Chapter 27
Brookes slammed his hands against the steering wheel. Why was he such an idiot? Why was he chasing her? If she didn’t want to stay, he wasn’t going to make her. What would be the point? She’d resent him if she agreed. No, if she was to come back, it had to be on her own accord. He’d done everything he could to try and get her to stay.
He was in town now. He might as well get himself a coffee and something to eat. The fridge was bare, too. With Harper around and the revamping of Mathers Vineyard, he’d forgotten about the bare necessities for his own place.
‘Hey stranger.’
He turned to see Lisa following him into the local Aldi.
‘Hey,’ he said, but didn’t stop to make conversation.
‘I saw Harper left this morning.’
‘Lisa, what are you trying to say? Just say it.’
She looked a little hurt and took a step back. He hadn’t meant to be so brusque. ‘Look, I’m sorry, but it’s been a tough morning. I shouldn’t have gotten so grumpy.’
‘Want to talk about it? We could grab lunch?’
He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Thanks Lisa, but I’m going to have to pass.’
‘You’re going to have to get over her one day.’
‘Maybe,’ he murmured as she walked away. One day wasn’t going to be today.
His phone beeped in his pocket. He was going to ignore the call, but Leo might need something.
‘Hey, where are you, man?’
‘In town. Need anything?’
‘Yeah, you know how Georgia had this entire dinner planned out for tomorrow night for some wine connoisseurs and potential business partners, well, she’s in hospital and the doctor won’t let her out until they’ve run a dozen tests, so probably at the end of the week if we’re lucky.’
‘Is she okay?’
‘They think she might have just fainted, but given her age, they don’t want to take any chances. I’m guessing yesterday’s light headedness might have something to do with it.’
‘What can I do?’
‘I’ll text you supplies. She’s made an entire menu. If you can grab what we need, we can work out the rest.’
‘Have you told Harper?’
‘Yeah.’
‘She still left?’
‘Last time I checked, she was by Georgia’s bedside.’
He didn’t realise he’d been holding his breath the moment he mentioned Harper’s name and only when Leo shared the news that Harper hadn’t left that he heard himself sigh with relief. Hope prevailed. ‘When are the guests due?’
‘Around six tomorrow evening. We need to have everything ready before five in case someone arrives early, and often they do. There’s also prep work around the yard, but I’ll get to that this afternoon, hopefully both Zoe and Harper can pitch in too.’
‘Send me the list. I’ll see you in about an hour.’
As he made his way back into Aldi, his phone beeped again, delivering the list of items he had to buy. It was important to Georgia, so it was important to him. She’d done everything to include him, make him a part of the family, a part of the business. They were going to make sure the evening was a success, and as good as she envisioned it should be. He knew how important it was to get investors on board if they were to have a future.
Leo was already cleaningup outside when Brookes arrived with bags of groceries. He took them straight to the kitchen and started unpacking. There were steaks and prawns and halloumi. He put together a marinade and left everything in the fridge for the next day. It was all about simple cooking that tasted good. Here, less was definitely more, and with the right ingredients, the flavours popped.
‘Harper phoned,’ Leo said as he walked into the kitchen. ‘She confirmed they’re going to keep Georgia admitted until the end of the week. As you can imagine, Georgia wasn’t too pleased about that. Apparently, the only good thing is the attractive doctor that’s tending to her. I think she’s already playing matchmaker for Zoe.’
Brookes laughed. ‘Bless that woman. She’ll have them all wrapped around her little finger before the end of the week.’
‘Apparently, even the crocheting club has already made plans to hold one of their gatherings to keep her company.’
‘Bet she was pleased about that too?’ Brookes said, but he wasn’t thinking about Georgia, he was thinking about Harper. The train of questions befell him again. Sure, she made her way back, but how long was she going to stay? Would she pack up and leave the moment Georgia was back home?
‘She’s going to pick up some flowers for the table. Is there anything else I should tell her we need?’ Leo said.
Brookes could say there were a lot of things he needed, but none of them came from the supermarket. He needed her to want the vineyard. He wanted her to stay in town and he wanted her to tell him she felt exactly the same way he felt about her. That’s all he wanted and needed. Everything else could be bought, but none of it really mattered without Harper.
‘I think we have everything. Now we just have to get the outside looking good. Thankfully, Georgia is good with explaining details,’ Brookes said. ‘Are these investors serious?’
‘Seem like it. It’s their second visit and they’re looking to invest some serious change into the place. It could be exactly what we need to expand. There are a lot of changes happening and Georgia knows that if we don’t attract a younger demographic, well, you know how it is, the future looks grim.’
‘As long as they don’t take over.’
‘The last ones tried.’
‘You don’t want to be going through that again.’
‘We’ve vetted them and from the sounds of things, Georgia has gotten a lawyer to write up a tight contract. She wants this place to stay majority with the family, especially as long as she’s here. If we can get a fifty-fifty deal, at least then one party can equally buy each other out and no one can have the upper hand.’
‘Which hopefully will be for a long time.’
‘Yeah, she gave us a bit of a scare today.’
She did, but Brookes couldn’t help but feel glad that at least it caused Harper to stay put. He felt bad for feeling such things, but it was what it was. He was listening to Leo, but his focus was on something else. Looking out the window, he saw an unfamiliar car approaching the house. ‘Were we expecting anyone today?’
‘Maybe they got the dates wrong. I’ll go check it out,’ Leo said.
Brookes put down the peeler, ran his hands under some water, and dried them with a tea towel, before following Leo outside. He was walking down the steps when the car door opened, and a man got out.
‘Hi, sorry, I’m not sure if I have the right place,’ he said. ‘Is this the McGregor property?’
The guy had slicked back hair, white pants and loafers. He looked like he had stepped out of one of those home magazines covers who came to wine country to pose for a few photos but couldn’t wait to get back to the city.
‘Are you here for the dinner tomorrow? If so, you’re a bit early.’
‘Um, no, I was here to surprise Harper, actually. Is she here?’
Brookes didn’t realise his fist was clenched until his short nails were digging into his palm and his jaw hurt. ‘She’s in town, actually. She should be back shortly. How do you know Harper again?’
‘I’m David. David Powers, I’m Harper’s boyfriend.’
When the words came out of the man’s mouth, Brookes had to restrain himself from knocking the man out. Boyfriend. Who the hell was he kidding? There was no way that he was Harper’s boyfriend. For one, he looked nothing like her type. Wanky, swanky and full of himself. And second, Harper had slept with him and there had been no mention of a boyfriend.
‘Harper McGregor?’
‘The one and only. She hasn’t mentioned me?’
‘No, she hasn’t.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your names,’ David said, his gaze shifting between the two of them.
‘I’m Leo, I’m Harper’s brother. And this is Brookes.’
‘Leo, I have heard about you. It’s a pleasure.’ He shook his hand and then turned to Brookes. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with you. But lovely to meet you. Harper never talked about home much. She’s not one to share details, is she?’
Brookes made an attempt at smiling and shaking the man’s hand, but he doubted the forced smile was fooling anyone. ‘Harper should be back shortly. Would you like a drink while you wait?’
‘Oh, that’s very hospitable of you, but I’m driving so I probably shouldn’t. And I’m more of a brandy man myself. Wine’s not really my thing.’
Brookes raised an eyebrow and exchanged looks with Leo. ‘I’m sure Georgia has some brandy locked away.’
‘Excuse the mess,’ Leo said. ‘We’re just in the process of organising a dinner. Usually, Georgia would be on top of it, but the poor old girl got herself into a bit strife this morning and ended up in the hospital.’
‘Explains why Harper hasn’t come home then,’ David said.
Brookes went inside the house, with Leo and David behind him. He was seething inside, and it was taking every ounce of his energy not to burst out in fury. Boyfriend? Not once had she mentioned a boyfriend and there had been plenty of occasions to do so. He restrained himself and tried to focus on the food. ‘So, how long have you and Harper been together?’
‘Two years.’
‘That long, hey,’
‘She really never mentioned me?’
‘Like you said, Harper doesn’t divulge much. Keeps the important things to herself.’
The man laughed. ‘Sounds like Harper.’
‘Does she know you’re coming?’
‘No. It’s a surprise. I figured it was an excellent opportunity to meet her family. She always changed the subject when I brought it up. I figure this way; we’ll get it over and done with. I’ve met you both, and you seem lovely, so I’m not sure why she’s hiding you all away, though. Beautiful property too. A bit too quiet for my liking.’
This guy didn’t know Harper at all. If he did, he wouldn’t be surprising her this way. Brookes couldn’t wait to see the blow up when she returned from town and saw this douchebag waiting for her in the kitchen. He was going to give her an earful, too. He felt himself seething again the more he thought about it.
‘So, what do you do, David?’
‘Real estate. Mostly beachfront.’
‘Must have been busy for you recently?’
‘We’re always busy. It’s been easier to close deals, not as much spruiking and cold calling. People went nuts for beachside properties. I made more last year than the last three combined. It’s slowed a bit now, but I’m not complaining.’
‘Hmm,’ Brookes said, imagining grabbing the guy by his collared shirt and throwing him outside.
‘How’s the market out here?’
‘Specialised,’ Brookes said.
‘Sure is. Not many young people coming here. It’d be mostly the older crowd, no kids, retirees, or empty nesters trying their hand at wine.’
‘You’d be surprised.’
‘Man, I can’t imagine it. What do you do on weekends?’
‘Sheer sheep and hunt deer.’
David stared at them, and he must have thought he was serious, then he cracked up. ‘Good one. You had me there for a moment.’
Brookes laughed, but it didn’t sound genuine for one second.
‘What’s your wine like?’ David continued when Brookes didn’t offer any extra conversation.
‘We like it.’
‘You stock at Dan Murphy’s?’
‘No, we’re more exclusive.’
‘Right. I suppose you need to be big to stock in the bottle shops.’
‘We do just fine without them.’
Brookes watched him as he took a sip of the water Leo had poured for him, then checked his watch for the second time in five minutes. It was a Rolex. Hard to tell whether it was real or not, but it was just another thing that irritated him about the man. But most of all, that Harper had been with him, or was with him.
He heard a car pulling up. ‘Excuse me for a minute.’
Brookes left the kitchen. He walked, clenching and unclenching his fist. He was back on the veranda just as Harper’s car came to a halt.
‘What in the world?’ She looked from the car to Brookes and back to the car again as she got out of her own.
The door behind him opened and closed and David walked out and past him, down the steps and straight towards Harper, with his arms wide open for an embrace. ‘Sweetheart, I missed you. I couldn’t help myself; I hope you don’t mind me coming here and meeting your family.’
She took a step back as he approached. His arms fell by his side. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I missed you, and wanted to surprise you. We’ve been putting off meeting your family and, well, you know, since you were here anyway, I thought why not just come out and get it over and done with?’
She shook her head.
Brookes couldn’t hear what they were saying anymore as Harper had lowered her voice as soon as she realised he was staring and eavesdropping on their conversation. Brookes turned and went back inside, slamming the door behind him, making sure that she heard it right.