The Vineyard at Painted Moon

by Susan Mallery

  “Those are just numbers. You don’t know us.” He shrugged. “I think you could probably do a decent job, if you gave us your full attention. But here’s the thing. I don’t want a maybe. I want to be sure, and with you, I’m not.” He glanced at the door. “But I appreciate you coming in.”

  It took her a second to realize she’d just been dismissed. She reached for her folder and fumbled with it a couple of times before finally grabbing it. She collected her purse and her briefcase and stood.

  “Thank you for your time,” she managed, then bolted. Walking as quickly as her three-inch black pumps would let her, she made her way to her SUV.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the nearest fast-food place, carefully turned off the engine, then clutched the steering wheel as tears filled her eyes. Mortification didn’t begin to describe how horrible she felt. She hadn’t just screwed up an interview, she’d exposed her lack of experience and talent to someone who knew her and her family. Elias was a big deal in the area. He could tell everyone what had happened and that her mother was right about her. The entire industry would be laughing at her.

  She brushed away tears, only to have more take their place.

  She’d been so sure, she thought, but she’d screwed up so badly. She’d done research on the presentation, she’d pulled the samples and laid them out on her desk. How hadn’t she seen the duplicate? How had she not noticed that her work from the last couple of years was crappy? She’d thought she had talent but she was nothing. Nothing!

  She managed to get the crying under control. She drove home and made her way to her bedroom. After stepping out of her shoes, she hurried to the bathroom and threw up the little she had in her stomach.

  Lying there on the cold tile, she relived the interview while waiting for the nausea to pass. She saw herself walking in and proudly presenting Elias with her portfolio. She watched his expression tighten a little, probably because he was trying to conceal his shock at how bad she was. When he looked up, she saw the pity in his eyes.

  She slowly got up, changed her clothes and went back downstairs, her portfolio tucked under her arm. In her study, she sat in her chair and wondered what she was going to do now.

  If Elias spread the word, she would never find a job in Walla Walla. While she didn’t think he was likely to do that, she couldn’t be sure. Worse, she couldn’t blame him. He’d been right about her not caring the last couple of years. Yes, her mother was a pain to work for, but so what? Compared to most people, she’d had it easy.

  She fanned her samples out in front of her. The early work was exciting, she thought wistfully. Creative and eye-catching. After that, not so much, which was her own fault.

  She wasn’t surprised her mother had said awful things about her—she could live with that. But that she’d proved them to be true was unbearable.

  She looked at the pages of research she’d done on Elias’s winery. Knowing how many bottles sold a year was one thing, but not understanding the true nature of his customers was unforgiveable.

  She picked up her marketing plan for the library wines. So what if she’d done a great campaign—he couldn’t use it because he didn’t have library wines. She should have known that. And because she hadn’t, she’d lost a chance at a great job. Worse, she’d figured out she wasn’t someone even she would want to hire.

  twenty-six

  At lunch Mackenzie did what women across the country did on a regular basis—she ran errands. After putting gas in her Jeep, she headed for the grocery store, a shopping list in her back pocket. She was still trying to figure out a routine, which was harder than she’d anticipated. She’d been so spoiled at Bel Après, what with a chef, a housecleaning service and Rhys handling things like bills and putting gas in her car. Now it was all on her—daunting, but worth it.

  Two weeks after moving into the house, she was finally sleeping better and settling in. She liked how homey the place felt. Bruno was right—she would eventually want to remodel the kitchen and the two upstairs bathrooms, but for now it was enough that she had a place to call home.

  The hardest adjustment was living by herself. She never had. She’d gone from living with her grandfather to rooming with Stephanie in college to moving in with Rhys. On the bright side, whatever leftovers she put in the refrigerator were always waiting for her. Sadly there was no one else to load the dishwasher when she was tired after a long day.

  Last time she’d shopped, she’d wandered the aisles, forgetting half of what she needed. Last night she’d made a list, even planning out a few dinners. On Sunday she was going to get out her new Crock-Pot and find a couple of recipes that looked good. She would make batches and freeze single-size meals for herself.

  She got a cart and headed into the store. She had to backtrack a couple of times but finished her shopping in under twenty minutes. After paying, she carried the bags to her Jeep and felt a strong sense of accomplishment. She would quickly unload everything at home, then return to work. With the grapes busy fermenting, she could get caught up on paperwork. Later, after drinking two full glasses of water, she would sample from two more barrels and add to her growing file of notes.

  She stopped at a traffic light. As she waited for it to turn green, she noticed a café taking advantage of the unseasonable warm October weather by setting out tables and chairs on the sidewalk.

  The familiar silhouette of one customer caught her attention. Her whole body tensed as she saw Rhys sitting across from a pretty blonde. They were leaning toward each other, laughing at something one of them had said.

  Behind her, a horn honked. She returned her attention to the road and pulled into the intersection, on her way back to the house.

  “I’m fine,” she told herself, ignoring her rapidly beating heart and the sudden dryness in her mouth. “We’re getting a divorce. Of course he’s seeing other people.”

  She wasn’t surprised. She didn’t mind. This was what happened. People moved on. She’d moved on. She was perfectly all right with what she’d seen.

  Only she wasn’t all right, mostly because she’d always been one step behind Rhys on the divorce. He’d brought it up first, he’d had her served, and while she wanted all that, too, she couldn’t help thinking that maybe they could have mourned what they’d had a little longer. She didn’t miss him so much as what she’d always thought of as “them.”

  She got back to the house and put away her groceries. Bruno was sitting at the dining room table, two computer screens in front of him. She squinted as she stared at what looked like a very complicated spreadsheet, grateful she wasn’t responsible for the finances.

  “We have barn cats,” he said, studying the screens as she took her seat. “I’ve counted four of them.”

  “Most wineries have cats. They’re close to feral and help keep down the rodent population.”

  “I’m arranging for someone to come trap them and get them in to the vet. They need checkups. If they haven’t been already, they need to be vaccinated, spayed and neutered before they’re returned to us.” He glanced up. “We don’t want—” He swore under his breath. “What’s wrong?”

  She knew she should eat something, but right now she wasn’t very hungry.

  “Nothing. Why do you ask? I’m great.”

  He stared at her. “No, you’re not. Something happened. You’re pale and you look shaken.” He swore. “Did Barbara come back? We can get a restraining order against her.”

  “I hardly think she’s broken any laws and I doubt any judge would see her as a threat.”

  “She tried to buy your kid.”

  “No, she tried to buy my kid’s inheritance. There’s a difference.” She managed a smile as she sat down. “I can handle her.”

  “Maybe. What happened?”

  She had a feeling Bruno wasn’t going to let it go and wished there was something dramatic she could share. Something that would jus
tify her reaction. Unfortunately, all she had was the truth.

  “I saw Rhys having lunch with a woman.” She held up a hand. “I’m not upset. It’s more the shock of it. They were laughing and having a good time. She’s very pretty.”

  He watched her cautiously.

  “Bruno, I’m really okay. It’s just everything has happened so fast, and even though I didn’t want to stay married, divorce is hard. He was a part of my life for a long time and now he’s gone. I thought Barbara was my second mom and obviously she’s not. I still have Stephanie and Four, but sometimes it feels like my emotional life is slipping away from me. The day before the Summer Solstice Party, I knew what the rest of my life was going to look like. After that, everything changed and I’m still catching up. Being pregnant doesn’t help.”

  She put her hands flat on the table. “Stephanie mentioned me needing maternity clothes the other day. I can’t wear my regular stuff much longer, but I never thought about that myself, and to be honest, I’m resisting the thought. Isn’t that bad? I don’t feel connected to the baby. What if that never happens? What if I’m a terrible mother?”

  He smiled at her. “Maternity clothes have nothing to do with being a mom. Bad parents don’t worry about being bad parents.”

  “Logic? Really? This hardly seems like the appropriate time.”

  He chuckled. “It’s always time for logic. Let’s take these one at a time. The divorce. Of course it’s hard. You were with him, what, sixteen years? You loved him. You don’t just turn that off.”

  “He did,” she grumbled.

  “This isn’t about him, it’s about you. It’s going to take time. The same with how you feel about Barbara. You’re mourning that relationship, as well. You loved her and believed she loved you, too. You’ve been betrayed. That’s a tough thing to get over. As for the baby, you’ll get there.”

  “You’re so rational. I must look like an idiot to you. You’re seeing me at my worst.”

  “If this is you at your worst, then I have nothing to worry about.”

  She rested her elbow on the table and leaned her head against her hand. “You’re nice. I knew you’d be a brilliant businessman and great partner in the winery, but I didn’t know about the nice part.”

  “I’m not nice, but I do understand feeling badly about something that’s happened. We’ve all done things we regret.”

  “Tell me one.”

  He hesitated before leaning back in his chair. “I fell for a married woman.”

  Mackenzie felt her eyes widen. “For real? But you so don’t seem the type.”

  “I’m not. I know better. Her name is Kristine. She lives on Blackberry Island.” He gave her a faint smile. “We met because she was the caterer for my private jet.”

  She straightened and smiled. “So a Cinderella story.”

  “Not exactly. Her marriage was going through a rough patch and she had three boys she talked about all the time. I knew better but I began to imagine stepping into his place. Being a dad, being a husband. Not my finest hour.”

  She didn’t know what to say. Bruno was always capable, sophisticated and urbane. The vulnerable man in front of her was someone she’d never seen before.

  “Were you in love with her?”

  “No. I didn’t know her well enough for that. We flirted and she immediately retreated. She didn’t want someone else, she wanted the man in her life to step up.”

  “Did he?”

  “Eventually. Last I heard, they’re together and very happy.”

  “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

  “I wasn’t involved enough to be hurt. However, the situation showed me that I needed to make some changes. That’s when I decided I wanted a new career challenge.”

  She smiled. “We’ve certainly given you that, haven’t we?”

  “Painted Moon is going to become a name to be reckoned with in the wine industry.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’m rarely wrong in business. It’s my personal life that sucks.”

  “I don’t understand why that is. Have you seen yourself? You’re very dateable.”

  One eyebrow rose as he looked at her. Mackenzie immediately felt flustered and didn’t know what to do with her hands. She wanted to call back the statement, only it was true and they were friends, so why couldn’t she say it?

  She supposed the problem was she was afraid he would see it as an invitation rather than an observation and she didn’t want Bruno thinking she was interested in him that way. Mostly because, well, um...

  He saved her from her spinning thoughts by smiling slightly and saying, “In my free time?”

  She grabbed the gracious lifeline he threw her way.

  “Yes, well, there is that. I know I wouldn’t have time to date, either. Although the real difference between us is you’re some good-looking rich guy and I’m a single, pregnant mom-to-be. I suspect you’re the more desirable addition to the dating pool.”

  His dark gaze met hers. “You’re not ready to start dating.”

  “You’re right, but eventually I’d like to, I don’t know, fall in love. Sometimes I wonder if I ever really loved Rhys.” She shook her head. “That came out wrong. I loved him. I still do. What was missing was the ‘in love’ part. I think ours was a love built on shared interests and expediency.”

  “You’ll do better next time.”

  “I trust your business track record. I’m less confident about your ability to see into my future.”

  “I know you, Mackenzie. You don’t fail the same way twice.” He stood. “Come on.”

  She looked at him. “Where are we going?”

  “Nowhere. Stand up. I’m going to hug you. After what happened today, you need a hug from a friend.”

  Despite a sudden flush of awkwardness, she did as he requested. She rose and stepped toward him. Strong arms came around her and drew her close. She hugged him back, letting herself lean against him and absorb his strength and warmth.

  She’d thought he would let go immediately, but he held on for several seconds, letting her step back first. As she looked at him, she realized she felt less tense and more like she was going to be all right.

  “Thanks. You give really good hugs.”

  He smiled and lightly brushed her cheek with his thumb. “A perk of the partnership.”

  “I don’t remember reading that in the paperwork.”

  “Some things are simply understood.”

  As she took her seat and opened her email program, she found herself thinking Bruno really was a good man. And a great hugger. Both characteristics she was pleased to find in her new business partner.

  * * *

  Barbara sat across from her lawyer and tried to keep her impatience to herself. They’d worked through nearly all of the things on the list she’d sent. But so far Dan hadn’t said a single word about Mackenzie.

  “I can’t decide if you’re being deliberately difficult or if you have a plan,” she said when he’d brought up an annual review of the trust that had been set up for the investment accounts. “I don’t want to discuss the trust. I want to know if you’ve gone over the contracts I have with Mackenzie.”

  Dan, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a fondness for three-piece suits, pressed his lips together.

  “I told you in my email that the contracts were solid, Barbara. You insisted on that. For as long as you’re selling those wines, Mackenzie gets her cut.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “That’s the law.”

  “It’s a stupid law. There’s nothing you can do?”

  “I’ve been over them myself, and I had one of my partners review them, as well.”

  “Can I sue her?”

  “For what?”

  She waved her hand. “You’re the lawyer, you tell me. Anything. Walki
ng away from her job. Buying Painted Moon. Divorcing my son.”

  “None of those are actionable. You didn’t have an employment agreement with her or a do-not-compete contract. She was an at-will employee and she wanted to leave. The divorce is between her and Rhys.”

  “Well, it shouldn’t be. It affects us all.” She wasn’t surprised by his assessment, but she didn’t like it. “We’ll have to stop producing the wines. That way she won’t get anything.”

  “Aren’t they profitable for the company?”

  “Yes.” Very profitable. All Mackenzie’s wines were sought after and sold out within weeks of their release.

  “Wouldn’t it make more sense to simply pay her what she’s owed?”

  “I’m not interested in sensible. I want her punished. She’s pregnant.”

  Dan’s neutral expression didn’t change. “I didn’t know. Is Rhys the father?”

  “So he tells me.”

  Dan shocked her by smiling. “Then congratulations.”

  She glared at him. “Is that you being funny?”

  “What? No. I thought... She’s having your grandchild.”

  “I already have grandchildren. I don’t need any more and certainly not hers. Can I sue for custody?”

  “Of what?”

  Were all lawyers as stupid as him? “Can I sue Mackenzie for custody of her baby?”

  Dan drew back in his chair, and his features tightened. “I don’t handle family law. I’d need to refer you to someone else. Having said that, I don’t see any grounds to sue her for custody of her unborn baby. The courts favor the biological parents. Now, Rhys would have a case.”

  “He’s not interested in having much to do with the child. I’m insisting on a DNA test, but the way things are going, the baby probably is his.”

  She picked up the cup of coffee she’d been given when she first sat down. “It’s the inheritance. I don’t care how many children she has, but if Rhys is the father, then her child is going to inherit a part of Bel Après. I want to stop that from happening.” She looked at him. “That would be where you come in.”