Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Mila pulled the pies from the oven as Aunt Claire returned to the kitchen from setting the huge dining room table.
After returning to her house to tackle a few things on her to-do list, Mila walked back to the B&B to help her aunt cook dinner for tonight.
She couldn’t begin to count how much time she’d spent in this kitchen with her aunt, preparing meals.
It was Grandma Sheila who’d taught her how to crochet and Aunt Claire who’d taught her to cook.
Following the death of Mila’s parents when she was nine years old, her grandmother and aunt had wrapped her—and her sisters—in their arms, smothering them with the most wonderful motherly love in the world. So much so, Mila considered Aunt Claire more mother than aunt.
Mila drew in a deep breath, her mouth watering as all the scents in the kitchen hit her at once.
The sweet smell of the apple pies mingled with the savory beef stew simmering on the stove, and underlying all that was the scent of fresh-baked bread.
No place on earth ever smelled better than Aunt Claire’s kitchen on Sunday night.
While this house functioned as a B&B six nights a week, Aunt Claire considered Sundays sacred. Meaning, no reservations were taken and the entire family was expected to gather for dinner at six p.m. sharp.
The boys teased their mother about her insistence that they share the meal together, reminding her that they saw each other all the time. With the exception of Lucy in Philadelphia, and Levi, who now lived down in the valley with Kasi, the rest of the Storms all lived and worked on the farm.
“Lark and Piper just got here. My goodness, that Piper is getting tall. She’s going to be a beauty like her big sisters,” Aunt Claire told her.
Lark’s bird-watching-obsessed mother had four kids.
The twins, Lark and Wren, Robin, the only son, and then Piper, the baby.
“Inviting them was a good idea, sweetheart.”
“I hope Sadie and Piper hit it off. Sadie was pretty quiet most of the time I was with them this afternoon, and I couldn’t help but think how hard it would be at that age, having to walk into the school cafeteria at lunchtime and not know anyone. Middle schoolers are brutal.”
Aunt Claire grinned. “I suppose they are. It was such a sweet thing for you to suggest.”
Mila shrugged. “Anyone else would have thought of it. I just happened to get there first.”
Aunt Claire rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything else. Mainly because she didn’t need to. Mila had been subjected to countless speeches from her aunt about her inability to accept compliments.
“Tell me about Boone,” Aunt Claire said. “You’ve said quite a bit about the girl, but you haven’t said anything about him. Is he nice? Friendly? Do you think he’ll be a good fit for the farm?”
Mila hadn’t said much about Boone because she was struggling to think about the man without blushing, and she was worried her astute aunt would pick up on her insta-crush on their new vineyard manager.
No. Not crush.
Mila dismissed “crush” because it was too gentle a word for her instinctual reaction toward Boone. That tumble she took into his arms might have been earlier this afternoon, but she could swear she’d been in a free fall ever since. Not that she could tell anyone that.
Well, maybe she could pull Theo and Levi aside and ask them if what she’d felt when he touched her was truly the same as their experiences.
She shut that idea down. Mainly because she didn’t want to look like an idiot if her feelings were one-sided and not returned.
She didn’t have enough experience with dating and attraction to read his expressions.
A couple times, she felt as if he was looking at her with something like desire, but just as many times, she’d caught his scowl and wondered if she’d done something to anger him.
Wow. Reading too much into thirty minutes, Mila, or what?
She hadn’t spent more than half an hour with the man, and she’d already analyzed every word and expression approximately four million times.
“He’s a very nice man,” Mila said, as she turned her back on Aunt Claire, stirring the stew, even though it didn’t need to be stirred. “I think he’ll fit in fine on the farm. We didn’t really talk about the vineyards. I just helped them get situated in their new home.”
God. She hoped it would be their home for a good long time. The thought of him leaving before she could figure out what this was made her stomach hurt.
Mila closed her eyes briefly, aware she was getting far too carried away over a man she’d just met.
She knew precious little about him. And the stuff she did know was just tidbits Levi had dropped along the way after hiring him.
He was divorced, a single father, and his previous job had been as an assistant vineyard manager in Williamsburg. Those three piddly facts were it.
Except that she knew Levi thought highly of Boone’s skills with the grapes.
She’d overheard him mention that Boone had been the one to help Levi identify an issue he’d been having with the Cabernet Franc grapes a couple of years ago, and how they’d researched together to solve it.
She was certain Levi had probably said more about the man when they were discussing offering the job to him, but Mila hadn’t been interested enough to pay attention, completely unaware of the effect Boone would have on her before today.
“What did he and Sadie think of the cabin?” Aunt Claire asked.
“Oh, they really liked it. While they didn’t say as much, I got the feeling their last place was smaller. They both seemed impressed, and Sadie was delighted to have her own bathroom.”
“It is one of the nicer cabins on the farm. I’m surprised you chose to let that one go. It’s typically one of the first to get rented.”
Mila wasn’t sure why she’d selected that cabin, because her aunt was right.
It was one of their most popular rentals.
When the family decided to put Boone and his daughter up in one of the cabins, because Levi insisted it was in their best interest to keep the manager close to the vineyard in case of bad weather or other issues that might arise, she’d been charged with choosing which one.
Because, as she’d told Boone, somewhere over the years, the cabins had become her domain.
Not that she was particularly happy about that.
If she was smart, she would have chosen a different cabin.
Boone had even said they would have been fine in a smaller, more rustic one, but as Mila considered the options, she decided the one she’d selected was best suited to be a permanent home.
The cabin had always been her favorite, and she liked the idea of a family living there versus a different group of strangers every week.
“I want them to be comfortable,” Mila said. “It could be their home for years.”
Aunt Claire walked over and wrapped her arm around Mila’s shoulders, giving her a squeeze. “Of course, you did, sweet girl. Always going the extra mile to make others happy.”
Mila smiled, but before she could refute her aunt’s words, Kasi stepped into the kitchen.
“Need any help?”
“Hello, Kasi, dear. When did you get here?” Aunt Claire asked, walking over to give Kasi a hug.
Aunt Claire had begun to worry she’d never have grandchildren, given the way all seven of her sons had been stubbornly hanging on to their bachelor statuses.
When Levi fell for Kasi last summer, Aunt Claire had been over the moon, and she’d been dropping the occasional hints about how beautiful spring weddings were ever since.
Kasi, Remi’s best friend forever, had practically grown up on the farm, thanks to countless playdates, so she didn’t take Aunt Claire’s comments as pressure, but rather a compliment.
“Dad, Keith, and I got here just now. Walked in at the same time as Levi and the new vineyard manager.”
Mila’s heart instantly began to race, knowing that Boone was in the very next room.
Aunt Claire wiped her hands on her apron. “Oh good. I’ve been anxious to meet him. Do me a favor, Kasi, and keep an eye on the bread for us. Mila, are you coming to introduce Sadie and Piper?” Her aunt didn’t wait for a response, leaving the room as if Mila following her was a given.
Mila tried to move, but her feet felt as if they were sunk in mud, her nerves kicking in.
She’d fretted all afternoon about Boone’s first impression of her.
After all, her first act had been to fall on him, knocking both of them on their asses.
Then she became a bundle of nervous energy, talking way more than usual.
She worried he’d found her constant chatter annoying, because he’d been so quiet himself.
“Mila?” Kasi asked, her brows furrowing. “You okay?”
She nodded, fighting to calm down. She was losing her damn mind. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Take your time. I know my way around this kitchen.” Kasi was as good a cook as Aunt Claire, which was saying something.
Mila stepped out of the kitchen, following the sound of voices, all of which were in the living room.
Peering into the room, she saw Piper had already made her way over to Sadie, engaging her in what appeared to be a complete rundown of all the seventh-grade teachers.
Sadie was listening intently, but more importantly, smiling.
The young girl had been far too serious this afternoon, so Mila was pleased to see her looking a lot less scared.
She let her attention linger on the girls for a little longer because she feared once she turned her gaze to Boone, she wouldn’t be able to look away.
“It’s a beautiful farm,” she heard Boone say to her aunt and uncle. Uncle Rex was standing somewhat gingerly on one leg as Aunt Claire hovered, clearly concerned he might fall again and hurt himself worse.