Page 21 of A Vineyard for Two

It was for the best. Breaking his heart was better than living with regrets, which would only lead to resentment.

‘How have you been, Zoe?’ Harper changed the subject. ‘I called, but you never answered.’ She had called, but her sister never answered, and so she stopped calling.

‘Why did you leave?’ Zoe asked. ‘Why did you leave all of us when we needed you the most?’

Harper noticed a tear in her sister’s eye. The pain was real, and she never had the chance to witness it, to do something about it.

‘I didn’t have another choice.’

‘There’s always a choice.’

‘Maybe I’m not ready to talk about it.’

‘So what? Now you’ll leave and we won’t see you for another six years?’

Is that what she was planning to do? Harper hadn’t thought that far. Not since she found out she was the owner of a property with Brookes. Sure, she planned on returning to the city, but that’s about as far as her planning stretched. Right now, she was confused more than anything. She hadn’t expected the feelings from six years ago to resurface as if they’d never disappeared. Maybe they hadn’t. Maybe she’d just become good at hiding them from herself.

‘I’m sorry I hurt you, Zoe. But I really, I really can’t talk about it, not right now.’

She noticed her sister’s face soften.

‘I hope you can tell me one day. I missed you so much.’

Harper hadn’t expected that, and then Zoe came up to her and embraced her. She hugged her back. It felt so good. A first step to maybe mending a broken relationship regardless of what her next decision would be. She’d missed her sister, too. She’d been too proud to make more of an effort to stay in touch.

‘I missed you, too,’ Harper said, and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.

The sisters pulled apart and Zoe spoke. ‘Clean yourself up. Let’s grab a drink and a game of pool. I heard there’s a band playing at the tavern.’

‘I don’t know,’ Harper said. ‘I don’t have anything to wear, and it’s been a really…’

Zoe didn’t let her finish the sentence. ‘I’ll lend you a shirt to go with your jeans. It’s a tavern. You don’t need to go fancy, although some do. I’m not naming any names. I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides, for all I know, you might leave tomorrow, and I want an opportunity to beat your ass in a game.’

‘Beat me?’ Harper asked. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘That’s what I like to hear. Meet you in twenty minutes out the front.’

When they got to the tavern, it felt like a giant weight lifted off her shoulders and as if the six years away from her sister had never happened. They were talking like old friends again, like sisters. She had missed that; a lot more than she had cared to admit.

The car park was full, and people stood on the veranda enjoying drinks, others smoked in the smoking section outside. Music reverberated from inside the pub — a mixture of indie rock, nothing Harper had ever heard, but with good beats.

‘Do we need a reservation?’

‘I think we’ll be all right,’ Zoe said, pulling her along. ‘Let’s go in. I’m thirsty and famished. What are you having?’

‘A wine.’

Zoe shook her head. ‘Have a beer. It’ll cleanse your pallet.’

‘Sure,’ Harper said, although she had never been much of a beer drinker. On a hot summer’s day, maybe. Then again, they were in a tavern. The beer would probably taste better.

When they walked in, she noticed a few people dancing near the stage. Couples, families, and groups gathered at the tables as they ate and drank. Some stood at the bar, while others played pool. She searched for a familiar face but didn’t see anyone.

Zoe insisted on ordering their beers while Harper found an empty keg to stand around. A few moments later, Zoe handed over the bottle. They clinked glasses and sipped.

‘This place hasn’t changed much at all, has it?’ Harper said.

‘Is that so bad?’ Zoe asked, sipping her beer as her gaze skimmed the room.