Page 63 of A Sip of Sherry

His voice cracked just slightly, and he dropped his gaze.“I don’t know how to be that man.I’ve lived so long with an example of the complete opposite, I only know that.I don’t know how to be anything else other than what he wants.

“He wants to expand into Vine Valley as you know.He wanted dirt on the vineyard.Zoning violations, illegal labor, or payroll irregularities, personal scandal… anything he could use to his advantage.Chardonnay fought so hard at the town hall meeting, it became his mission to take the vineyard down.I couldn’t allow that.I stayed.I told him you and your family did everything by the book.You’re clean.He told me to keep digging.I knew I wouldn’t find anything.”

“And if you did, would you have told him?”

His eyes snapped to mine, disgust taking over his features.“Never.”

I stared at him, my heart torn in two.One side scorched with his betrayal, but the other side still reached for him and wanted to believe him.“You should have told me.”

He exhaled and shook his head.“I was scared.A coward, really.Other than my label, I’ve never had anything to lose.Even then, it sucked, I knew I would recover and move on.Losing you?I don’t think I’ll recover from that.”

Silence settled between us, filled with all the new revelations and truths I could hardly process.

“I don’t know what happens now.”He took a tentative step toward me.“But if there’s any part of you that believes what we had was real, I’ll spend every day proving I can be the man you saw in me.”

My lips parted, but the words stuck to my throat.How could I believe him after everything?He had so many opportunities to tell me the truth, and he didn’t.Maybe it was because he was a coward, but what if it was more than that?What if it was more manipulation, and he wasn’t a coward at all, and I was the fool?

“Sher, look at me.”His finger pressed into my chin, tilting my head until my eyes bore into his.There was a deep, unfiltered intensity in his gaze that was honest and raw.But this man was a charmer… or was that a lie, too?

“I don’t know who you are,” I admitted, and pain shot through my chest at the realization.

“I know.”There was a roughness to his tone.“But I want you to.Not the version my father tried to mold me into.Not the liar who held secrets from you and acted as if everything was fine.But me.The man who fell in love with you when he had no damn right to do so.”

My breath caught, and I so desperately wanted to throw myself into his arms and let him kiss away any doubt.I hated that I still ached for the man I always thought he was before the confession.

“I need time,” I whispered.“I don’t trust you, and I don’t know if I ever will.”

“I’ll earn it,” he said without hesitation.“I don’t care if it takes weeks… or hell, years.I’ll earn it.”He took my hand again and squeezed.“You’re the only good thing I’ve ever had, and I’m not giving up unless you tell me to.”

I should’ve cut him loose.Told him nothing he did or said could ever fix this.We were broken.

But as broken as we were, I wasn’t ready to tell him to walk away.

Chapter 21

Ben

Everything was falling apart, but I had something I never had—hope.It was a small glimmer, but when Sherry didn’t tell me to get the hell out of her life, I saw the light flare, and I clung to it.I left the uncooked breakfast on the stove, grabbed my pants and shoes, and saw myself out while Sherry went in the shower.Hopefully, she didn’t do so with the intention of washing me off her…

I couldn’t think about that now.I needed to figure out how the fuck I was going to get out of the mess I was in.How I could tell my father to fuck off without dragging Sherry and her family down with me?

I flung the door open and practically knocked Rose on her ass.I grabbed her, steadying her in place.

Her light brown eyes, so much like her sister’s, locked on me.“You!”she said like an accusation.

“She knows,” I said.“I don’t know how much you found out, but I told her everything and more.More than what you’d be able to dig up.”

“Considering you’re leaving, I gather she didn’t take it well.”

“She didn’t hit me, so I’m taking it as a win.”

Rose scoffed.“You fooled us all.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.But I love your sister, and I love working for your family, and I love Wyatt as my boss.”

“Told you he wasn’t that bad.”Wyatt’s voice drifted up the porch.He leaned against the car, crossed arms, staring up at me.

Rose waved her hand at her boyfriend.“Can you shush?”

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