Page 13 of A Vineyard for Two

‘It’s Brookes,’ Harper said. She remembered him to always be cool-headed, although that disappeared when something bothered him, as it appeared to be doing so now. The news they both got was nothing that they could have imagined, so his reaction wasn’t a surprise.

‘You look a little, I don’t know, not yourself either. Is everything okay? Did you guys have a family fight or something?’

‘Oh no, no fights. It’s nothing.’ Except it wasn’t nothing. And while she had looked forward to Lisa stopping by to break up any awkwardness that might have arisen at dinner, she now wished that she hadn’t invited her at all as the myriad of questions grew with each passing moment.

She had things to discuss with Brookes. With her planning to leave tomorrow, they would have to reach a decision immediately, otherwise she would have to prolong her stay, and that was the last thing she wanted to do — although that now seemed like the inescapable outcome.

‘This wine is really lovely. Is it from this estate?’

‘Mathers Vineyard.’ The name felt strange going through her lips. Mathers Vineyard was hers and Brookes’ now. It seemed surreal.

‘It’s lovely. Shame old Mathers died. He definitely had a knack for wine making. I heard he was going to expand. I wonder what’s going to happen to it now.’

‘Hmm, I really don’t know.’ She wasn’t about to tell her about the new owners so she changed subjects and focused on Lisa. ‘Earlier you started talking about a new project. What are your next steps with it?’

‘I’m not sure it’s going to work out.’

‘What? Only this afternoon you were so excited about it. What happened?’

‘The financing fell through. I got the call not long after I saw you. The economy is tough at the moment. I guess banks don’t want to take the risk.’

‘What were you looking to finance?’

‘I wanted to start a bed-and-breakfast. People are flocking here every week. I saw a gap in the market and thought I’d give it a go. We’ve got some land at the back of the property that could have been utilised to build a few cabins.’

‘I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Maybe give it a few months and try again.’

‘Maybe. It’s much easier if you have someone to do it with.’

‘Sometimes. Sometimes it’s a hindrance.’

Brookes stood at the door. He didn’t look impressed. What did he expect? That she’d be overjoyed to own a property with him?

‘Dessert is ready.’

Lisa smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. Instead, he took his seat and dug into the apple pie.

Harper wondered if there was something going on between Lisa and Brookes. Had they dated? Were they dating? It shouldn’t have bothered her, but the idea made her sick to her stomach. Jealousy. She hadn’t felt that emotion in a long time. She brushed it off and sat down. She had no right to feel jealous. Their relationship ended the day she left town six years ago.

Lisa went to sit down next to Brookes. A few moments later, Leo, Tyler and Zoe were back at the table. They didn’t look any more pleased than when they had left. Whatever they had been talking about, they hadn’t reached a happy resolution.

‘Lisa, how are your parents?’

‘Fine. They’re travelling around Europe for the next few months.’

‘I haven’t seen them in a while. Please send my regards.’

‘Of course. I’m hoping to fix up a few things around the house while they’re gone.’

‘That’s good of you. I’m sure if you need a pair of strong hands, one of the lads will be more than happy to lend a helping hand.’

Lisa’s gaze shifted towards Brookes.

‘If you need any tools, let me know,’ Leo said.

Harper watched the atmosphere shift as Lisa turned and smiled. ‘Thanks Leo, I’ll definitely be taking you up on that.’

‘Well, let’s dig in. This pie will not eat itself,’ Georgia said digging her spoon in and taking a mouthful.

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