Chapter 16
Sherry
Chardonnay was talking about the next town hall meeting and taking down the jerks of Gold Crest as I caught Ben running across the parking lot into the warehouse.
I glanced at the time. It hadn’t even been twenty minutes since I called him.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do as far as setup until all the tables and chairs were put into place, which was why I was in my sister’s office, listening to her plan to mobilize the entire town against the unwanted expansion into Vine Valley.
Ever since the suits of Gold Crest showed up at the last town hall meeting with plans to expand into our territory, Chardonnay had been on an all-out mission to stop them.
It had nothing to do with another vineyard coming to Vine Valley.
It had to do with this particular one. Their current tasting room in the town over was a hot spot for loud music, unruly crowds, and DUIs. It was more of a club than a winery.
When they had first popped up in the area, Chardonnay and Laurent welcomed them with open arms, only to have the door practically slammed in their face and their good wishes ignored.
These people owned another establishment in California and thought they knew everything and didn’t need to associate with the small-town folk.
Now Chardonnay was determined to ensure Vine Valley stayed rooted in the community and not commercial chaos, despite the mayor obviously taking bribes from the competitor. She had a great case, though, and I had no doubt she would be able to put an end to this madness.
“What are you looking at?” Char asked, and I snapped my head away from the window.
“Ben finally got here. I guess I should head down and get things ready to go for the garden ladies.”
“You need help?”
Char was only in the office to work on the case she’d be presenting in front of the town board at the end of the month.
“And take you away from you castle in the sky?” I asked, poking fun at the fact she and Laurent had offices on the second floor of the tasting room, away from everyone.
I had my own office, but it was smaller, windowless, and directly next to the kitchen, so I heard every blender and dropped tray in real time.
Not to mention the smells that tried to lull me in there.
Char glanced up from her PowerPoint. “Some of us like to think when we work and not have to mediate on who put too much lemon in the aioli.”
“And some of us like to know what’s happening in our building,” I shot back.
“Trust me, I know every single thing that happens in this place. Now go.” She peered over her screen. “And Sher.”
I paused at the door. “Yeah.”
“Don’t bite his head off just yet. People make mistakes. Hell, Rhone is late at least once a week.”
“Yeah, but I expect that from Rhone.” My baby brother was charmingly unreliable, in that way only the youngest of seven could be—forgetful, distracted, but somehow always forgiven.
Ben didn’t have that get out of jail free card.
He wasn’t my brother. He wasn’t even family. He was just some guy I let in, only for him to reject me. Maybe I was putting too much weight into the rejection, but it stung, and that lingering pain just wouldn’t subside.
Char’s dark brown eyes met mine. “Is there something else going on with you?”
“No.”
“I know you slept with him,” Char said.
I didn’t have to ask her how she knew. If at least one person in our family knew, it was only a matter of time before the gossip made it through the grapevine.
“He’s not the first guy I’ve slept with,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, like it didn’t matter.
The way Char’s eyebrow lifted, I knew I was unsuccessful. “True, but he may just be the first one you’ve looked like this over.
I could have lied, brushed it off, or excused myself to get down to the barn, but Char would see right through me. “I don’t know what’s going on. One minute we were… something, and then the next he’s pulling away and distant.”
She leaned in her leather chair, crossing her arms across her chest. Her white button-up shirt pulled slightly with the movement. “Take it from someone who has had her fair share of a very distant man. It’s not you.”
“That’s what Lainey said.”
“Smart girl, but she is dating our idiot brother, so she has experience.” Char uncrossed her arms and rested her forearms on the desk, her hands linking together.
“But what if it is me?”
Char’s expression softened. “You really think that?”
I hesitated, then shook my head. “No. I mean… maybe a little. It’s just… the way he looked at me before he left, like something was eating at him. Like he wanted to say more and just… couldn’t. I was too pissed to ask, but now I wonder if he’s okay.”
“So you do care?”
I blew out a breath, rubbing small circles against my temples. “Unfortunately, yes, and that’s the problem. This is exactly why I don’t date coworkers. There’s always drama.”
“Drama isn’t exclusive to coworkers, you know.”
“Maybe not, but if it was someone outside of work, I wouldn’t have to see them every damn day and pretend like nothing happened.”
Char surveyed me in that big sister, tough love kind of way. “Then don’t pretend.”
“I have to. I have a job to do and work is the priority, always.”
“That’s a convenient excuse,” she said. “But maybe the reason you bury yourself in work is so you don’t have to deal with the stuff that actually scares you.”
My lips parted, but the rebuttal never came. Probably because she was right, and I wasn’t ready to admit that.
“I’m just saying, you don’t have to minimize your feelings to be good at your job. You’re allowed to want more than a perfectly executed seating chart.”
“But is there anything better than that?” I joked.
Char shook her head and laughed. “Go downstairs, get through the brunch, and handle business. As for Ben? Whatever’s causing him to pull away will eventually come out. Secrets always do.”
A small smile curved my lip. “Especially around here.”
“This town thrives on it.”
“Not just the town. Our family, too.”
“How do you think I found out about you and Ben?” She winked, and with a genuine laugh, I waved and headed out to face Ben.
I had an hour to get everything in order, maybe less because the ladies tended to show up early. Normally, I’d be stressing out, but I was emotionally drained and didn’t have the energy.
I walked into the barn, and relief spread through me. All the tables were in place and half the chairs were arranged. Ben had been here for fifteen minutes, tops. How the hell did he get so much done already?
Wyatt, Rhone and Franc appeared and even Gio. “What is going on here?” I asked as Wyatt and Rhone placed chairs around a table Ben and Franc just brought in. Gio dragged a single chair behind him.
“We’re helping, Ben!” Gio explained as he dropped the chair in place and showed me his muscles. “I’m getting strong!” He bounced over to me, and I high-fived him.
“You are.” I fully smiled for the first time today. “Pretty soon you’ll be carrying whole tables.”
“Like Dad and Uncle Rhone.” He nodded, his hair flopping over his eyes. “I’m going to be as strong as an elephant.”
“That’s pretty strong.”
“I know. Did you know elephants can carry over fourteen thousand pounds with their bodies? And their trunks can lift like six hundred pounds! That’s like how much Dad weighs!”
A laugh slipped from my lips as Franc’s head snapped toward us.
“How much do I weigh?” he asked Gio.
“Six hundred pounds!”
“Not even close,” he said, rustling Gio’s hair. Gio swatted his hand away and side-stepped him.
My attention turned to Ben, who was wiping sweat from his brow.
“What are you all doing here?”
“Gio and I met Rhone here to check on some barrels,” Franc said.
“Then Ben roped us in to helping his hungover ass.”
Hungover. Interesting.
“Rose had a bridal shower today, so I’m just hanging out and saw my brute strength was needed. Couldn’t deny a man in need,” Wyatt said. “Though, he didn’t let me finish my coffee, and I take that as a personal offense.”
“Another bridal shower?” I asked, my eyes on Ben until he finally looked at me.
His usual smirk was gone. The charm that radiated from him on most days was dim.
He didn’t say anything, and honestly, he looked like shit.
His hair was a disheveled mess, eyes bloodshot, and his normally sharp and confident jaw was tight and filled with tension.
Of course, he still looked good, and I hated myself for noticing.
“We hit thirty, and they haven’t stopped.
Every weekend it’s something. A shower, a brunch, a fitting, a bachelorette thing.
” Wyatt sighed. “I know weddings are your bread and butter, but what a waste of money. I love Rose to death, but we don’t need a big show to prove our love or a piece of paper to make it real. ”
“For some people it might be about proof, but most just want to share their love with their loved ones.”
“We share our love with you guys all the time,” Wyatt added.
“And we wish you wouldn’t.” Rhone smacked him on the back, and Gio nodded in agreement.
My eyes drifted to Ben, who had bent to adjust a chair. The lines around his eyes tightened as if the movement caused him pain. He was definitely hungover, but there was something else. Something had shifted.
Despite it my anger and disappointment, I couldn’t stop wondering what happened to the man who held my hand in the car last night.
He straightened, and I cleared my throat. “Thank you for gathering the troops,” I said. “Now, if you all can get out of here before you sweat on my table linens.”
Franc laughed and swiped his forearm across his brow. “I know those garden ladies. Sweaty men will have them pulling out dollar bills.”
“This is a respectful establishment,” I said. “If they want depravity, they can go to Gold Crest.”
Ben stiffened, his jaw tightening, his hands clenching for a brief second before relaxing.