Chapter 6
Sherry
Three Months Later
A frown touched my lips as I gazed out the window.
Droplets chased each other on the glass, absorbing one after the other until they became too heavy and splattered against the pavement below.
My eyes lifted to the darkened sky, a suppressed groan sitting at the back of my throat.
Where was the sun? I missed the warmth kissing my skin.
I was ready for the sun on my face, the bright green leaves on the trees, and the bright colorful flowers lining the local businesses, and especially the tasting room.
But no, the sky was gray, the temperatures barely touching sixty and the rain…
it was an endless wall, as if Mother Nature decided she wanted to make Vine Valley her permanent decorative waterfall.
Rain was enemy number one, right above late vendors, groomsmen who thought they were comedians, and brides who changed their mind every five minutes.
I got it. They wanted their day to be perfect, and it was my job to make that happen, and I would, but there had to be some understanding that some asks were just impossible.
Like the bridezilla last year who asked if I could make the grapevines look fuller in March!
Because bare vines didn’t fit her spring aesthetic and the vibe she was going for.
Sure, let me grab my trusty glue stick and some silk leaves and get right to work for you.
I didn’t. Obviously. After many back-and-forths and some fits on her end, I got her to settle for barrels filled with tulips instead, and the end photographs were stunning.
She had told me she’d tell all her friends about me.
I was grateful for the referrals and the potential opportunities to continue to grow this end of the business that I had grown from the ground up, but secretly hoped they weren’t as difficult as she was.
Rain came down in loud thunks against my window, and with a deep breath, I counted to three.
On three, I grabbed my bag and my peach cobbler latte from Espresso Yourself, threw my car door open and ran for the main entrance to the warehouse.
It was early, hours before opening, and the parking lot was empty except for a couple of the grounds workers' cars.
I fumbled with my keys, but when I grabbed the knob, I realized it was already opened.
Not surprised. Most of the supplies the grounds people needed were in here.
Despite the rain, I had an event to get ready for.
The Vine Valley Flower Committee would never let a little rain ruin their Annual Spring Garden Brunch.
It was the kickoff to their season when their planning turned into planting and those bright colorful flowers I longed for became a reality.
Unfortunately, because of the rain, I had to pivot… not the first time and certainly not the last. Instead of a beautiful event on the grass overlooking the vines, they would be inside the tasting room. I needed to bring spring indoors and create the same sense of warmth and whimsy.
Tulip centerpieces waited in the warehouse, ready to be brought to the tasting room.
Lemon-lavender cake pops needed arranging to look like flowers, but I couldn’t do that until Lainey dropped them off.
I glanced at my phone. She’d be at least an hour, but knowing my best friend, she would be more than happy to help.
The centerpieces and cake pops were only the beginning.
I also had to carry a case of our new spring blend that wouldn’t be on the menu for another week, but I promised the ladies to be the first to taste it.
I also had to set up the full table charcuterie board complete with cheese, fruit, crackers, meats and vegetables, and tea cakes.
I placed my bag on a table and clutched my peach cobbler latte like it was my holy grail. I took a sip, letting the spirit of spring run through me. Rain might have stolen my picture-perfect setup, but it wouldn’t steal my motivation to make this event the best one yet.
With my coffee still in hand, I turned, hurrying toward the side room where all my decorations were stored. As I rounded the corner, my body jolted, and a scream slipped from my lips as if I was just confronted with a serial killer.
I grabbed my chest, taking deep breaths as Ben closed the lid on a box of old invoices.
“Ben,” I said in between gasps. “You scared me.”
“You scream like that for all your employees, or am I just the lucky one?”
My mouth parted, and memories of the last time I screamed for him slammed into me. Heat crept into my cheeks, and I knew the minute he realized where my dirty mind had wandered.
A smirk quirked his lips, an adorable dimple popping right into his cheek. “I think I got my answer.”
I rolled my eyes, unable to think of anything witty. My eyes drifted to the storage bin he just put into place.
“Is there a reason you’re going through old records?”
He leaned casually against the shelf that held the bins with financials going back seven years. “Looking for extra signage for the brunch. Figured you could use all hands on deck.”
“I don’t think you’re going to find signage in”—I peered around him, eyes narrowing to read the label—“2021 Financials.”
“You caught me. I heard you coming, and I panicked. Thought maybe if I was going through something you could continue ignoring me.”
“I’m not ignoring you.”
A laugh barked out of him. “You’ve barely uttered a word to me since New Year’s.” His hand landed on his chest, and he tapped it a couple of times. “It hurts.”
“I told you it was the last time.” Keeping our distance was for the best. Every time we got too close, the tension was too much to ignore. I was trying to keep things professional. My busy season was about to kick into full gear. I didn’t have time for distractions.
“I know, but I thought my handsome good looks and undeniable charm would pull you back in.”
“That’s where your arrogance fails you.”
“You keep saying arrogance, but I think of it as confidence with a touch of self-awareness.”
“Potato patato.”
That maddening smirk returned, and he stepped closer.
Heat instantly surrounded me, along with the scent of oak, crushed grapes, and spice.
There was something else there. Something masculine, like the kind of musk that clung to a man who broke his back all day.
It was deliciously sensual and awakened the beast in me that only he seemed to provoke.
“Why are you here so early?” I asked. As the warehouse manager, his schedule was different from the rest of the employees, but it was even early for him.
“I don’t sleep much, so figured I might as well get a head start on the day.”
“Why don’t you sleep much?” I asked, and when his green eyes landed on mine, making me feel as if he had me pinned to the wall, I knew that question was a mistake.
“Every time I close my eyes, all I see is you bent over that table in the cellar, hear your moans and cries of ecstasy.”
“Sounds like a good dream,” I managed around the lump in my throat.
He shook his head. “It’s actually quite depressing. Just reminds me of what I’ll never have.”
Heat prickled along my spine, spreading up my neck. I swallowed, his eyes immediately dropping to my throat. Memories of his mouth dragging along the sensitive skin caused my thighs to tingle. I pressed my legs together to try to control the ache.
Ben wasn’t the only one suffering from sleepless nights.
Waking up horny at three a.m. was not something one could just brush off and go back to sleep.
The need was too strong, but all the techniques that had worked to satisfy myself in the past no longer did the trick.
If anything, it left me needing more, wanting the release that only Ben had been capable of wringing out of me.
Maybe it was time to give in. Maybe my reasoning of we work together was much thinner than I cared to admit. Ben stirred something inside of me that scared me.
As the fifth in a lineup of seven siblings, I had learned to stay in my lane, be reliable, be steady, and don’t create problems because those problems became everyone else’s.
But Ben? He made me want to throw my carefully crafted rule book overboard and dive headfirst into something I wasn’t sure I could handle.
With Ben, it wasn’t just sex. It was so much more, and that’s what scared me most.
I watched love break Grandpa’s heart when Grandma died, then watched love break all of our hearts when we lost him years later.
I watched love turn Franc into a bitter single dad, and Laurent into a man that avoided attachments.
I watched brides and grooms who stood up at the altars I carefully curated pledge their undying love and affection to each other only to get the marriage annulled months later.
Then again, I also witnessed the beauty of it.
The sweet reunion of Laurent with Phoebe, the love of his life.
Watched Franc find his soulmate in his son’s nanny.
Felt the lasting results of the love Grandpa had given us.
Not to mention the countless brides and grooms I had helped provide the perfect wedding for that have actually lasted.
Not all weddings ended in annulment and divorce.
Maybe love was more than loss.
“Anyway,” Ben said, knocking me out of my head. “What can I do for you?”
My mind immediately swan dived into the gutter.
He laughed slightly, a knowing look in his eyes. “For the event,” he clarified. “I have some free time, so I’m yours for as long as you need me.”
I’m yours . It’s not how he meant it, but the words still slipped through my ears like a warm caress.
“Those centerpieces I have on the table over there.” I pointed my coffee cup toward the table, spilling a little liquid out of the small hole. “They need to be brought inside. I also need two extra tables and about eight more chairs.”
“You were going to do all this on your own?” he asked.