Page 52 of The Vines Between Us
The simple statement hit me harder than I expected. Would Henri be proud? I hoped so. I was trying to protect what he'd built, what he'd loved—both the vineyard and, in his own careful way, the man who'd owned the neighbouring property.
Eventually, the crowd thinned. Rousseau departed with a curtnod and a promise to "continue the conversation." Only Hugo and I remained in the meeting hall, gathering our notes.
"That went better than expected," Hugo said quietly.
"Thanks to you. I wasn't planning to speak at all, let alone propose a regional cooperative."
"Me either," Hugo admitted with a small laugh. "I just couldn't stand watching him win them over. I thought I'd object and then... you jumped in with this whole alliance concept."
"Pure corporate bullshit," I confessed. "Years of business school and executive meetings taught me how to sound like I know what I'm talking about."
"Well, your corporate bullshit just gave this village hope," Hugo said. "And your improvised cooperative actually makes sense."
"So do your agricultural grants that don't exist."
"Yet," Hugo corrected with a smile. "They do exist. We just need to find them."
We lingered in the empty meeting hall, the gravity of what we'd just committed to settling over us. Hugo's expression grew more serious as he gathered our hastily scribbled notes.
"I need you to understand something," he said, his voice quieter now. "I can grow grapes and make wine better than anyone in this valley. I can fix equipment, manage harvests, read weather patterns like a book. But this—" He gestured at our notes about alliance structures and financial projections. "This is beyond me."
"Hugo—"
"No, listen. I'm not ashamed of what I don't know. Claude taught me that knowing your limitations is as important as knowing your strengths." He met my eyes directly. "My limitation is that I think like a farmer, not a businessman. VitaVine thinks like a corporation. If we're going to beat them, we need someone who understands both worlds."
"I'm not sure I'm that person."
"You analyzed their business model in mere days. You seeconnections I miss, possibilities I can't imagine." Hugo leaned forward. "I'm not asking you to become a farmer. I'm asking you to help me think strategically about farming."
We walked out together into the evening air. The village square was peaceful, golden in the late summer light. A few locals lingered at Café de la Place, glancing our way with newfound respect.
"We have a lot of work ahead," Hugo said, pausing at the point where our paths would diverge.
"Yes. But it's work worth doing."
He nodded, a small smile touching his lips. "Tomorrow, then? Nine o'clock at my place? We should start drafting those bylaws we supposedly already have."
"I'll bring coffee and croissants."
"Make it pain au chocolat and you have a deal."
This easy banter, so reminiscent of our past, caught us both by surprise. Hugo's smile faltered slightly, as if he'd allowed himself to forget too much, too quickly.
"Tomorrow," he said more formally, stepping back.
As I watched him walk away, I felt something I hadn't experienced in weeks—genuine hope. Not just for the vineyards, not just for the alliance, but for us. The path forward wouldn't be easy, but for the first time, I could see it clearly.
And I wasn't walking it alone.
Chapter Nineteen
ALEXANDRE
Istared at the number on the contract before me, certain I'd misread it.
"Triple." Rousseau smiled, his manicured finger tapping the figure. "Triple our original offer, Monsieur Moreau. Immediate payment. All debts cleared."
The morning sun streamed through Henri's study windows, catching dust motes dancing in the air. Outside, birds called to each other across the vineyard rows. Inside, the devil sat across from me in an impeccable suit, offering me more money than I'd ever imagined.
