Page 6

CHAPTER 6

I pushed all thoughts of peril to the side, focusing instead on the rhythm of the tires as the Havencrest shuttle took us to Fox Hollow. Maddie had agreed that spending more time with Harmony and Almond would keep us from rehashing the what-ifs about the Iggy’s unfortunate situation.

“Oh, Sloane … look.” Maddie pointed as Fox Hollow came into view. A manicured winter garden framed the front of the winery with neat boxwoods, red-stemmed dogwoods, and low stone borders. A single wrought-iron bench sat beneath a pergola, surrounded by rosemary and hellebores—winter roses—that offered small signs of life. It was the kind of garden that didn’t need blooms to be beautiful.

As we debarked the shuttle, our friends slipped out of their SUV and headed our way.

“Hello, ladies!” Maddie hooted and spread her arms wide. “Isn’t this gorgeous?”

There were hugs all around, and then we turned our attention to the quiet beauty of the winter garden. As expected, Maddie was fascinated with the fox-themed touches—sculptures, brass plaques, even a trimmed hedge shaped like a fox mid-leap. As we strolled through the space, my mind began drifting, no matter how hard I tried to stay on point. Then my cell phone rang, causing Maddie’s head to whip around, halting the conversation she’d been having midsentence. Her eyes narrowed in on my phone, and she wagged a finger at me. “All right, you … it’s tour time. Hand it over.”

I held it away from her. “No way.”

“I’m serious, Sloane. Give it.”

Her words were blunt, but her eyes gleamed with mischief.

“Stay away,” I teased as I took a step back.

I shifted my attention from her to my phone just long enough to see the caller was Cade, and I answered.

“Hey, is everything okay?” I asked.

Maddie rolled her eyes, rejoining Harmony and Almond on their stroll through the garden.

I followed several steps behind.

“Sure, everything is great,” Cade replied. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I was just thinking about our call yesterday. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to let you know the reception’s awful up here. If you need me, you might not be able to reach me.”

“Oh, I doubt I’ll need you for anything urgent. It’s nice here,” I said a little louder than normal. Then I scooted around a tall plant and lowered my voice. “Oh, except Maddie just found out the rockstar guy she’s been dating was in a horrible car accident. The band was performing in New Orleans, and that’s where it happened.”

“Man, that’s terrible news.”

“I know.”

I wanted to say more about two major incidents happening to two people I knew—not well, but close enough—in New Orleans, but I didn’t.

“How’s Maddie holdin’ up?” he asked.

“She’s okay. We’re at a local vineyard with some friends we met at the inn. She seems to be having fun—for the time being, anyway.”

“Smart to keep her busy so she doesn’t stew on it. You’re a good friend.”

“Yeah, well … I try. You be careful out there.”

I guessed he could hear the small tremor in my voice, because he said, “Sloane, Henry’s gonna be all right.”

It was like he could read my mind.

I wanted to believe it.

But I just felt … off .

“I know,” I said. “You have a good time, and we’ll talk soon.”

We ended the call, and I stepped back into the walkway. The group awaited me up ahead. Maddie turned toward me, her arms crossed, a look of suspicion on her face.

I attempted to shift her attention, saying, “Oh, look at this cute little fox statue.”

Maddie cocked a brow. “Nice try.”

I offered her a smile and a shrug, and the four of us meandered for a few more minutes until we’d had enough of the cold. Besides, a light sprinkling of rain had begun.

Harmony held open the massive wooden doors that would lead us inside the quaint building—a converted 1930s barn with cozy seating in the tasting room that overlooked the rows of vines and the forested hills beyond.

A couple of glasses of wine and a massive charcuterie board later, a calming ease flowed through me. Glancing around, it seemed to have the same effect on my friends. As the wine flowed, I watched as Harmony and Maddie got sillier and sillier. They were now in the gift shop, falling all over each other with laughter. I couldn’t help but smile.

I turned to Almond, who was standing nearby at a T-shirt display. “Aren’t they so—” I was about to say “cute,” but I didn’t finish the sentence, not when I saw the look on her face.

I swore there was tinge of jealousy gleaming in Almond’s eyes, her gaze locked on Maddie and Harmony.

“They’re having a great time,” I said, trying to break the intensity of her stare. “And so am I. Makes me realize I should get away like this more often. It’s a great stress reliever—the spa, the mountains ...”

“I hate the spa,” she stated, monotone.

Her comment took me aback. “Oh.”

“I mean, I’ve never liked massages. Don’t like anyone touching me. Except Harmony, of course.” She shot a quick glance my way. “And, outside of her job, I don’t like her touching anyone else either.”

I was at a loss as to how to respond to her touchy revelation, but I managed, “Ohh … kay. Well, different strokes and all that.”

My massage joke was clearly lost on Almond, or if it wasn’t, she didn’t acknowledge it.

She switched her focus back to the two giggling goofballs, who were now holding up several bottles of wine in our direction.

“Which ones should we get?” Maddie shouted across the room. “They’re all so good.”

Harmony laughed and said, “Let’s get all of them!”

The change in Almond’s demeanor left me feeling uncomfortable. Without another word, I joined the others to help make some decisions on their wine purchases, though my thoughts were still on Almond’s abrupt mood change.

How could a personal trainer be so weird about human contact? Wasn’t that a part of her job, to some degree? And why, with that attitude, would she choose to date someone who was a masseuse, of all things?