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His eyes popped open, the green dark with whatever was weighing on him.“I just need time to fix things.”
“To fix what?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Annoyance and anger swirled inside of me.“Fine, then don’t.See if I give a shit.Don’t expect me to wait around for you.”
“Sher—”
“Unless you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on with you, this conversation is done.Now get out, so I can do my job.”I flung my finger toward the exit, refusing to look at him.A charged stillness expanded around us, consuming us with the unbreakable silence.
For a moment, I thought he might say something.Instead, he turned on his boot and walked out of the barn.
As the door shut behind him, I exhaled, my body deflating.Tears stung the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.I didn’t have time for this shit.I had an event to prepare for.And without Rose around to call on for emergency help, I thought about calling Lainey in, but she’d know something was wrong.After last night's confession, I was still too raw to open up again.So I sent a text to Chardonnay, knowing she would help and not ask questions.
Within thirty minutes, Char and I had everything ready to go.I held my hand up for a high-five, and though she hesitated, she submitted to the display of victory just as the first car pulled into the parking lot.
“Show time,” she said.
“I just need to run to the warehouse and grab a case of wine.”
“Go.I’ll play hostess for you.”
“Thank you.”I hurried off to the warehouse, secretly hoping I did not bump into Ben.This was exactly why I didn’t date people I worked with.Now I was uncomfortable in a place I considered an extension of my home.
Ignoring the voices in my head telling me to go play hostess and to send Char to grab the case, I held my head high, and I walked right into the warehouse.
The familiar scent of oak barrels and steel greeted me, but something else hit me too.A strong odor of alcohol, though not completely unusual for the warehouse since barrels leaked and wine spilled during bottling, but it was never this potent.
My steps slowed as I glanced around.The case of wine I needed was stacked in the far corner near the tasting room reserves.I headed toward it, but as I rounded the stack, glass crunched underfoot.
My eyes darted down.Broken bottles.At least six of them lay shattered on the ground.Red liquid seeped into white cloth napkins that had fallen off their shelf, and the strong scent of alcohol permeated the air.
“What the hell?”I said out loud as I bent down to inspect the mess.“How did this even happen?”
“Jesus, Sherry!Are you okay?”Ben’s voice echoed through the warehouse as he hurried to me..“I’m fine.”
“Why didn’t you come ask me to help you?”he demanded.
“I didn’t do this.It was like this when I came in.”
Something flashed in those green irises, but quickly faded.“It wasn’t like this when I closed up last night.”
“The bottles are out of a case, so they couldn’t have rolled.And they’re the limited-edition vintage.”
We were surrounded by over a thousand dollars in broken bottles.
A sudden rush of panic washed over me.“You don’t think someone did this on purpose, do you?”
“I don’t know,” he said, his tone filled with defeat and uncertainty.
“I had these put aside for the Carmichael wedding.I sold Domenique on the fact the bottles were rare, and now we’re six short.”
“We’ll figure something out.”
“I’ve only just started planning this wedding and everything is already going wrong.This wedding was supposed to be my moment to shine.To introduce Vine Valley Vineyard on a grand scale, and now I can’t even deliver on the one promise I made.”
Ben took my hand, and I wanted to yank it away, but after last night and now this, I just didn’t have the strength to fight what I desperately wanted… his comfort.“That wedding will be your moment to shine.I promise.Now go show those garden ladies why you’re the best, and I’ll clean this up.”