“Good, that’s good,” I said, and gripped the steering wheel as I stared out the windshield. “Do you mind if I head over that way now? I think we need to talk about what happened this morning.”
“Of course. I can’t begin to imagine what you must be thinking…or feeling. I’m still trying to process it all myself.”
“It’s a big ask, Mom. A year?”
“I know. He shouldn’t have done it.”
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the headrest. “Well, what else is new when it comes to Harry?”
There was a pause, and then she said, “There’s a staff meeting scheduled this afternoon at three to talk about how we’ll be moving forward. But we don’t need to tell them anything until you’ve made a decision.”
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Let me come over there and talk to you. Then we can try to work out what to do.”
“Okay.”
I was about to end the call when I heard her say my name.
“Yeah?”
“I really am sorry.”
“I know, Mom. I know.”
BY THE TIME I arrived at the property, the sun was high and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful spring day, and this time when I pulled into the drive, there were only a handful of the staff’s cars.
I parked in one of the guest spots and made my way to the front door, and this time, instead of knocking, I headed right inside. There was no one to greet me today, no one to cut me off at the pass and make sure I only went where I was told. So I took a second to look around the front entrance.
It hadn’t changed much over the years. A circular rug covered the hardwood floors, and beyond that a thick wooden desk that was a hand-carved work of art served as the check-in point. It housed a computer at one end and a display of souvenirs and knickknacks at the other.
There were wine glasses, bottle openers, keychains, and postcards. They all had the winery’s logo, phone number, email, and address stamped on them, and behind the desk, built into the wall, was an enormous wine rack that went from one side to the other. It must’ve housed over fifty or more bottles, and the overall feel of the place was warm and inviting, classy and elegant.
I was about to hunt down my mom when she walked out of the hallway that led to the tasting area. Her face lit up the second she spotted me, and as she crossed the lobby, my anger at Harry from earlier begin to ease.
I didn’t want to be tied to this place—that was the God’s honest truth. Small-town living was not how I’d envisioned my life. Laurel and I had talked of L.A. and college, and after that, traveling had been the dream. But that hadn’t happened, so maybe getting to know the family I’d been forced to leave would be one of the highlights of this shitshow Harry had made me the star of.
“Noah. I can’t tell you how nice it is to walk in and see you standing there.”
When she reached me and held out her hands, I took them in mine and gave them a light squeeze. “It’s been a long time.”
“Too long,” she said, and moved in beside me, slipping her arm through the crook of my elbow. “I know you didn’t get to really take in the place yesterday—too many people watching you. How about we go and sit out on the back deck? It’s a beautiful day, and it offers such a lovely view of the vineyards.”
I nodded and patted her hand, letting her lead the way, and when we stepped out onto the deck, the sight that greeted me was breathtaking.
With spring now in full season, the first buds were beginning to appear on the vines. It was known as “bud break,” and it turned the bare, dormant vines into a thing of beauty, as the cover crop—which was a vibrant mustard color—blanketed the grounds between the vine rows. It went on and on for as far as the eye could see, and under the bright rays of the sun, the fields looked golden.
“It’s beautiful,” I said in a reverent tone, as we stopped by the rail and looked out at the property.
“It is. It’s my favorite time of the year. Although it makes your brother kind of a bear.”
I chuckled, knowing just how stressful bud break could be, especially for the vineyard manager. It was one of the most precarious times for the crop. It could either make or break you for the season, because one night below freezing and all of those new shoots could sustain irreversible damage. That meant long nights monitoring the weather, and often having to implement strategies like giant fans as loud as airplanes to save the fragile harvest.
I knew firsthand the strain and pressure that could put on a person. It was enough to even make Ryan foul-tempered.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I said as I looked down at her. “Are there are any other helpful hints you need to tell me before I start working here?”
Mom gasped, and then she quickly covered her mouth. “Do you mean it?”
“I do. It’s not going to be easy, though. I’m going to have to get in contact with Sergio and work out how I can make this happen. But there’s no way I’m going to hand this place over to the town. It’s yours, Mom. And if I have to stay here for a year and work the place to make that happen, then I’ll stay.”
“Oh, Noah.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tight, and when she began to shake, I knew she was crying. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry he did this to you again. Disrupting your life like this.”
So was I, but it wasn’t her fault. “Don’t you be sorry. That’s on him. Let’s just get everything squared away so the year can begin. I want a smooth season, and that’s going to start with me getting the lay of the land.”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded. “You’re right. Of course. Where do you think we should start?”
I turned around and faced the main building behind us. “You said there was a staff meeting this afternoon?”
“Yes. I was just going to let them all know that they didn’t need to worry about their jobs with Harry being gone. That’s all.”
“Okay. Well, that’s a good place to start.” I thought about Laurel and what a shock she was about to get when she found out I was her boss. But there was nothing I could do about that now, and it wasn’t as though I’d really had a choice.
“Why don’t I show you where your father’s—well, your office will be, and I can run through the staff and who works what.”
“That sounds good. Is Ryan here? It might be helpful to bring him in on all of this.”
“He is, yes. Let me call down to him and have him meet us.”
“Sounds good. You lead, I’ll follow.”
With a final look at the vineyards I’d just agreed to take on, I followed Mom inside and wondered what in the hell Harry had just gotten me into.
10
Laurel
“DID YOU HEAR? Apparently Harry sold the place to some bigwig family from out of town, and that’s what this afternoon’s meeting is for, to introduce them.”
“No way. Why would he do that? Emily and Ryan work here. It’s their family’s business. He’s not gonna just sell it out from under them.”