Page 55 of Love Among Vines

“Thank you so much again. Are you sure I can’t pay you?”

“I’m sure.” Cindy’s eyes lit up. “Hey, the boys usually play poker the second Wednesday of the month. It’s like the one social thing Rett still commits to. Do you want to come over for a girls’ night in? We usually do dinner and cocktails and engage in some career or book chat. Maybe some idle town gossip.”

Jade paused. If she went, she would be perpetuating the fake relationship narrative and blatantly lying to Cindy, who seemed by all accounts to be a lovely, warm, genuine person. It hadn’t seemed so bad to lie to Rett’s family for just one day. But these were his close friends. She resolved to talk to him about it before the evening—surely if they were best friends, they would be able to let them in on the secret.

“I’d love to come. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

“Here, put your number in. I’ll text you the address.” Cindy handed over her phone.

Jade entered her number and handed it back. Even though this whole situation was temporary, the prospect of new female friends warmed her soul.

Cindy tucked her phone away. “Awesome. I’m so excited. With you, there’s just four of us. Do you have any dietary restrictions? It’s my turn to cook.”

Jade shook her head. “How do you feel about dogs? I have a golden retriever who’s kind of my ride-or-die slash emotional support fur baby.”

“Um, I love dogs. Bring her. We have a big, dopey pit bull named Branson and a fenced-in backyard.” She glanced at her watch. “Crap, I have to get some charting done before my eight o’clock. We’ll see you on Wednesday.”

“Can’t wait.” Jade waved as she left. Had she just made a new friend?

CHAPTER NINETEEN

RETT

Rett slammedan easel into the ground and ripped open the tape on a package. Penny pounced on it.

His phone beeped, and he checked the message.

Cindy: I can’t tell you that. HIPAA, dummy. Ask her yourself.

Theaudacity. What kind of person was so afraid to accept help that she stole camping equipment, walked miles in the rain, and fell out of a damn tree while hiding a bag that no one would have taken in the first place?

His heart had plummeted when he saw the state of her. Scratches, bruises, hollow eyes presumably from staying up all night. He had meant to wish her luck on her first day, maybe show her off a little to the town. Instead, he had been forced to introduce her to Cindy before he was ready.

He was going to have words with Jade when he picked her up later.

A cart laden with painting supplies bumped over the grass. He arranged them around the easel with more force than was necessary.Crack. A plastic rinse cup lay in two pieces.

He took a step back and inhaled deeply. There was no use in being mad at her. She hadn’t had anyone to rely on in years. Why would she want to live in a stranger’s house?

But they weren’t really strangers. What about him was so untrustworthy?

An image of that smug motherfucker Nate looking at Jade on the porch appeared in his mind. Cheated on her before the grass was even growing on her parents graves. No wonder she had trouble trusting people.

These one night stands weren’t serving her anymore. Loneliness radiated from her. She was clearly a monogamy girl, a believer in true love. She wouldn’t truly be her authentic self until she opened her mind to the possibility of partnership again. Friends with benefits wasn’t going to cut it. She needed the full girlfriend experience to remind her. He added it to his running mental list before turning back to the task at hand.

The easel was set up on the winery’s most beautiful vista—the spot where he had planned to propose to Alexa, in fact. If the view could unblock Jade, maybe she wouldn’t have to consider a new career. But he was prepared for the alternative. Especially if she had just done permanent damage to her painting hand.

And that didn’t even cover the host of other issues—budget revamp, networking, and of course, getting a driver’s license.

The stone wall of the winery caught his eye. How was he supposed to focus on business when mentoring Jade was a whole business itself?

All the angerfell out of his sails when he opened the café door. Jade, still scratched to hell and looking even more frazzledthan that morning, was seated at a table in the corner. She stared at a blank sketch pad in front of her, eyebrows drawn together.

He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she jumped.

“Is it two o'clock already?” she asked.

He nodded. “How’s the wrist?”

---