Page 57 of Love You Always

There was a time when hearing that from my youngest sister would have annoyed me, but I’m too content right now to bother with any other emotion. “Very cute,” I say, leading Ella away from the picnic table.

“We could get lost in the vineyards for a while. I’m sure no one would notice.”

“Ha. I’m sure everyone would notice.”

I shrug. “I’m the last single guy in the family. They know what these vineyards are for. Let ‘em notice.”

Ella’s laugh fills the air as I take her by the hand and pull her toward the outer edge of the grass and beyond Dash’s yard to where miles of vineyards take over. She drops my hand and starts running down a lane of vines, tossing a look back at me, daring me to chase her.

Don’t have to tempt me twice.

And don’t have to ask me if I really want to strip the red dress from my rom-com princess in the middle of a vineyard. The answer is always, “fuck yes.”

CHAPTER 28

Archer

Ella stretchesher full length like a cat taking in the sun’s rays, only she’s so petite that there’s a full foot of space at the end of my couch. So I slide in beside her, tugging her feet to bring her closer, and drape her legs over my lap.

She settles in with a carefree hum, doing nothing to dispel the image of a contented feline. For a moment, I allow myself to sit with the image of the two of us here, as though it’s real. Just a normal couple in love on the couch—not a woman who was engaged to someone else mere weeks ago and a man who loves her more than he should. Do they make Hallmark cards for that version of a couple?

“Do you have to drive back down to the Bay Area?” I ask, already knowing the answer. Ella told me she has an early meeting in San Francisco, so I know she’ll need to sleep at home.

“Nope.”

I can’t have heard her correctly. “Wait, what?”

“I can stay.” She pushes herself up onto her elbows so she can look at me. Sparkles dance in her eyes.

“You were planning this all along?” I ask, thinking back on how hard she made me work to figure out when I could see her again. She nods, her smile edging up the corner of her mouth, hair glowing in a messy halo around her with the afternoon sun that streams through the window.

“But I have conditions.” She sits up, her face serious now.

“What are those?”

“I want to talk.”

I nod. “Is this one of those ‘we need to talk’ discussions or just a regular conversation?” I can’t help feeling like each time I see Ella could be the last. One of these days, she’s going to get over her wine-boy fantasy and find a man who will father the children she wants to adopt.

“It’s a regular conversation, but I have questions for you.”

“Questions?”

“Yes. Those are the things people ask when they’re unclear on something and want more information.”

“I’m familiar.”

“Good. All you need to do is answer. I ask, you answer. Easy. Like Ping-Pong.” She mimes the motion of a Ping-Pong paddle returning a shot.

I lift her legs and scoot out from under them in order to get up. Making my way to the kitchen, I call back to her, “In that case, I’m having a beer. D’you want one?”

“Sure, if you have pretzels or chips to go with it.” As usual, she surprises me with her response. I rummage through my pantry and return a minute later with two beers, an opener, and a bag of Baked Lays. I pop the caps off the beer bottles, and she rips open the bag of chips.

Sitting up on the couch now, she swivels to face me when I drop down next to her. “This looks serious,” I observe, taking a sip of my beer. The bitter ale feels good on my throat, and Irealize that I’m uneasy because I have no idea what she might ask me.

“Your dad,” she says, leveling me with a stare. “Tell me about him.”

I shrug and give my usual description. “Hard worker, driven to make this place into something.” I gesture toward the vineyards out the window. “Clearly he succeeded.”

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