Page 13 of Her Supermodel Stalker
On our way back to the vineyard, Jimmy’s still excited despite all the physical activities he had earlier.
“Mommy, can we come again tomorrow?”
“No,” I say. “We’ve gotten you a babysitter.”
“But I don’t want to stay home. And I like Devin.”
My mouth falls. This is not good. I can’t let the man steal my son’s heart, too.
“Now, Jimmy. What did I tell you this morning?”
“You told me to behave, and I have,” he mumbles.
Devin chuckles. “Lexi, let Jimmy come to the vineyard tomorrow. He can play in the garden, and I’ll keep an eye on him. I work in my house in the morning. In fact, I’m planning to build a temporary daycare center in the garden. It’ll make it easy for many employees, especially now the harvest season is beginning.”
“That’ll be awesome!” I say, liking the idea. “Thank you so much!”
“No problem. I love Jimmy’s company.”
I’m speechless. I’ve never dreamed of this part. I’ve never thought Devin Gamble would love kids. The fact really turns me on. Despite warnings in my head, I imagine having Devin’s babies. How would they look like?
My daydream is broken by Jimmy’s innocent voice. “Mom,” the child says. “Can Devin be my daddy?”
Oh shit. He just spoke my thought out loud. My cheeks burn, and I chuckle. “Jimmy, that’s a silly question. Mr. Gamble is Mommy’s boss.”
“But I like him, and he likes me. He likes you, too, Mommy.”
I’m so embarrassed I don’t know what to say. Thankfully, we’ve arrived at the vineyard’s parking, and my mom’s pickup truck is already waiting on the lot.
“There’s Grandma!” I say, changing the topic.
It works. The child’s attention turns to my mom right away, who’s waving us through her car window.
Devin parks right next to my mom’s truck. My mom gets out of her truck as I carry Jimmy out of the backseat. “Hi, Grandma! I miss you!”
“I miss you too, my sweet baby.” My mom hugs him and kisses him, and then she stares at Devin, mouth agape for a few seconds before she turns to look at me.
I quickly introduce them to each other. “Mom, he’s my new boss Mr. Devin Gamble … Mr. Gamble, this is my mom Helen.”
Devin shakes hands with mom right away. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Helen!”
“Oh, the pleasure is mine!”
Jimmy can’t wait to tell his grandma about the lunch. “Devin says he’ll teach me how to rock-climb one day.”
“Wow, I’m jealous, Jimmy,” my mom laughs. “Now, let’s go home.”
The rest of the day passes uneventfully. I type in some tasting evaluations, place some orders, and draft a trial blend plan for Sam.
After I finish all the tasks on the to-do list, I still have an hour to kill. I browse online for winemaking degree programs.
When I first started working at the vineyard, I had little interest in winemaking, but after all these years, my interest has grown. Making wine is not just a romantic art, but a serious science. It takes trials after trials of failure to get to a taste that not only works but impresses. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the delightful faces of people when they take a sip of a wine that I take part in the making. I want more than just making wines, I want to create them. And that’s why I need to get a degree.
But after working at the vineyard for five years, I doubt I’ll ever go back to school again.
The only programs available are at UC Davis, which is hundreds of miles from Sunnywood. There’s no way I can move there. Cal State Fresno has something similar, but it’s also far. My only hope is the online certification programs, but they require no less time and commitment. I just don’t see how I can squeeze in a minimum of twenty hours per week to study. Over the weekends, all I want to do is spend time with Jimmy and help my mom with the housework and the yard work.
I sigh. It would be nice to have a man to share the responsibilities. What Jimmy says to me earlier suddenly rings in my head. “Mom, can Devin be my daddy?”
