by Lucinda Race
She had to smile. It was the way her mother always started a phone conversation.
“Hey, Mom. I was going to call you closer to dinner.”
“I know, dear, that’s why I’m calling you. Dad offered to take me out to dinner at the country club. Seems he was the winner of his golf game. The guys in his foursome and their wives asked us to join them. But I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Sounds like you’ll have a fun time.”
Before she could say anything else, her mom said, “Here’s your father.”
“Hi, Dad.” She smiled. This was such a typical conversation with her parents.
“Hello, sweetheart. Good drive back to school?”
“Uneventful.”
“What are you going to do tonight?”
“I have a paper to finish before class tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a typical evening for a college girl. Study hard. Love you, kid.”
“Love you too.” She could hear Mom in the background call out that they’d talk tomorrow. She hung up the phone and flopped on the sofa. Why the heck hadn’t she heard from Sam? She picked up the receiver and set it back down.
No. She’d wait for him to call her.
Chapter 7
Sam spent a long night in an unforgiving chair next to his father’s hospital bed. A mild heart attack is what the doctor said. He ran a hand through his hair and watched his dad’s chest rise and fall. It gave him comfort. But things had to change. Once Dad was home, they were going to assess the business. He would take a more active role. As much as he loved working with his hands, Dad needed to slow down. Sam was not about to become an orphan.
The golden rays crept across the floor as the sun rose in the morning sky. It filled the room with a warm light. Sam stood at the window and adjusted the blinds to soften the sunlight.
“Son?”
Sam perched on the edge of the bed. “Hey, Dad. How’d ya sleep?”
Without answering the question, his father said, “Have you been here all night?”
“Yeah, I slept in the chair.”
Dad’s gaze traveled to the machines on the side of the bed. The soft beep and the screen showed his heartbeat, thankfully steady and predictable. “Heart attack?”
“Yes. Do you remember we talked to the doctor? He said it was mild and more of a warning sign.”
“Think they’ll spring me today?”
His deep-brown eyes betrayed his fear. Sam remembered the last time Dad was scared, when his mom was dying.
Sam shook his head. He didn’t like being the bearer of bad news. “No. After you fell asleep, I talked to the doc. They’re going to run some tests, monitor you, and if everything goes as expected, I’ll take you home tomorrow.”
Sam grasped his dad’s hand. His dad was a man of few words, but Sam knew he was grateful to have his son with him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m going home for a while. I need to check on the crew. I’m going to ask Mark to be the temporary foreman.”
“Don’t shirk your responsibilities.” He rested his head back on the stark white sheet.
“Dad, you’re the most important responsibility I have, and taking care of our business will give you the chance to recover. Allow me the opportunity to do what I think is best.”
Dad nodded and looked away. A range of emotions raced over his face: a mix of sadness, fear, and pride.
“Is there anything that needs my immediate attention?” Sam asked.
“We have oak barrels that need to be burned and the Pinot Grigio needs to be checked; we might be close to bottling.”
“That’s easy enough. Nothing for you to worry about.” Sam stood up. “Listen to the nurses. I’ll be back around lunch to fill you in. Hopefully we’ll have an update from the doctor too.”
“Thanks, son, for everything.”
“No need to thank me, Dad. This is what family does.”
* * *
Sam’s truck bumped along the back entrance to the winery. He’d swung by the house, let the dogs out, changed clothes, and gotten some much-needed coffee. He wanted to find Mark and talk about the changes that had to be made. Then it was time to buckle down and show Dad he could run the winery. At least when Dad got better, Sam would be able to share the workload.
He drove past one of the flower gardens Sherry had planted. The deep purple and yellow pansies added some nice color. So much had happened in a short span of time. He wished he could call and talk to her about everything. He rolled the window down to smell the cool morning air. He had bigger issues than worrying about a girl he’d dated once.
Sherry. He couldn’t stop thinking about her or that guy kissing her, and it pissed him off. Who was he trying to kid? He liked her. She was different than other girls he’d met. She was easy to be with. It reminded him of watching how his parents were together. Being with her, he had felt wholehearted again.
He threw the truck in park, switched off the engine, and strode into the shop.
He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. “Hey, Mark.” He waited while his eyes adjusted to the interior. “Mark!”
“Hold on.” The muffled response reached his ears. From the back of the building, his old buddy from high school came around the side of a tractor, wiping his hands on a rag. He stuffed it in the back pocket of his grease-streaked jeans.
“Trouble?” Sam gestured to the equipment.
“No, routine maintenance. Oil change and filter.” Mark was shorter than Sam. A Yankee baseball cap was perched on his head and he wore a light-gray t-shirt with the same logo. He leaned against the fender. “What’s up?”
He got right to the point. “Dad had a mild heart attack yesterday and he’s in the hospital. I was hoping you would take over running the field crews for me so I can take care of everything else.”
Mark placed a steady hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Sure, not a prob. Is he going to be okay, long-term?”
Sam could see the concern on his friend’s face and was glad to have the support. “I hope so, but he’s going to need to slow down and stop working twelve hours a day, seven days a week.”
“He’s the hardest-working person here. Makes the rest of us look like slugs.”
Sam nodded. He stood tall. “That’s about to change.” He stuck his hand out. “Thanks for stepping up.”
“If you need anything else, let me know.”
“Will do. If you need me you know where to find me.” Sam turned and headed toward the office. Next up: Act like the CEO. What was that saying, fake it till you make it? He straightened his shoulders. He wouldn’t have to fake anything. He was ready.
* * *
Five weeks and three papers to go before Sherry’s graduation, and this phase of life would be behind her. Sam hadn’t called all week. She thought he would since they had tentative plans for Friday night, but he didn’t show or call. A group of her friends talked her into going out to Onondaga Lake for the day but at first, she thought Sam might show up and she didn’t want to miss him. Then the never-ending silence had changed her mind. She wasn’t waiting around for any guy.
She tossed sunscreen, a baseball cap, and a few other essentials in her tote bag. They were going to stop at the market to pick up food and drinks. Her phone rang and her heart quickened.
“Hello.” She hoped it was Sam.
“Hi, Sherry. I heard you’re coming with the gang to the lake. Want a ride?”
She groaned. It was Brad, and he sounded almost jubilant. “Joan is picking me up in ten minutes.” Why she felt the need to explain to him was beyond her. “Thanks for the offer.”
“No problem. See you there.”
She replaced the phone in the cradle. Why is it the guy you want to hear from doesn’t call and the guy who should have taken a hike is still hanging around? She double-checked to make sure her answering machine was on before she left her apartment.
* * *
Sherry lounged on the towel and watched as a bunch of guys and girls played Fri
sbee on the beach. Everyone was laughing and having a blast. Brad dropped onto the sand next to her.
“You don’t want to play?” His head bobbed toward their friends.
“I told you I stink at most sports. Softball, basketball, I’m hopeless, and Frisbee isn’t much better. I’m an excellent spectator though. Did you forget?”
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “Maybe.”
It was another reminder why she broke up with him. She glanced at him. “Why aren’t you playing?”
“I was going to but when I saw you sitting it out, I decided it would be more fun to hang with you.”
It had been those kinds of sweet lines that led her to date him in the first place even though her instincts had warned her to stay away. “No need to babysit me. I’m perfectly content by myself.”
He shifted his position so his back was to the water. “Come on, Sherry. Why won’t you give me another chance?”
She sighed. He just wouldn’t let this go. “I am not interested in dating you. If we started things up again, I couldn’t trust you, and that isn’t a strong foundation for a relationship.”
He took her hand. “I’ve changed.”
“It’s been four weeks since I found out you were cheating on me, and we had only been dating for a couple of months.” Then it hit her. Her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about dating me. It’s more that I broke it off and not you. It bruised your ego.”
His eyes darted toward the water and he turned his body away from her.
She had struck a nerve. “You’d rather people think you dumped me and left me heartbroken, crying in my apartment?”
“Well, it would be better for my reputation with the guys.” His eyes brightened. “Can we say we got back together and then in a few days I dump you?”
With a slow shake of her head, she said, “Please tell me you’re kidding.” But one look at his face told her he wasn’t. “No way. I will not go along with that scheme, all in a pathetic attempt to bolster your reputation.” She stood up. “See you around, Brad.”
“But wait,” he sputtered.
She strode to the shoreline. What she needed was to clear her head. An image of Sam holding her hand that night in the park drifted in. If only she could figure out what might have happened to keep him from calling. Should she be concerned? He seemed to be a guy who kept his word. If there wasn’t a message from him on her machine when she got back, then in a few days she was calling him.
Sherry felt better now that a decision had been made. She strolled through the cool water as it lapped at the shoreline, then stopped and picked up a flat stone and skipped it over the smooth surface of the lake. It reminded her of growing up in Crescent Lake. She found it comforting to think that although some things were different, they also remained the same.
Sam brought his dad home from the hospital. After a semi-heated debate over whether Dad was going into the office, he had relented. He was relaxing in the family room instead, watching an old Western on television. Sam brought in a large glass of iced coffee and set it on the side table.
“Do you need anything else?”
He grumbled. “Stop waiting on me. I’m not an invalid. You heard the doctor; I’m fine.”
Sam could feel his temper prick but he settled it back down. “The doc said you’ll be fine after you modify your diet, start exercising, and reduce your stress. And you’ve been home less than three hours. Cut me some slack.”
Dad threw up his hands. “I’m bored.”
“Then you have two weeks of boredom. Read a book, catch up on old movies, or go for a walk and see how nice the flower gardens look.”
His shoulders sagged. “We have so much to do this time of year. I don’t want you to carry the burden; it’s not fair.”
Sam perched on the edge of the sofa. He struggled to keep his voice steady. “What if this hadn’t been a warning? What if you had a massive heart attack? I’d be alone and have to sink or swim.”
Dad’s face was blank.
Sam continued. “You have to turn over part of your workload to me permanently. We need to talk about when you want to step down and let me run the company.”
“I’m ten years from retirement age.”
Sam understood the last thing he’d want to do was retire. “I’m not saying you have to slink off into your golden years. What I am saying is we need to plan if you want this winery to be here for my grandkids.”
Dad’s eyes grew bright. “Which means?”
He held up his hand. “Don’t get ahead of yourself but yeah, someday I want to get married and have a couple of kids.”
A gleam came into his dad’s eye. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
Sam shook his head and sighed. “I’m not sure I like the sound of this, but go for it.”
“If I agree to relax the reins, you name your first son after me.” He beamed. “It’ll be like a legacy.”
“That’s blackmail and”—Sam pointed to the window—“that land out there isn’t enough of a legacy?”
“You were named after your grandfather.” He paused for dramatic effect and stuck out his hand.
“It’s like making a deal with the devil.” Sam chuckled and shook his hand. “On one condition: My future wife has to agree.”
Dad let go and grinned. “She will.”
“I have to meet her first.”
He gave Sam a knowing look. “Maybe you already have.”
Chapter 8
The phone rang. Sam hurried to the kitchen. If it was business, he didn’t want Dad to demand the phone, and if it was personal, well, he couldn’t think of who would be calling. His buddies just dropped by and never called.
“Hello.”
“Sam, hi. It’s Sherry.”
His heart skipped. Her voice was velvety smooth and full of life.
“Hi, Sherry.”
“I was just calling to say hi.”
He looked at the floor, glad she couldn’t see him.
“I thought we sort of had plans for this past weekend.”
Should he say something about the guy he saw kiss her but no, they weren’t dating exclusively. She had a right to kiss whoever she wanted.
“Yeah, sorry. I should have called. Dad had a mild heart attack and things have been wonky around here.”
He could hear the sharp intake of her breath. “Is he going to be alright?”
“He has to take it easy for a couple of weeks and I’m running the business. Mark, you remember him from school”—he didn’t wait for her to respond—“he’s taken over for me in the fields.”
“Sounds like you have a lot on your shoulders.”
It was a statement but did he detect a hint of a question in her voice. “I’m gonna be busy.”
She remained quiet. The tension between them was palpable. How was that even possible over the phone?
“Anything I can do to help?”
“We’re fine. But thanks.” He stared out the window above the sink. “I won’t be able to get out to see you.” He wanted to say something else, like he wished he could see her, but he held back. They were like a fine wine that had turned to vinegar.
“I understand.” Her voice was soft. “Maybe we can catch up when I get back.”
“Sure, sounds good.” His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. He wanted to know who the guy was. She might say it was none of his business, and he just didn’t want to hear that right now.
“Well, if you need someone to talk to, I’m around.” The confusion he heard in her voice tugged at him.
“Thanks. But I’m going to be pretty busy.”
Quietly she said, “I understand. Please tell your dad I hope he has a speedy recovery.”
“I will. Thanks for calling.”
“See you later, Sam.”
“Bye.” The phone line went silent. He thought about all the things he wanted to or should have said. Why couldn’t he have been honest and asked her? It was too late now. He made a couple of sandwiches and went into the
living room.
Dad looked up from the movie. “Did I hear the phone?”
“Yeah, Sherry called. She said to feel better soon.”
“She’s a nice girl, and smart.” Dad took a bite out of his tuna sandwich. “I like her.”
“I did too.”
His brow shot up. “Past tense?”
Sam shrugged. “I went out last Sunday to surprise her and when I got there, some guy was helping her carry her stuff into the building. He kissed her.”
Dad set his sandwich aside and gave Sam his full attention. “Any idea who he was?”
“I think it was her ex. At least he matched the way she described him.”
“What did she say when you asked her?”
“I didn’t. I left and then everything happened with your heart. This is the first time I’ve talked to her since she left.”
“Son, call her back. Or better yet, go see her and talk about it.”
He took a bite of sandwich. It tasted like sawdust in his mouth. He didn’t want to continue to talk about Sherry and that guy.
“It was one date, Dad. It’s not like we’ve been dating exclusively and I saw it. She can do whatever she wants.”
“You’re right. She can. But she called you.”
“Maybe.” He was unconvinced. “Besides, I’m going to be busy until you’re feeling better.”
His one eyebrow arched. “You’re going to use my little health scare as a shield from the girl you’re interested in?”
“She’s just a girl. There will be others.”
Dad shook his head. “Son, I hate to say this, but you’re acting like an idiot.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. “Excuse me?”
“How many chances do you think you get in life? A girl comes along and makes you feel like you are ten feet tall. She puts a smile on your face and all you can think about is when you get to see her again. Isn’t that why you drove to Syracuse? You wanted to see her even though you had only dropped her off less than twenty-four hours before.”
Sam didn’t want to look at his dad. How could he understand how he felt? His eyes slid to study his father’s face.
