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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

HARLOW

I was hungry and anxious by the time Brooks’ truck pulled in the driveway. Despite the multiple texts I’d sent, he kept me in the dark about how his meeting went with Mr. Clark.

The man was maddening at times, but I figured if he was taking me to dinner, then that was a good sign, right?

When he stepped out of his truck, I thought my brain would short-circuit.

The sleeves were rolled up on his black button-down, showing off his strong forearms. His dark jeans looked like they were custom-made just for him.

I couldn’t help but do a not-so-subtle scan from head to toe.

When he started walking toward me, I forced myself to play it cool, despite the heat creeping up the back of my neck at the sight of him.

He met me at the bottom of the steps; his hand rested on the railing.

“Ready for our date?” He grinned.

I leaned against the post. “Are you going to tell me if we are celebrating or not?”

He shook his head. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

I huffed, not liking this little suspense game he was playing. “You know I hate surprises, right?”

He chuckled. “Trust me.”

I tried, really, I did, but not knowing the outcome of the meeting was killing me.

Brooks didn’t say where we were going. He kept his hand on the steering wheel, tapping his thumb to a country song playing on the radio.

“How far of a drive to this mystery place?”

“Not far.”

I played with the hem of my dress. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the best one you are going to get.”

As we drove toward town, I felt my nerves settle a bit.I cracked the window open enough to let the soft breeze into the truck.

We passed most of my favorite shops and restaurants, and I was about to ask him another question when we took a left at the firehouse, driving in the direction of the Marcellus Falls Country Club.

“I’m not dressed for the club,” I said, looking down at my outfit.

The private club was the fanciest place in town.

We were members there when I was growing up, and we always wore our best clothes when we went.

“Good,” Brooks said, taking a right and driving up a winding road. “Because we aren’t going to the club tonight.”

I glanced out the window as we drove further up the road. I leaned forward, peering through the windshield as we reached the top of the hill. Rows of grape vines were on either side of us.

We passed a big green and gold sign that read, “Welcome to the Amber Inn Winery.”

“Is this place new?” I asked, turning in my seat to face him.

Brooks found a spot in front of the building. “It is, and I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will. What kind of food do they have?”

“Mostly small plates and wood-fired pizzas, but there is a dining room with a more formal menu.”

“I’m good with pizza,” I said as he helped me out of my seat.

He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. “You can have whatever you want because we are celebrating tonight.”

I looked up at him and stopped walking. “You got the deal?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Yup.”

I turned in his arms and threw my hands around his neck. “Brooks, that’s incredible. I am so proud of you.”

He brushed a piece of hair back from my face. “We signed the paperwork this morning.”

I blinked and smacked his chest. “I can’t believe you left me in the dark all day.”

He laughed. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

A warm feeling spread through my chest. “Well, in that case, maybe I’ll order everything on the menu.”

He ran a hand over his jaw. “There is another reason why I brought you here.”

“What’s that?” I asked, blinking up at him.

He rubbed his thumb along my engagement ring. “I talked to the event coordinator today. We are meeting her to go over the catering options.”

My eyebrows bent together. “So, we’re not here for pizza and wine tasting?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I figured it was time we started planning.”

Now I understood why he seemed so distracted today. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, giving myself a minute to think this over. We agreed to get married. I knew that, but somewhere along the way, this turned into more than a simple arrangement.

As I stared out at the sprawling vineyard, the reality of what we were doing settled in.

“Are you okay with this plan?” He scanned my face like he wasn’t sure I was okay with this sudden change.

I swallowed hard, trying to get a handle on my emotions. I wasn’t sure how to explain what I was feeling without him taking it the wrong way. “Yes, I just wasn’t expecting this to happen tonight.”

He watched me closely. “You’re not thinking about backing out on me, are you?”

I looked away toward the water. It had a gorgeous view of the lake. “No. I’m just surprised.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want you to feel rushed, but some things have happened recently, and I think we need to get married sooner rather than later.”

“Does this have something to do with your meeting today, or did something else happen?”

I watched him closely, trying to read between the lines. Trying to figure out if this was something he wanted or felt pressured to do.

He reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together.

“Harlow, you are my first, last, and only true love. I’ve always wanted to marry you.

In fact, I should have married you years ago.

I know this is a surprise, and I certainly wasn’t planning on this today, but after everything that’s happened, I’m convinced we need to get married as soon as possible. ”

I blinked. “What are you talking about, Brooks?”

“Your dad called Clark before our meeting and told him that our engagement was all an act and that we were trying to scam him. He tried to tank the deal.”

“Wait, what?” I stood there with my mouth hanging open. Not in shock, because he had warned me, but I was mostly angry and disappointed. It shouldn’t hurt this bad, but I wanted to believe that he wouldn’t cross that line. It was naive of me to think that I could handle any threat he threw our way.

He squeezed my hand tightly. “I will tell you everything later, but Clark knows the truth about us now.”

I stared at him wide-eyed. “He knows we lied, and he still gave you the deal?”

He played with the sleeve of my dress. “He did.”

I stared at the gravel under my feet, focusing on not letting my tears slip out. “I’m so sorry that you got caught up in this mess. While I’m happy that you secured the investment, I am livid with my father. I don’t know how, but I will find a way to stop this.”

I was so angry with him. He’s done nothing but push me and threaten me. I would not let him ruin what little I had left.

He lifted my chin to face him. “Look, it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots here.

Your father and Baz are doing everything they can to fuck with us.

Hayes called when I was leaving the meeting.

Baz has been all over town, snooping for information and spreading rumors about you and me.

He filed a grievance with the permits, which means we have to stop the construction until it’s resolved. ”

“I don’t even know what to say. I’ll call Molly, maybe she can help us untangle this.”

“If she can find a way around it, great. But, Harlow, I want to protect you and build a life with you, that’s all I ever wanted. If putting a ring on your finger gives you an extra layer of protection, then I’m doing that. Not just because I have to, because I’ve never wanted anything more.”

I looked around the vineyard. It wasn’t lavish and over the top, like the flashy Long Island country club my dad picked out to show the world how important he was. This was simple and beautiful. This was exactly the type of place I would want to marry him.

However, there was something about this whole situation that made me realize the clock was ticking. This felt rushed, like we were being bullied into doing something, and it made me doubt everything. This should have been a happy moment, so why couldn’t I keep my thoughts from spiraling?

He placed a hand gently on my face, as if he could sense my inner panic.

“I know everything is happening fast here. And yes, it would be great to do this at our own pace, but I don’t want to risk waiting.

We both know the truth and have way too much riding on this, and I can only imagine all the fuckery those two idiots could bring into our lives if we don’t marry soon. ”

I wiped a tear as it slipped down my cheek.

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to take away from this moment, but it feels like we are scrambling.

I know we originally agreed to get married, but things have changed between us.

I love you and want to marry you. I just don’t want this to feel like a competition, like we’re trying to beat my dad to the finish line. ”

“I don’t want that either.” His thumb stroked the moisture away.

“But I also want to make sure you get that house. I know how much it means to you. I don’t want anyone to take that away from you.

I don’t want you to worry about Baz or your father.

Most importantly, I want to build a life with you because I’m in love with you. ”

Things felt tangled, messy, and complicated, but as I looked at the only man I had ever loved, it also felt like we’d been given a second chance, and I would be a fool to waste it.

I rested my hand on his chest. “I want to make sure you know that I want to marry you because I love you, not because someone is closing in on us and we feel forced.”

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. “Just because we have to move up the wedding doesn’t mean we have to let them take the moment away from us. It’s still ours. Let’s not let them ruin this for us, okay?”

I closed my eyes briefly, allowing myself to believe that this wasn’t about the house or holding on to a deal.That was about us finding our way back to each other.

I nodded, leaning into his touch. “Okay.”