Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Juliet
Three days after my mother's visit, Nate sauntered out to the garden when I was gathering herbs and announced we were going to a gala. Raising a hand to shield my eyes from the late afternoon sun, I looked up at him.
"What gala?"
"The Jennifer Crosbie Foundation. They're throwing a shindig at the Laurel Crest Vineyard."
"A shindig?" I scoffed. The Crosbies hosted some of the most elegant events I'd ever attended. "When?"
"Tonight." Nate glanced at the time on his phone. "In approximately two and a half hours."
I dropped the shears I'd been cutting the rosemary with. "What? Why didn't you mention this before?"
Nate grimaced. "Because I didn't want to give you time to weasel out of going."
I narrowed my eyes. "Why would I weasel out of going?" As I asked the question, the answer occurred to me. "Because Garrett's going to be there."
Nate confirmed my suspicion with a barely perceptible nod. I got to my feet.
"Did you think I'd be afraid to face him?" I demanded. "Because I'm not. Maybe three months ago I would have been, but with you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything. Don't you realize that?"
Nate's eyes glowed with pride. He stared at me as if he was about to throw me over his shoulder and carry me off to his bedroom. Unfortunately, if we were going to a gala in two and a half hours there wasn't time for that.
"Don't even think about it," I snapped.
"Don't even think about what?"
"We are not having sex right now."
"Phew, I'm glad to hear it." Eileen stepped out of the house and glanced between us. "A delivery came for you, Juliet, from Neiman Marcus."
"For me?" I glanced at Nate. "What have you done?"
"I ordered you something to wear tonight. I hope you like it."
Stunned, it took me a moment to react. I'd never had a man buy me clothes before. Well except when Nate picked up the tab at that store in Oakridge, but I'd chosen those myself.
"You'd better hope so, Mister," I scolded, grinning to show I wasn't serious. "Now keep out of my way for the rest of the day. I have to go beautify myself."
Nate shook his head. "You're already beautiful, Juliet."
The compliment washed over me like a soothing balm. I'd never get sick of Nate telling me I was beautiful.
"In that case, I'm going to go and put on some armor. You know these people, Nate. If I show up looking anything less than flawless, they'll tear me to pieces. Worse, they'll dredge up those ridiculous stories Garrett planted and assume you are exerting some sort of undue influence over me."
His chest rose and fell as he breathed in deeply. "You're right." He stepped closer and kissed my mouth. "Do what you need to do to feel comfortable tonight."
"Thank you. Now let me go get ready. I need to pamper myself a little."
I headed straight upstairs and into the bathroom for a quick shower to wash off the grime from the garden. Then I spent time perfecting my hair and make-up. I went for a simpler style than I usually would while retaining the elegance expected of me.
Finally I unzipped the garment bag that was hanging on the door of the closet.
I'd been almost scared to look at it until now.
When I drew the midnight-blue gown out of the bag, my breath hitched.
With an embroidered-silk corset top and a flowing chiffon skirt, it was gorgeous.
The boxes that accompanied it held matching shoes and a black silk clutch bag.
When I put it on, I felt like a princess. No, not a princess. A goddess. Like Venus herself. I slipped on the shoes, grabbed the bag, and headed downstairs.
Nate was waiting for me in the hallway. He looked effortlessly handsome in a dark suit, white shirt, and black tie. He was scrolling on his phone but lifted his head when he heard me on the stairs.
He watched me come down without speaking. When I reached the bottom, his eyes gleamed with approval.
"You look incredible, honey."
I patted his chest, firm and muscular beneath the crisp fabric of his shirt. "So do you."
He tilted his head to one side. "There's something missing."
Before I could ask him what it was, he turned and picked up a red velvet box from the table behind him. He opened it, and I gasped. Nestled on a bed of white satin were a diamond necklace and matching earrings.
I carefully slipped the earrings into my ears then offered Nate my back so he could place the necklace around my throat.
I turned to face him. "Well, will I do?"
"You'll do." He smiled and offered me his arm. "Ready?"
Was I? Thinking about the room we'd be walking into, filled with the elite of California society, I wasn't so sure.
It had been several weeks since I fled from that gala in San Francisco, and a lot had changed.
I wasn't the same woman I'd been back then.
I'd embraced a simpler life, one I enjoyed a lot more than fancy parties where everyone judged you on what you were wearing, rather than the person you were.
Add to that the knowledge Garrett would be there, and I definitely had doubts about what we were doing.
"Yes," I said, resolved to do this, to prove my words from earlier were true. With Nate by my side, I wasn't afraid. "Let's go."
As we walked to the door, Eileen called out to us.
"Hey, where do you two think you're going?" She brandished her phone at us. "I need pictures."
For several minutes, she made us pose for photos, as if we were teenagers heading off to prom. Nate and I obliged.
"Have fun, you two," she said as she finally decided she had enough pictures. "And make sure you eat enough. They never feed you properly at these things."
"Don't worry. We'll grab a pizza or something afterward," Nate promised her.
Nate took my hand and led me to the car. Collins held the back door open for us. I got in, and Nate jogged around the hood to get in the other side.
We didn't talk much on the drive. He had his phone out for the first part of it, and I looked out of the window at the valley, although there was little to see in the dark. When he put the phone away I said, "Scott?"
"Just confirming security arrangements for tonight."
Trusting Nate had everything in hand, I nodded and looked back out of the window.
After a moment he reached across and took my hand, holding onto it for the rest of the drive.
We didn't speak and I was glad of the chance to gather my thoughts.
I didn't need words right now. I needed the warmth of his hand and the security of knowing that whatever happened tonight I wasn't walking into it alone.
Collins pulled up outside the venue, and I could already see the photographers along the entrance, frantically snapping pictures of the guests arriving.
A year ago, this would have been entirely ordinary to me.
Now it looked like what it was. A performance.
This was nothing more than an elaborate piece of theatre in which everyone knew their part. I hated it.
Nate got out of the car first and offered me his hand. I took it and stepped out into the cold night air. Immediately the cameras started flashing as photographers called my name. Straightening my spine, I lifted my chin and walked into the winery.
It was pretty inside. Warm lighting was strung overhead. Long tables with white linen and floral decorations filled the space. A string quartet played at the entrance, and a band had set up at the far end of the room for when people wanted to dance later in the evening.
The room was full, and the air was thick with conversation. I spotted Garrett within two minutes of walking in. He was standing near the bar with two men I didn't recognize. When he didn't spot us, I breathed a sigh of relief, but I knew we wouldn't escape his notice all evening.
"He's at the bar," I said quietly.
"I know," Nate said. "Don't worry about him."
A woman in a headset appeared at Nate's elbow.
She introduced herself as Claire and told us she'd be looking after us this evening.
As she walked us to our table, she mentioned to Nate that the reserve cabernet from Mist Hollow had been served at their director's dinner in the spring and had been the talking point of the evening.
"I'll tell my viticulturalist," Nate said. "He'll be pleased."
We took our seats, and a waiter hurried over to pour our wine.
"Your viticulturalist?" I said to Nate. "Isn't Ramon also your winemaker?"
"He's a jack of all trades. I'm lucky to have him."
"Yes, you are." Ramon was good people. Along with Eileen, he gave Mist Hollow its character.
As the night wore on and various people stopped by the table to speak to me about charity work or to Nate about potential business opportunities he clearly wasn't interested in pursuing, I found myself longing to get back to the quiet of the vineyard.
The food was good, and the wine flowed. It was decent, but its flavors weren't as developed as Nate's vintages. Perhaps I was being unfair, but I was now firmly Team Mist Hollow, and nothing would convince me of another winery's superiority.
As I finished my dessert, a delicious chocolate torte, a hand came to rest on the back of my chair. Even before I turned around, I knew it was Garrett. He made my skin crawl.
I set my dessert fork down and turned in my chair to look at him. Across the table, I sensed the tension in Nate's body.
"Garrett," I acknowledged him. "I'd like you to step away from me."
I spoke clearly and without heat at a volume that carried to everyone around our table and beyond. Several heads turned in our direction. Good. I wanted an audience for this.
Garrett's expression didn't change, but his eyes reflected his displeasure.
"I just wanted to say hello."
"I have no desire to speak to you. Please step away."
The table had gone quiet, the people around us no longer pretending not to hear our exchange.
"Juliet, you're making a scene." His voice dropped lower.
"No, I'm merely asking you to step away from me."
He glanced across at Nate, who simply raised his eyebrows. Garrett stepped back.
"We'll speak later, Juliet, when you're in a more agreeable mood."
"No," I said firmly. "We won't."
As he moved away, my knee bounced beneath the table. I hadn't realized I'd been afraid until now. Smiling approvingly, Nate refilled my glass. The woman to my left engaged me in conversation about a vineyard she'd visited in the Loire Valley.
When dinner was finished, the band began to play. Nate offered me his hand, and we got up to dance. Nate wrapped his arms around me, and all thoughts of Garrett Kane were banished from my mind.