Thirteen
Beckett
I blink my eyes to clear them, still wondering why I almost kissed my best friend’s little sister last night. Why I essentially told her I would.
Sadie Calloway. The girl I promised to look out for, not get involved with. It was so bad, I showed up at the hospital at five o’clock this morning and walked into a double bypass. Thank God I can do those in my sleep.
Rather than go home now that the surgery is done, I shuffle down the hall and find a spot in the sleep room. There are three other people already in there, but I dive into an empty bunk, pull up the light blanket, and stare at the ceiling.
I drag a hand down my face. What the hell is wrong with me?
She was just standing there—barefoot, soft-eyed, a glass of water in her hand, that silk robe barely hanging on. And I forgot everything, every reason I was supposed to keep my distance, every line I swore I wouldn’t cross.
And she didn’t pull away. She looked up like she was hoping I wouldn’t stop.
After a restless few minutes, I throw off the blanket and sit on the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees. My scrub top still smells like antiseptic and stress. I should shower. I should eat. I should do literally anything other than replay the way she looked at me.
But I can’t.
This was never supposed to be complicated. She showed up at my door, and Caleb asked me to keep her safe, give her space, not daydream about how her mouth would feel against mine.
I pull out my phone. The screen is black, but I know what’s coming. Eventually, Caleb will check in, ask how she’s doing, ask if everything’s okay.
And I’ll either lie to my best friend…or admit I can’t be trusted.
I grab the phone and open our message thread. My fingers hover.
Me: Hey, man. Everything’s fine here. Sadie’s doing great.
Backspace.
Me: I may have fallen for your sister. Don’t kill me.
Delete.
God, I’m an idiot.
Nothing happened. I didn’t kiss her. I didn’t touch her, at least not in any way that counts.
But I wanted to. I said I might.
And that’s just as dangerous.
It’s Sadie. And it’s Caleb. Two people I care about. Two people I can’t afford to hurt. Two people who have been hurt enough already.
I drop the phone on the bunk and press my palms to my eyes. Eventually, I’ll have to tell him. I’ll have to make a choice. But not today.
Today, I exit quietly from the sleep room, pull on a clean shirt in the locker room, splash cold water on my face, and pretend I haven’t already crossed the line with Sadie a hundred times in my head. Because right now, there’s something else I need to deal with—Tarryn.
Sadie trusted me with what happened in the tasting room yesterday. I need to make sure my sister hears it accurately before someone else twists it.
Out in the parking lot, I slam the car door harder than I mean to, gripping the steering wheel like it’s the only thing holding me together.
The air is crisp, but sweat clings to the back of my neck.
Guilt. Anger. I almost kissed Sadie last night, and now I’m heading for a meeting where I have to protect her again.
This time from my own damn family. Sadie’s caught in the middle, and she’s an easy target.
Not this time. Not while I’m able to look out for her.
When I arrive, I step into the vineyard’s main office, the air thick with the scent of oak barrels and the low, earthy tang of fermentation.
Tarryn’s perched behind her desk with a stack of invoices in front of her. “You look like shit,” she says, eyes flicking to mine before going back to her screen.
“Didn’t sleep.”
“Sadie?” she asks.
I don’t answer that. “We’ve got a problem. Zach stopped by the tasting room yesterday, and after he left, the till was short a hundred and fifty bucks.”
That gets her attention. She sets her pen down. “Sadie told you this?”
“Yeah. She didn’t want you to know, used her own tip money to cover the gap. Noted the shortage. My guess? Zach’s going to pin it on her.”
Tarryn leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. She looks out the window at the syrah vines. “I knew it.”
“You think he’s stealing?”
“I know he is. This isn’t the first time something hasn’t added up.
He knows I track the income, but he doesn’t seem to realize I look at the sales figures as well.
I’ve been tracking small inconsistencies since last quarter.
” She shakes her head. “This was more than usual, but unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me. ”
“Then why haven’t you done anything?”
“Because every time I bring it up, Dad tells me I’m being paranoid.
Says I’m too hard on Zach, that calling out his brother’s ‘perfect son’ is just another way of insulting the sacred Paradise name and Uncle Max.
” She stands, frustration vibrating off her as she starts pacing.
“I wanted cameras installed, just above the registers. Basic coverage. Nothing invasive. But no. Everyone said it was ‘too much.’ Accused me of spying.”
“Maybe because you were about to catch him red-handed.”
She spins to face me. “I don’t care anymore. I want the cameras up by Friday.”
I nod. “I know a guy. Discreet. We can get them in after hours, keep them so small Zach won’t even see them.”
Her jaw tightens. “Do it. And Beckett, thank you.” She sighs.
“Sadie doesn’t deserve this.” She goes over and counts money from the petty cash box.
She hands it to me. “Make sure Sadie gets this. She’s killing it out there.
Sales are up when she’s working. Customers love her. And Zach hates having her around.”
I shrug. “She belongs here. He doesn’t.”
“I know. But I don’t get the final say—yet.”
“Sadie’s a thousand times better than him.”
Tarryn tilts her head, studying me. “You’re not just talking about the money, are you?”
I look away.
“You going to tell Caleb? ”
I rake a hand through my hair. “Eventually.”
Her mouth twitches, almost a smile. “Better it come from you than Zach blabbing to him. You know this is a small town.”
That’s Tarryn—blunt, sharp-edged, and never wrong.
I leave her with the logistics of setting up the cameras and go to find Sadie.
The tasting room is buzzing when I step inside. Glass clinks, laughter rises from the bar, and the rich scent of pinot and oak fills the air.
Sadie’s behind the counter, laughing with a couple as she pours their flight. Her smile is warm, but I can see the tension in her shoulders. The way her eyes flick toward the register every time someone pays. The way she double-checks every entry, even when no one’s watching. Except me.
She doesn’t see me. She’s in her rhythm, uncorking the next bottle with confident grace. Capable. Focused. Beautiful.
God help me.
Then her eyes find mine. Her smile falters, just slightly. Like she’s not sure which version of me she’s about to get.
“Hey,” she says as I approach. Quiet. Guarded.
“Hey.” I nod to the couple at the bar. “Hope she’s treating you well.”
They chuckle and raise their glasses.
“She’s great,” the woman says. “Knows her stuff.”
When the couple moves toward the patio, I step in close enough to speak low, just for her.
“I told Tarryn about Zach,” I tell her. “She wasn’t surprised. We’re going to install cameras above the till. Catch him in the act.”
Her lips part slightly, but her voice stays low. “Are you sure she believes me? I mean, blood’s thicker than water.”
“You’ve given her no reason not to trust you, and you’re doing a great job. Zach’s not exactly beloved. Tarryn just can’t fire him without proof.”
Sadie swallows hard. “I replaced the money,” she whispers .
“I know.” I offer her the cash Tarryn gave me.
She blinks, surprised. Her fingers hover before she takes the bills, like she’s not sure if she should thank me or argue. “I just…” Her voice catches. “I like this job, Beckett.”
“I know you do.” My voice softens. “And you’re good at it. Tarryn sees it. We all do.”
She exhales. “Is the rest of the family okay with this?”
“They don’t know yet. My brothers won’t care. My dad will say we should cut Zach some slack. And Max? He’ll lose it, especially if Zach’s caught.”
Her mouth quirks. “That tracks.”
I shrug. “Unfortunately, it does.”
There’s a pause. She glances toward the patio, then back at me. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“I do,” she says. “Because this isn’t your fight.”
“We’re all on Tarryn’s side, and I don’t like that you got put in the middle.”
She looks away, blinking quickly, and I know if I stay any longer, I’m going to say something I shouldn’t. Like how I haven’t stopped thinking about last night. Or how I wonder what would’ve happened if I hadn’t pulled away.
I clear my throat. “I should get back to the hospital.”
She nods. “Okay. If you see Rosie, tell her I’ll come by tonight.”
I head for the door but glance back. She’s already serving another group.
Outside, the late-morning sun beats down as I walk toward the edge of the property. I spot Tarryn talking with Mitch and Elise, our head vintners. They’re the ones who turn our fruit into magic, the people who care about the vines like they’re family.
I walk over to join them, offering a quick hello. But before I can ask about the new plantings, Zach shows up, unannounced, of course.
He struts around us like he owns the place in a vineyard- branded polo, designer shades, and smugness dialed to ten. He looks every bit the image of competence—if you didn’t know better.
Mitch and Elise depart for the barrel room, leaving me and Tarryn alone with the guy none of us trust.
“You might want to hear this,” Zach says, like he’s about to deliver an earthquake instead of whatever self-serving speech he’s rehearsed.
I cross my arms and wait.
“I just wanted to give you a heads-up,” he says. “After Sadie’s shift yesterday, I did a quick check on the till. Looked like it was a couple hundred short. Probably just a mistake, but, you know…figured you’d want to know.”
He says this like he’s doing us a favor. Like he’s being responsible.
Tarryn’s voice is flat. “Thanks for the info.”
Zach frowns slightly, like he expected a pat on the back. “I mean, I’m not saying it was her. Just weird, you know?”
I don’t blink. “And you didn’t notice any discrepancies before she started working?”
He shrugs. “Could’ve happened before, I guess. But I wasn’t looking for it then.”
Convenient.
Too convenient.
Tarryn looks away and then back at Zach. “We’ll handle it. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.”
Zach shrugs, all false humility. “No problem. She’s new. Maybe doesn’t know how the system works.”
“It wasn’t short when accounting got it,” Tarryn says evenly, her voice cool and calm like she’s reading a weather report. Not a hint of the storm behind her eyes.
He pauses. Just a second. But I see the flicker—the misstep.
Then he recovers with a cocky grin. “Right, well, she must’ve seen me count it and covered her tracks. Smart girl.”
I bite back the heat rising in my body. “We’ll look into it,” I say again .
Zach gives a lazy salute, like this is some kind of game. “Just doing my job.” He turns and strolls off, whistling like he’s already won.
As soon as he disappears around the corner, I let out a sharp breath and rake a hand through my hair. “We’re calling the security company today.”
Tarryn’s already scrolling through her phone, eyes narrowed with purpose. “After hours. I don’t want him catching wind. The minute he knows, he’ll find a new way to cover his ass.”
I nod. “And we’re not letting him pin this on her.”
Tarryn doesn’t look up. “No. We’re not.”
Because this isn’t just about missing money anymore. It’s about respect. It’s about a girl who’s trying to start over and Zach, who thinks he can use her as a scapegoat and walk away clean. But he won’t. Not this time.