Page 41 of Just Like This
“I’m scared too, Cami. But you can walk away. I won’t ask you to make this kind of commitment.”
I slipped my uninjured hand into his and squeezed. “I’m not leaving. I’ve wanted something just like this for a long time, and now that I have it, I won’t just give it up.”
Garrett’s smile was slight, but he looked relieved. “Thank fuck, because walking away really wasn’t an option.”
He reached for the hand that was bandaged and checked it before leading me back into the kitchen. I finished preparing dinner under Garrett’s watchful eye. He was quick to help out when one hand wouldn’t suffice, and he helped me carry the dishes out to the patio. The fire in the pit was burning bright and hot, providing a comforting warmth to the chill from the bay.
“How’s your side?” I pointed my fork in his direction, and his hand absently touched the spot where Palmer hit him.
“It’s tender, but it will be okay. It’s not like I haven’t been in a fight before.”
“But Palmer is your best friend.”
Garrett wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back his chair. “And he’s your best friend too. What should we do about that?”
“It’s his problem. He just needs some time and space.”
“But what if he doesn’t come around?”
“Do you want me to talk to him or something?”
“Maybe we both should talk to him,” Garrett suggested.
I disagreed. “No. I’ll talk to him in the morning. I don’t want this to come between your friendship before you leave.”
“How’s your hand?” His eyes flicked to my bandaged hand that rested on the table.
“I’ll survive. I’ve had worse.” Garrett looked surprised, so I told him about the time I received second-degree burns on my palm from touching the inside of a pizza oven.
“I have a surprise,” Garrett announced. He held up his finger, silently telling me to wait and disappeared inside the house. He was gone for longer than I expected, leaving me wondering where he went when he reappeared with a bottle of wine and a blanket.
“This is Hammond Winery’s finest bottle of rosé,” he announced, setting the wine down in front of me with such a flourish that I burst out laughing. He opened the bottle of wine with practiced ease. Before pouring, he nodded toward the dock that jutted out into the bay. “Let’s go sit out there.”
The night was clear, which was why, despite it being summer, the air felt chilly. The bright moon illuminated the subtle waves of the bay and the path down toward the dock. We walked to the very end, and Garrett spread out the blanket over the worn and weathered wood before we sat.
“I forgot the glasses,” he admitted with an embarrassed smile. He held out the bottle toward me, and I accepted it, taking a sip. It was delicious; cool and crisp with a hint of strawberry. I tilted the bottle in Garrett’s direction, offering it to him, but he held up a hand to decline.
“It’s delicious,” I said. “Tell me more about your family’s winery.”
I listened as Garrett talked about his dad inheriting the property from a great-uncle who let it fall into disrepair and how he turned it around into a profitable winery. Excitement filled his voice as he talked about the varietals that grew on the hundreds of acres of land his family owned and how he hoped to transform his family’s winery into a more sustainable operation.
“There are a few completely green wineries. I just haven’t had the time to study them, but when I come back, that’s what I want to do. I might have to work hard to convince my dad though. And Oliver.”
“It sounds like a good plan,” I told him.
“I’d like you to be a part of it.”
“You do?” I was surprised but relieved. There was always the possibility that when he thought of his future, I wasn’t in it. Still, I’d been hopeful.
“Unless you don’t want to leave Washington. Hammond Winery could always expand.” Seeing this handsome man, so perfectly sculpted and lean with tattoos covering his body, nervous was comforting. The fierceness of our emotions and the newness of our relationship made me a little anxious. Maybe Garrett felt the same way. He lifted my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the knuckles reverently before a shy smile ghosted his lips. “Or we could start an entirely new label together.”
“No, I think after… I think I’ll want to leave Washington. There’s so much of this world I haven’t seen because I haven’t let myself explore too far.” Thinking about a life without my father was hard, but I could force myself to start if I imagined Garrett beside me.
“Oh. Maybe you’d rather do that, then?”
I laughed softly at his insecurity. “Maybe we could do it together? France, Germany, Australia? You could learn all about sustainable wine production while I learn all about baking.”
Garrett grinned, and his shoulders sagged with relief. “That sounds like a perfect plan.”
