Page 55 of Christmas in Vines

“Is this seat taken?” Willow asked.

“No,” I replied, “Not anymore. I mean, my brother was there, but he’s gone to his fiancé now.” I blinked—damn, these drinks were loosening my tongue.

She sat and I drank in the sight of her more than I did those damn margaritas. Her hair was up, and she was in a flattering jersey dress with fleece leggings and boots. She rested her hands on the table, and I admired her beige nail color.

Damn, I was drunk if I was admiring nail polish.

“Cole, right,” she said quietly.

I looked up. “Cole Vega, yes.”

She stuck out her hand, “Nice to finally meet you, Cole. I’m Willow Clarkston.”

Was this—was this her way of starting over? I shook her hand, “Same here.”

She smiled. “So, who is Tyler Burrows?”

I took out my cell and found a picture of my best friend. “Here he is. He is kind of a jackass.”

Taking it, she laughed, “You two do look alike.”

Resting my forearms on the table, I leaned in, “We do. We do this shit all the time, Willow, make each other run around town pretending to be each other but this time, this time capped them all. I only thought he’d sent me to the orchard to punish me for being a rich guy who doesn’t know what it’s like to do manual labor.”

“I suppose you got more than you bargained for?” she asked while sliding the phone back to me.

“More than,” I replied, pushing the emotions I felt for her into my voice. “I found more than I had even imagined I ever would.”

The breath Willow took in was audible as she leaned in and took my hand. “I thought about what happened between us and I realized that it was kind of unintentional. Neither of us had gone into this knowing what to expect and neither of us had planned it either. I was thrown for a loop when you came into the boardroom looking like you’d just stepped off the TV screen or…I dunno, from a law office.”

I laughed. “Did I mention I'd picked up a few law classes in college?”

“No,” she giggled. “You mentioned you’d spun the pages of a few textbooks though. Where did you go to college?”

“Columbia,” I admitted.

She shrugged. “Anyway, you did shock me, Cole. I never thought anything like this would happen to me. I mean, you read about stuff like this in romance books and stuff, but…you would never expect it to happen in real life.”

“You have to know I didn’t go into this trying to be like, what did you say, Henry The Eighth? I didn’t want to deceive you, Willow. Honest to God, I never wanted to hurt you. I just couldn’t break the disguise because, one, it was my deal with Tyler and two, I was fucking afraid you’d hate me knowing that I was a Vega.”

“Considering you saved my family’s business from those tyrants,” she held my hand, “and you took it on yourself to get your brother to make it right with my dad. I think I can absolve you of running out on me that night.”

The hollow space in my chest began to finally warm up. “I didn’t do it for clout, Willow. I did it because it was the right thing to do. By the way, I took a page out of your book and started a charity arm for the Vega Meadery, too. I cannot believe we hadn’t thought about something like that to benefit the community as—mmph.”

Willow had leaned over and kissed me. It was very awkward with the table between us, but the press of her lips on mine made that clumsiness vanish. She pulled away and smiled. “You can make it up to me.”

“Of course, I will,” I replied, blinking. “When I get sober that is.”

A soft voice clearing their throat made me look up and I saw Mia there with Ethan hovering behind her like a possessive bat. “Um, Cole? Any introductions?”

I looked up and smiled. Then gestured to Willow, “Come around.”

When she slid around the table, I gestured to the two. “Willow Clarkston, meet Mia Sullivan and that hulking man beast behind her is my brother Ethan Vega.”

Ethan dug his knuckle into my temple. “Have some manners toward your elders, you little goblin.”

“Shut it, you geezer,” I huffed, keeping the laughter under my tone. “Now, are you going to sit down so we can talk together or not?”

Mia slid into the seat and Ethan followed her and I sat back in my seat while Willow’s arm brushed mine. God, her mere presence made me feel so much better. Her hand dropped to my thigh, and I dropped my hand to cover hers.

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