by Amy Gamet
An image appeared in his mind, he and Melanie enjoying a candlelit meal for two, with generous tapas of food and several wines for tasting. In his mind he would feed her with his hands, hold the glasses up to her lips and tip her head back for drinking, an erotic idea that instantly had his body responding.
It had been too long since he’d been with a woman, but lately all he could think about was this woman in particular. She met his eyes across the room and she stopped laughing. He knew he should look away, that he was staring at her, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Rafael, you should teach her about wine,” said Doris.
He turned to Doris, instantly seeing the motive there. She was forever trying to fix him up. If she only knew she didn’t need to cultivate his interest in Melanie—it was already sweet and ripe for the picking.
“Oh, no. That’s okay. You don’t have to,” said Melanie.
He turned back to her, seeing the discomfort there. “What if I want to?”
Her cheeks began to blush.
The bell over the door jingled and Peter walked in. “Hey, kids,” he said, instantly training his attention on Melanie. “And who is this?”
Rafael felt a surge of possessiveness as he watched Peter’s eyes rake over Melanie from head to toe.
“I’m Melanie.” She shook his hand. “It’s my first day.”
“Peter Galbraith, the winemaker. How was day one?”
“Well, I learned you shouldn’t serve cheese balls with chardonnay.”
“Ouch.” He laughed. “Maybe I could give you a few pointers.”
“Already taken care of,” said Rafael.
Doris held up a wine glass. “Cabernet, Peter? Or I have a pinot noir.”
Peter moved to the bar. “Cabernet. So, Melanie, we start picking the chardonnay tomorrow. Have you ever seen the crush after the harvest?”
“No.”
Rafael took a sip of his wine. He could already see where this was going and decided to cut his friend off at the pass. “Actually, she’s going to help us with the harvest tomorrow.”
Her eyes lit up. “I am?”
Doris clucked her tongue. “Two tour buses and eight limousines scheduled tomorrow.”
“Annie’s coming down to help,” Rafael said.
Peter’s face fell. “We talked about this. Annie is my assistant.”
Rafael nodded. “We need an extra pair of hands in the tasting room.”
“It’s the first day of the crush. You didn’t think you should discuss it with me first?”
“I’ll have her back by three.”
“That’s not the point.”
Melanie’s eyes were wide. “I don’t need to help with the harvest. I can stay here.”
Rafael shook his head, never taking his eyes from Peter’s. “No.”
Doris interrupted. “Did anyone phone Bonnie to tell her we’re picking tomorrow?”
For a moment the two men squared off, ignoring Doris’s question about the winery’s owner. Peter stood and drank the rest of his wine in one long sip. “Goodnight, Doris. Melanie, it’s been a pleasure.”
“Wait,” said Doris. “I’ll walk out with you. I need to stop at Wegmans on my way home. Goodnight, you two.”
In the space of thirty seconds, they were alone.
Melanie pursed her lips. “I don’t need to work the harvest.”
“You’ll have fun.”
“Peter seemed really upset.”
“Don’t worry about Peter. Did you enjoy yourself today?”
“Yes. There is a lot to learn, but I’ll get the hang of it.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for being patient with me.”
His eyes darkened. “Of course.”
Melanie crossed her hands and squeezed the vine bracelet, and his eyes lowered to stare at the thin brass cuff. “It’s very pretty,” he said. “The twisting leaves remind me of you.”
Their eyes met.
She stood up. “I should go.”
“Let me give you a ride.”
She pulled her coat on. “It’s not far.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Thanks, but I’ll walk.”
He touched her arm. “Melanie, why don’t you let me drive you?”
Her eyes were wide. “Fine.”
Rafael locked up and held the door for her.
She looked terrified.
Great job, Rafael. You flirt with her, and she wants to run for her life.
Lobo stood up in the front seat of his truck as they approached.
“Oh,” she keened, “is that your dog?”
“Yeah, that’s Lobo. He has the run of the vineyard by day, and my house by night. He’s really skittish until he knows you, though.”
Kind of like you are.
He unlocked the truck and the dog moved all the way to Rafael’s side of the bench seat.
“Aw, puppy, I’m not going to hurt you,” she cajoled. “I love doggies like you. And kitties, and bunnies, and all sorts of animals. Come here.”
Lobo sniffed the air in her direction, then inched closer to Melanie as she continued to talk to him. A minute later, the dog had moved enough for Rafael to climb in.
“My gosh, what happened to his ear?” she asked.
“Not sure. He’s a rescue. They said it was an animal cruelty case, so I can only imagine.”
“Oh, you poor thing. How could somebody not love you, you sweet fuzzy monster?”
At that, Lobo hopped clear onto her lap, no matter that he was way too big to fit easily.
“Wow. He really likes you.”
She smiled. “Well, I’m really easy to like.”
He licked his lips, then started the truck and pulled onto the road, heading for her house before he remembered he wasn’t supposed to know where it was. “You live in town, right?”
“Yep, right behind the library.”
They drove in silence for a minute, Rafael’s hands too tight on the wheel.
Melanie sighed. “You and I haven’t had a real conversation in what, fifteen years?”
“I wondered if you would remember.”
“You were hard to forget.”
Just like that he was fifteen, rummaging through the garbage from Addario’s Bakery for something to eat. But there was nothing that day, he was too early or too late, and his stomach rumbled in the darkness of the night.
A light came on in the back of the bakery. “Is someone out there?”
Rafael froze. It was quiet, and he thought he was safe until he heard the footsteps, then the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen peered over the tall metal side. “I thought it was you. I saw you here yesterday.”
Humiliation swept through him. “I wasn’t stealing anything.”
She lifted her arm, producing a grocery bag more than half-full and smiling. “I saved a bunch of stuff for you when I cleaned out the pastry cabinet today.”
He swung himself over the side and jumped to the ground, greedily taking the bag from her. “Thanks.”
He stuffed himself full of strudel, certain it was the best thing he’d ever tasted, rich frosting making his mouth water. He looked inside the bag and saw cookies, tiny pies and rolls.
She was staring at him.
“Did you make these?” he asked.
“I made the strudel. My dad made the rest.”
“Your dad?”
She nodded. “Boys can be bakers, too.”
“You’re lucky. My dad never made anything.”
She stared at him, watching him, then put one hand on her hip. “You’re the one the police are looking for, aren’t you?”
He’d taken off running after that, careful to avoid the bakery even when he was desperately hungry, wondering if the pretty blond girl had saved anything for him again.
The light in front of him turned red, drawing Rafael back to the present.
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed,” she said.
“Embarrassed?”
She tilted her head. “Isn’t
that why you wouldn’t talk to me when you came back to Moon Lake?”
“No.”
“But then, why?”
He rubbed his forehead. What should he tell her? He suspected the truth would send her running in the opposite direction. No more working at Crescent Moon, no more opportunities to see her or win her over. He was struck by the direction his thoughts were taking. He hadn’t wanted her to work for him at all, now here he was less than one day into it, hoping she wouldn’t quit.
“I keep to myself, is all,” he said.
She shifted in her seat, Lobo settling with her, and he could feel her eyes on him as he drove. “When you moved back to town, I thought we could be friends,” she said. “But you always looked the other way when I was around, like you didn’t even know me. That’s why I said you were weird. Because you were never friendly to me when you came back. Then you acted like you’d swallowed a bug when I asked for a job.”
“You caught me by surprise.”
“Good. Because I had a good time at the winery today, and I wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
She was going to stay. The thought made him almost giddy. “I like you working for me, too.” He rounded the corner by the library, pulling up in front of Melanie’s house.
She looked at the house, then back at him. “How did you know where I live?”
He froze, forcing a small smile on his face. “Small town, remember?”
She narrowed her eyes, then lifted the sleeping dog’s head off her stomach. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Melanie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She pursed her lips as she climbed out of the truck, then shut the door. She didn’t even take a step before turning around and knocking on the window. He rolled it down.
“How did you know where I live, Rafael?”
Adrenaline shot through his veins. It was too soon to tell her it was he who left the gifts. Not knowing what to say, he said nothing at all.
She shook her head. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea after all, me working at the winery.”
“Yes it is.” He shook his head and rubbed his face. All he could tell her was the truth. “When I came back to Moon Lake, I looked for you. Maybe I didn’t say hello. I should have, I see that now. But I knew where you lived.” He watched his words register on her features. “And I knew where you worked. And I knew who you were dating.”
All color seemed to drain from her face, then she turned on her heel and walked away.
“Melanie, wait.” Rafael opened his door and got out, catching up to her halfway up the walk and turning her around. He exhaled in a huff and ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I think you’ve said enough.”
“Maybe. Maybe not enough.” He shook his head. “When I came back to Moon Lake, you were the first person I thought of. You were nice to me. You tried to take care of me when everyone else thought I was dangerous. Do you have any idea what that’s like? To be wanted by the police, running from place to place, nowhere to stay, no place that’s safe. Except for you.”
This was not how he wanted her to find out he was interested in her, nothing going according to plan.
She eyed him warily, crossing her arms over her chest. “What you said, about knowing who I was dating. That didn’t make me feel safe.”
“Did I scare you?”
She nodded, and his heart squeezed tightly.
“I would never do anything to hurt you, Melanie. Never. If you wanted me to turn away and never look in your direction again, I would do that.”
She opened her mouth and he reached up quickly, his hand hovering in front of her lips. “But please don’t ask me,” he said. “Give me a chance. That’s all I want from you.”
Melanie looked up to her house, then back again. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Just come to work tomorrow.”
“I don’t know.”
All this time he’d wanted to be in her life, now here he was, being pushed out of it before he even got so much as a foothold.
“One more day. Just give me one more day.”
“I’ll have to think about it.” Melanie walked to the porch steps, then turned back. “Rafael, did you…”
Leave anything on my doorstep?
He could hear her question as surely as if she’d uttered the words, and sweat broke out on his palms.
She shook her head. “Never mind. Goodnight, Rafael.”
He tucked his hands in his pockets. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter 3
Melanie’s mother walked onto the sunporch. “What are you doing home? Is the feet lady sick?”
Melanie frowned at her mother’s description. “Yeah. I might just stay home.”
“I can be alone for one day. I’m not going to burn the place down.”
“I know.”
Her mother narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not so sure the job at the winery is going to work out.”
“Why the heck not? Did you get fired?”
“No, I just don’t know if I want to work there.”
“What changed?”
Melanie sighed. “My boss gave me a ride home last night, and he knew exactly where I lived. It creeped me out, and now I don’t know if I should be working for him.”
“Our address is listed in the phone book. Did you think you were hiding out like a federal witness or something?”
“Mom, he all but admitted to stalking me.”
“Stalking you?” Her mother put her hand over her heart. “Did he threaten you, or hurt you?
“No, it’s not like that. But he said he knew where I lived, and where I worked, and who I was dating. Isn’t that creepy?”
“Who you were dating?”
“Yes.”
Her mother furrowed her brow and sat down in a chair. “It sounds like he likes you.”
“Likes me? That’s a man who likes me? What does a man who hates me and wants me dead do?”
“Does Gabriel seem like a man who would hurt you?”
“Rafael.”
“Whatever. Does he seem dangerous?”
Melanie shrugged. “No.”
“Does he seem like a man who wants to go out with you?”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “I have no idea what that looks like.”
“Then you’ve forgotten. Is he attractive?”
“Yes.”
Her mother laughed. “No hesitation there. I don’t see what the problem is.”
Melanie stood up and started pacing. “This job isn’t a good fit for me. Besides, I want to spend time with you, do things with you…”
“Oh, stop this nonsense right now. You are thirty years old. You need to stop taking care of everyone else and worry about yourself for a change. Life is passing you by like a freight train at an intersection, and you’re just sitting in your car waiting for it to get out of your way so you can go home and play Scrabble with an old woman.”
“If someone needs to stay with you, it should be me, not the stinky feet lady.”
“How are you going to give me grandchildren if you never leave the house and meet anyone? You want to know what I think? This Rafael character scared you. Not because he’s stalking you, but because he’s interested in you. And that’s the most frightening thing you could imagine.”
Melanie was still, the truth in her mother’s words apparent.
Her mother leaned forward in her chair. “Call the boiled vegetable lady. Tell her to come over, that you have to go to work. I can toast that woman in Scrabble.”
Melanie sighed. “Okay. I’ll go to work.”
“Good.”
What will Rafael think when I show up this morning?
The thought made her insides sink deeper into her pelvis.
Best not to overthink it. Just go.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Anytime, sugar.”
* * *
She wandered past several rows until she found Rafael. He moved quickly, his hands expertly harvesting the fruit with a pair of snips and placing them in a white plastic bin. He must not have seen her approach, and the urge to watch him undetected was strong. She bit her lip.
It wouldn’t hurt to look.
Just for a minute.
Her eyes lingered on the muscles of his arms, the light sheen of sweat on his sun-bronze skin. Her stare moved lower, taking in the way his jeans curved tightly around his backside and hugged his strong-looking legs.
She swallowed against the strange feeling that was filling her insides.
Rafael turned and met her stare, and she felt her cheeks burst into flame.
He smiled. “You came.”
She nodded.
“I didn’t think you would.”
I really shouldn’t have, and gosh, hey, look at the time.
She put her hands in her pockets, an image of herself playing Scrabble with her mother forcing her chin a notch higher. “I almost didn’t.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m okay with you spying on me, Rafael.”
“Not spying. Noticing.”
Her mouth formed a hard line. “Call it what you want. It’s not all right.”
Rafael narrowed his eyes, resting his hands upon his bin, and she shifted her weight under his scrutiny.
“You’re still waiting for him to come back,” he said.
It was such a personal remark, so far into none-of-his-business territory that she snapped at him. “Unless you want me to turn around and high-tail it out of here, you’d better quit talking.”
He reached into his pocket and handed her a pair of snips. “The first day of the crush is the best day of the year, especially for someone who loves plants.”
She took the tool from his hand, her fingers accidentally brushing his and sending a bolt of energy up her arm. “Thanks.”
She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to today’s work. She’d invested a lot of time and energy to pursue her interest in horticulture, and this was the first day she actually got to use any of that knowledge. Still, it prickled that she wasn’t really supposed to be up here. “Are you sure Annie doesn’t mind covering the tasting room?”
