Page 9 of Love Among Vines

Blake nodded. She stuck her hand out. “Fake it till we make it?”

Jade threw her arms open and pulled Blake into a hug. She stiffened, then relaxed. It was like hugging a beanpole, but still nice. “Let’s get some lunch.”

CHAPTER FOUR

JADE

The front doorsnapped shut behind Jade as she and Penny stepped onto the dew-covered grass. She tucked her water bottle in the side pocket of her backpack and surveyed the front lawn. Once again, a hungover Ashley had cancelled the morning festivities. Camila was probably fuming. With the other girls still in bed, Jade and Penny were on their own.

There was something magical about this place. Not the house—though it was decorated nicely enough, it didn’t feel like home. Home, in her mind, meant outrageous blooms of color, soft blankets, fifty scattered dog toys, and paint supplies in every nook and cranny. Not that she was currently using them.

The lake and the surrounding hills, however, held a promise she couldn’t quite put into words. Maybe it was just the change of scenery or the fleeting moment of inspiration from the day before, but something felt different here. And she was going to run straight to the heart of it.

She and Penny set off in the direction of the charming small town they had passed through on their way to the wineries yesterday. Hills rose and fell around them. The lake was partially visible behind a mask of leaves that had just begun to turn yellow.

A memory crept in. She and Nate had spent their last spring break of grad school in the Catskills. He—or more accurately, his family credit card—had booked a stay in an absurd resort in the Hudson Valley. They had hiked for hours before tumbling into bed, headboard crashing against the old-fashioned wallpaper.

And now it was nothing but a memory.

She had loved him so damn much even though he was the opposite of who she had imagined her soulmate to be. In line to manage his dad’s hedge fund, he wore suits to class and dragged her to galas. His family unironically had lunch at the Ritz at least once a month.

A middle-class girl from Queens, Jade hadn’t really fit into his world of designer labels and charity events. But he had drawn her in with his easy smile and quick wit, offering his elbow and shepherding her through every family and society event for a year and a half.

A car zoomed past on her left, and she flinched. Pining over Nate had accomplished exactly nothing. He was marrying her best friend this weekend, and she needed to accept it and move on.

Her pace quickened as The Killers blasted in her ears. Penny galloped along at her side. Maybe if Jade ran fast enough, she could outrun the memories.

A side stitch forced her to slow down as they wound down the hill and into the town square. The morning sun glimmered on the lake to her right. To her left, pathways cut through green grass to a charming gazebo. People bustled up and down the sidewalks, waving at each other. The smell of fresh coffee and sweet cinnamon drifted over from a turquoise café with a sunflower on the sign. The yellow door beckoned, but the single dollar in her wallet begged her to reconsider.

It was friggen adorable.

She passed a row of historic-looking buildings and came to an abrupt stop. Was that a vending machine full of artisanal cheese? She all but pressed herself to the glass. The machine had a credit card reader. Surely her budget could survive one purchase. Maybe two flavors. What if it was the secret to throwing off her painter’s block for good? It would be irresponsible not to try it.

Five minutes later, she and Penny trudged up the opposite shore with a backpack full of smoked cheddar and honey goat cheese. The two-lane road felt familiar. It must have been the one they took yesterday while winery hopping.

She tugged Penny in close and moved back into a run. It was harder here with the hills, but the exertion kept her mind from wandering.

Her lungs burned as they crested a hill. Rows of grapevines sloped up a gentle incline on her left. And there at the top was Rhodes Vineyard.

Her heart fell into her butt, and she pulled to a halt. Penny looked at her.

The wine that had unlocked her first glimmer of inspiration was behind those doors. But Blake’s attitude had made a horrible impression on Hottie McWinePants. It wasn’t really Jade’s responsibility to apologize, but he deserved one regardless. Would he even be there this early?

Penny seemed to agree, because she raced up the stony driveway. Jade’s heart rate kicked up a notch as they approached the door. This winery was dog friendly—there had been a French bulldog named Mina at the table next to them yesterday. But Penny had a habit of greeting people by leaping on them. That must be why Jade was nervous.

She glanced down at the now sweat-soaked T-shirt and bike shorts she had thrown on without a thought. It wasn’t what shewould usually wear to make a good impression. But she would never see these people again. Why did she care?

She cracked open the entry door, and a wave of air conditioning hit her. Thank god. Maybe it would dry out some of the sweat. Penny pulled her farther inside.

Elaine, their server from the day before, stood at one of the tasting tables, bottle of cleaner in hand.

“Good morning!” she said cheerfully. “Welcome to Rhodes Vineyard.” Her smile faltered when she saw Jade.

Damn it. So much for an incognito visit.

“Hi, Elaine,” Jade said. “I just came back to pick up some bottles. I really enjoyed our tasting yesterday. I’m sorry for the others in my group. I think they were just hungry.”

Elaine brightened. “I’m so glad to hear you say that! Our vintner works really hard to honor his grandmother’s legacy.”

---