Page 63 of Meet Me in the Valley (Oakwood Valley #2)
Chapter Thirty-Nine
TIA
Barefoot in the grass, feeling the earth kiss the arches of my feet is exactly the kind of reset I need after a string of bad days with Mom.
Dad made me give away some pies that were piling up in the freezer to the neighbors when she wasn’t looking. Mom called me Nora more than my own name, despite having already reunited with my sister. But despite all of that, we only sang “Happy Birthday” once, thankfully.
I’m missing Nora and Cali. They couldn’t stay long after their first visit, with Cali in school and everything. And with the whole my-big-sister-being-a-big-shot-Vegas-show-dancer thing.
They came back for Christmas, which was unexpected and amazing. Unexpected because I didn’t know how often Nora wanted to come back after being away for so long. Amazing because Oakwood Valley is slowly bringing her back to her old self, even if the scars she has from this place run deep.
Mom and Cali are two peas in a pod, just like I knew they would be. I swear Cali is a natural antidote for Mom. She didn’t have a single bad day with Cali around. But that was a week ago, and as I sip a cold glass of Sauvignon, barefoot in Donovan’s family vineyard, I just need a second to breathe.
Audrey walks with me, our pinkies linked. Major perks for my best friend inheriting a massive vineyard. I mean, she already owns a winery, but now she gets the whole Napa-girl package. Free wine and sunset walks through the vines for life.
“Tell me about your mom, T. Is it getting any better?”
Unfortunately, no. There’s no cure and I have to slowly watch her disappear with each day that passes.
But I don’t tell Audrey all of that. I’m sure she can read between the lines. Alzheimer’s is selfish, and on the days it shows mercy, I’m grateful. But the days this disease takes and takes and takes? It breaks me apart.
So, I give Audrey a vague answer. Not because I don’t love her or trust her. But because I’m exhausted and there’s only one person in my life who I feel the safest with to fall apart—and he’s still a thousand miles away from me.
“You know how it is, Auds. Good days and bad days. But today is a good day because I’m enjoying this delicious glass of wine with my best friend.”
Audrey’s smile brings me comfort. I’m grateful she knows me well enough to understand that’s all I have in me right now.
She unlinks her pinky, skipping a little ways ahead of me through the vines as her dress swishes perfectly against her shins.
She looks every bit the cottage fairy, her strawberry blond hair shining against the sun and freckles on display, free of makeup.
“Today is going to be a great day because it’s New Year’s Eve, and the party tonight is going to be amazing.”
Party? More like Gala. Audrey is right. It’s going to be amazing. Anytime Grace and Caleb King have a function, it’s the talk of the town. The party tonight is going to be held at their estate. I’m talking black-tie affair, gowns, the whole nine.
I adjust the gold watch Logan got me for Christmas, feeling the engraving sing against my skin as it chants in my head saying, our time.
“Our time, baby. This is it.”
Logan’s words remind me to stay patient, no matter how badly I’m missing him.
We’re about to ring in a new year that’s supposed to represent a clean slate, new beginnings. But with Mom’s condition weighing on me and the ache of being apart from Logan, it seems I’m about to enter this new year with a somber heart.
Audrey won’t let that happen, though. It’s why she immediately called me to come take a walk with her, thrusting a glass of wine into my hands before I had time to protest.
She knows my mood has been shit the past few days. On top of everything else, I haven’t talked to Logan as much as I’d liked to. He seems … distant lately. Of course, it has me overthinking every single thing.
Did I overdo it with his Christmas gift? Am I expecting too much from him? Does he feel I’m being clingy?
Just a few questions that keep me up at night when I don’t get a video call or just a few texts throughout the day.
I know he’s busy with work. I know he’s living his life in Texas while I sort of coast along here in California. My purpose became so wrapped up in my mom, I didn’t realize the slow descent to losing my passion.
I miss working. I miss flexing my design brain and playing with patterns and textures and furniture. I miss the sharp stench of fresh paint and slamming a sledgehammer into old cabinets and drywall.
Wood finishes, light fixtures, and the satisfied look on a client’s face when my vision comes to life—all of it brings a rush through me.
“Tia. I need you to chug your wine, throw on something hot, and be ready for a damn good night.” Audrey saunters toward me, lifting the corner of my mouth with her finger. “We’re turning that frown” she gives me a teasing look, “upside down.”
She’s right. I need to loosen up. I’ve been uptight and moody for days. A fun night out with my friends might be exactly what I need to shake this off.
But then my heart dips. Because no matter how loud the music or strong the drinks, our nights always feel off when we’re not all together. When he’s not there.
“You’re missing him bad, aren’t you?” Audrey’s voice softens as she tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.
I tip my glass back to chug my wine the second I feel that sting behind my eyes.
Damn.
“I miss him so freaking much it’s not even funny,” I admit, fingers twisting the watch on my wrist that makes me feel like he’s still close somehow.
Audrey gives me a look—the kind only best friends can give. “Logan loves you more than anyone else on this planet. I bet he calls you at 11:59 just to be the first to say Happy New Year.”
The thought sends a shiver down my spine. Logan’s always been the first person I’ve wished a Happy New Year to. Sure, I had to watch him kiss a different girl every year, but he always came back to give me a kiss on the cheek.
And now, the one year I want his kiss on my lips more than anything … we’re not even together.
“I’ll be sure to pick up the phone,” I say with a quiet smile.
“Good. Now come on. Donovan and Wyatt are back at the King estate with more wine for tonight. Let’s sneak one more glass before we meet up with Iz to get ready.”
A little heaviness lifts off my chest at the thought of us girls sipping wine and jamming out to music as we put on our makeup and do each other’s hair.
Yes. You need this. Tonight will be a great night.
The King estate is ridiculous. Immaculate, of course, but in that how-do-people-live-like-this kind of way.
I’ve been here a bunch, and it still stuns me every time.
Panoramic valley views like a postcard, furniture that probably costs more than my car, and this almost unfair ability to feel both royal and cozy at the same time.
But tonight? We’ve entered full-blown Gatsby mode.
No flapper girls, but there is a champagne tower that looks like it could trigger a domino disaster at any second, a fancy ice sculpture that I’m praying no one leans on, and servers walking around in white gloves like they just finished serving the Queen.
It’s the kind of party that makes you second guess your outfit and your life choices. It’s opulence toeing the line of absurd, but only at the grandeur of it all.
And honestly? The Kings crushed it. As usual. Grace and Caleb King know how to throw a fucking party, that’s for sure.
It seems like everyone in town is here except my parents. Dad didn’t want to overwhelm Mom with a bigger crowd than the one at Audrey and Donovan’s engagement party. So, the two of them will welcome the new year together, cozy at home.
My friends definitely showed up and showed out. The boys look like they just stepped off a runway—each of them in a tailored black suit, sharp enough to make jaws drop.
Audrey and Isabel are showstoppers in their own right.
Audrey’s olive green satin gown hugs her figure and makes the red tones in her hair pop like firelight.
Isabel, naturally, wears one of her own designs—a pale yellow chiffon strapless dress that practically floats when she walks.
She looks like she belongs straight inside a fairytale.
I took a gamble and rented mine online, figuring I’d never have another reason to wear a gown again. No fittings, no guarantees. But somehow, the dress fit like it had my name stitched right on the tag.
I chose a deep red trumpet gown, cinching my waist and doing wonders for my backside.
My hair is swept to one side in soft, Old Hollywood waves, and my lipstick matches the wine stain of a bold cabernet.
The off-the-shoulder sleeves show off my collarbone, one of Logan’s strange obsessions on me.
The memory of his mouth on them during our time in Vegas sends heat curling low in my belly.
We all gather outside on the makeshift dance floor, glasses of champagne in hand, swaying to the live band beneath the glow of a thousand twinkling lights. The scene unfolding before my eyes cast beneath a blanket of stars and the endless rows of vines off in the distance gives me pause.
Damn. We are lucky to live in such beauty.
An upbeat song kicks in, and everyone instinctively pairs off.
“Get over here, Mouse,” Donovan rasps, wrapping his arms around Audrey’s waist as she squeals and melts into him.
“You’re with me, Belle,” Jackson drawls, crooking a finger at Isabel. She and I share a knowing look before she places her hand in his and lets him lead her to the center of the floor.
Wyatt even brought a date tonight, much to our surprise. Caroline. An elementary school teacher with the sweetest French bob I only wish I could pull off. He looks totally smitten, leaning in to whisper something that makes her giggle. They’re disgustingly cute.
“Don’t leave me hanging, Tia. I know you’ve got the moves,” Kerry grins, grabbing both my hands and pulling me toward the group.