Chapter 19
Wade was in the corral, working on one of the new horses they’d bought at auction. One of his jobs was to check the new horses out and decide where they fit best. Usually Mike was there with him, but he had some business at the Guest Ranch, so Wade was on his own, which was fine. He preferred it that way. Some horses got nervous with too many people around and acted differently. He wanted his first exposure to them to be one-on-one, to get a feel for them. And this horse appeared to be perfect as a trail horse so far.
The horse snorted and lifted his head, looking over Wade’s shoulder to the fence. Wade turned and saw Viv leaning on the top rail.“Hey, cowboy. Thought I’d take a break and watch a real horseman at work. Let me know when you start.”
He grinned.“Let me turn him out with the rest of the horses.”
She held out a small bag of apple slices and he nodded. She fed the slices to the chestnut, and the horse took the treat gently, adding another check box in Wade’s list for him to be added to the roster. He and Viv led the horse to the pasture where they turned him out. The horse kicked his heels and cantered to the rest of the herd, settling in to graze contentedly.
He and Viv leaned on the split-rail fence and watched them for a few minutes, the silence dragging. But he had a feeling that something was bothering her. Finally, he spoke.“Everything okay, Viv?”
She let out a breath, as if the world was heavy on her shoulders.“My mom called. She wondered when I was coming home.”
His heart seized for a moment and he resisted the urge to hold her tight, not letting her go. When he could speak, he was surprised to find his voice steady.“She misses you. I don’t blame her.”
Viv half turned and faced him.“You don’t understand, Wade. She said I was just teaching people how to breathe and stretch. Like what I was doing here wasn’t important.”
He cupped her cheek, stroking a thumb over the tear that spilled from her eye.“I’m sorry, darling. Have you explained it to her?”
Viv turned her back to him, wrapping her arms around herself.“I’ve tried. They don’t listen. Nothing matters more than the vineyard. The family legacy.” He winced at the same words he and Mike used several times about the ranch.“In fact, that was why she called. My cousin Amy is pregnant and stuck in Europe on bed rest. They want me to come home and ‘do my duty,’ run the fall events and tasting room. They don’t care about what I want.”
“Family is important, Viv. Believe me, I know. I lost mine and have been lucky to find another one. What’s the harm in going back and helping them out?”
She whirled around and stared at him, tears clinging to her lashes, disbelief reflected in their depths.“How can you say that? They’re completely ignoring who I am and what I do, as if I’m unimportant.”
“Come on, Viv. That’s not what I’m saying. All I meant is that they need you. Weren’t you saying that you felt like an outsider? Now you can be a part of them. Like I am here, at the ranch. Don’t throw away your family because you’re not sure of your place. They love you. They want you to be a part of their lives.”
She kept hugging herself, taking a step back when he reached for her.“Not like this. I want them to love me for who I am, not for who they want me to be. If I go back like this, then I’m just giving in and not being true to myself.”
“Is it really that big a deal? You’re helping your family. Isn’t that the main thing?”
She stared at him for a moment, her head cocked to the side.“You know, I actually came to ask you where we stood. But you’re making it pretty clear that we have nothing beyond a summer fling.”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. We’re talking about you going home to help your family. Totally different topics.” He was getting whiplash from the conversation.
“But you’re basically pushing me to go home, not asking me to stay. Unless you want me to stay?”
“Viv, you know I care about you?—”
She interrupted with a harsh laugh.“Oh God. The ‘you know I care about you’ line. No, forget about it. Don’t say anything else. I can’t deal with this right now.” She was backing away fast, almost stumbling in her haste to get away.“I won’t bother you again. Thanks for a good time, Wade.”
And she turned, fleeing from him toward the cabins, leaving him staring dumbfounded after her, wondering what the hell had just happened.