by LK Collins
“Do you still live next door, or here?”
“I’m still next door,” I tell her. “The inn has a full staff that keeps it up and running, I just overlook it all. So, what is your story?”
“Oh, it’s long and really boring, you probably don’t even want to know it.”
“Sure I do.” It’s the honest to God truth, too. I have no clue what it is about this gorgeous woman, but there is something about her that draws me in and makes me want to know everything there is to know about her.
Chapter 3
Hope
His hands are all over me, and his mouth is claiming mine in a way I’ve never experienced. The covers beneath us are rumpled and damp from the sweat out bodies exude.
“Fuck, I want you,” Chase murmurs into my ear.
“Mm-hmm,” I respond, wanting him just as much. His dick is hard against my leg, and as his hands fumble with the button of my jeans, my breathing hitches.
Excitement floods me, this is really happening with a man I just met. The agreement my brain gives me to keep going is too much. My hips arch upward, and I’m rewarded with the warmth of his hand cupping my sex.
“Are you sure?” he asks, and as my eyes open to see his, I’ve never been surer about anything, then suddenly . . . he’s gone, and I’m left staring at my dark ceiling.
My hand is inside my panties, and my body is a twisted mess atop of the plush bed in the honeymoon suite of the St. Helena Inn.
Taking my hand from my panties, I hang it off the bed, frustrated and disappointed. The dream I just had seemed so real. Rolling to my side, I glance at the clock. It’s just after three in the morning. My heart is thudding too violently inside my chest for me to fall back asleep.
Getting up, I look out the window at the house Chase said was his. There is one light on inside, and I wonder if he is awake.
I also wonder why I had that dream about him instead of someone else, like his brother for instance. I mean, his brother was hot, just not off-the-charts hot like Chase. That had to be why.
Regardless of who is hotter—Chase—there is something about both him and his brother that makes me feel safe. I mean here I am, after all. I let Colt change my tire against my better judgment and then shared a few glasses of wine with Chase, getting to know him, before ultimately laying my head here in this bed. For all I know, they both could be serial killers and are about to barge in here and do the deed.
Maybe they are, and that is what’ll happen to me. But from the moment I looked each man in the eyes, something inside me told me they are good, honest men. I mean, I’m not one to believe that they really exist anymore, but who knows . . . maybe they do.
After my three AM wet dream, I slept in until the sun came up, then showered, and decided to venture into town to grab some necessities before Colt came back with my fixed tire. He said he should have it back to me by lunchtime, and I want to have some cash to give him for helping me.
I park on Main street and open my door. The smell in the air is something I can’t quite pinpoint. Maybe this is how all the wine country smells: sweet and divine. It reminds me of something so familiar, yet something so foreign.
As I put my feet on the pavement, it clicks. The smell reminds me of my favorite dessert that my mother used to bake for me when I was a kid: dark chocolate and honey tart. It was so good and incredibly decadent that just looking at the dessert when she made it made me feel guilty knowing I was going to eat it. Maybe she is with me today.
I look around, deciding the smell is coming from The Sweet and Savory Bistro across the street, but they aren’t open yet, just like the wine and chocolate bar. I make a mental note of their hours and promise myself I will stop in both places.
Walking inside Picker’s Produce, Meats, and More, I grab a basket and head left. The room at the inn has a full kitchen, so I’m going to take advantage of it while I’m here.
Now that I am thinking of the inn, I realize that between my sudden arrival, the storm, and then the wine we drank, Chase never signed me in or took a copy of my driver’s license or charged me. Nothing. He probably hasn’t even realized it, which means he is losing money. I’m sure the room he gave me cost way more than I could afford.
I toss a bag of chips into my basket and decide that when I get back, I’ll have to talk to him about a different room or another place worth staying in town. I don’t have to wait, though, because I round a corner and I run smack dab into him. He’s fresh from either a shower or a jog, I can’t decide which, but either way, he looks mouth-wateringly sexy, making my mind flash to the dream I had about him last night.
“Hey,” he says in his gruff tone, following it up with a huge smile.
“I needed food,” I blurt out like a fool, which just makes him smile wider and chuckle.
“Didn’t I tell you the house is yours?”
He seems calmer today, different from how he was last night with his jumbled words and long, blank stares. Now I’m the one who’s a mess.
“No, you didn’t tell me, in fact, you didn’t even take a copy of my ID or charge me for the room.”
“I know.”
“Well, I can’t just stay there for free.”
“Sure you can.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Fine.” He pauses, rocking back on his heels. “If it’d make you feel better, why don’t you help me out at the inn?”
I shift and adjust the basket on my arm as I try not to flinch at the idea of scrubbing toilets. “What kind of help?” I can’t even believe I’m considering this.
“I need to order new linens, and the outside needs paint, and I have no clue what color.” We’re standing in the way of a young couple who is also shopping. Chase and I start moving, slowly walking and studying the aisles, which I find hard to concentrate on with him next to me. “What do you think?” he asks me.
“I’m a journalist, not a hotel mogul.”
“Me, neither. I’m figuring this all out, too. But it’s just linens and paints, I could use a woman’s perspective.”
“We’ll have to get it done soon, I won’t be in town for long, Chase.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Then help me while you’re here, and your stay will be free of charge.”
“I really couldn’t.”
“Please, I could really use the help.” His eyes are pleading as he waits for me to respond and accept his proposal. When he looks at me like that, there is not a chance I can turn him down. So, I slowly nod, not able to believe myself. He smirks back at me. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” He makes me repeat the word even though we both know I don’t want to leave and I have a feeling I just agreed to much more than I even realize.
Chapter 4
Chase
“Do you want a ride back?” Hope asks as we leave the store. I jogged this morning, not only needing to clear my head but also to shake the pent-up adrenaline that’s been inside me since meeting Hope.
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
“You’re letting me stay with you for free, it’s the least I can do.”
I wish she were staying with me.
We load our groceries into the back of her car and make the short trip back to the inn.
“So, where do you currently live? You never told me.”
“Um, I’m originally from Arizona but recently lived in Oregon.”
“Where is your current residence?” I ask with a sarcastic tone, trying to make her smile.
“Umm . . . the road is my current residence,” she says with a cheesy smile on her face.
“Really?”
“Yeah, remember that long story I told you I didn’t have time for? Well, here’s the condensed version. I moved to Portland about two years ago with a guy I met online. My mom was devastated, but I was in love. My mom passed away not long after I left, so even though my gut told me to go home and that something was off with the guy, there was nothing left for
me to go home to. My father and I have never gotten along. So, I tried to make it work in Oregon. Plus, I loved my job there. But about six months ago, I caught my now ex-boyfriend sleeping with my only friend in the whole city. Ever since, I’ve been on the road.”
Hope’s story stuns me, so much tragedy packed into a few sentences. “Fuck, I’m really sorry, Hope.” She pulls into the driveway of the inn and cuts the engine.
“It’s okay. It’s life.”
She reaches for her door handle, but I stop her. As resilient as she is, I want her to know that it’s okay to feel pain and that she doesn’t need to pretend around me. “Yeah, and you’ve been dealt a really shitty hand of cards. Again, I’m sorry for that.”
Her lips are parted as she stares back at me, and it takes every single ounce of self-control I have not to grab ahold of her and kiss her the way she deserves to be kissed.
“It isn’t your fault, Chase. My life has always been a mess. Bad luck seems to follow me everywhere.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, never wanting to know more about a single person than I do about her right now.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not the best decision maker.”
“Are you regretting coming here?” I ask, fearing she will leave before I even get to know her.
“No, I actually came here for a reason.”
“What’s that?” I ask, and with the worst timing ever, my brother flies up the driveway and parks behind us. He hops out of his truck and rolls her fixed tire up to her car. His presence makes me feel protective of her all of a sudden. It’s as if he’s here to steal her away from me.
She opens the door, not bothering to answer my question, and I follow, getting out too. There is a cold chill in the air today that I didn’t feel when I ran out this morning. Hope runs her hands up and down her bare arms, and fuck, I want to hold her, to keep her warm. But before I can do anything, my brother, the smug fucker that he is, takes his coat off and drapes it over her shoulders.
“You’re early,” I tell him.
“I gotta head up north for a meeting.”
“What do you do?” she asks.
“I’m a lawyer.”
“Really?” Her eyes light up as if he just said he was the fucking president of the United States. My brother has always outdone me in so many aspects of life. Work is only one of them.
“Yup.”
“What kind?”
“Business contracts and shit like that.”
“In a town this small?” she asks, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“There’s some business here, but most of my business takes place in Sacramento. Chase, can you swap this out for her spare?”
“Yeah, of course.” I step forward and grab the tire, so it doesn’t fall against her car.
“Great, see you two later,” Colt says and leaves as fast as he came, forgetting his coat, which is still hanging over Hope’s shoulders.
As he drives away, she turns to me. “Is he always like that?”
“Like what?”
“So here and then gone.” She laughs, shaking her head a bit.
“Not typically.”
There is a beat of silence as I roll the tire to the front of her car and lay it in the grass before she asks, “What brought you both to this little town?”
“We grew up here. Our parents are vintners.”
“I didn’t know that. I’d love to see their vineyard.”
“I’ll show you sometime.”
After we both put our groceries away, I head out front to change Hope’s tire. On the way, I can’t help but glance toward the inn, hoping to see her, but she is nowhere in sight.
My mind is still on our earlier conversation, and it has me curious as to why she came here. There are only two reasons people come to St. Helena: vacation or wine. But neither of those seems to be why she’s here.
As I begin to change out her tire, my phone rings. It’s Colt.
“What’s up?” I answer a little dryly. Not even sure myself why I’m pissed at him when he hasn’t don’t anything wrong.
“What’s up? What’s up with you and Hope, you hit that yet?”
“Dude, we aren’t all like you.”
“So, that’s a no?”
“Nope.”
“But you like her?”
“Uhhh, fuck yeah, bro.”
“Good, I could tell when I met her that she’d be perfect for you.”
“Wait, so you’re telling me that you aren’t into her?”
“No, stupid, why do you think I brought her to you? If I wanted to be with her, I’d have taken her home.”
“Don’t say shit like that.”
“What?” He chuckles. “It’s the truth.”
“I know it is, but I still don’t want to hear that shit.”
“Now, don’t get all down in the dumps and sour on me, here. Make a move, I promise I’m not interested in her one bit.”
Well, that was a relief, and after I slide the new tire onto the studs and start to spin the lug nuts tight with my fingers, my shoulders relax a bit. A shift of steps behind me has me glancing over my shoulder to find Hope behind me.
“I gotta go, man.” Her hair in a perfectly messy pile on top of her head, small pieces of it falling around her face in a way that makes my heart thump fast. I hang up and place my phone in my back pocket as I straighten.
“How’s it going out here?”
“Good. I’m almost finished.”
“Do you need help?” She asks me, and I think it’s cute she thinks she can help me. She smiles waiting for me to answer. God, why do I feel so damn awkward right now?
“No, thank you though.” My eyes drift away from her as I search for something to say or talk about that won’t make me sound like an idiot to her.
“So . . .” The one word makes my cock twitch. “I was going to go for a walk, do you want to join me?”
“Yeah.” And without even bothering to wash my hands, we head down the driveway.
“It’s so beautiful here.”
“It really is,” I respond, looking around like she is. From the rolling hills of vineyards to the town below, St. Helena is a one-of-a-kind place. “You never got to tell me why you came here.”
She glances over at me and places her hands in the slim back pockets of her jeans. “Well, as you know, I was on the road for a while after my ex and I broke up. I got tired of never having a place to call home, so I felt it was time to see my dad and maybe mend our broken relationship. But when I got there, it was apparent that wasn’t going to happen. He’s moved on with someone whom my mother hated, and the second I was there, I knew I had to leave. So, I took my mother’s laptop with me and started driving.”
“And that’s how you ended up here?” I ask.
“No, she’d always talked about us taking a trip together to wine country, and in her search history was a ton of stuff about St. Helena.”
“Oh, so this is where she planned on coming with you for that trip?”
“Yup, I mean, I didn’t know at the time, but now it all makes sense. When I moved away, I promised her that we’d take a trip for her birthday. She would’ve been fifty.”
Tears fill her eyes as she looks out at a vineyard. My stomach turns hearing her upset. I don’t want her to hurt like this. I want to make it better for her. Stepping closer, I don’t hesitate as I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace, the way I’ve wanted to since I met her.
Chapter 5
Hope
I hug myself very tight to Chase, and as we stand, I realize I’m more secure in his arms than I have ever been in anyone else’s. Thinking back, I don’t think I’ve felt this with anyone, except for my mother. Tears begin to stream down my face, the pain of her loss still seems so fresh it’s as if I got the call minutes ago instead of two years.
God, I miss her.
Chase holds me tighter, and I . . . I simply cling to him as if he’s the answer to
my problems or will somehow make everything better. But I know deep down that isn’t true. The last time I turned to a man for any kind of security or support, I lost everything. Realizing just how stupid it is for me to make the same mistake again, I take a deep breath and pull out of Chase’s hold.
“I can’t do this,” I tell Chase, wiping my tears away.
He nods and lets me go, not arguing or forcing me, which is not the way the men I’ve been with typically act. It’s as if he gets me. And without another word, we continue our walk.
We come to the top of a hill, and Chase stops. “See that house up there?” he says, pointing to a house in the distance, “That’s where I grew up.”
“Oh, wow. It’s gorgeous.”
“It didn’t always look like that.”
“No?” I question him, taking in the massive home and the sprawling acres of land that surround it.
“No, we were very poor when I was young. My parents inherited the vineyard from their parents, and it wasn’t doing well. But they turned it all around and breathed life back into it.”
“That’s amazing. I’d love to meet them.”
“You can. Come to our family dinner with me tonight.”
“I couldn’t.”
He looks at me, his alluring eyes tempting me in so many ways I’m not sure I can resist them. “Would you stop that?”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Stop saying you can’t do things as if you’re an inconvenience. You did it at the store today and are doing it now. Just be. Just enjoy each moment and let whatever happens, happen.” His words make sense, and I do want to just be. I want to be comfortable for once.
On the walk back, we exchange small talk but nothing too heavy—just . . . being.
“Thank you for that,” I tell him.
“Of course, anytime. So are you coming to dinner?” I nod and agree, because the truth is, I love being around him. “Good, we’ll leave at five, I’m gonna get back to your tire now.” He stops at my car, and I walk off, heading back to the small house I somehow got lucky enough to stay in and for free.
