Page 22 of Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots

“It will,” Ryan says firmly. “Just keep an eye on things, Emma. We’re playing a dangerous game here.”

His words hit harder than I expect, and for a moment, I want to argue. But I don’t. Instead, I say goodbye and hang up, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the phone in my hand, wondering if I’m really prepared for what’s coming. There’s so much I haven’t told Ryan—about my feelings for Miles, about the things we’ve shared... hell, I barely know how I feel as it is. But I can’t let that cloud my judgment. Not when the stakes are this high.

The next morning, I drive out to the winery with Alex in tow. He takes in the sprawling vineyards and the elegant architecture of Celtic Knot. His excitement is contagious, but I can’t shake the gnawing feeling in my gut as I prepare to introduce him to Brennen.

“This place is amazing,” Alex says, his voice full of awe. “I’m excited to work here.”

I force a smile, trying to push away the unease. “It’s a great opportunity, Alex. You’re going to learn so much; just make sure to stick to Ryan’s plan. Okay?”

“I know what I’m doing, Emma. I won’t let either one of you down. Promise.” He gives me a reassuring smile and it’s all I have to go on, so I’ll take his word for it. Ryan trusts him, so I should, too.

As we pull up to the winery, Brennen is already outside, talking to a few workers. His expression is tense, as it usually is these days, but he manages a tight smile when he sees us.

“Morning, Emma,” he says, his eyes flicking to Alex. “Who’s this?”

“This is Alex Castillo,” I say, keeping my tone light. “He’s the winner of the Apprentice Scholarship. He’ll be working for you and with Sophie for the next few months, learning the ropes.”

Brennen’s eyebrows shoot up, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. “An apprentice? Free labor? When did we advertise for an apprentice scholarship?”

“Pretty much,” I say with a smirk, trying to keep the conversation casual and ignoring his question about the scholarship. “I figured it would help lighten the load a bit.”

Brennen lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. “Well, Sophie’s gonna hate this, but I’m not going to turn down free help. Welcome aboard, Alex.”

Alex beams, clearly excited to get started and playing his part. Brennen gives him a quick rundown of what he’ll be doing, but I can see the tension in his eyes. He’s still on edge, still worried about the winery’s future, and I can’t blame him. If sales and wine tasting don’t turn around soon, everything we’ve worked for could crumble.

Once Alex is settled in, I take him over to where I thought Sophie, the head winemaker, would be, but she’s not there. Sophie’s been with the winery for quite a few months now, and she’s been a godsend. Her innovative ideas have breathed new life into the winery, but even she’s feeling the pressure with the looming review from Miles, and she’s not going to like this surprise. Instead, I decide to send him in on his own.

I wave over one of the bartenders. “Tony, this is Alex Castillo,” I say. “He’s the new apprentice. Can you show him where Sophie is working?”

Tony looks up from his work, and clearly not happy about the new addition to the team. “Alex, huh?” Tony turns to me, “I didn’t realize we were hiring.”

Alex grins. “I’m free labor.”

“Can you just show him where Sophie is so he can get started?” I ask Tony again.

“Sure.” He puts down his rag from cleaning the tasting room, “This way.”

I watch as Alex follows Tony, and I decide it’s time to hightail it out of here. I do not want to be here when Sophie finds out about Alex.

I head back to my office on the other side of town, the tension in my chest building as I sit down at my desk to have my pre-lunch coffee. I pull out the threatening demand letter Frank sent me late last week, a nasty letter from his client threatening to sue Celtic Knot for wrongful termination. The client in question, a former maintenance worker, had been fired for stealing, and now Frank is trying to turn it into a lawsuit. Asshole.

I grit my teeth as I read through the letter again, my anger simmering just below the surface. This time, though, I have the upper hand.

I draft a response, laying out the facts clearly and concisely. If Frank’s client wants to sue for wrongful termination, we’ll filefelony charges for theft. I’m not about to let this turn into a drawn-out legal battle, dirtying the winery’s name even further. We have enough on our plate without dealing with Frank’s bullshit.

As I type, my phone buzzes with a message from Miles. I glance at it, my heart skipping a beat despite myself.

Miles: Had a great time the other night. Hope you’re doing okay. Wanna do dinner tonight? I’ll bring the meal.

Me: Sounds perfect. See you at seven.

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips, but I quickly push it aside. I finish my response, hit send, and lean back in my chair, letting out a long breath. Frank is dealt with, for now. Alex is in place at the winery, and everything is moving according to Ryan’s plan.

But as I sit there, staring at my computer screen, I can’t shake the feeling that this is just the calm before the storm. There’s so much at stake, so many moving pieces, and I can’t help but wonder how long we can keep everything from falling apart.

The soft ping of my email notification breaks the silence in my office, pulling me from the depths of an impossible contract revision. I squint at the subject line, blinking twice to make sure I’m reading it right.

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