Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
Indigo rested her head against the car’s backrest, and let her eyes drift shut. They were on their way to Margaret River for the second leg of their itinerary. The rest of the shoot on Rottnest Island went off without any dramas.
There hadn’t been any more messages, but that didn’t mean anything.
They could be just biding their time. Jeffrey, in consultation with Wilt, had employed a private chef named Rick, who’d done twenty years’ service in the Army, to prepare their food.
He’d been at the set when she’d arrived.
How he’d gotten there so quickly, she didn’t question.
Jeffrey had the money to ensure his wishes were answered promptly.
Indigo had to admit the food he’d served up was delicious, but he hadn’t lost that military edge. Even though he’d told her he’d been out of the service for a decade, he’d been aware of everything going on around them.
She’d watched him prepare a meal, and the way Rick had yielded a knife had been impressive. Not only with his chopping skills, but she could picture him tossing the knife at an assailant and getting him in the neck without blinking.
Having him there, alongside Wilt to lend a hand should it be needed, helped a little with her anxiety about being the target of someone’s ire again.
“We shouldn’t be too much longer. According to the GPS, we’ll be arriving at the accommodation in about twenty minutes.”
Indigo flicked her eyes open and glanced at Wilt. He’d been nothing but professional since the night they’d talked in her bungalow. He’d been true to his word, and had come back to her with his laptop tucked up under his arm, along with some other computer stuff.
She watched him set it all up, and when he’d put his glasses on, she’d hightailed it to her room.
There was something about those glasses that had her thinking of strolling over to him and straddling his lap while she kissed him senseless as he wore them.
Then she would whip them off before removing his shirt.
Indigo shifted in her seat as a sudden arousal drenched her body. He hadn’t made any attempt to kiss her, or even hold her like he had on the beach and in her bungalow.
He’d remained close to her side, his touch light and professional as he escorted her to the lighthouse, and had been on the periphery the whole day.
It had unnerved her initially, and she couldn’t understand why.
It wasn’t any different to the previous day.
Maybe it was because the threats were fresh and in her mind.
Vincent had told her over and over she was too tense and was wasting good light and his time.
After the third time of his grumbling, she’d pulled her head out of the clouds, donned her professional cloak and ignored Wilt to ensure the best possible photos were taken.
If anyone had thought anything weird about how she was acting, they didn’t say anything. Or they put it down to the threat toward her.
“Okay,” she said, finally acknowledging the information about the arrival time. “Do you know anything about where we’re going?” Indigo shifted in her seat again.
“Which place? Where the photos are being taken, or where we’re staying?”
There was no censure in his voice, but she couldn’t help but think he was admonishing her for not knowing the information.
It wasn’t in the itinerary. She’d read that thing four times.
The times and locations were imprinted on her mind, but there were no finer details.
Like how big the winery was, would tour groups be roaming the property, or was the house they were staying in big or small. Would it have five bedrooms or one.
One bedroom.
One bed.
A snort of laughter bubbled out of her at the thought of the place only having one bed. That was a classic romance novel trope. Reading romance novels was her favorite thing to do on long flights. They were so easy to fall into and escape with.
“I didn’t think my question was that funny.” Wilt spared her a quick look before turning his attention back to the road.
She was glad he didn’t stare at her while he was driving.
When she’d been in Italy, their driver had looked over his shoulder when he talked to her as she’d been sitting in the back of the car.
After the fifth time of him doing so, she’d assured him that he didn’t need to look at her every time he spoke, and to keep his focus on the road.
He hadn’t taken the hint, and she’d been stressed when she’d arrived at her destination after at least four near misses.
After that, she’d made sure she sat in the front, even if they encouraged her to sit in the back. She’d tell them that if she sat in the back she’d throw up, which wasn’t true, but it had been effective. That was the last thing they wanted to happen in their cars.
“Sorry, it wasn’t; my mind went off on a tangent.
I wanted to know where we’re staying. Your itinerary didn’t lay out the specifications of it or the size of the winery where the photos will be taken.
” Indigo didn’t doubt for a second that Wilt had all this information memorized, especially considering what had happened on Rottnest Island.
“Oh, right. The house we’re staying at has plenty of room. Initially, everyone was staying there, but after what happened, it was decided that you and I would take that place, and other arrangements would be made for Vincent, Louella, and everyone else.”
“Ugh, now everyone will think I’m a precious diva. Who made that decision?” This was the last thing she wanted. If word got out, it was likely going to be twisted in a way to make her seem like she demanded it, her reputation would take a beating.
“I made the call. Everyone was fine with it. They all understand.”
“Unlikely,” she muttered.
How could he believe the others would be happy about being shunted to some other accommodation?
He thought she was a diva before she even met him, now with a simple demand, even one not made by her, it would be interpreted as her being difficult.
“They’re not going to think badly of you, Indigo. They’re all worried and want you safe.”
“Right, but there’s been nothing since that one threat. You haven’t found the person, even though you were confident you would be able to with your superior computer skills.”
Wilt’s fingers flexed around the steering wheel. “You’re right. I haven’t found the individual. They were clever in terms of bouncing their signal around, so I couldn’t get a location on them. They’re smart, but I’m smarter. I will find them.”
“You told me the account was a fake one. What’s to say it wasn’t a one-off thing and they’ve moved on to harass someone else?”
“You know, that could be a possibility, but I’d rather we be overly cautious than not cautious at all. I told you, Diva, I will keep you safe.”
“That’s what everyone is going to think about me now. That I’m a diva. That I create drama just for special treatment.”
“Doubtful. and if nothing happens during the rest of the trip, you can tell me, ‘I told you so,’ and that I was overreacting.”
“I will take great pleasure in doing that, Soldier.”
“I bet you will.”
Somehow, after the seriousness of their conversation, they finished on a light note. “Now, what about the winery we’re going to? How big?”
Wilt indicated off the highway. The road they turned on to wasn’t as well maintained, and there were rows and rows of vines on either side.
“It’s a boutique winery called Kyldan Winery.
They apparently only produce a small amount of wine each year.
They sell off half their crop to a larger winery in the area. ”
“That’s interesting. I wonder why they do that?”
“Not sure, but I’m sure the owners would be happy to tell you. We’re having lunch with them.”
He turned into a driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tires. A large house appeared as they took a slight bend. It had a verandah that looked like it went around the whole building. There were a couple of kids and bikes propped up against the fence.
There hadn’t been any sign on the road indicating that this was the place where they would be taking photos, but there were plenty of vines around, and it had a lovely feel about it.
Perhaps they were only table grapes, and the wine producing vines were elsewhere.
“This is where I’m doing the shoot?” she asked, as she released her seatbelt.
“Yep.”
“Oh. It’s not what I expected, even with you telling me about what they do with their grapes. I guess I pictured a place which had a tasting room and other things. Something a bit showier.”
Did that make her sound vain and a wine snob? She wasn’t either of those things, but Jeffrey was such a big name, she thought for sure he’d go for something flashier to show off his collection.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Wilt said. They were still in the car, and the atmosphere had a more intimate feel about it.
“What am I thinking?”
“That Jeffrey’s jewels deserve something more extravagant.”
“You’re annoying, you know that? The way you seem to think you know what’s going through my mind.”
He grinned big, and she couldn’t see his eyes because of his sunglasses, but she imagined they were sparkling with merriment. “So you admit that’s what you were thinking.”
She would’ve rolled her eyes, but as she was also wearing sunglasses, the effect wouldn’t be the same. “Whatever. We should probably get out, otherwise they’re going to wonder if we’re too scared to go inside.”
“You’re right, but before we go,” he reached over and placed his hand on her arm. The touch was more personal than anything he’d given her over the last few days. “Sometimes you don’t need extravagance to create beauty. Simplicity is more alluring.”
He removed his hand and got out of the car. He had her door open before she could even fully process what he was saying. But he was right. Sometimes less was indeed more.