The Vineyard at Painted Moon

by Susan Mallery

  “Are you? Then you’re further along than I am. I can barely grasp the fact that I’m pregnant. Except for vitamins and the ridiculous amount of vegetables I have to eat every day, very little has changed for me.”

  A girl? “You have a fifty-fifty chance of getting what you want,” she added.

  “I’d be happy with either. Did you talk to Rhys?”

  She nodded, hoping she didn’t look as uncomfortable as she felt. Apparently she failed because Bruno exhaled.

  “That bad?” he asked.

  “He wasn’t happy. There was swearing and he tried to put his fist through the wall. He was unsuccessful and the wall is very proud of the win.” She kept her tone light, hoping to make Bruno think she was doing better than she was.

  “When he blamed you, did you remind him it takes two?”

  “Yeah, and I also pointed out that he’d driven me to the appointment to get my IUD out, so pretending he didn’t know it was gone wasn’t going to—”

  She slapped her hand over her mouth and groaned. After lowering her arm to her side, she said, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s way too personal and not anything you wanted to know.”

  “I’ve seen you spit, Mackenzie. This is nothing.”

  “Still. I’m humiliated.”

  “Don’t be. Relationships are messy when they’re ending. Anything you want to talk about, I can handle.”

  She appreciated his kindness and desperately wanted to change the subject. “Be careful what you offer, mister. I’ve been doing a little reading on the whole pregnancy thing, and there are facts that would put you off eating for a week.”

  “I don’t scare that easily.”

  They went into the other bedroom.

  “This would be a good home office,” he said.

  “Why wouldn’t I just come into my regular office? It’s like a fifteen-minute walk away.”

  “Because you’re going to have a newborn, then a toddler, then a kid who might get sick and need you.”

  Oh, right. “A home office it is.” She added a desk and chair to her list.

  They walked back downstairs. Mackenzie paused to breathe in the feel of the house.

  “I’m going to be happy here,” she said. “Thank you.”

  “It’s not just me. We’re a team.”

  She and Rhys had been a team once, she thought wistfully. Not anymore. She looked at Bruno and thought maybe they would last a little longer together. They knew what they were getting into and there were no messy emotions to complicate things.

  “What are you going to do about dating?” she asked. “Walla Walla’s a pretty small town. I guess you could meet someone in Seattle. You have a private jet, so it’s not like the distance is going to be an issue.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Are you speculating about my love life?”

  “Yes. It’s so interesting to think about, mostly because I need a good distraction right about now.”

  “I’m focused on buying Painted Moon.”

  “You’re saying I should mind my own business.”

  “I’m saying I’m not in a position to fulfill your speculation needs.”

  They walked outside and Bruno locked the door behind them, then handed her the key.

  “Legally you can’t move in until we close, but Herman said you were welcome to measure for furniture or rugs or whatever.”

  She hesitated before taking the single key from him.

  “This is going to be the first home I’ve ever owned,” she admitted. “My grandfather rented a small place by his work, and after he passed away, I went to college and lived in the dorms, and then I moved in with Rhys after college.” She looked at him. “How ridiculous is it that I’m thirty-eight years old and I’ve never lived alone?”

  “It’s not ridiculous at all.”

  His brown eyes were kind, she thought. She had the strangest urge to ask him to hold her. Just for a minute, until she was feeling strong again.

  But she didn’t. Bruno was her business partner and he expected her to be tough enough to handle her own life. Speaking of which...

  “Guess what I’m going to do now,” she said.

  “I have no idea.”

  She sucked in a breath and squared her shoulders. “I’m going to tell Barbara I’m pregnant.”

  Bruno stared at her. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Not in the least. I was going to wait, but based on how Rhys reacted, I need to get the word out on my terms.”

  “Do you want me to come with you? I can wait outside her office, or even in the car. I’m not trying to put myself in the middle of something personal, but you shouldn’t do this alone. That woman is volatile.”

  “You’re sweet, but I can handle her.”

  At least she hoped she could.

  Bruno didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway. “Text me when you’re done.”

  “I will.”

  She would also text Stephanie and Four to warn them to stay clear because their mom wasn’t going to take the news well. A sad statement, but a true one.

  She made her way to her Jeep. Bruno held open the door.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “Having a baby should be joyous news and she’s going to make it anything but.”

  “Thank you for getting that. I was thinking the same thing. Wish me luck.”

  “You don’t need luck, Mackenzie. You never have.”

  * * *

  Mackenzie tried to hang on to Bruno’s empowering words as she drove onto the Bel Après property. She slept at the house every night, but heading to the business side of the property wasn’t something she did anymore.

  Ignoring all the feelings swelling inside of her, she went into the building and up the stairs to Barbara’s office. No one tried to stop her and she was careful not to look into any other offices as she walked to the end.

  Barbara sat at her desk, her reading glasses on her nose. She was dressed in a suit, as always, her dark hair perfect, her makeup tasteful. Her engagement ring sparkled in the overhead lights.

  That ring, Mackenzie thought. Funny how everything had started with the proposal. Sharing in the romantic moment had shown her the empty parts of her own life. She’d been restless for years, but that moment had brought everything into sharp relief.

  Her mother-in-law looked up and saw her. After removing her glasses, she leaned back in her chair.

  “I can’t imagine what we have to say to each other.”

  Mackenzie closed the door and walked toward the desk. For a second she thought about blurting out the news and then running, but she knew that was wrong. Whatever might be happening between them now, at one time Barbara had been like a mother to her. If nothing else, Mackenzie owed her the respect of sitting down.

  When she was seated, she got right to the point. “I’m pregnant.”

  Barbara stared at her unblinking. “Is it Rhys’s?”

  The question shouldn’t have been surprising, but it was. “Yes, otherwise why would I bother telling you?” She held up her hand. “Before you ask, I’ll have it confirmed via DNA when the baby is born. Rhys knows it’s his.” At least she was pretty sure he knew it, as much as he might wish it wasn’t.

  Barbara’s eyes darkened with suppressed emotion. “Men believe what we want them to believe and nothing else.”

  Mackenzie told herself not to be distracted. “I don’t want to fight with you. I told you because I thought you’d want to know you’re going to have another grandchild. I’m hoping my pregnancy doesn’t get wrapped up in your anger about me leaving.”

  Barbara leaned toward her. “Is that what you hope? That’s sweet. So you think I should be happy that you’ve tricked Rhys into getting you pregnant. I should have seen this coming.”

  The outrageous statement wasn’t
even a surprise. Mackenzie shook her head. “I don’t know how you maintain that level of fight. It’s exhausting. I didn’t trick Rhys and I didn’t plan on getting pregnant, not that you’ll believe me. And in the end, what you believe doesn’t matter. I am genuinely heartbroken about how this has gone between us. I loved you so much. I thought we would always be close.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have walked away. You started this, Mackenzie. Not me, not Rhys, not anyone but you.”

  “You don’t care about the child at all, do you?”

  “No. You’re nothing to me. You were always a means to an end.”

  Mackenzie knew Barbara wanted to hurt her and she was doing a good job of it. What she didn’t know was if she was telling the truth.

  “Ironically that will you’ve always thrown in my face is about to bite you in the butt,” Mackenzie said, rising to her feet. “Because the DNA evidence that proves my baby is a member of the family will entitle her to inherit just as much as your other grandchildren.”

  She started for the door, then turned back. “I wanted to make it about us having a familial connection, about you being my baby’s grandmother. You want to make it about money and land. It’s not a fight I went looking for, but if that’s what you want, bring it on, because I’m going to win.”

  With that, she walked out. She was halfway down the stairs when she heard something heavy slam into the wall, followed by a high-pitched scream.

  When she reached her car, she texted Stephanie and Four a quick Brace yourself. She knows. That done, she drove back to the offices she shared with Bruno. She had a stack of paperwork to read through. Escrow was very good at generating documents. Later, when she wasn’t feeling quite so sick to her stomach, she would indulge in a big bowl of chocolate ice cream and daydream about everything she was going to do at Painted Moon. As long as she kept moving forward, she would be fine. Which turned out to be an okay thing because she’d never much liked standing still.

  * * *

  Barbara waited until just after six, then drove to the compound. She parked behind her son’s house and walked in through the always open back door. As she’d expected, she found Rhys sitting at his desk in his office.

  He was focused on his computer and jumped when she said his name.

  “You about gave me a heart attack,” he said, pressing a hand to his chest. “Don’t you knock?”

  “No, I don’t.” She walked over to the desk and clutched the back of the chair. “She told me about the baby.”

  Rhys leaned back in his chair. “She told me, as well.”

  “Is it yours?”

  “Yes.”

  Barbara collapsed into a chair, the last of her hope fading away.

  “You had to get her pregnant?”

  “I don’t like this, either, Mom. You think I want a kid now? I was finally going to be free of my marriage and start the life I wanted to have.” He waved his hand at her. “It’s done and I’m going to have to deal.”

  Her head shot up. “Not just you, Rhys. All of us. This is a nightmare on many levels.” She leaned toward him. “I want you to sue for custody.”

  “What?” He stared at her. “No.”

  “Why not? You’re the father. Society is different now. Lots of men raise children on their own. You’d have help. We’d all be here for you. We’d hire a nanny for the day-to-day work.”

  “Forget it. I have no interest in being the custodial parent. You want the baby so much, you sue for custody.”

  “Believe me, I’ve thought about it.” And she would talk to her lawyer, if she couldn’t convince Rhys to do the right thing.

  “I’m shocked at how little interest you’re showing in your own child,” she said, wanting to gauge how much she could guilt him into doing what she wanted.

  “Like you’re the most maternal woman on the planet. Forget it, Mom. You’re not going to get me to fight Mackenzie for the baby. My lawyer’s working on a visitation plan. I’ll show up because it’s the right thing to do, but don’t expect me to do more than what I have to.”

  She should have known he was going to be difficult.

  “That doesn’t work for me,” she snapped. “She can’t be allowed to keep it. What if it really is yours? Is my grandchild going to be raised by that woman?”

  “As she’s the mother, yes. That’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

  She knew yelling at him wouldn’t help, although she desperately wanted to vent her frustration. “I just need you to cooperate on this,” she said between clenched teeth. “I want to talk to your lawyer.”

  He stood up and put his hands on the desk. “Listen to me carefully, Mom. You’re not going to screw with my life. Mackenzie and I will work out the parenting plan. When the baby’s born, we’ll confirm that I’m the father with a DNA test, and that’s all you need to know. I’m not interested in any crazy plans you might come up with. It’s done. Leave it alone. In a few months, we’ll talk about how you can make things right with Mackenzie so you can have time with your new grandchild.”

  “Make things right with her?” she shouted, coming to her feet. “Did you really say that? She doesn’t deserve that child. I wish she’d miscarry. She’s the one who wants to destroy us. She’s the one who—”

  “Barbara!”

  She turned and saw Giorgio standing in Rhys’s office. He was pale with shock.

  This was bad timing, she thought in annoyance. No doubt he’d seen her golf cart behind Rhys’s house.

  “What are you saying?” he demanded. “Tell me you don’t mean it. Mackenzie’s pregnant? That’s something to celebrate.”

  She loved Giorgio’s kind heart, but right now it was nothing but a pain in her ass. Of course he wouldn’t understand because to him family was everything. He didn’t share her connection to the land. He’d blithely walked away from his business, something she could never do. He wasn’t ruthless and he didn’t want her to be that way, either.

  Funny how he thought he loved her when he didn’t know her at all. She, on the other hand, was very clear about his strengths and weaknesses.

  “You’re right,” she said quickly, pretending to sway on her feet before sinking back into the chair. “I’m overwhelmed by everything that’s happening.”

  Given how on edge she was, she had no difficulty summoning a few tears. Giorgio was at her side in an instant, taking her hand in his and kissing her cheek.

  “I’ll take you home,” he told her. “You need to rest.”

  “I do. Thank you, my love.”

  She let him help her out of the room and through the house. She had no idea what Rhys was thinking, but at this moment, she didn’t care. One crisis at a time.

  twenty-three

  Stephanie saved the file on her computer and told herself she was doing great, all things considered. Carson had been released from the hospital and she’d been brave enough to allow him to stay the last week of camp. He would be home in a couple of days, right in time for school to start. She and Avery had maintained their friendly status, with her daughter announcing she was done with boys, at least for her junior year of high school. She was going to focus on academics and after-school activities.

  Stephanie had agreed the plan had merit while secretly thinking it wouldn’t last through the first two weeks of the semester, but at least Avery wasn’t pining for Alexander anymore.

  On the work front, she had an interview lined up with a local winery right after harvest, which was the most exciting news of all. She was working hard to get her portfolio in order so she could be dazzling. In the meantime, she’d signed on to help at Painted Moon during harvest. The temp work would keep her bank account healthy enough that she could sleep most nights. Things were looking up.

  She was about to start paying bills when her phone buzzed with a text.

  U around

  She shoo
k her head before replying. What is it with you and abbreviations when you text? You’re not 17. Write out the entire sentence. I know you can. And yes, I’m in my office. There are cookies in the kitchen.

  She pushed Send and began to shut down her laptop. A few minutes later Rhys walked into her study and threw himself on the sofa.

  “You didn’t want cookies?” she asked.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  Her big brother’s normal good humor was nowhere to be seen and there was a decidedly downward turn to his mouth.

  She wondered if he was regretting the divorce. While his marriage hadn’t been perfect, from the outside it seemed that he and Mackenzie got along. Okay, sure, the sex thing was a problem, but they could fix that maybe with some counseling or watching porn or something. If he was—

  “Mackenzie’s pregnant,” he announced.

  “I know. She told me.”

  Stephanie had been thrilled for her and secretly proud of herself for reacting the way a best friend should.

  He leaned back in the sofa and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t want a kid.”

  “But you used to talk about having a family.”

  He looked at her. “Years ago, right after we were married, but not now. I’m finally free to live my life, and instead of enjoying myself, I’m going to be stuck with some baby.” He exhaled. “She had to have her IUD taken out. I guess I drove her to the appointment, although I sure don’t remember it. So she wasn’t on anything. It was just one time.”

  “That is all it takes. One time.”

  He glared at her. “How does that help?”

  “I didn’t know you wanted help. I thought you were just grumbling.”

  “I just don’t want to deal with a baby.”

  “Rhys, this is your child. It’s a part of you, a part of the family.”

  “I don’t care. I wish I could sign my rights away.”

  Stephanie nearly fell off her chair. “Do you mean that?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. I mean, I suppose there are legal ways to abandon a child, but I’m not sure I’m capable of doing that. Or if I should, you know. What if I have regrets later? Mom wants me to sue for custody, which is not happening.”