10. Delilah
DELILAH
“Thank you so much.” I shook hands with the vineyard owners, then the head winemaker, then a whole slew of others whose names and titles had all jumbled together in my head. As long as I kept smiling, maybe they wouldn’t notice that I’d lost track of who did what and who was related to whom.
Jasper and I had been given the royal treatment: a full tour of the vineyard, a step-by-step walk-through of the wine-making process, and a private tasting of every varietal the small local vineyard produced.
My cheeks hurt from smiling, and I might be just the slightest bit tipsy from all the wine.
I’d tried to take tiny sips but didn’t want to offend anyone, so I’d tried a little sample of everything.
“Ready to go?” Jasper asked.
“I am.” I slid off the tall stool and grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself.
“You okay?” Immediately, he was by my side, his arm behind me.
“Of course. I’ve just been sitting for so long.” I summoned a reassuring smile.
“Okay.” He leaned close, his breath warm against my ear. “But maybe you want to take my arm on the way back to the truck? Just in case two hours of sipping wine might have messed with your balance a bit?”
“I think that might be a good idea.” I wrapped my fingers around the arm he offered, grateful to him for not making a scene.
Truth was, I wasn’t much of a drinker. A nice glass of wine every now and then or a fresh-squeezed vodka lemonade sometimes hit the spot.
But I didn’t like to feel out of control, not when so many people were always watching.
I’d seen pageant winners taken down for a lot less than a drunken night on the town.
My reputation was everything, and with the cosmetics line coming out soon, Stella kept reminding me that my behavior needed to remain beyond reproach.
Jasper opened the truck door for me. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.” I pulled my feet in as he closed the door behind me.
Such a gentleman. He might live in the country, but he had better manners than most of the big-city men I’d gone out with.
If only we lived a little closer, maybe I’d be willing to take a chance on the cowboy with the impeccable manners and the big heart.
He climbed into the cab and fired up the engine. “I hope you don’t mind, but while we were at the vineyard, I asked my dad to move your trailer over to our land.”
“What?” I clicked my seat belt in place and pressed on my stomach, which had started feeling a little woozy with that bit of news. “Why did you do that?”
His strong hands gripped the steering wheel, navigating the truck onto the two-lane road. “I think it’ll be safer having you parked close by.”
“You think someone put crickets in the camper on purpose?” I’d suspected as much, but who would have it out for me? So far everyone in town seemed happy to have me there.
“I’m not sure, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
I had them park it up by the main house.
” He glanced over, his teeth scraping against his lower lip.
Made me think about how those full lips had claimed mine last night.
Suddenly the intimate cab of his truck heated up.
I lowered my window a crack, trying to get some fresh air.
“Thank you.” I met his gaze for a hot second, then looked away.
At least I wouldn’t be sleeping at his place.
If people found out I’d spent the night, no doubt the small-town gossip mill would start churning out the rumors.
I might have spent most of my life in big cities, but the pageant community seemed enough like a small town that I could imagine how it would play out.
We didn’t talk much on the way back. By the time we reached his family’s home I was ready for a quick bite to eat and the chance to change out of my dress.
My trailer sat in the shade of a giant tree, about a hundred yards from the house.
Someone had set up a big umbrella and a few camping chairs outside the door.
“Did your dad do this, too?” I asked.
“That looks like my mom’s work. Don’t get me wrong, my dad’s a good one to have in a crisis, but he’s not used to hosting guests.”
“That was so sweet of them.”
“They’ve got their moments.”
“Is it safe to go inside? I’d love to change.” I was used to spending my days in heels, but trekking through the vineyard had taken a lot more effort than a typical meet and greet. A pair of flats and some jeans waited for me somewhere inside the trailer.
“Not yet. That bug bomb we set off said to keep the area clear for at least twenty-four hours.” Jasper came around to help me down from the cab.
I didn’t need assistance but still took his hand. “Well, shoot. Can I get a room at the hotel in town for tonight?”
He led me up the sidewalk and opened the front door. “I believe my mom took care of that, too. You’re bunking with Abby tonight if that’s okay with you.”
Bunking with his little sister? My heart skittered around in my chest like a pat of butter on a hot skillet. I swallowed hard. “I’d appreciate it.”
“Good. Let me show you where we put your things.” He gestured to the steps leading to the second floor. Jasper held out a hand and I took it, taking my time on the stairs.
We entered a long hallway at the top. Half a dozen doors sat on my right and another few on my left. He turned to the right. “Abby’s room is this way.”
Noises came from behind a couple of the doors, but the one at the end of the hall sat wide open.
“Hey, Abby. Delilah’s here. Can you show her where she’s sleeping tonight?”
“Sure.” Abby got up and wrapped me in a hug. “You have no idea how nice it is to have a girl around for a change.”
“She’s been praying for this her whole life.” Jasper laughed and gave me an apologetic smile. “Abby, go easy on her. You’re going to scare her away.”
“I don’t scare that easily.” I gave the girl a squeeze before stepping back. “I’ve never shared a room before. You’ll have to fill me in on the rules.”
“I’ve got a trundle.” Abby pointed to a set of drawers under her bed. “Mom told me to put clean sheets on earlier. Are you staying for dinner?”
“Oh”—I glanced to Jasper—“I don’t know.”
“Yes, she’s staying for dinner.” Jasper nodded toward his sister. “I’m going to take a look at the trailer and make sure it’s hooked up right. Can you entertain Delilah until it’s time to eat?”
“Of course.” Abby pointed to where my bag sat on the floor. “If you want to change clothes, I can introduce you to Tie Dye.”
“Tie Dye? That’s the goat, right?” I glanced to Jasper, but he just stood there with his lips quirked up.
“Yep. Jasper found him tangled up in some barbed wire and brought him home. Nobody claimed him so he stayed,” Abby said.
“Why do you call him Tie Dye?” I asked. Seemed like a strange name for a pet, especially a goat.
“I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it on the way down to the pasture. You all right here?” Jasper leaned against the doorframe.
“We’ll be fine.” I gave him a smile that held a lot more confidence than I felt. Spending time around a large family hadn’t been part of my plans. I was used to being on my own, although the amount of time I spent around Stella made it seem like we lived together sometimes.
“All right then. I’ll see you later.” Jasper disappeared down the hall, and for a moment I wished I were going with him.
“Want to see my lizard?” Abby asked.
“I’m sorry, your what?” I turned around to find the girl holding out a scaly critter that took up the majority of her forearm. Instinctively, I jumped back a couple of feet, bumping my arm against a dresser.
“Are you okay?” Abby came close, the lizard still on her arm.
“I’m fine. You caught me off guard, that’s all.” I’d never seen a creature like that so close up before. “Who do you have there?”
“This is Sly. He actually likes crickets. We should have let him loose in your trailer. I bet he’d eat them all.” Abby stretched her arm out. “You want to hold him?”
“Um, maybe later. Right now, I’d love to change if you can show me where the bathroom is.” I skirted around Abby and Sly, my eye on my bag.
“Second door on the right. Do you want me to show you?”
“I think I can manage finding it on my own.” I rummaged through my bag, locating a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Abby nodded, her attention focused on her pet.
I left the bedroom and turned to the right.
I entered the bathroom and shut the door behind me, breathing in a sigh of relief as the lock clicked into place.
Finally, I could let my guard down for a few minutes and figure out what I needed to do next.
Ever since I’d stepped foot in Ido, things had veered off course.
My time in Hartwood and East had gone strictly by the book.
They’d paraded me around local events and left me to myself for the most part in between.
But being in Ido, I felt totally immersed in the day-to-day life of the town.
I’d never intended on staying at someone’s home, much less the one of the man who was responsible for my welfare while I was in town.
Not to mention pulling his entire family in on it.
I was totally out of my element. No amount of pageant training had prepared me for joining the family of my hospitality host. They all seemed nice enough, but I’d never had much in the way of family.
Just me and Stella and sometimes my mother’s latest boyfriend or husband. They never lasted long.
I took my time changing my clothes, taking advantage of the solitary space for as long as I could.
I’d asked Stella once about why she never seemed able to settle down.
My mom answered me with a sadness in her eyes I had never seen before and said something about having lost her chance at happiness when she chose to walk away.