Chapter 7 Wyatt #2
Sage narrowed her eyes but didn’t press the issue.
The trip took almost two hours. She parked right in front of the cabin where Kinley and I were going to stay.
“All right, then, this is the house. I’ll show you around. Do you need any time to change or recharge? You two had an early start to the day.”
“I’m good,” Kinley said. “Just need to change into more comfortable shoes. Unless you think I’m good with heels?”
“No, that’s too fancy for today. I want to take you into the vineyard too,” Sage replied.
“Perfect.” Kinley smiled from ear to ear. “Then sneakers it is.”
“I’ll grab a coffee and meet you two here in about ten or fifteen minutes,” Sage continued.
“I’ll show Kinley around the house,” I cut in. “You enjoy the coffee.”
“Brilliant,” Sage said. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes, then. That’s enough time, yes?”
“I probably only need ten minutes tops,” Kinley replied.
Was it just my imagination, or was she afraid of spending time alone with me?
“Then ten minutes it is.”
“We’ve got a schedule to stick to,” Kinley went on.
Sage laughed, glancing at me. “You hired someone just like you.”
I smirked. “Precisely.”
Sage started to laugh and shook her head as she left.
I looked at Kinley and pointed to the house. “After you.”
“Oh, this is cozy,” she murmured as we stepped in.
“This is the living room, obviously.” There was a small couch and an armchair in front of a TV. A small wooden table with two chairs sat next to the kitchen counter.
“That’s the door to one bedroom.” I pointed to the left. “That’s the second bedroom.” I pointed to the right. “And that gray door leads to the bathroom.”
“One bathroom?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” she said, though it sounded more like a question.
“Kinley? What’s wrong?”
She turned around quickly, pushing a strand of her blonde hair over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“Come on, give it to me straight. You aren’t happy about the accommodations.”
Her shoulders slumped as she interlaced her fingers in front of her, fiddling her thumbs. “I assumed that we’d stay at a hotel.” She hesitated before adding, “I like having my own space.”
“I understand. Usually we book hotels. The first time I came here, I stayed at a hotel, but I spent more time traveling back and forth than working. How about this? I promise I’ll stay out of your way.”
She glanced around the room. “That’s going to be a bit hard to do.”
“I’ll do my very best. When I put my mind to something, I’m successful.” I grinned, then let it drop, looking her in the eye. “Look, if this really bothers you, then I’ll make arrangements for myself at the nearest hotel.”
“No, no, it’s fine. Sage seemed excited to have us stay here.”
“Oh, she is. If it were up to her, she’d make this an Airbnb. She loves hosting.”
She raised a brow. “You know her well?”
“Well enough. Sage is a chatterbox. She shares a lot.”
“Great. So... I told her I’d be ready in ten minutes. I’d better freshen up. Which room should I take?”
“They’re both identical and tiny. Feel free to choose.”
She went toward the one on the left. I followed her to the door as she rolled her suitcase inside.
“You weren’t joking. World’s tiniest bedroom.”
Each one only had a single bed, which was a shock the first time I saw them.
It was nothing like the comforts I’d gotten used to.
It reminded me of the bed I’d had growing up.
Since there were six of us, we had to bunk.
We’d only had two bedrooms, and I’d shared one with Finn and Knox.
But over the years, I’d upgraded my lifestyle.
I knew how to make money, but I was very good at spending it too.
The guest bathroom in my home in Coronado was larger than both of these bedrooms put together. But that was beside the point.
I went to my own bedroom, taking off my shirt and putting on a polo T-shirt with short sleeves. My tattoo was visible, but I couldn’t care less. I was working in a vineyard, and I would look like a fucking schmuck parading around all day with a long-sleeved dress shirt.
Kinley was already in front of the house when I joined her. She was wearing jeans, a pink top, and pink sneakers. Sage was chatting with her. I liked the fact that they seemed to get along pretty well.
“And here’s our tattooed man,” Sage exclaimed, and I started to laugh. She never took anything seriously.
Kinley turned around, and her eyes locked on my left arm. She swallowed hard—I actually noticed her throat move. I was going to tease her about that later.
“I’m ready to go,” I said.
Kinley didn’t react. She was still looking at my arm, transfixed.
“All right, lady. Put your eyes back where they belong. I know, I know, CEOs usually don’t have tattoos, but this one’s different,” Sage said.
Kinley’s jaw dropped as she blinked rapidly. Then she closed her mouth, pressing her lips together.
“You’ll get used to Sage’s straightforwardness,” I said loudly enough for Sage herself to hear.
She grinned. “Hey, I call things like I see them. Never steered me wrong yet.”