Page 4 of Vineyard Dreams

Elle’s eyebrows rose. “Oh. I had no idea. I mean, we weren’t close, but we’ve still been neighbors for the past fifteen years.”

“He didn’t say goodbye?”

“No.” Elle slid her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Well, like I said, I’m just down the road, so if you need anything, just ask.”

Harper smiled. “Thanks. I’ll do my best not to bother you, but I imagine I’ll have a question about how to run a vineyard that Google won’t be able to answer for me.”

Elle stared at her. “You’re going to run the business?”

Harper sucked in a breath. “I’m going to attempt to. I hadn’t realized how far gone things had gotten here, but I’m willing to put the work in so…”

Elle’s expression turned serious as she considered Harper’s determination. “You do realize that this vineyard has been out of business for almost three years, right? That’s a lot of ground to cover. It’s not just about getting the grapevines back in shape. There’s a whole world of regulations, equipment, and market trends to navigate. It’s a monumental task.”

Harper blinked. “Three years?” She felt the blood drain from her face as Elle’s words sank in.

Three years.

The vineyard had been out of business for three years, and she’d had no idea. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut, leaving her breathless and dizzy.

Her mind raced, piecing together the implications. Those checks she’d sent her uncle, the ones she’d thought were keeping the vineyard afloat - they’d never been used for the business. He’d kept the money, all while letting her father’s legacy crumble into dust.

Shame and anger warred within her. How could she have been so naive? So trusting? She’d bought this place sight unseen, driven by nostalgia and a desperate need to escape her own life. Now she stood here, facing a neighbor who clearly knew more about her family’s business than she did.

Harper’s cheeks burned hot with embarrassment. She wanted to sink into the floor, to disappear from Elle’s knowing gaze. But there was nowhere to hide. She stood exposed, her ignorance laid bare for this stranger to see.

“I... I didn’t know,” Harper managed to choke out, her voice barely above a whisper. The words tasted bitter on her tongue, an admission of her own foolishness.

She looked away from Elle, unable to bear the weight of her gaze any longer. The overgrown vines, the dilapidated equipment, the air of abandonment that hung over everything - it all screamed of years of neglect, not just a few months of hard times. How had she not realized this?

Harper’s stomach churned with the magnitude of what she’d gotten herself into.

4

Elle watched Harper’s face fall, the realization of the vineyard’s true state sinking in. The actress’s eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief. Elle couldn’t miss the shock and disappointment etched across Harper’s features.

“I... I had no idea,” Harper whispered, her voice barely audible.

Elle hesitated, torn between offering comfort and being honest about the daunting task ahead. She settled on a practical approach. “Would you like to walk the grounds? It might help you get a better sense of what needs to be done.”

Harper’s gaze snapped to Elle’s face, a flicker of uncertainty passing through her eyes. For a moment, Elle thought she might refuse, perhaps too embarrassed to face the extent of her uncle’s neglect. But then Harper squared her shoulders and gave a small nod.

As they set off, Elle’s boots crunched on the dry, cracked earth. The once-lush rows of vines now stood barren and lifeless, a reminder of years of abandonment. Elle glanced at Harper.

“I won’t sugarcoat it,” Elle said, her voice gentle but firm. “This is a massive project. The soil’s depleted, the irrigation system’s shot, and the vines... well, they’ve seen better days.”

They paused at the edge of the property, overlooking the valley below. Elle watched as Harper took in the view, her expression a mix of determination and uncertainty. The sunlight caught in Harper’s dark hair, and Elle found herself captivated by the play of emotions across the younger woman’s face.

Elle studied Harper’s face, recognizing the overwhelming despair that threatened to engulf the younger woman. She took a deep breath, her own memories of struggle bubbling to the surface.

“When I moved here fifteen years ago, my vineyard needed a lot of work too,” Elle said softly. “But it wasn’t this bad, and I had help. My wife and I tackled it together.”

Harper nodded, her shoulders slumping. “I came here to take a break from acting,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I’d be relaxing, not... not facing this.”

Elle’s heart ached for Harper. The actress looked so lost, so far from the confident woman Elle had seen on screen. She wracked her brain for a solution, wanting to offer some glimmer of hope.

“You know,” Elle began, careful to keep her tone gentle, “you could start with the house and garden first. Get those in order before tackling the vineyard. There’s no rush.”

Harper’s eyes met Elle’s, a flicker of relief passing through them. “That... that makes sense,” she agreed. But then her gaze drifted back to the withered vines, and her expression fell again. “I just hate that my father’s vineyard has turned into this.”

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