9. Johnny
Johnny
We walked up to the last winery after making a few other stops in between. We had secured five donations for the festival auction already, and the volunteer gig was turning out to be less intensive of a role than I originally thought. Oberon led the way on his leash, so excited that I let him come.
Thumb Coast Winery was the newest vineyard in the area, and they did more than just wine.
They had a distillery with specialty drinks and a coffee bar along with tasting nights with offerings from local restaurants.
The old farmhouse was renovated only two years ago and had a modern look to it.
Everything was black and white, a stark comparison to what the old cottages provided at the other locations.
I heard through a few people they were pushing for that swanky vibe to bring more of the city people up this way, and by the look of the place, it was working.
For a Thursday afternoon, it was packed.
“It’s so busy,” Beth said to me as we were trying to figure out where the line was.
“Yeah, I’ve actually never been here before. This place is something else. Want to try and find a seat, and I’ll grab a tasting for us?”
I watched her mill about, seeing if anyone would be leaving soon, and I headed up to grab a flight for each of us.
As I walked back, I bumped into someone.
“Sorry, man.” I patted the guy on the back and continued walking toward the bar.
“Johnny, right?” he called out, putting out his hand for me to shake and pulling me back.
“Hey, yeah, that’s me. You’re… Ethan?” I thought he may have been one of the brothers who owned the place, but I wasn’t sure.
He nodded. “Great to meet you. I’ve been meaning to hit you up. I’ve gotten together with Lane a few times, and he suggested I reach out.”
“Oh, yeah? That’s actually why we’re here—to hit you up.” I laughed at the coincidence.
“Word in town is you’re one of the bigger renters for cottages in the area. I was hoping you’d put out a few flyers out in the houses you have.”
Looking around at the crowd surrounding me, I turned my head sideways. “That hard up for business, huh?”
He chuckled. “Well, we’re full now, but not always. We’re trying to get some additional traffic during the week and a few private tour offerings. Weekends are slammed, but it dies down a ton mid-week. Figured more tourists would help.” He shrugged.
“Totally get it.” I looked over and saw Beth sitting under one of the big willow trees.
Oberon lay next to her, enjoying a belly rub.
Looked like she gave up on a table. “I’m sure we can do that.
I actually wanted to ask you about an auction donation for the Blueberry Festival too.
Beth and I are coming around and seeing who will recommit.
” I looked over at Beth and saw her flatten out the flowery dress she had on.
Damn, she was beautiful. And the crazy part was she had no idea.
I was trying my hardest to be as even-keeled with her as possible, but frankly, I hadn’t stopped thinking about her since that first night at Windbreaker.
I knew thinking about her in that way was a terrible idea though, and I needed to rein it in, even if it went against all my senses.
I was still looking over at her when Ethan interrupted my thoughts.
“That Beth over there?” he asked, tracking my line of site. “Girlfriend, I’m assuming?”
“Nothing like that.” I was unable to take my eyes off her. “I don’t really do girlfriends.”
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “You sure? A woman like that screams girlfriend to me,” he said. “Or wife.”
I looked at him like he had punched me in the gut—like it was a sign from the universe that I had tried to push down again and again. “Yeah, it’s not like that.”
“Good to know.” He smiled at me, before following my gaze back to Beth.
I don’t know what came over me, but I felt this wave of jealousy, and for what? A look in her direction? I had no claim over her, and Ethan hadn’t done a damn thing. I wanted her, and even though it had bad idea written all over it, I couldn’t help my body’s response to her as I puffed up my chest.
My jaw clenched and flashed back to before I moved here. This is how it started before, but Beth wasn’t Anne—not even close—and I needed to snap out of it. Luckily, Ethan’s comment brought me back to reality.
“But yeah, for the auction, count us in. I was going to message Megan, anyway. You saved me an email.” He paused a moment, looking me up and down. “Hey, you two doing a tasting? I can grab you one if you want—on the house.”
I nodded and followed him over to the bar, bypassing the line that had formed. He quickly put together a tray for me to carry over.
“Good luck,” he said, nodding toward Beth in the distance and giving me a smile, like he knew something I didn’t.
I wasn’t used to feeling things for women, and Beth had me all out of sorts.
For the last few years, the only women I had been with knew from the get-go exactly what it was—a short fling, vacation fun, or just someone to show them a good time.
I hadn’t been with anyone more than a couple times since Anne.
And when Ethan said wife, it had taken the wind out of me.
As happy-go-lucky as I was most of the time, when someone mentioned marriage, or Anne, or anything related to my old life, sometimes I’d just shut down, trying to bury the pain of the past. It was easier to do that than deal with it.
As I walked up the hill to the willow Beth sat beneath, I tried to clear my head. I needed to turn fun Johnny back on, so I put the jovial smile back on my face—the one everyone knew me for—before taking a seat next to her and Oberon.
“Thank you! This is perfect,” Beth said, taking the tasting tree from me.
“Yeah, and we’re in luck,” I said. “Ethan gave it to us on the house.” I nudged her arm with mine. “Ladies first.”
“Ethan? You were able to talk with one of the brothers, then? I’m assuming he’s one of the brothers?
” She gulped down half the glass before holding it in her lap, running her fingers slowly over the sweating globe.
Her lip gloss had come off on the glass, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek from saying anything.
“Yeah, we’re all good. He was planning to talk with Megan about it, anyway.”
“Well, I guess we didn’t need to come out today,” she said. “This one was a lot easier than I thought.”
“But where else would we have been able to sit up against this giant tree and look over all the vineyards below? You need to get the full experience while you’re in town.” I sat my empty glass down when I was done.
“Very true.” She looked down. “Mary has been pestering me about making sure I’m enjoying things—not just working. I would say this counts.”
“It definitely counts.” My mouth curled up, watching her loosen up in front of me.
“It feels strange that the summer is already going by so quickly.” She had a glint in her eye.
“How do you feel about going back home?” I leaned back on my elbows into the soft grass. This was good. I needed to remind myself she was leaving, that she wasn’t a real possibility.
“It’s strange. On one hand, I’m anxious to get back and implement everything I’ve learned in my classes, and from Mary, for that matter, but on the other hand…” She trailed off.
“On the other hand?”
“On the other hand, it feels right to be here. I feel guilty for being here at all, and yet, I love it. It’s not even that far from home, but it’s so different.
I love being close to the water. I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.
I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and being here is putting too many ideas in my head—ideas that don’t match up with what I have going on at home. ”
“Nothing wrong with that. As someone who came here after living in the same place for a long time, I can relate.” I looked up at her watching me.
“Really?”
“Yeah, almost feels like I don’t deserve it sometimes. Like I shouldn’t have gotten the chance to be happy here.” I fought making eye contact with her and lost.
Her brown eyes locked with mine, and I could tell she was wrestling with something in her head, though I had no idea what it was. She licked her lips as she held my gaze.
“Exactly,” she said. “I’ve always been the one my parents rely on.
Always been the one who smoothed things out—the extra set of hands.
And now that I’m away, I’m realizing how much of my life I missed out on.
I don’t regret staying and helping—not at all—but there is a sadness about what could have been, you know? ”
I nodded at her, and we just sat there, neither of us saying anything. There was something special about this woman.
We finished up the tasting and walked back. I introduced her to Ethan, promising to meet up with him for a beer sometime. Most of the evening rush had left, and as we made it to my truck, I noticed that there weren’t any other cars around where we parked.
I went to her side first and opened her door for her. I stood there for a moment, and she did too. I expected her to jump up in her flowy dress, but she did something much more unexpected.
She took a step toward me, then another.
She put her warm hand on my chest then let it trail to the back of my neck.
I was taken aback but didn’t move. Before I could do anything, her soft lips grazed mine.
Gently at first, but then firmly, like she knew exactly what she was doing.
I felt her tongue trace the line of my lips, and I opened up, letting her come into my mouth, touching my tongue to hers.
God, she felt good.
My hands found her hips, as I pulled her into me, deepening the kiss.
She smelled like cherries and vanilla, her mouth warm and wet against mine.
My eyes were shut tight, and all I could think about was how good she felt up against me, how good it felt as she was rubbing my neck while nipping at my lower lip.