Page 21 of Vineyard Dreams

“Great,” Harper said, flashing her a charming smile. “Do you want to move into the living room?”

Again, Elle hesitated. “I uh…”

Harper’s lips curved into a smirk. “Elle, I’m not going to bite. And if I remember correctly… I know I had a few glasses of wine, but I’m pretty sure that you kissed me.”

Elle closed her eyes for a second.

“I’m not blaming you for what happened,” Harper said when Elle stayed silent. “Clearly, I wanted it too. But I’m also perfectly capable of sitting beside you and enjoying this glass of wine without anything else happening.”

Elle wanted to return Harper’s smile, to be able to joke around about this, but she couldn’t. Instead, she gently set herglass on the kitchen counter. “I think I should go,” she said, although it came out so softly that she wondered if she’d even said it out loud.

Harper left her glass down beside Elle’s as she took a step closer, her hands sliding down Elle’s forearms to find her hands.

Harper took a deep breath. “As much as I’m attracted to you, I’ve assumed that nothing’s ever going to happen between us, so I promise that I will leave whatever happened between us the other night in the past. We can forget it ever happened.”

Elle bit the inside of her cheek as she tried not to say what she was thinking, but the words tumbled out of her. “I don’t want to forget that it happened,” she said, holding Harper’s gaze.

Harper stared at her for a second, her eyebrow lifting ever so slightly.

“I don’t want to forget it either,” Harper admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Her thumbs gently caressed the back of Elle’s hands. “But I’m trying to respect your boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” Elle echoed, a wry smile playing on her lips. “I haven’t exactly been clear about those, have I?”

Harper’s grip tightened slightly. “You left,” she said softly, her eyes searching Elle’s.

Elle’s smile faded. “I left because I was scared,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Scared of what I was feeling, scared of what it meant.” Elle hesitated, the words catching in her throat. “Of… of letting myself feel something again,” she confessed, her gaze dropping to their intertwined hands. “After Stephanie… after losing her, I built walls around myself. I told myself I didn’t need anyone, that I was better off alone.”

Harper’s thumbs continued their soothing caress. “And now?”

Elle met her gaze. “Now… now I’m not so sure,” she admitted, the words a fragile whisper in the quiet kitchen. “I’mscared of the age difference, scared of what people will think, scared of getting hurt again.”

Harper’s expression softened. “I don’t care about whatever age difference there is between us,” she murmured, her eyes holding Elle’s with a warmth that sent a shiver down her spine. “And who cares what other people think? This is about us, Elle. No one else.”

Elle’s heart ached at Harper’s words, a mixture of longing and fear swirling within her. She wanted to believe her, wanted to throw caution to the wind and embrace the connection they shared, but the doubts lingered.

“You don’t even know how old I am,” Elle said.

“I still don’t care.”

“And if I do?”

Harper searched her eyes. “I’m thirty-eight years old. You’re not going to take advantage of me,” she added with a hint of a smile.

Elle suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “Okay, but I’m sixteen years older than you. I just need to say that in case?—”

“In case, what?” Harper reached up to brush a lock of hair behind Elle’s ear. “I’m crazy about you, Elle. I don’t care how old you are.”

“What about the vineyard?” Elle asked, her voice laced with uncertainty, knowing she sounded desperate at this point. “This… us… it could complicate things.”

“It doesn’t have to.” Harper looked away for a second. “The only thing I’m worried about is what happened the day we met.”

“Those photographers?”

Harper nodded. “Not so much them, but bringing you into the chaos of my world. It’s not for the faint of heart. I know I’m thinking too far ahead, but it’s an unavoidable part of my life.”

“I know you’re worried about that, but I can’t think that far ahead. I’m not even sure that I’m capable of being in?—”

“Hey,” Harper said, her hand caressing Elle’s cheek. “Let’s just take this slow and let it be whatever it’s going to be.”

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