CHAPTER THIRTY
LORI
Carrying a lantern, Lori headed up the hill to the main house for dinner. When she’d gone as far as the house next door, she paused as two children sitting on the front porch steps waved at her.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Lori. Who are you?”
The girl, who looked to be about nine, placed a hand on her younger brother’s shoulder before he wiggled loose and ran to greet Lori.
“I’m Bert,” said the little boy, whose sparkling dark eyes shone at her.
“And I’m Elsa,” his sister said, staying by his side and placing a protective arm around him.
“Do you live there now?” asked Bert, pointing to the cabin.
“Just for a few more days. I’m here to learn how a vineyard operates,” Lori said.
“My father is the assistant foreman here,” said Elsa. “We just moved in.”
“It seems like a wonderful place to live,” Lori said.
Elsa shrugged. “I’m just making friends, so, we’ll see.” She seemed very grown-up for her age.
Lori was impressed by Elsa’s easy acceptance of what might be a challenging move for her. Being the new kid in a classroom wasn’t always easy.
Their mother came onto the front porch. “Hey, kids, don’t bother our neighbor.”
“They weren’t bothering me,” said Lori. “In fact, I’m the one who was interrupting them.”
The pretty, heavy-set woman approached them and wrapped her arms around the children. “I’m Sophia Perez. And these are my children. Elsa is nine, and Bert is just five.”
“I’m Loralie Hamlin, a guest in the cabin for the next few days. I understand you moved here recently.”
“Yes, my husband is the assistant foreman. We’re lucky to be here. Adeline Hills Vineyard has a reputation for taking care of staff.”
“I’m here to learn about the vineyard, grape growing, and wine making,” said Lori.
Sophia smiled. “It’s a lot to learn, but fascinating.”
“I’m glad I met you. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
“Yes. Once the kids are settled in school, I’ll be helping in the fields,” said Sophia.
Lori went on her way, thinking how it must be for some working families in the area. She imagined there was a lot to be done at all the vineyards.
###
When she reached the main house, Lori knocked on the door that had been propped open and called out as she entered the house.
Sarita met her in the hallway. “Glad to see you. We have a surprise visitor. Come join us in the den.”
When she reached the doorway, Lori stopped in surprise as Griff rose to greet her.
“Hi. I didn’t expect to see you here until tomorrow,” she said, smiling at him. She wondered how long it would take for either Kayla or him to spill the truth about their so-called relationship and decided she’d say or do nothing about it.
Grandad patted the chair next to him. “Come sit by me. I want to know all about your day,” he said, as if they hadn’t spoken to one another earlier.
Smiling at the subtle wink he gave her, Lori sat down as Griff asked, “Would you like another red wine tonight? I thought since you worked in the pinot noir section, you might like to try one of ours.”
“Thanks. That sounds perfect,” said Lori. “Where’s Kayla?”
“She’ll be along soon. She and Rosie Torres have been looking over a display in the winery reception room,” said Sarita.
“That’s something I thought you should see tomorrow,” said Griff. “If you’re interested, that is. I do a lot of the sales and marketing and naturally think others might be interested, too.”
“I studied to be a teacher, but my parents insisted I learn other practical things to supplement my income if needed. So, my minor in college was marketing. I love to see how others utilize those skills. Especially in the new online arena where there’s a lot of money to be made.
I’m a virtual assistant to two authors and three small businesses, handling all kinds of things, including marketing for them. ”
Both Sam and Griff studied her.
Lori laughed. “I know. It’s a surprise to many. Especially because I’ve chosen to work with young children.”
“Okay. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to have you stop doing fieldwork and help me think about new ideas for the reception areas. Rosie is willing to work there for as long as we want her, but we need a professional to look at it with a fresh eye.”
Lori held up a hand. “I’m not a professional, but I can certainly help with ideas.”
Kayla entered the room. “What ideas?” she asked as a young woman with long dark hair and startling green eyes followed her inside.
“Hi,” said Griff. “We were just talking about marketing ideas for the reception area. Lori minored in marketing and is willing to assess what we’re doing.”
He stood and gave Kayla a brief hug.
Lori saw the way Sam almost rolled his eyes and quickly looked away before she burst into laughter.
Kayla introduced Rosie to Lori, and Lori knew from the way her voice softened that Rosie must be Kayla’s girlfriend.
“It would be helpful to have some opinions about what I think should be done,” said Rosie.
“I’m not here to judge anyone,” Lori said. “But I do love seeing marketing opportunities. Especially with an online presence.”
“Very impressive,” Sam said to her, bringing a blush to her cheeks. “You sure you don’t want a job here?” He shot Griff a devilish look.
“I assume nothing’s changed about your desire to remain in Ellenton,” said Griff.
Unsure how to answer, Lori said, “All my family is there.” She glanced at Sam and realized he was just teasing Griff, waiting for him to be open about his true relationship to Kayla.
Pete joined them, bringing a young woman with him, who was introduced as Estelle Youngstrom.
It was clear that Sarita didn’t like the woman, though she was meticulous about being pleasant to her.
At the appropriate time, Sarita left them to check on their meal.
She quickly reappeared to announce that dinner was ready.
Dinner this evening consisted of a Mexican beef stew served with rice and tortillas, accompanied by pickled jalapenos on the side.
“This is delicious,” Lori exclaimed, digging in. After all her physical labor, she was not ashamed to enjoy every bite.
“Hard work demands comforting food,” said Sarita. “It’s my mother’s recipe and a favorite of the family. It’s rewarding to see people enjoying it.” She cast a disapproving glance at Estelle, who’d hardly eaten.
For dessert, lemon sherbet and Mexican wedding cookies were served. Lori noted the pleasure on Sam’s face when he ate them and realized how carefully Sarita took care of both him and her husband. Carlos was already helping himself to more cookies.
When it was clear that everyone was finished, Sam placed his napkin beside his plate and got to his feet. “Thank you, Sarita, for another tasty meal.”
Lori thanked Sarita and stood up to join the others.
Griff walked to Lori’s side. “I’ll walk you home,” he said with such firmness that she’d appear ungrateful if she turned him down.
“Okay, thanks,” she said. “Let me get my lantern.”
They left, then walked side by side onto the road.
As soon as they were out of sight of the house, Griff stopped her and faced her.
“I’m glad to have this time to talk to you alone.
Things aren’t what they might seem. Kayla and I aren’t really together.
It’s a long story, but basically, I wanted to get Grandad off my back about finding a woman to marry.
And Kayla wants to keep her relationship with Rosie private.
So, we were both agreeable to making everyone think we’re together. ”
“And how’s that going?” Lori asked.
“Well, it’s making it easier for me. I’ve avoided a lot of hassles with women in the area,” he answered. “And Kayla likes her privacy. Being gay isn’t easy.”
“And do you think your grandfather doesn’t see through this?” asked Lori.
Griff shrugged. “I don’t know. At least he hasn’t been hounding me about finding someone who’d help me carry on with the vineyard after he’s gone.” He studied her. “Why aren’t you more surprised about this?”
“Let’s just say someone mentioned it,” said Lori. “He thought I should know.”
Griff clapped a hand to his forehead. “It was my grandfather. Right?”
Lori smiled and nodded.
“I guess it’s time for all that mess to end,” said Griff.
He took hold of both her hands. “When I entered the den and saw you sitting there with Grandad, I knew at that moment it wasn’t wrong of me to keep thinking about you.
Even though you made it clear you weren’t interested in more than friendship, I’ve thought of you every day since I’ve come back to California.
Are you willing to get to know me better? ”
Lori’s eyes filled with emotion. Her heart was answering yes, while her mind resisted.
Griff gazed at her. “May I?’ He lowered his lips to hers, and everything clicked into place for her.