Page 30 of A Vineyard for Two
‘Bucket and broom. I don’t want any of that on the ground for Rover to step on.’
He heard her sigh, but he didn’t turn back.
What the hell was going on and what game were they playing at? First, the slashed tyre on his car, now the broken back window on Harper’s? No way that the two were a coincidence.
When he returned outside, he saw Harper kneeling next to Rover and giving him a rub and cuddle. The dog had a weakness for attention, and he was basking in every moment.
She stood up as soon as she noticed him and unlocked the door to the car.
‘I was going to say that no one locked vehicles around here, but given what’s happened to both our cars in the last twenty-four hours, I’d say that would be a lie.’
‘Let’s clean this mess up.’
‘I’ll do it. Don’t want you hurting your delicate fingers.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘What are you implying?’
‘Nothing at all. Move aside.’
He was surprised she didn’t argue. Instead, she returned her attention to Rover, who was more than pleased at the fact.
Brookes tried to think of anyone who might want to do them harm, but no one came to mind. There hadn’t been any notes or warnings, no confrontations that might hint at who might be responsible. It was all quite unsettling.
‘We should report it,’ he said.
‘To the police?’
‘You sound surprised.’
‘Well, what exactly are we going to say? Someone stabbed your tyre last night and this morning someone threw a brick at my car window. I’m pretty sure they have more serious things to do with their time.’
‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘But aren’t you a little bit concerned?’
‘About this? I’m annoyed more than anything.’
‘Because you can’t go back on schedule.’
‘And it’s going to cost me a few hundred to fix this.’
‘I’m sure you’ll manage.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Nothing, Harper. It looks like there’s more rain coming. There’s a tarp in the shed if you want to grab it. It’s on the table. You want to cover the car, so you don’t get the leather wet.’
She went without saying a word while he worked on cleaning up all the glass. It took a few goes, and he managed to grab most of the large pieces. He’d need a vacuum for the smaller ones.
The phone rang in his pocket. He grabbed it and looked at the number. Lisa. He ignored it. The woman was relentless. It was his turn to sigh as he put the phone back in his pocket and returned to cleaning up the glass.
‘I found this too,’ Harper said, holding up the handheld vacuum cleaner.
He smiled as he grabbed it. God, she still made his head spin at the mere sight of her. Why the hell did she have to have that effect on him?
FIFTEEN
Harper got up with the sun the next morning. She dressed in an old shirt and slacks, grabbed a coffee, and asked Leo to follow her into town to drop her car off to get repaired and then take her to Mathers Vineyard. She wasn’t surprised at all to see Brookes’ car already parked in the driveway when they arrived. He was committed. She couldn’t deny that.
‘Go easy on him, Harper,’ Leo said. ‘He knows what he’s doing. It might seem as if he’s after the impossible, but if anyone can make this happen, it’s Brookes.’