The Truce (Butler Ranch Book 2)

by Heather Slade

  17

  “What the hell is your problem?” Naughton grumbled.

  “Nothing,” he answered, but that was about as far from the truth as it got. Alex hadn’t answered the text he sent last night, the one he sent this morning, or the one he sent an hour ago. He considered asking Peyton if she’d heard from her, but decided that would make him feel like more of a pussy than he already did.

  Maddox spent most of the day in the winery, while Naughton worked with the vineyard crews. He was happy for the peace and quiet, and took his time inspecting the equipment that was already there, making lists of what might work, what needed to be repaired, and what needed to be replaced. Everything was old, but that didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t as good or better than what he’d replace it with.

  “Goin’ home,” Naughton snarled as he walked out of the winery.

  “See ya later?”

  “Nah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Wait.” Maddox followed Naughton outside. “Aren’t you coming to dinner with Lena?”

  “Not interested.”

  “She said she’d show us photos of how this place looked back in the day.”

  “Why would I care?”

  “I don’t know, maybe you’d like to see how some of the vineyards were planted, or their harvesting techniques. Maybe you’d learn something to make dinner worth your while.”

  “Doubt it. Everything I need to know about the vineyards, I’ve already seen.”

  “Do what you want then. I don’t give a shit.”

  Naughton walked away, shaking his head.

  Screw him. Maddox didn’t owe him an explanation about why he was grouchier than usual. Naughton was the grouchiest asshole Maddox ever met, and he never explained himself. He doubted Lena would care whether Naught showed up either. In fact, they still hadn’t had the conversation she wanted to have at dinner the other night.

  Instead of going home, Maddox closed the doors to the winery, and walked over to the house. He still hadn’t been on the second floor, so had no idea what to expect.

  The first floor had a scattering of furniture in the rooms, tables and chairs mainly that looked as though they were designed specifically for the space they filled. There were two sofas and four upholstered chairs in the sitting room that would either need a deep cleaning, or to be replaced.

  The kitchen would need all new appliances, but the cupboards, counters, and floors were sound, and like most everything else, needed to be scoured.

  He pulled out a chair and sat at a table large enough to hold sixteen. He liked how the kitchen was open to the dining room, but would add an island to create more of a separation.

  Instead of going back downstairs to the basement level, Maddox followed the curve that led back around to the main foyer.

  He’d made it halfway up the stairs before he got a feeling he couldn’t explain. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. He turned and sat on a step, rather than continuing to the second level.

  Ridge parked in the lot adjacent to the entrance to the Carmel Mission. While that was what most called it, the sign at the entrance read “San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission.”

  There were very few tourists visiting the mission, so the atmosphere was serene as they walked through the courtyard and gardens.

  “My family settled in California before this mission was built,” Alex told Ridge.

  “Avila Beach have anything to do with your family?” he asked.

  “Very much so. My ancestors were Castellanos from Castile in central Spain, and arrived in what was known then as Las Californias. They settled in the area that became Avila Beach at the same time Father Serra founded the mission in San Luis Obispo.”

  “You probably know a lot more about missions than I do.”

  Alex laughed. “You have no idea. My father insisted we attend mass at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, every Sunday.”

  “Impressive accent, Alex, or is it Alexis?”

  “Yes, it’s Alexis, although no one calls me that except my mother, and that’s only when she’s mad at me.”

  “It wouldn’t be a good idea for me to call you Alexis, then.”

  “Only if you want me to call you Noah.”

  “It wouldn’t matter what you called me, Alex. I love the sound of your voice either way.”

  Alex smiled, and looked over at the Basilica Church.

  “When Mexico gained control of the region, our family was ostracized. My father told me the stories passed down through his grandfather. We were known as Californios. Have you heard that expression before?”

  “I haven’t. Is it like Chicanos?”

  “Similar. Chicanos are from Mexico. Californios are from Spain. Many families, like ours, stopped speaking Spanish completely when they settled here, so the Mexicans called them “white Spanish.”

  “Do you speak Spanish?”

  “Fluently. My mother is Mexican.”

  “And you’re Catholic?”

  “My mother is.” Alex laughed. “I suppose my brothers and I are too, although I rarely go to mass. I stopped going after my father died.”

  “Your father was legendary. He’s definitely one of my father’s heroes.”

  “You’re kidding. Why?”

  Ridge put his arm around Alex’s shoulders. “Why? You’re asking me why someone would idolize one of the greatest winemakers who ever lived?”

  Alex wasn’t sure if Ridge was being serious, or if he was playing with her.

  “I love how animated you are when you talk about your family, and your heritage. Do you know your accent gets more pronounced when you do?”

  “I don’t have an accent,” she protested.

  “Oh, but you do. And it’s beautiful. It makes me want to ravage you.” Ridge pushed her into one of the alcoves. “Can I kiss you, Alexis? Please? I’ve been dying to since last night.”

  Alex nodded her head, and Ridge pressed his lips against hers. His kiss was soft and tentative, hardly ravaging. When she attempted to use her tongue to urge him to be more bold, he pulled back further. Maybe he hesitated because this was their first kiss, but Alex found herself disappointed.

  Noah Ridge was handsome with a great body. Not as good as Mad’s body, but she was trying hard not to compare them. He was attentive, interesting, a good conversationalist, and he made her laugh. He was romantic too, and generous. Why did a single kiss have to disappoint her so profoundly?

  When he leaned into her and grazed her abdomen, she flinched.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, pulling away further.

  “I had surgery a couple weeks ago, and I sometimes forget how sore I am until I move the wrong way.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Ridge pulled her out of the alcove, and they continued their walk through the mission gardens.

  “It isn’t a big deal,” Alex told him, but it didn’t do any good. The rest of the afternoon, he rarely touched her, and when he did, it was as though she might break.

  Any thoughts she had of kissing him again, were squashed by his insistence that they talk more about Spanish history.

  When Ridge asked if she wanted to continue their afternoon by visiting Point Lobos, Alex suggested they stop and have an early dinner instead. They were near one of her favorite Italian restaurants, and she thought a glass of wine or two might loosen him up a bit.

  Their easy conversation resumed over a bottle of Barolo Monfortino, and a fabulous garlic-laden dinner.

  “Thank you, Alex,” he said between bites of lasagna.

  “What for?”

  “Giving me another chance.”

  Instead of waiting for him, Alex leaned over and kissed him. She put her hand on the back of his neck, and held him close. She teased his lips with her tongue, and this time, Ridge responded. She deepened their kiss, and then pulled back.

  “What’s wrong?” Ridge asked.

  Alex rubbed her chest and leaned back in her chair. “I don’t know, maybe the wine is giving me heartburn.” A feeling she
couldn’t explain came over her, as though something bad was about to happen.

  Maddox decided to wait and explore the second floor in the morning. The pain in his chest had subsided, but it was getting close to dinnertime, and he still needed to go home to change.

  When he reached the foyer, he turned and looked back at the place he sat moments before. The sun shone through the second story window in such a way that only that step was out of the shadows.

  He felt warm, and thought about unbuttoning his shirt, but it wasn’t that kind of warmth. It was more as though the light that shone on the step also shone on him. A sense of peace washed over him, as though something, or someone, was telling him this was where he belonged. He stayed in one place, basking in the sunlight until it no longer shown through the window.

  His phone pinged on the way to his truck, and he saw a text from Lena asking him to stop by the house now.

  Worked in the winery most of the day. Dusty and dirty.

  It’s okay. Stop anyway.

  Lena greeted him at the door, and invited him in.

  “I was raised on this ranch, Maddox. Most nights my father came in for dinner dusty and dirty from being in the vineyards.” She pointed to a hallway. “There’s a bathroom on the right if you feel like washing up.”

  He thanked her, and closed the bathroom door behind him. The warm feeling he’d had at the house on the hilltop was replaced with a chill. Maybe he should cut the evening short and get some rest. He felt as though he might be getting sick.

  When he came back out, Lena had photos scattered on a table near the kitchen. Maddox scanned the sparsely-furnished house. It looked as though she’d been packing. Maybe she’d made some decisions about where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do.

  “When I pulled out these photos, I remembered my grandmother used to call the house Casa Gialla.” Lena handed him several photos.

  As he shuffled through them, Maddox saw the planters looked as he imagined they would if the overgrowth was cleaned up. In one photo, the house looked as though it had originally been a much brighter shade of yellow. He preferred the faded and weather look it had now.

  “I’m leaving, Maddox,” she blurted. “It’s one of the reasons I asked you to dinner tonight. I wanted to tell you at Il Conti, but—”

  “I’m sorry about that, Lena.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t be.

  “Where are you headed?”

  “I’m not certain yet. I’ll put what I want to keep in storage. There isn’t much of it. And then I plan to travel for a few months.”

  “Will you see your father?”

  Maddox watched as she quickly masked the expression that darkened her face at the mention of her father.

  “Perhaps…” Lena picked several more photos up from the table, and looked through them. “I thought maybe there was one of my parents together, but I haven’t been able to find anyway.”

  He and Lena both reached for a photo that fluttered to the floor, but Maddox snapped it up first.

  “What’s this?” he asked, holding the photo under the light. It was faded, as though it had been left in direct sunlight, but the image was clear enough for him to recognize the two people in the photo. Maddox would guess it was taken about twenty years ago.

  “Lena, you never mentioned you knew my brother.”

  “I more than knew him, Maddox. Kade was my husband.”

  18

  “You know…” Ridge began while they waited for dessert. “I’ve been thinking about your reaction when I said your father was my father’s hero.”

  “And?” Alex took another sip of her wine.

  “He wasn’t only renowned for his wine, but the land and vineyards at Los Caballeros is the envy of every landowner I know.”

  “There are many estates in your area to be envied.”

  “Not like your family’s though. If your brothers ever thought about getting out of the business and selling, I’m sure the bidding on that property would escalate quickly.”

  “I don’t think that is a remote possibility. Have you heard otherwise?”

  “Yes, and no. I mean it’s no secret that the bigger wineries are anxious to expand into the central coast. There have been bidding wars already on several properties.”

  “Such as?”

  “Tablas Creek. I’m sure you’ve heard Calder Wines recently made that purchase.”

  “I had heard.” Alex didn’t try very hard to mask her sneer.

  “If that look means what I think it does, I have to admit Rory Calder is not someone I would call a friend.”

  “There’s just something about him.” Alex shook the weird feeling away that came whenever she thought about Rory.

  “What other properties have been for sale?”

  He rattled off several she knew, but hadn’t known were for sale.

  “Part of the Hess estate, of course.”

  “Part?” Alex leaned forward, and rested her elbows on the table.

  “Only the daughter’s holdings were available. The rest was part of the divorce settlement. My understanding is her ex-husband recently passed away, however, the land had already been deeded to members of his family before he died. I haven’t heard whether they’re interested in selling.”

  Alex’s mind was reeling. “Do you know who her ex-husband was?”

  “Someone from a wine family. I’m trying to remember, I know I’ve heard.” Ridge thought for a minute. “I know, it was your neighbor—the Butler family.”

  Alex asked a couple more unrelated questions, and then excused herself. She walked to the ladies room trying to wrap her head around what Ridge just told her. She couldn’t decide who she wanted to call first, Peyton or Maddox, knowing she wouldn’t call either of them.

  “I told you more about the Hess deal than I should have. All interested parties were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before we were given the details surrounding the sale,” Ridge said when Alex returned to the table.

  “Do you know who bought the property?”

  “No one, it was withdrawn.”

  “Any idea why?”

  “No clue.”

  Their dessert of berries and cream went largely untouched as they continued their conversation about property for sale on the central coast.

  “Ridge, I’m going to ask you a very direct question, one you may feel uncomfortable answering.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “You mentioned that Los Cab would be a property of great interest if it was ever for sale. Have you heard anything that would lead you to believe our family might be interested in putting it on the market?

  “Yes, Alex. I have.”

  “Will you tell me who you heard it from?”

  Maddox got up from the table, and walked to the other side of the room, still holding the photograph of Lena and Kade. In it, the two had their arms wrapped around each other, but were facing the camera. Both were smiling.

  “Is this what you really wanted to tell me?”

  “No. I hadn’t planned to.”

  Maddox didn’t know which question to ask first. He could think of so many.

  “Why?” he finally asked.

  Lena looked away from him. “It wasn’t up to me, Maddox.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I shouldn’t have told you. This is very hard for me.”

  He was speechless. This was hard for her? “You’ve got to be kidding?” he sneered. “What the hell else is there? What else am I going to find out about my brother?”

  “Please don’t—”

  “Don’t what? Jesus. He was my brother.” Maddox was so angry, he almost grabbed her. If he had, he would’ve shaken her until she answered every last one of his questions.

  His confusion, his hurt, his anger, and his powerlessness were a boiling mess inside of him. The pain he felt in his chest earlier had nothing on the torment he felt in his soul.

  Without another word, Maddox walked out the front door, g
ot in his truck, and drove home. The photo of Kade and Lena sat on the seat beside him.

  How was dinner?

  Naughton must’ve seen him pull into the barn. Changed my mind. Long day. Calling it a night.

  Meeting the crew at dawn. Pick you up at 5.

  Maddox didn’t answer. He had no idea whether he’d be able to go with Naughton tomorrow, or ever set foot on the property again.

  He poured himself three fingers of bourbon, and went out the back door and into the vineyards, carrying the glass and bottle with him.

  He walked and walked, waiting until his steps were lit only by the moon before he cursed his brother’s name.

  He’d loved Kade. He’d admired and respected him. He’d always believed he wanted to be just like him, but now he didn’t know what that meant. He felt as though he’d lost Kade all over again. His brother wasn’t just dead, Maddox’s memories had all been obliterated by Kade’s subterfuge.

  How many times had he railed at the heavens for taking his brother? Now he railed at Kade instead. He sobbed until he could no longer stand, and fell as much as sat on the ground.

  Worse than his anger at Kade, and the answers to questions that died when he did, was the terrible burden he now carried.

  Would his family understand if they discovered what he had, and hadn’t told them? Should he go to his parents, and ask if they knew? Who else carried Kade’s secrets?

  He ignored the phone he forgot he had with him when it pinged. Only when the pinging became incessant did he look. Three missed calls. All from Alex. The only person on Earth he would even consider talking to.

  As much as Alex wanted to see her two brothers, and as much as she wanted to continue her respite, she couldn’t. She had to talk to Maddox, and as hard as it would be, she had to tell him what Ridge told her.

  It was hard to believe, but certainly explained how Kade came to own the land he gave to Maddox and Naughton. There was no possible way Kade could’ve afforded to buy it outright.

  Their car ride home from dinner was quiet. Ridge walked her to her room, but his attempt to kiss her goodnight fell flat.