Page 14 of Love Among Vines

CHAPTER TWELVE

JADE

“So,” Rett said over the rumble of the truck, “do you think we pulled it off?”

“Pulled what off?”

Jade’s gaze drifted down to his pants. Speaking of things that needed to be pulled off.

“Convincing his family that you’re in a happy relationship and your life is super on track?”

“Oh, right.” Jade shook her head, trying to clear it, but the day-long alcohol marathon had made everything fuzzy. “Yeah, I think we nailed it. You weren’t exaggerating, by the way. You’re a really good dancer,” she said.

She couldn’t stop looking at him, drenched in moonlight. It was like the first time she had laid eyes on an MC Escher lithograph.

“Thank you. It’s come in handy before.”

“You should consider giving dance lessons at the winery. You would probably get busloads of wealthy elderly women from upscale retirement communities.”

“Are you a business consultant in your free time?” He smiled.

“More like an expert-level procrastinator.”

Dark trees flitted past the windows. Every few yards, a strip of the dark lake peeked out.

“I can’t get over how beautiful it is here.”

He glanced at her. “So why don’t you stay? At least until the party. If the city hasn’t inspired you in two years, what are the odds that will change tomorrow?”

A thrill ran through her belly. Did he want her to stay, or was he just pointing out that doing the same thing over and over again was unlikely to work?

Jade sighed. “I was kind of hoping I would get some huge emotional catharsis from seeing Nate marry someone else.”

“And did you?”

She shook her head. “Though to be fair, I wasn’t expecting a bonus betrayal on top of the already uncomfortable event. Either way, they’re in the past now. And at least he’s not dating one of my siblings. Sorry,” she said when he flinched.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s fine. Do you have siblings?”

“No.”

“So you’re alone now? In the city, I mean.”

“Yeah.” Alone in the world now that her best friend had accidentally fallen onto her ex’s dick and lied about it for two years.

“That sounds lonely. I’m sorry.”

She took a deep breath. He was bumming her out, but at least it had managed to smother some of the all-consuming lust. “It really has been.”

“Then why not stay? Here in Hammondsport. The leaves are going to start changing any day. Trust me when I say you’ve never seen anything like it. It might inspire you.”

Jade shook her head even though her heart stuttered. Something in this town called to her. But she couldn’t afford it.

“I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I was broke. I don’t have money to rent a place, even for two weeks.”

“You could stay with me.”

The fire rekindled at the very idea. But playing house with her fake boyfriend was a surefire recipe for disaster.

“No,” she said, maybe too quickly. “Sorry. Thank you so much for the offer, seriously. I just know that if I stayed with you, it would be physically impossible for me to not develop feelings for you. And I know that’s not what you’re looking for.

Especially not with a random has-been artist who lives five hours away. ”

“I think you vastly overestimate my animal magnetism. I work all the time, and my only hobbies are working out and—” He stopped suddenly, like he had almost divulged something. “That’s it, really. Bad enough to drive any woman away.”

She cracked a smile. “Sounds awful. You’re sure you don’t mind me staying tonight?”

One night was doable. Tomorrow she would be back in the city where she could buckle down and figure out her next steps.

“I told you, you could stay for two weeks,” he said.

She smiled. “You would hate having an artist-in-residence. Paint supplies everywhere. Not to mention a metric ton of dog hair on your furniture.”

“I always meant to get a dog. That’s why the winery is dog friendly.”

“You won’t be saying that when you need a three-month supply of lint rollers on hand for all your fancy suits.” She poked him. The wine was still coursing merrily through her veins. “Do you dress like this at home too?”

He laughed. “No. The suit thing is a relic from my grandmother’s day. She always insisted we wore our Sunday best while in the building.”

“Well. I’m sure it’s uncomfortable. But you really do wear the hell out of it.”

Why was she incapable of shutting her stupid mouth?

“And it’s a beautiful way to remember her,” she added.

“Thanks,” Rett said. “Looks like the coast is clear.”

They had finally reached Ashley’s parents’ house. The circular driveway was thankfully deserted. She should be able to dart in and out and grab Penny. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll come help.” He unbuckled his seatbelt.

She put a hand on his chest. She had definitely left the bedroom a disaster, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he kept a very clean home. “No need. I’ll only be a second.”

She hustled inside like a thief in an art museum.

Penny greeted her at the door and proceeded to follow Jade as she darted from room to room, tossing her scattered possessions into the foyer.

If she didn’t move quickly, someone could come back from the wedding early.

And she was not in the mood for another confrontation.

She shouldered the front door open and shoved her possessions outside. Rett jumped out and carried them to the truck.

Finally, Jade had collected all of her things. With Penny’s leash in hand, she turned in the foyer and took in the house one last time. A picture of Ashley and her brother caught her eye. She would never see her friend again. And she’d definitely never be in this house again.

Against her wishes, a tear slid down Jade’s cheek.

She had been running on adrenaline and spite since Ashley had dropped her truth bomb.

But now reality was settling in. The two of them had been through so much together.

Ashley had stood by her while the other prep school girls had turned their noses up.

She had stayed in contact all through college, sent flowers and groceries after Jade’s parents had died.

They had taken family vacations together and girls' trips to the beach.

And now she was virtually a stranger. Just like Nate. The two of them were gone from her life forever. Now she really had no one.

“Onward and upward,” she mumbled to herself and dragged Penny outside.

The ride to Rett’s house was quiet.

As they passed through the little town of Hammondsport, her head was on a swivel. She ached to investigate the restaurants, sit down at the bars, and absorb the local culture. And she would be damned if she didn’t sit in that gazebo the next time she was in town.

Maybe, if things were financially better during the anniversary party, she would extend her stay.

“Beautiful town, isn’t it?” Rett said.

Penny’s chin was propped on his lap again. It was probably better that they had some doggie distance between them.

“It’s like a movie set. I keep expecting Chad Michael Murray to wander into frame. Which restaurant is your favorite?”

“It depends what mood I’m in.” He came to a stop and looked carefully both ways before turning. “Can’t beat Louie’s for pizza. The Tavern for Italian or seafood. And if you like breakfast, Margie’s Café is unbeatable.”

“How’s the bagel scene here?”

He turned to her. “Bagel scene? Is that a thing?”

“I take bagels very seriously. Wars are fought over them in the city.”

He smiled. “I promise the bagels are great, but there’s so much more to experience here. Like eggs benedict that has made grown men weep.”

“Grown men? I assume you mean you?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny.” Rett turned off the highway and climbed the hill.

Her drunk brain was interpreting everything as sexual. The way his long fingers gripped the steering wheel, the fact that he had discarded his tux jacket for the ride home. Calm down, you horny idiot.

Rhodes Vineyard came into view on their left. The sight made her blood pressure inch up. They were almost at his house. What would happen when they got there?

Not that it mattered. She was going home tomorrow anyway. Wasn’t she?

Rett turned off on a paved lane marked only by a mailbox and drove toward the lake.

Lust warred with whatever amount of logic was left in her brain.

If she didn’t find out what was going on under those clothes, she might actually go insane.

But what if she made a move and got rejected?

This wasn’t a random club hookup. And if he kicked her out, she and Penny would have nowhere to go.

They would have to walk back to Ashley’s parents’ house and sleep in the party bus.

“Did your house belong to your grandparents too?”

Nothing killed libido like a dead grandma. Ignoring her raging hormones was almost certainly the safest course of action here.

He nodded. “They left it to me in the will. Kind of a package deal with the winery.”

“How kind of them.”

When her parents died, Jade had been forced to sell their family home and use the proceeds to pay off debt. Ashley’s parents had taken her in until she and Nate signed the lease. No place had ever really been home since.

One bay of a three-door garage opened in front of them. A mammoth structure that looked like a small castle stood to the right. Holy hell. Was that a friggen turret?

The truck slid smoothly inside. A dark SUV was parked in the corner. Penny sat up and immediately crawled across Rett’s leg. She shoved her nose against the window and inspected her new surroundings. Hopefully he had Windex, or that would be coming out of the dwindling experience budget too.

Rett jumped out and came around to her side while she fought with her seatbelt. Her fine motor skills were already suffering. He popped her door open and reached across her lap to release her.

“It sticks sometimes,” he explained.