Reckless Miles: Bonus Epilogue
Claire Kingsley
Copyright © 2018 by Claire Kingsley
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This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, or incidents are products of the author’s imagination and used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental or fictionalized.
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Contents
Ben
Hidden Miles: Chapter 1
Also by Claire Kingsley
About the Author
Ben
Salishan Cellars was always busiest at harvest time. We still had a steady stream of guests in the tasting rooms—sampling, enjoying, buying. The events schedule didn’t let up, with luncheons, parties, and weddings. And then came the pressing need to bring in the harvest when Cooper and Shannon determined each vineyard was ready.
My body ached from the long day of picking as I made my way back along the dirt road to the main grounds. I was still recovering from a fall I’d taken—my back and neck were sore—but I’d bristled at the suggestion that I sit this one out. I hadn’t missed a harvest in twenty-five years. I wasn’t about to start now.
Harvest meant all hands on deck. Cooper and Shannon took charge, directing the workers. Some were hired. Many were family or friends. Some had been doing it for as many years as I had.
Roland had rolled up those sleeves of his and gotten to work, Zoe at his side. They’d spent the day taking turns carrying Hudson in a baby carrier or taking him back to Shannon’s when he got fussy.
Seeing those two as parents was something else. I’d been here through it all. Their young romance. Their first marriage. I’d had my fears for them when they’d moved away. And I hadn’t been too surprised when Zoe came back a few years later, minus the ring on her finger.
I’d been thrilled to watch Roland and Zoe fall in love all over again. And now that Roland was running Salishan, things were turning around. I had hope for this place.
Chase came out from a side path, tipping his head to me as he adjusted his baseball cap. “Night, Ben.”
“You finished up over there?”
“Yeah, we’re good in this section.”
“Good. See you tomorrow.”
“Yep, see you.”
Every year, Chase closed his shop for the harvest so he could come out here to help. Now that he’d married Brynn, and he was a Miles in everything but name, that tradition continued.
I’d always wondered if Chase would ever see the way our little Brynn had looked at him, like he’d hung the stars. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I would have felt about it if he had noticed when she was younger. I’d always liked Chase, but I knew exactly what he and Cooper were like. Or what they’d been like before love had hit them both.
But I also knew that when Chase decided something, he’d be as dedicated a man as there ever was. He and Brynn together made perfect sense, now. They took care of each other, the way a husband and wife should.
Cooper came up from behind me, falling in step with me as I walked. “Ben, dude, I told you to go in two hours ago.”
“And since when do you get to tell me what to do?”
“Since now, because I know your back still hurts and you’re too stubborn to admit it. Seriously, we had plenty of people out there today. If you hurt yourself again, what would we do? I don’t even want to think about that. So take care of yourself, okay? If you don’t do it for you, do it for me, because I don’t want to deal with all the shit you do, and who else would do it?”
I laughed. There really was no one like Cooper Miles. If you weren’t paying attention, you might think he was nothing but a self-centered man-child. But you’d be very wrong. I’d known him almost his entire life, and I knew the heart that kid carried around. It was bigger than the vineyards he tended with such care. A lot bigger.
“Thanks for your concern,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
“I mean it, man. And let’s be honest, you’re not getting any younger.” He poked me with his elbow.
“You better watch it, son,” I said. “This old man could still whoop your ass into next week.”
It was Cooper’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, you’re probably right. And it would be a crime to mess up this pretty face. Speaking of pretty, have you seen my Cookie? Leo took her down to the Big House and I didn’t see her come back.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” I said. “If she’s with Leo, you know she’s in good hands.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” He stopped and lowered his voice. “Speaking of… What are we going to do about Leo?”
Leo. That poor soul. I recognized the emptiness in his eyes. I hadn’t been through what he had, but I understood loss all too well.
“Seems to me that Leo’s trying to disappear,” I said. “Maybe the best we can do is not let him. Keep him in the world. Because ultimately, he has to do the work to heal.”
Cooper shoved his hands in his pockets and stuck his toe in the dirt. “Yeah. When he first came home, I just thought he needed time. He didn’t want to hang out or anything, and I thought I’d let him do his thing, so I didn’t try very hard. But I don’t think he’s getting better.”
“No, I don’t think he is.” I patted Cooper’s arm. “Just don’t give up on him.”
“Hell, no. He’s my brother. I’ve got his back.”
“I know you do.” I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “Have you heard from Agent Rawlins yet?”
He glanced around, but we were alone. “Not yet. I know they’re planning something, but I don’t think he can tell me much of anything. I’ve tried asking but the guy’s a fucking vault.”
I nodded. Every time the subject of Lawrence Miles—and what he was trying to do to this family—came up, I had to work very hard to keep calm. I wanted to beat the piss out of that sorry excuse for a man.
Cooper’s face broke into a wide smile as Amelia came up the road. Leo walked with the girl who’d captured Cooper’s heart, his head down, his hands in his pockets.
“There’s my girl.” Cooper jogged to her and scooped her into his arms, swinging her around while she laughed.
It was hard to think of anything more satisfying than watching Cooper Miles fall in love. That boy had fallen fast, and he’d fallen hard. I’d say Amelia had her hands full with a guy like Coop, but really, she didn’t. Amelia wasn’t out to tame Cooper or turn him into someone he wasn’t.
I’d told Cooper, not too long ago, that I’d always worried he’d wind up with someone who tried to dam the river that was him—someone who’d squash his spirit. I had no such fears about Amelia. She understood him in a way few people did. And I could tell she loved all the things that made him who he was.
“Are we done for the day?” she asked.
Cooper lifted her hands to his lips and kissed the backs of her fingers. “Yeah, we’re done. Do your hands hurt?”
“A little. But I’ll be fine.”
Amelia had been out in the fields since dawn, helping alongside the rest of the family. She might not have been a Miles yet, but I knew Cooper had his heart set on marrying her someday.
Cooper kept kissing her—hands, face, neck. She laughed, leaning into him.
Leo cleared his throat. “Cooper, serio
usly?”
“What?” he asked. “Oh, Leo, I meant to tell you. After harvest, Amelia and I are going away for a little while. I have some stuff I need you to take care of while I’m gone.”
“Where are you going?” Leo asked.
Cooper still had Amelia squished against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked like there was nowhere in the world she’d rather be.
“Italy,” Cooper said. “We’ll tour some vineyards, see the sights. It’s going to be epic.”
“Some vineyards?” Amelia asked. “I thought you said there were two.”
“Yeah, two,” Cooper said. “Or like seven. Whatever.”
“Oh my god, I love you so much,” Amelia said, her last words cut off by her lips hitting Cooper’s as she threw her arms around his neck.
“They’re unbelievable,” Leo grumbled, waving his hand in their direction. “Cooper. Coop. Dude, what do you need me to take care of while you’re gone?”
“I’ll send it to you,” he said, in between kissing her.
“You know how much you bitch about Brynn and Chase making out in front of you?” Leo asked. “It’s just as bad when you do it.”
Cooper ignored him. In fact, he and Amelia both seemed to have forgotten that anyone else existed. He threaded his hands through her hair as he kissed her deeply.
I didn’t bother saying anything. He’d just ignore me, anyway. Besides, Cooper’s love for that girl was too big for anyone to contain.
“Okay, I’m out,” Leo said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Night, Leo,” I said.
I left Cooper and Amelia on the dirt road and walked back toward the work house, where the grapes were being brought in so Shannon could work her magic.
She stood just outside, silhouetted against the dim light of the setting sun. She was tired. I could tell. As soon as she realized she wasn’t alone, she’d straighten her spine and square her shoulders. She always hid her fatigue. But I knew her too well. I could see it in the way she let her head tilt to the side as she looked out over the grounds. In the way she loosely crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto one leg, turning the other foot out.
“Maybe you should call it a night,” I said as I approached her.
And there it was. Her armor. She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders, like I’d seen her do a thousand times. Holding herself up no matter how much weight she carried.
“I will. Soon,” she said.
Words rushed through my mind—the words I knew I wouldn’t say. You should come home with me.
But the way she crossed her arms tighter over herself and gave me a closed-mouth smile squashed any notion I had of saying it. It wasn’t the time. Our clocks weren’t in sync. I could feel the discordant ticking—hers, then mine. A dissonant tick, tock—two rhythms missing each other’s beats.
We’d always been like that, Shannon and I. Maybe we always would be. I didn’t know.
She turned back to the view of the winery. The place she’d always loved. The land she was now fighting to keep. I figured that meant she wanted to be alone, and here I was, intruding on her space. Who was I? Just Ben.
I turned to go when she spoke, breaking she short silence.
“Do you remember the harvest parties we used to throw?”
“Of course.” I took a few steps closer so we stood side by side. From here, we could see the Big House, the windows glowing in the deepening darkness. “Those were some nights to remember.”
“They were, weren’t they? We’d be exhausted from days of picking, but we did it every year. Half the town would be here. Of course, twenty years ago, the town was a lot smaller.”
“That it was.”
“Change is hard,” she said, her voice soft. “Even when it’s a good change, sometimes it’s still hard. I miss those days.”
“What do you miss about them?” I asked, partially because I wanted to know the answer. And partially so I could keep hearing her voice.
She took a deep breath and from the corner of my eye, I could see her shoulders relax. “I miss the kids being small. Roland and Leo competing to see who could fill their buckets the fastest. Brynn toddling around after us in that little handkerchief dress my mom made her. And Cooper was always easiest to handle at harvest time. He could beat Roland and Leo at picking, even when he was little. Do you remember that?”
“I do remember. The bucket was almost as big as he was. It would get too heavy for him to lift but he wouldn’t quit.”
She laughed. “And then when the harvest was in, we’d celebrate. I miss that. Food and wine and music. My kids running around, avoiding bedtime. Our friends and neighbors, all here. Somewhere along the way, we lost that. Everything became so serious. This was a business, with budgets and output goals and income targets. Celebrating the harvest became a luxury we couldn’t afford. That money had to go elsewhere. Although I don’t think we ever spent that much, really. Everyone pitched in with the food. And it’s not like we’re ever short on wine.”
I remembered those nights, too. Vividly. The sense of tired accomplishment. People gathering, food appearing, seemingly from nowhere. Folding tables and strings of lights held up over the concrete patio. Music in the background. The Miles kids playing hide and seek. Cooper sneaking cake.
But Lawrence had been there, then. He’d never loved this place the way Shannon did. But he had liked being in the spotlight. He’d stand up in front of everyone and make a toast. Bask in the attention. Act like a big shot.
I’d hated that man even then. Before I’d known what a bastard he really was.
“No, I suppose you weren’t short on wine,” I said, keeping my voice light to mask the dark direction my thoughts had taken. “There were good days, then, sure. But look at this place now.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” she said. “The Big House is gorgeous and people love all the gardens.”
“They do. But I wasn’t talking about the grounds. You have Roland back, here with Zoe, giving you a grandbaby. Your daughter’s here, married to a boy you’ve loved as a son since he was little.”
“Yes,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “That’s so true. And this land is in Cooper’s blood, so I know he’ll keep growing our grapes long after I’m gone. Amelia is positively delightful. He better marry that girl someday, or I’m going to make his life miserable.”
I laughed softly. “He will.”
“I know he will. I knew it the first time I met her.” She took a deep breath. “You’re right, my family is all here. I even got Leo back. Although I didn’t really, did I? Leo left, and what came home was a shell of who he once was.”
“We’re all worried about him. But we’re all here for him, Shannon,” I said, letting the sweetness of her name pass my lips. I didn’t say it aloud very often. It felt like it wasn’t mine to say. But tonight, I indulged a little, and let my voice carry the sound of her name into the night.
“Thank you.” She turned toward me. “You’ve always been such a good friend. To my kids, and to me. I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”
“Of course.” A wave of fatigue washed over me. Whether it was from the long day or being told by the woman I was stupidly in love with that I was a good friend, I wasn’t sure. I took a step away. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m about done in. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Our eyes met, and for a moment, her armor fell away. I saw her weariness, but also her satisfaction. And there was something else in her expression. Something I’d hardly dared to let myself hope to see.
And just that fast, it was gone.
She looked away, tugging the sides of her sweater around herself. Had I imagined it? Had I seen the same longing in her eyes that I felt every time I looked at her?
“Good night, Benjamin.”
She left, walking down to the path that led to her house. Leaving me standing alone, in the night. Tired. Sore. But as always, filled with a quiet resolve. I’d waited this lon
g. The timing wasn’t right. Not yet. But someday, it might be. Hell, I would let myself believe it would be.
And when it was… when the ticking of our clocks aligned, and there might be a chance she was ready to love me back, I’d be there. I was going to sweep that woman off her feet someday. Show her what it meant to truly be loved. Give her everything she deserved.
She just didn’t know it yet.
I hope you enjoyed this bonus epilogue! More Miles Family is yet to come. Leo’s story, Hidden Miles, is coming on March 22, 2019.
Hidden Miles: Chapter 1
Leo
The terrain rose and fell in a series of hills, each one higher than the next. None of it looked familiar. Ankle high brown grass blew in the breeze. Every so often, a copse of trees popped up in the distance. I kept a steady pace, making sure to stay on the path. Veer too far in any direction and we were sure to encounter trouble.
Of course, we were out there looking for trouble. We just didn’t want to walk into any surprises.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“This is boring as shit,” Gigz said. “Why are we out here again?”
“Quit your whining,” I said. “It’ll get better up ahead.”
“I swear to god, if you lured me out here just to mess with me, I’m going to kick your ass.”
I laughed. “Right. I’d like to see you try.”
She stopped long enough to make a rude gesture, then kept running.
“You’re such an ass,” I said.
“Nice manners, dick,” she said. “You talk to all the ladies like that?”
“Just you, baby.”
“Lucky me.”
I laughed again. God, that felt good. I didn’t laugh very often, but Gigz had a way of bringing it out in me. Even when we were running through the most lackluster terrain I’d ever seen.
She was right. It was boring as shit.
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