Chapter 10
Mathers Vineyard stretched over several hectares far and wide. The inn itself stood on a gentle hill that overlooked the vineyard, and adjoining it was a second building that had been used as a cellar door frequented by locals and tourists alike. For years, Hugh Mathers had entertained wine enthusiasts, from the amateurs to the pros. They had tasted his wines and enjoyed them with complementary cheeses, meats, and pastes. People came back not just for the drinks but for his welcoming nature and wild stories–many of which were true. She remembered even as he got older, he enjoyed having the company at his cellar door. It was where people congregated any chance they got.
Harper pulled up out front and got out. The idea that all this belonged to her, and to Brookes, remained unreal. Certainly, there were more deserving people he could have passed it on to. Why them? Why her? She’d been gone six years. The only thing she had to do with wine these days was a glass she enjoyed most evenings.
Walking up to the inn, Harper inserted the key in the lock and turned it. She wasn’t sure what to expect when she pushed the door open.
While it looked like the place had been aired out a few times, there was still that smell of a room closed off from the fresh air — a mixture of mould and dust mites. Harper left the door wide open and opened a few windows. Everything else looked neat and orderly, as if someone had been inside to do a clean-up recently. Sheets covered most of the furniture. The shelves were full of books and there was a half full rack of wine in the corner of the room. She remembered Hugh liked to keep one in most of the rooms in the inn, that whenever guests arrived, a good bottle was within reach–at least that had been his theory. Harper smiled at the memory of Hugh. What in the world had he been thinking?
Glancing at the shelves, she noticed numerous wine books alongside cookbooks and fiction novels. She brushed her fingers along them as she moved from one side to the other, catching glimpses of titles–some she was familiar with, others were foreign. Paintings lined the walls; some were local, some by artists Harper did not know. Art had never been her forte, but she appreciated it nonetheless.
She peered into each room, but with every moment she was in the inn, she felt like an intruder that didn’t belong. It felt like Hugh was still there, that this was still his house. In a way, it always would be.
‘I thought you’d be out of town by now?’
Harper turned to see Brookes standing in the doorway with Rover by his side wagging its tail.
‘Something came up,’ Harper said.
‘Certainly did,’ he said. ‘Can I come in?’
Harper shrugged. ‘It’s your property too.’
He seemed to change his mind quickly. ‘I’ll let you be.’ He turned and walked away. Harper was about to say something but stopped herself. What could she say? That she was sorry that she’d left. Maybe a part of her was, but she had her reasons and maybe if he knew what they were, he would understand her reasoning.
How could they own a property together when they couldn’t even be in the same room to hold a conversation? There was no way joint property ownership was going to work. She’d tell him he could have it. Or they could sell it. That could take a while, although the right type of properties often sold quickly, and Mathers Vineyard was an attractive prospect. It had the inn which needed a little love and care. There was the cellar door that, with a revamp, could be a booming business for someone, and the vineyard itself still had quality crop that could produce delicious wines. She wasn’t sure how much properties like this sold for but a million in this market wouldn’t be a stretch, potentially. But would Brookes even want to sell it? She couldn’t imagine why he would want to keep a property with her. They’d have to talk about it, and right now they were having trouble stringing two sentences together. He seemed like he didn’t even want to be in the same room as her, each time making an excuse to leave. Ignoring one another would not make the problem go away. She was going to have to be the one to make the first move.
Harper followed Brookes outside and saw him go into the cellar door. The dog stayed put by the door and after a few moments realised his owner wasn’t taking him inside; the dog resigned to waiting obediently and lay down, its gaze fixated on whatever was in his line of sight.
‘Listen Brookes, we have to talk about this,’ Harper said, walking into the cellar door. She was going to continue on, but what she saw stopped her, forcing her mouth agape. Bottles of wine lined the walls, not just a few bottles, but hundreds of them, if not more. The bar itself looked recently remodelled and upgraded with shiny wooden panels; kegs role-played as tables surrounded by high stools.
‘This was his life.’ Brookes turned to her. ‘Hugh put everything into this cellar door. You should have seen it a few years ago. People flocked here. It was impossible to get through the door some weekends. It wasn’t just the wine, though; Hugh had a way with people. He brought them in and made them feel like he was their best friend, their confidante. He had a skill that came to life in this place.’
The images on the walls were of locals and tourists, most with their arms around Hugh, laughing, wineglass in one hand, sometimes a cigar in the other, or, more often, a piece of cheese to go with the wine.
‘He had plans for this place but no one to do it with. There was only so much one person could do,’ Brookes continued when she didn’t say anything. ‘He always said the wine country was his family and he would do everything in his power to bring it joy, to bring it to life to everyone who visited. After his wife passed, that’s what he concentrated on.’
Harper remembered as a kid that Mathers Vineyard was always packed, even in the off-season. She remembered parties, where even the kids were invited, and late nights were the norm. They’d chase each other around the vineyard until the parents called home time. That was another life. The parties stopped, but the cellar door continued.
‘What are you doing here, Harper?’ His question took her by surprise. She wasn’t expecting it, not when he’d been talking about Hugh and his talent for entertaining.
He was looking at her as if he could see straight through her. She forgot how powerful his gaze could be. It sent shivers through her — the good kind.
‘Georgia asked me to come.’
‘Is that the only reason?’
‘What do you want me to say, Brookes?’ Harper asked, almost pleading with him. She didn’t know what to tell him. Too many years had passed. Had she missed him? Like crazy the first few years. She’d contemplating calling him, thought about coming back. She’d even gone as far as getting back in the car and getting onto the highway before turning back. As time passed, she thought about it less until she made herself believe that she’d moved on, that he had, too.
‘You just packed up and left Harper, without saying a word. Who does that?’
The tightness in her chest grew and her body warmed with each second in the room with him. She needed air; she needed to breathe.
‘I can’t do this right now,’ she said, turning around and running out the door.
The dog stood and barked as she ran past it and towards her car. She needed to get out of there. She needed to get away from Brookes. Why did she leave? That was the million-dollar question. She left because there had been no other choice, and it had nothing to do with her wanting to live a life in the city.
Brookes wantedto run after her. He wanted to grab her and hold her in his arms until she gave him a response. He wanted to kiss her stubborn mouth and never let her go. Instead, he remained still and stared at Rover, who stared back, his eyes pleading to come and comfort his master.
‘Come here, boy.’ Rover didn’t have to be asked twice. He trotted up to Brookes and jumped up with his paws onto his chest, and tried to lick his face. Brookes patted him and told him to get back down, then he knelt and rubbed behind the dog’s ears, then scratched his belly.
Why did he have to ask her that? Couldn’t they just talk like two normal people? But whenever they were in the same room together, all sense and logic went out the window. Even after six years, she still made him feel a certain way. No, it was that she simply made him feel, and that unhinged him. He didn’t like someone having that type of power over him. He should have been over Harper by now; she was making it clear that she was over him.
‘Dammit Hugh, you’ve really put us in a spot.’
Brookes imagined the old man having a chuckle somewhere. He had his reasons, even if Brookes didn’t understand them. He respected them. Hugh had left a piece of him for Brookes and Harper. He wasn’t going to let this place go into shambles. They’d have to make a plan, but they’d make it work. And there was a lot of work, but it was going to be the type of honest work he enjoyed, the type when after a hard day of physical labour, a glass of wine, a steak on the grill and a cheese platter were the perfect accompaniment.
He went outside and looked over the vineyard. There was a pond to the left and a large grass paddock with a few outdoor chairs and tables. He imagined people flocking here again, picnicking and sipping wine. There would be those who would stay inside in the cellar door learning about the various varieties as they tasted the season’s offerings. They could provide simple food for those who wanted to stay for dinner. A pizza oven. Simple, no fuss, and complemented a good glass of wine perfectly. Yes, he could see it all now. He imagined his picnic tables unfolded on blankets, couples drinking wine and feasting on charcuterie plates as their gazes lingered over the sunsets. Did Harper see the same thing? What did she want to do with this inheritance?
They really needed to talk.
‘Come on Rover, we better make the walk back. Still a lot of work to be done at Leo’s.’ Rover stood and trotted alongside Brookes.
A strange sensation came over him, and he stopped walking. Rover must have noticed his tension, as he stopped and growled.
Brookes looked around, but he couldn’t see anyone about and yet it felt like someone was watching him. Harper’s car was gone, and there was no one else in the vicinity. There was the sound of cars zooming down the highway in the distance, but nothing else. Strange. Maybe it was just Hugh keeping an eye on things from above.
‘Let’s go, boy, before I go completely nuts,’ Brookes said.
He left the same way he came, through the bush, letting Rover have a run as he threw sticks for him to chase. When they returned to Leo’s, he couldn’t see Harper’s car in the driveway. Maybe she’d gone into town after she left Mathers Vineyard. Their talk would have to wait.
Brookes went through the day’s tasks, making sure that the machinery was in working order. There were things to do all year round. Then he returned to work on his picnic tables. With Mathers Vineyard, he saw an even grander opportunity for them.
‘Did you speak with Harper?’ Leo came through.
‘We’re not exactly on speaking terms,’ Brookes said as he drilled a hole.
When the noise was over, Leo spoke again, ‘You own a property together now; you’re going to have to talk about it sooner rather than later. Have you thought about what you want to do?’
‘Thought about it, sure. It’s an incredible gesture. What I think, though, doesn’t matter, at least not right now.’
‘Talk to her, man.’
‘Yeah, maybe.’
Leo shook his head. ‘My sister is not that unapproachable.’
Brookes smirked. ‘She didn’t use to be. The city has changed her.’
‘We’ve all changed. She came back, didn’t she?’
‘She didn’t come back for me.’
‘Man, it doesn’t matter what she came back for. She’s here now. Don’t let that opportunity go to waste.’
‘That ship sailed a long time ago, Leo. You know that.’
‘Not from where I’m standing. You’ve been pining over her for years. Girls have been trying to get into your bed ever since she left. I haven’t seen you get involved with anyone seriously since Harper. One-night stands don’t count and from the rumours swirling around, you haven’t had too many of those either.’
‘Thanks for the pep talk. I’ll talk to her, eventually.’
‘Want to grab a drink at the tavern tonight? I hear there’s a band playing.’
‘Sounds good.’ Brookes said. Getting out was a good idea. That way he didn’t have to think about Harper half the night, although he was pretty sure she would consume his mind regardless of where he was.