has fallen completely now, and I stare at the black sky when I get out of the car.

  Stars!

  So many stars!

  The light of the harvest moon is bright, but still the stars shine. It’s never like this at home. I live close to LA, and the city lights and the smog cover most of the night sky.

  “I’ll take you inside.”

  I jerk slightly. Dale stands beside me, his voice coating me in the dark-red warmth. I was so entranced by the stars, I didn’t hear him get out of the car.

  “I can’t stop looking,” I say.

  “You should see the night sky from the vineyards,” he replies. “Makes this look like nothing.”

  “If only we’d stayed a little longer.” I sigh. “It must be heaven out there.”

  “Maybe not heaven,” he says, “but the next closest thing.”

  I wrinkle my forehead. What an odd thing to say. I don’t question him, though. Maybe another time. I’ve gotten all I can out of Dale Steel tonight. Not nearly as much as I want, but I have three months to figure him out.

  I’m not used to working so slowly with a man, but Dale will be worth it.

  He walks me to the door and opens it.

  “Hey, you’re back,” Diana says from the big country kitchen. “How were the vineyards?”

  “Gorgeous,” I say. “The crop looks amazing.”

  “That’s what Dale and Uncle Ry keep saying,” she says, laughing. “Not that I’d know a grape from a marble.”

  “You like the end result,” Dale says dryly.

  “True. My bro here is a master.” She gives Dale a hug.

  And God, I’m envious. To be embraced in those strong arms… Our brief kiss surges into my mind—his firm lips on mine, his velvet tongue.

  Damn. An arrow shoots between my legs. Luckily I brought my vibrator to Colorado. Tonight I’ll be putting it to good use.

  Dale hugs Diana back. A brotherly hug, of course, but it shows me that he does have genuine affection for her and the rest of his family.

  Does he love them as much as he loves his Syrah vines? He looks at Dee with affection, a sparkle in his green eyes. Is it the same sparkle I saw when he looked upon the vineyards?

  Such a riddle, this man.

  “Come on out on the deck,” Diana says. “It’s such a gorgeous night. You want a drink?�
�

  “Maybe just some water,” I say.

  “Sure. Dale, can you stay for a while?”

  “He’s going back to the vineyards,” I say.

  “Poo on the vineyards.” Dee pouts. “I haven’t seen my big brother in months. Come out and visit.”

  I expect Dale to decline, but his gaze softens. “Okay, Sis.”

  “I’ll get us some water.” She smiles at Dale. “Unless you want Peach Street?”

  “Water’s good,” he says. “Where are Mom and Dad? Bree?”

  “The three of them went over to Uncle Joe’s. I stayed here to wait for Ash to get home.”

  He nods. “What are they doing over there?”

  “Heck if I know. Just hanging, probably.”

  That explanation seems to make sense to Dale. He and I follow Dee out onto the deck. I still have my jacket on, and I’m glad to have it. Dale and Dee seem fine without one.

  Sometimes I realize just how much of a California girl I truly am.

  Diana hands each of us a glass of cold water with a slice of lemon, pauses a moment, and then, “So…I have some news.”

  “What’s that?” Dale asks.

  “I got a phone call after dinner tonight. Remember that architecture internship in Denver I applied for this semester?”

  “Yeah,” he says, “and the idiots chose someone else.”

  She nods. “Apparently the idiots want me now. Their first choice fell through.”

  A lump forms in my throat. “Does that mean…?”

  “I told them I’d think about it,” she says.

  “That’s ridiculous,” Dale says. “You really wanted that internship. What is there to think about?”

  She looks at me awkwardly.

  Me.

  I’m what she has to think about.

  Diana and I haven’t known each other for long, but we’ve gotten pretty close. Close enough that I don’t feel too weird living at her house for three months. If she’s not here, though? It’ll get weird real fast.

  “I’m not sure it’s the right thing right now,” she goes on.

  Dale shakes his head. “Sis, take it.”

  “I don’t like being second choice.”

  “Think of all the people who aren’t second choice,” he says. “This is a great opportunity for you.”

  “So you’re in favor of this internship?” I say.

  Dale meets my gaze. “I’m in favor of great opportunities for my sister. She’s going to be a hell of an architect.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” I say, “but you don’t think an intern is needed at the winery.”

  He stays silent a few seconds, takes a sip of his water. Swallows. “No, I don’t. We’ve been through that.”

  “Interns are free labor,” I say.

  “Are you paying my parents to live in this house? Eat their food?”

  “Well”—my cheeks are burning—“no.”

  “Then your labor is hardly free. Besides, we don’t need free labor. We have an excellent staff.”

  “For God’s sake,” Diana says. “The two of you are a pair.”

  I scoff. “A pair of what?”

  “You’re like oil and water. Get over yourselves. You have more in common than not.”

  We both have a passion for wine.

  That’s it.

  That’s all we have, but I admit, it’s a big one.

  “I have nothing in common with her,” Dale says.

  “That’s it,” Diana says. “I’m not taking the internship.”

  Relief sweeps through me. Selfish, I know, but I’ll feel really strange living here without Diana.

  “You are,” Dale says.

  “I can’t. I invited Ashley here. I can’t just leave her.”

  “Ashley’s a big girl,” he says. “She can take care of herself.”

  “Can she? You haven’t stopped tormenting her all evening.”

  I roll my eyes. “Hello? Remember me? Quit talking about me like I’m not here.”

  “Sorry, Ash.” From Diana.

  Nothing from Dale, of course, until he turns to me, his green eyes on fire.

  “Tell her,” he says. “Tell her to take the internship.”

  Talk about a rock and a hard place. If I tell her to take it, I have to stay here without her. Deal with Dale Steel without her. If I tell her not to take it, I look like a selfish bitch.

  I’m not a selfish bitch. Not even slightly. But Dale Steel brings out the brat in me.

  “It’s your decision, Diana. Not mine, and not Dale’s.”

  “Nice going,” he says. “My sister will do a hundred things for strangers before she does one for herself.”

  “I just don’t think the timing is right,” Diana says.

  “See?” Dale glares at me. “She’s going to give up the opportunity of a lifetime—”

  “It’s hardly the opportunity of a lifetime,” Diana says.

  “That’s not what you said when you applied last spring. And that’s not what you said when you found out you were a finalist. I believe your exact words were, ‘This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me.’”

  “I was being overdramatic.”

  Dale shakes his head, that luxurious mane falling over his shoulders. “This is a chance to help design what’s going to be the highest skyscraper in Denver. Don’t tell me it’s all of a sudden not a great opportunity.”

  “What do your parents say?” I ask.

  “They don’t know yet. The email came after they went over to Uncle Joe’s.”

  “They want what’s best for you,” Dale says, “so they’ll be in favor of it.”

  Okay, okay. I give in. I’m not a selfish bitch, no matter how hard I try. “You should take it, Dee.”

  Diana’s demeanor relaxes at my words. Man, she was really going to turn it down because of me. I couldn’t live with that.

  “Do you really think so?” she asks.

  “Yes, she thinks so,” Dale says.

  My hands curl into fists as tension coils through me. He’s magnificent, but he’s an asshole. A magnificent asshole. “I can speak for myself, damn it. Yeah, Dee, take it. So you’ll be in Denver. You can visit, right?”

  “On weekends, probably.”

  “There you go.” Dale crosses his arms.

  “You don’t have to worry, Ash. My parents are the nicest people in the world, and they’re thrilled to have you. As you can plainly see, we have plenty of room, and we live on a ranch, so there’s plenty of food.”

  “You don’t have to keep convincing her, Sis,” Dale says.

  Speaking for me again. Damn him! I say nothing this time. I don’t want to ruin Dee’s good news.

  Diana jumps out of her chair. “Squee! We need some bubbly. Is there any in the house, Dale?”

  “Probably in Dad’s wine cooler in the bar.”

  “Awesome. I’ll get it, and we’ll toast my internship. Then let’s take a soak in the hot tub.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dale

  “I’m happy to toast your success,” I say to Diana, “but I’ll pass on the tub.”

  “Come on,” Dee pleads. “You love the hot tub.”

  I do love the tub. It’s relaxing. But sitting in a hot tub with Ashley White will not relax me. Not in the slightest.

  She’ll probably wear a black string bikini…

  Hell, it doesn’t matter what color she wears. White. She should wear white against that gorgeously tan skin.

  Or red. Fucking fire-engine red.

  My groin tightens. Shit.

  Dee comes back with the bottle of Steel Sparkling Blanc de Noirs and hands it to me. I remove the wire and pop the cork out with one swift motion. The swirling cloud of condensation rises from the opening.

  Ashley’s eyes pop. “Wow. You did that beautifully.”

  “What?”

  “Opening the champagne.”

  I can’t help myself. “First of all, Doctor, it’s not champagne. It’s Steel sparkling wine.�
��

  “Duh,” she says. “I know that.”

  “I know you know that. Time to start using correct terminology, don’t you think?”

  “She gave you a compliment,” Diana says. “And you’re giving her a hard time.”

  “It’s my job to give her a hard time. She’s here to learn from me.”

  “It’s okay,” Ashley says, clearly forcing a smile. “We already had this conversation at the vineyards, and Dale’s right. I shouldn’t get lazy in my wording.”

  I resist the urge to smile while I fill the three flutes Diana brought up. I hand one to her and then one to Ashley.

  “To my brilliant sister.” I hold out my glass.

  “To being second best!” Diana laughs.

  “To new beginnings,” Ashley says.

  To new beginnings.

  A beginning for her, here at Steel Vineyards. A beginning for Diana, in Denver with the internship.

  But no new beginning for me.

  I am who I am. Who I’ll always be.

  There’s no changing that.

  I leave them laughing over their sparkling wine. Soon they’ll change into their suits for their dip in the hot tub. As much as I’d love to see Ashley White in a bikini, I can’t stay.

  The vineyards are calling me.

  I drive back to the guesthouse and pack a few things. A midnight snack of pâté de campagne with water crackers, a bottle of my best Syrah, and my dog. Everything else I need is in the shed.

  A half hour later, I’m back in paradise, among the Syrah grapes, Penny lying at my feet.

  I’ve laid out my sleeping bag and pillow, and I open the bottle of wine and pour myself a glass. Then I spread the meaty pâté onto a cracker and take a bite. Mmm. Delicious. Aunt Marj makes pâté out of Steel beef. Not the norm for pâté, but she’s an amazing chef. I used to love to help her in her kitchen.

  I take a drink of the Syrah. The black fruit drizzles over my tongue, chasing the savory flavor of the pâté.

  Perfection.

  The vines watch over me as I enjoy my late-night repast. They hug me with their warmth. I finish my snack and my glass of wine, seal the bottle with the vacuum stopper, and wiggle into my sleeping bag, lying supine and draped in starlight. Penny lies next to me.