So Right

by Darcy Burke

  Kelsey hadn’t spent the holidays with her family in years. Noah wouldn’t have let her even if she’d wanted to. And she’d spent the last two Christmases working. “That’s a bummer.”

  As Crystal reached for the door, the sound of a car pulling into the lot behind them made them turn. It was a blue Prius. Kelsey didn’t recognize the driver.

  Crystal turned from the door. “Must be the archaeologist.”

  “Must be,” Kelsey agreed.

  The woman stepped out of the car and waved at them. “Hi, I’m Dana Boyd.”

  Kelsey and Crystal went to shake her hand and introduced themselves.

  “Thanks so much for coming out here today,” Crystal said. “Can we help you with anything?”

  Dana had shoulder-length brown hair and wore a stylish khaki cap with a narrow brim and a pair of glasses with a purple rim. Kelsey would say she was in her late thirties, but wasn’t great at guessing ages. Dana smiled as she reached into the backseat. “Nope, I’ll just get my bag.”

  “Love your hat,” Kelsey said. “Can I ask where you got it?”

  Dana frowned briefly, then pulled it off. “Had to remember which one I grabbed. I’m a total hat whore.”

  Kelsey grinned. “Me too.”

  “REI, I think,” Dana said, looking inside the hat. She found the tag. “Yep. But it was a few years ago. I like your hat too.”

  Kelsey’s was a dark gray cap with a bit of a newsboy flair to it.

  Crystal pivoted back toward the winery. “Come on, we’ll meet everyone else inside.”

  “Sounds good.” Dana locked her car, and they moved into the building. Brooke, Cam, and Luke were waiting in the large main room, which was nearly finished—good thing since their wine club dinner was this weekend.

  Crystal took care of introducing everyone. They had a good-sized group but were still missing some folks. Alaina’s daughter was under the weather today, so Alaina hadn’t been able to make it. Hayden was too busy, and Jamie had something else going on.

  Kelsey had tried not to look at Luke as soon as she’d come inside, but couldn’t keep her gaze from wandering in his direction. He was looking at her too. She gave him a small smile, but he didn’t return it. His eyes were dark, sort of intense. She remembered his lips on hers and shivered.

  Dana looked around at all of them. “Shall we head up to the alleged site of the homestead?”

  “Yes, this way,” Cam said, leading them toward the staircase and the hall beyond that, which led to an exterior door.

  Once they were outside, Dana opened her bag and withdrew a map, which she unfolded and perused. “Let me just get my bearings.” She looked out over the vineyard and then back to the map. Then she folded it back up. “Okay, so we’re heading up there?” She pointed to the top of the ridge.

  “That’s what we thought,” Crystal said.

  Luke took the lead. “We’ll go through the vineyard.”

  Dana walked toward the front with Luke, Cam, and Crystal, while Kelsey hung back with Brooke.

  “How’d things go the other night?” Brooke asked in a near whisper.

  Kelsey kept her voice low. “Fine.”

  Brooke cast her a skeptical look. “Uh-oh. Not good? Or great?”

  It had actually been pretty awesome. Right up until she’d told him she couldn’t see him. “It was good.” She gauged how much to reveal. Being with Noah had trained her to keep things to herself. She should open up. But damn, it was hard. “Things ended on a bit of an awkward note.”

  “Oh no! What happened? Kiss gone bad?”

  Kelsey laughed, which drew the folks in front to turn and look. Everyone but Luke, who just kept walking. Sobering, Kelsey looked down at the dirt beneath her boots as they hiked up between the vines. “No, actually. The kiss…es were fabulous.”

  Brooke grinned. “‘Kisses’? Doesn’t sound awkward.”

  “Well, that part came after. When I basically fled the scene. It’s just been a long time since I’ve done that. I’m so out of practice.” If only it were that simple.

  “Cut yourself some slack. There is absolutely no rush—trust me, I know.” She’d been divorced, and it had taken a while for her to be ready to date. Even when she’d met Cam, she’d been reluctant, so yeah, she definitely understood that part. “And everything I know about Luke tells me he’ll be patient. Is he being a dick?” She lowered her voice to ask that last question.

  Kelsey’s gaze latched onto his back. He wore a slouchy hooded sweatshirt and beat-up jeans that rode his hips perfectly. She recalled the feel of his body against hers, and warmth pulsed through her. “No, he’s not being a dick.” He was being a little standoffish today.

  Or was he? It wasn’t as if she’d made a point of saying hello to him. Nor had she tried to walk with him. Out of practice maybe didn’t fully describe how bad she was at this.

  “Things will even out,” Brooke said. “It takes time to work through that new-and-awkward phase.”

  They crested the hill, and Dana stopped. She set her bag down and surveyed the area. Then she turned and addressed everyone. “So this looks quite a bit different than it did almost a hundred and fifty years ago when they decided to build a house up here. You might ask why they did that. Or maybe you didn’t—that’s what we archaeologists wonder.” She smiled. “It’s removed from the town, which is odd, but you can definitely see it from here.” She gestured down to where Ribbon Ridge lay below.

  “Why would they build up here?” Cam asked.

  “Like I said, it looked different. The map shows a flatter area here as well as a spring.” She turned and walked to where the flat land sloped down into a shallow ravine. “Down there. If we dig a little, we’ll find water. This is where it’s marked on the map.”

  Luke followed her and looked down into the ditch. “Wow, can I use that for irrigation?”

  Dana shrugged. “Probably.” She pivoted and looked back over the flat area, where everyone was still standing. “Can I get you all to scoot that way?” She held her arm straight out and pushed it to her right.

  They moved over, and Dana tipped her head to the side as she stared at the ground.

  Luke, still beside her, put his hands on his hips. “What do you see?”

  She walked forward and gestured in front of her. “See how the grass is just a bit different here? You can almost see a line. She marched along the line, which Kelsey could barely make out, then turned sharply. After several steps, she turned again, then repeated the process. “That’s the house.”

  Crystal’s jaw dropped, and she shook her head. “Wait, that’s it? You look at the ground, and you can see this?”

  Dana grinned. “I’ve been doing this a long time. That’s just my supposition. Let’s see if I’m right.” She went back to her bag and fished out a small shovel with a flat edge. Going back to one of the corners, she crouched down and scraped along the surface, moving grass and dirt. “This all started when you found a brick, is that right?”

  Brooke nodded. “Yes, it was part of a newer house that was built on the property. It says 1879 and BNR, and our research led us to find Bird’s Nest Ranch.”

  “I’d say the brick was from the foundation of this house.” She held up a small, dark chunk. It looked like rock, not brick. Standing, she held it in her palm. “This is brick. If we excavate, we’ll find a lot more of it.”

  Everyone crowded around her and peered down at her hand.

  “Wow, how can you tell that’s brick?” Crystal asked. “It’s black.”

  Dana handed her the piece of brick. “That’s the interesting part. It’s scorched. I’d say this house burned down.”

  Just like when they’d met with the historian and learned that Dorinda had died, there was a collective intake of breath. Crystal, Brooke, and Kelsey exchanged looks, and Kelsey was sure they were thinking the same thing.

  “Can you find out when the fire happened?” Kelsey asked.

  “We can send the brick pieces out for testing. We sho
uld be able to get close.”

  Crystal handed the piece of brick to Kelsey. “That would be great. We’ll definitely want to do that.”

  Dana nodded. “Can do. The next thing we need to determine is whether this is eligible for the national historical registry. I need to obtain concurrence from the state historic preservation office that this is a nonsignificant site. I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

  Luke turned toward her. “What if it is? Is someone going to want to come out here and dig up my vineyard?”

  “It’s possible, but highly unlikely.”

  Luke frowned, looking rather disgruntled. “Keep us posted, please.” He glanced around the group. “I need to take care of some things.” He took off down the slope.

  Kelsey’s chest tightened as she watched him go. He seemed more than standoffish. She wanted to follow him but didn’t.

  They finished up with Dana, who said she’d come back tomorrow and collect samples for testing. Cam walked her back to the parking lot so that Brooke, Kelsey, and Crystal could talk about what they’d found.

  Crystal voiced what they were all thinking. “Do you think she died in the fire?”

  Brooke’s eyes were sad. “I don’t want to think so.”

  Kelsey didn’t want to either. For some reason, she had the sense that Dorinda’s story wasn’t a happy one. “I guess we’ll find out when Dana does the testing.”

  “What was up with Luke?” Crystal asked. “Is he against this?”

  “He’s against having his vineyard messed up,” Kelsey said. “And I get that. I think he’s just annoyed with me.”

  Brooke stroked Kelsey’s arm. “It can’t be just that.”

  “I did tell him I couldn’t have a relationship with him after we had an incredible date.” Kelsey massaged her forehead. “So yeah, I think it can be just that.”

  Crystal came and stood on her other side. “Yikes, sorry. But I have to ask why you told him that. Just not feeling it?”

  On the contrary. She’d been feeling all sorts of things, especially while they were kissing. She’d actually considered inviting him upstairs. But then she’d thought about what could happen after that. She’d thought about all she didn’t know about him. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him—she didn’t trust herself. What if she didn’t know how to choose a decent guy?

  But Luke is a decent guy, her mind argued.

  The sting of her shame and pain weighed on her soul. “Actually, I had a great time with him. I like him a lot. I’m just…not ready.” They both looked at her, and she knew they wanted to ask why but also didn’t want to push. “You guys are really good friends,” she said, wiping at the sudden dampness that had leapt to her eyes.

  Brooke’s hand moved to Kelsey’s upper back, and she rubbed little circles over her shoulder blades. “Oh, Kel, what’s wrong?”

  “You know I used to date a guy, right?”

  “Yeah, but that’s about it.”

  It was such a long and horrible story. Well, the beginning wasn’t. The beginning had been a fairy tale. “His name was Noah, and he was my knight in shining armor. He swept me up and saved me from the toxic relationship between me and my mom. He was kind, considerate, and I knew he would slay every dragon to keep me safe. He was fierce and strong. And opinionated. And domineering. And demanding.” Her voice got smaller with each word.

  She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. “I was nineteen when he hit me for the first time. We lived in a tiny off-campus apartment, and he was upset because I was late coming home from a study group. He cried and begged me to forgive him. Of course I did. And it didn’t happen again for over a year. It’s just like what you read about—this horrific cycle of escalating abuse. I knew better. I just didn’t know how to make it stop. He loved me, and I loved him. Even after he broke the bottle over my head, requiring eleven stitches, and cracked my ribs, I didn’t want to leave. But I did. I cried when I made the report to the police, because I knew his life would be ruined.” It had taken months and months of therapy for her to accept that he’d ruined his life long before she’d made that call. And if she hadn’t, he would’ve ruined hers too.

  Neither Crystal nor Brooke said a word as they crowded in against her and put their arms around her in a tight hug.

  Kelsey’s eyes were surprisingly dry as she took in their comfort and warmth. After a long minute, they pulled apart, and Kelsey forced a weak smile. “Now you know why I’m a broken mess.”

  Brooke dashed her hand over her eyes. “Sorry. I had no idea. I feel so bad that I didn’t know.”

  Kelsey touched her arm. “Don’t, please. I didn’t want anyone to know. No one here knows. I think my boss at The Arch and Vine might’ve suspected something with the weird injuries I had sometimes, but Noah was really good at hitting me where it wouldn’t show. The times he fucked up were when he was really pissed—out of control.”

  Crystal’s eyes hardened. “I want to kick this guy’s ass so bad.”

  Kelsey cracked a smile. If anyone could, she thought Crystal had a good shot. She was an expert kickboxer and had a black belt in some sort of martial art. “You can’t. He’s in prison.”

  She frowned in legitimate disappointment. “Damn it. But I’m glad—for you.”

  Brooke shook her head. “I can’t believe everything you’ve been through. And this was just a couple of years ago?”

  “Yeah, really just a few months after we moved to the area. I think being here where no one knew me gave me the courage to do what I had to. I could sort of start over as a new person. Someone who wasn’t a victim.” It had been a good theory, but as she’d learned in therapy, shedding the victim mentality was hard.

  “I get it,” Brooke said. “My situation is different, but I felt so worthless after my divorce and after finding out I couldn’t have children. I didn’t think it was even possible for me to find love again. I understand why you’d want to take things slow with Luke.”

  Crystal nodded. “For sure. Do you have a therapist?”

  “I do. I don’t see her as much as I used to, but maybe I should make an appointment.” Duh, Kelsey would do that as soon as she left. She’d love to figure out a way to see Luke without being petrified.

  Hmm, one thing would be to just not be petrified. He was Luke—warm, funny, caring Luke. He wasn’t Noah. They were absolutely nothing alike. When she’d met Noah, sparks had flown immediately. With Luke, things were a much slower burn. They’d been acquaintances, then friends. And now, maybe, they could be more.

  “Thanks, girls.” She hugged them both, and they gave her a long squeeze.

  “We’re here for you,” Brooke said.

  Crystal squeezed her hand. “Anytime.”

  They headed back toward the winery, and Kelsey felt lighter than she had in ages.

  Luke hadn’t really had something pressing to do. He’d just wanted to get away from Kelsey. Being around her was torture. All he could think about was talking with her, laughing, touching, kissing. He’d retreated to the winery and now felt stupid. He’d have to learn to accept that she wasn’t his girlfriend and likely never would be. It wasn’t as if this were a breakup.

  Why did it feel like one, then?

  Cam came in from the parking lot. “Hey, were you pissed up there? With the archaeologist?”

  Pissed was maybe extreme. “I’m not enthusiastic about someone tearing up my vineyard.”

  “Me neither. I’m sure it won’t come to that.” Cam eyed Luke and seemed to weigh whether he should say more. “Anything else?”

  “Just spit it out.” Like Luke couldn’t figure out what he wanted to say.

  “You and Kelsey seemed frosty. Did things not turn out well the other night? You haven’t said a word, and you’re working the same relentless schedule.”

  That was true. He hadn’t even taken the hike he’d planned on Monday. The hike where he’d wanted to take Kelsey to show her his Eagle Scout bridge.

  No way was he going to say anyth
ing to Cam. Kelsey’s issues were hers, and he wouldn’t share them even to explain the dark cloud over his head. “Things turned out fine.”

  “You’re a crappy liar, but whatever. I’m sorry. I like Kelsey a lot. You guys are cute together.”

  Were. They were cute together.

  “I’m headed outside for a bit.” Luke went downstairs and made his way out through the bottling room.

  As he started up the slope, he caught sight of Kelsey. And she was coming straight for him.

  Surprised, he kept walking and met her partway up the hill. They stood there for a moment just looking at each other. She wore one of her hats—a cute gray cap with a button decoration on the side. Her hair was loose beneath it, falling past her shoulders. The other night, he’d been lucky enough to touch it, and he’d reveled in its silky softness. Thinking that he would never touch it again was depressing.

  She spoke first. “How are you?”

  “Good.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip. “I think you’re lying. You seemed annoyed earlier.”

  “I’m concerned about the vineyard being dug up.”

  “Yeah, me too, but I think it’ll be okay. You heard what Dana said. It’s not historically significant.” She narrowed her eyes slightly. “I don’t think that’s all, though. I think things are awkward now. Between us.”

  It sounded terrible when she said it out loud. He was an adult. He could take rejection. “I’m sorry. I was disappointed.” Except the emotion wasn’t past tense, and he didn’t know when it would be.

  “I know. Me too. Which is stupid. If I’m disappointed, I could just change my mind, right?” She dropped her hands to her sides and stepped toward him. She was uphill, so he had to look up at her. “I never thought I’d want to date anyone again. After… I saw a therapist for a long time, and she said I might never be ready for a relationship again, but that it was up to me to try. If that’s what I wanted.” She sucked in a breath. “And… I do.”