1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Nine

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Before I knew it, an hour had passed and Sebastian was asking if I was ready to eat.

  “Yes, I’m sorry,” I said, sliding off my chair at the breakfast bar. “What can I take out?” We were going to eat on the patio, at a little outdoor dining set he’d bought at an antiques store today.

  “It’s all ready.” He opened the door for me and I stepped out, gasping with delight when I saw the little dining nook under a tree in one corner of the patio. He’d put a light blue table cloth on the round table, set it with candles, and strung lights in the branches above. “It’s not a villa in France, but I hope you like it.”

  “Oh my goodness! This is perfect!” I clapped my hands and grinned at him. “Thank you so much for making dinner. Sorry I wasn’t better company tonight.”

  “I’m just glad you’re here. I know your mind is elsewhere.” He pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down.

  “I’m learning a ton. Did you know that the Duke of Burgundy banished the gamay grape from his kingdom in 1395 because it competed too well with pinot noir, which was his favorite? He called it an evil, disloyal plant.” I laughed, spreading my napkin in my lap. “Kind of funny that those are the two grapes Lucas Fournier has.”

  “I did not know that,” said Sebastian, sitting across from me. “Tell me more, since we are drinking the Duke’s favorite tonight, an Abelard Pinot Noir, in fact.” My heart fluttered as he poured. I loved the way candlelight played with the light green color of his eyes. I loved that he’d just made steak and potatoes and salads for us and set up this beautiful, romantic little spot. I loved that he’d encouraged me to go after this job, which I was even more excited about now that I knew more about the forward-thinking young owners. I loved the way he touched me, like he still couldn’t believe I was there and might disappear at any moment. I even loved that he looked at me with sadness in his eyes sometimes, because I knew it meant that he was struggling with things in his mind but letting his heart win. He hadn’t had any episodes the entire week.

  At least not that he’d admitted.

  But I’d given up trying to guess at every expression on his face, every silence he retreated into, every tense one-word answer to a question I was hoping he’d answer in elaborate detail. I accepted him for who he was, and how hard he was trying. The chance he was taking with me. I knew how difficult it was for him, and I loved him for it.

  Holy shit, what?

  You heard me. I love him for it. Just a little. Shut up and let me.

  I picked up my fork, dropping my eyes to my plate. That was okay, right? To admit to yourself you’d fallen for someone? I mean, it didn’t have to be a big deal. It was just a feeling. A nice feeling, in fact. A nice, deep feeling. Who wouldn’t fall hard and fast for someone like Sebastian?

  And God knows I like things deep, hard, and fast.

  I stifled a laugh as I stuffed my face with potatoes, and Sebastian looked at me a little funny but didn’t say anything, which only made my conviction stronger.

  But I wouldn’t say anything to him. Jesus Christ, I could only imagine what he’d do if I told him I loved him. I didn’t really have any hangups about it—I came from the theater world where everyone loved everyone, loudly and proudly (of course you could hate someone in that world and still love them loudly and proudly too but that was a different matter)—but I felt that Sebastian wasn’t the type to use or hear a word like love lightly. I understood that about him.

  “So what do you think I should wear to my interview?” I asked with mock seriousness. “The navy and white striped skirt or the black dress? This is life or death, so think hard. I really want this job.”

  “Hmm.” He sliced off a piece of New York strip and chewed while pondering. “I’m a little partial to the black dress for obvious reasons, but I also like the striped skirt. You were wearing it the day I saw you at the beach.”

  My jaw dropped. “You remember that?”

  “Of course I do. With a white blouse and bare feet.”

  “Well, I actually had shoes, just not when I ate sand in front of you. God, that was so embarrassing. I wish I could go back and undo it.”

  “Don’t you dare.” He picked up his wine glass. “If you hadn’t fallen on the sand, I never would have talked to you.”

  “Never?” I asked incredulously. “Come on. Yes, you would have. You came in to the shop later that day.”

  He shook his head. “I came into the shop because I’d just come from my therapist’s office. And the reason I’d called an emergency meeting with my therapist was because of my run-in with you.”

  I set my fork down. “So you’re saying if I hadn’t fallen on the beach, you wouldn’t have talked to me, you wouldn’t have needed that appointment, and you wouldn’t have been in the shop that afternoon?”

  “Exactly.”

  I sipped the wine and let the flavors mingle on my tongue. “Do you think we’d have found each other eventually?”

  He shrugged. “Hard to say. I probably would have done my best to keep avoiding you.”

  “Why?” I set my glass down. “I thought you always liked me.”

  “Fear. It’s powerful.”

  “Yeah. I guess.” But I hated the idea that we’d been such a near miss. In my mind we were destined to meet. Fate was powerful too, right? “So maybe…it’s a good thing I got fired? I mean, that’s what led me to the beach.”

  “Maybe.”

  My mind was already working backward. If Sebastian and I were the real deal, not only was it a good thing I’d gotten fired, but it was a good thing I’d done Save a Horse, a good thing I’d hated New York, and a good thing my career as an actress hadn’t taken off. Not only that, but it was a good thing he hadn’t married that tart in Manhattan. My god—Sebastian could be married right now! Eating dinner in some New York apartment with some other woman across from him! Someone who didn’t understand him at all.

  For the first time, I felt grateful for the crappy decisions I’d made in the last year, because they’d all led me to this table, this man, this moment. It gave me a little boost—maybe, somewhere deep inside me, there was a woman who knew what she wanted, and what’s more, she knew what to do to get it.

  * * * *

  Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny. A good omen, I thought. Per Sebastian’s advice, and because I thought it would bring me good luck, I dressed in the navy striped skirt, pairing it with a bright pink blouse this time. Based on the web site and the wardrobe I’d seen in pictures, Mia Fournier looked like a woman who appreciated color.

  I’d spent Monday night at home since I wanted to get a good night’s sleep and look refreshed, and Sebastian and I tended to stay up too late when we were together. My mother made me eat breakfast (a cherry turnover, which I ate standing up and leaning over my plate so I didn’t drip on my blouse, and wished me luck before heading out.

  While I was brushing my teeth, my cell buzzed with a text from Natalie. Break a leg this morning! Love you!

  When I was almost out the door I texted back thanks, and noticed I’d missed a message from Sebastian too. Hi Beautiful. You don’t need luck today, but I bet it’s with you. Let me know how it goes. I’m thinking of you.

  I smiled, pulling the door shut behind me. I did feel lucky, but I also felt confident for the first time in weeks.

  Abelard Vineyards—named, I’d learned from an interview with the Fourniers, for a medieval French scholar who had a tragic but passionate love affair with a young student of his—was only about a ten-minute drive from my parents’ farm, about midway between it and Sebastian’s cabin. As I drove up the tree-lined drive, my heart started to pound. The place was absolutely breathtaking.

  The architectural style was French, but rather than the dark, formal faux-chateau style of the Rivard family, the Fourniers had built a Provencal-style villa of light weathered stone with a faded red tiled roof and shutters painted a soft blue. It was luxurious without being imposing, authentic but not stodgy-looking.

  The grav
el drive circled in front of the main building, and I followed signs to visitor parking. When I got out of the car and looked around, I saw that the vineyards stretched out behind the buildings, a big red barn sat off to my left, and a sign pointing to the tasting room was straight ahead. Since I was meeting Mia Fournier in the tasting room, I followed the sign down a narrow gravel path around the side of the villa, admiring the flowers and herbs planted along the way.

  Around the back was a large patio with tables and chairs, where guests could sit and watch the sun set over the rolling fields. Jutting off the stone building was a covered, tiled area lined with built-in upholstered benches and long picnic tables on either side of double doors. Six chairs lined the other sides of the tables, and adorably chic little topiary trees in clay flower pots rested on the tables. It was absolutely stunning, and already I wanted this job so badly I could taste it.

  The glass doors to the tasting room off the patio were propped open already, allowing for plenty of natural light and a soft breeze. When I walked in, I noticed right away how the two-story ceilings and ample windows let in plenty of natural light, and the colors in the light stone walls were echoed in the neutral couches and chairs, which were grouped in one large sitting area in front of a huge fireplace at one end of the room. The plank floors were a medium-toned wood, as were the large square coffee table and several end tables. The one bright spot of color was a massive floral centerpiece on the coffee table—probably three dozen roses in various shades of pink.

  Guess I wore the right thing, I thought with a smile.

  “Hello! You must be Skylar.”

  I turned and saw a petite, curvy woman with long, wavy brown hair walking toward me from the other end of the room, where a curved wooden bar lined with stools took up one entire wall.

  I smiled, moving toward her. “Yes. Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” We met in the center of the room and she held out her hand. “I’m Mia. Welcome to Abelard.”

  I took her hand and met her eyes, noticing we were about the same height, although I wore heels today and she wore flats. “So nice to meet you. The place is stunning. I’m in love.”

  “Thanks. It’s been a long road to get here, but we’re happy with it. Can I offer you something? Coffee or tea? A glass of wine?” She laughed, putting a hand on her slightly round belly. “I’m pregnant, so I can’t join you, but it’s never to early for wine.”

  “Congratulations. Sebastian mentioned you were expecting. That’s wonderful.”

  “Yes, our third. I thought we were done after two, but my husband had other ideas.” She rolled her eyes. “When we first met, he didn’t even want kids. Now he wants a an entire litter!”

  I laughed, wondering how old she was. She was radiantly beautiful with lovely skin, little tiny smile lines around her eyes the only sign of aging on her face.

  “So anyway.” She fluttered a hand. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, thank you. I do love the Abelard pinot, but I should probably complete my interview before I indulge in it.”

  She smiled and started walking toward the couches. “Let’s sit over here. I was going to do this back in my office, but it’s such a beautiful morning.” She sat at one end of a large couch and I chose a high-backed chair adjacent to it.

  “It is. And I love the way you designed this so your guests have this gorgeous view, even when they’re inside. And that air!” I inhaled, taking in the scent of the fields outside. “So wonderful that you’ve made the sight and smell of the land the grapes are planted on part of the tasting experience. You’re hitting all the senses. Taste isn’t the only important one with wine.”

  “Oh god, my husband’s going to love you.” She smiled, settling back on the couch. “So tell me about yourself.”

  Taking a breath, I started with my roots on Old Mission and growing up here. I talked briefly about performing on cruise ships and my time in New York, but emphasized that I’d really missed home and my family and had decided to return this spring. “I didn’t really love living in a big city,” I confessed. “Maybe the shopping, but other than that, I prefer life here.”

  “I agree.” She nodded. “Lucas, my husband, lived in New York when we were first dating, but when we decided to move in together, I was really glad we agreed on Detroit. It’s a fun city, but it’s less crowded and manic than New York.”

  “Yes, I read that he opened an absinthe bar there? The Green Hour?”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “Done your homework, I see.”

  I lifted my shoulders, felt a blush warm my cheeks. “I figured I’d better. You run a pretty impressive operation here. If I want to be your assistant, I need to know my stuff.”

  She laughed. “Thanks. So what else did you learn?”

  “Well, I know that you ran a successful event planning business for years in Detroit, so I figured you might want to expand the event schedule here…maybe start promoting Abelard as a wedding venue? Possibly host small corporate events?”

  She looked amused. “Go on.”

  “I researched pinot noir and gamay, the two red wines your husband makes here, and learned quite a bit about why those wines should do well even in a cool climate like ours, and how our position along the forty-fifth parallel mimics the growing conditions in other parts of the world where those grapes do well. Part of that I knew because of growing up on a cherry farm,” I admitted. “Cherries do well here too for many of the same reasons—the soil, the hilly land, the water surrounding us.”

  “My goodness. You really have done your homework.” She tilted her head and crossed her arms. “And you worked at Rivard?”

  I shifted uncomfortably. I’d known it was coming and had rehearsed how to handle it, but it was still embarrassing. “Yes, for about a month. I really enjoyed the job, and I learned a lot there, but Mrs. Rivard had a problem with my performance on a reality television show, which painted me as a bit of a villain.” Please, please don’t have watched the show.

  “Seriously?” She blinked. “What show?”

  I screwed up my face and cringed. “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).”

  Mia burst out laughing and clapped her hands together once. “Oh my God, that’s funny. Wow.” Giggling, she tucked one leg beneath her and winked at me. “So did you? Ride a cowboy?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “The only thing I rode was a mechanical bull, and I only lasted seven seconds.”

  She gave me a sympathetic look. “Ouch.”

  “Yeah. The entire experience was pretty embarrassing, and I’d like to forget all about it. I asked Mrs. Rivard if I could list her as a reference, and she said I could. I don’t believe she had any issues with my work there—it was simply a matter of my persona on the show not gelling with her vision of a good employee.” I took my resume from my bag and handed it to her. “Her contact information is here, if you’d like it.”

  “Thank you.” She studied the resume a moment. “Ah, you were a Cherry Queen.”

  I sighed, feeling like I should come clean. “Yes, I was, but they asked me not to advertise it. I put it on the resume because it’s something I’m proud of, but after the show aired, they effectively dethroned me for bad behavior.”

  “Really?” Her eyes went wide. “What the heck did you do on that show?”

  “I just wasn’t myself,” I said. “I acted a certain way because the producers wanted ratings, and they figured I’d get more attention if I played devious and mean.”

  “Did it work?”

  I shrugged. “For a little while. But it sure backfired on my life. I shouldn’t have done it, but…live and learn. On to better things.”

  She nodded. “I agree. We all make mistakes.”

  “There you are.” The deep voice came from the far end of the room, and I looked over to see a ridiculously attractive man walking toward us. I think my jaw hung open a moment before I remembered to close it.

  Mia looked over her shoulder at him. “Yes, I decided to sit in here. I didn�
��t feel like climbing those stairs again and it’s so pretty this morning.”

  He reached the back of the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Yes.” She patted his hand and gestured to me. “This is Skylar Nixon, the friend of Sebastian Pryce. Skylar, this is my husband, Lucas.”

  I stood and he reached over Mia’s head to shake my hand. He had dark eyes and hair, worn a little long and shaggy, and a fantastic smile. My god, what did their children look like? “Very nice to meet you,” I said. “You have a beautiful place here.”

  “Our little Provence.” He glanced at Mia. “My family has a vineyard there and we tried to create some of that magic here.”

  “Oh, I bet she knows all about that.” Mia’s eyes twinkled. “She’s done her research.”

  “Oh?” Lucas looked at me.

  “Yes.” I smiled. “I know the location, I know you grew mostly grenache, and I know you got married there.”

  “See?” Mia glanced up at her husband and pointed at me. “This is what I need. Someone who looks like this and has the brains to come prepared to an interview.”

  “Thank you.” I rocked forward onto my toes, I was so happy.

  “Sounds like this is going well, then. I’ll leave you to it. Skylar, very nice to meet you, and you”—he leaned down to kiss her, the back of his hand in her hair—“take it easy.”

  “I will.” She reached up and touched his scruffy cheek, and something inside me twisted a little. They had such an easy way about them, you could just tell how close they were, how much they loved each other. I wondered about how they met, and decided if I got the job and we became friendly enough, I’d ask. Lucas waved at me once more before heading out the glass doors.