Page 43 of A Vineyard for Two

Harper served up the meal and sat the plates on the table while Brookes topped up the wine. She tried not to think about tomorrow, or Brookes’ lips on hers earlier that day, or how nicely his forearm looked in the navy-blue collared shirt he was wearing, and the way the muscles accentuated as he put the fork in his mouth. What the hell was she doing eating him up with her eyes? This was ridiculous. She looked away and took a sip of her wine as he shared a story about the vineyard.

‘It’s come a long way,’ Harper said. ‘You and Leo make a good team.’

‘We’re complete opposites, but we’ve made it work. Has he given you a taste of the new range?’

‘Never mentioned it.’ She supposed her brother didn’t have the time to talk to her about the wine, but she shouldn’t have been surprised. It’s not like she had made an effort to ask questions either.

‘A Verdelho. They seem to be growing in popularity lately. Most winemakers have one on their lists, but I think we’ve come up with something special. It’s crisp and semi dry, perfect for the summers here. Pairs well with a few prawns on the grill.’

‘When are you launching it?’

‘We’re hoping early spring. It’s had enough time in the bottle.’

‘How do you envision launching wines with Leo whilst also running a vineyard of your own?’

He smiled and took a sip of wine. ‘Someone once told me if there’s a will, there’s a way.’

She remembered the words she used and when she had said them, but it had nothing to do with business or wine. They had been in their late teens and, even though their families owned a vineyard, leaving the underage kids with wine was not an option. Harper had been determined to enjoy some wine, okay, more like a bottle of wine, and so she had talked Brookes into going with her on the hunt. He had distracted her parents and his parents to give her enough time to snatch and run with two bottles. No one had noticed and she and Brookes had sat under a fig tree enjoying the wine together without a care of the consequences. She had told him then that if there was a will, there was a way. Stupid now that she thought about what they had done, but the words rang true.

They finished their meal with some small talk. She didn’t want to bring up the future of Mathers Vineyard. In all honesty, she didn’t want to talk about the future at all. Sitting here with Brookes, enjoying a meal, made her feel as if they hadn’t been apart for six years. It had been easy, straightforward, comfortable. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt that sitting across from a man sharing a meal. All the dates in the city fizzled out either by dessert or the end of the second date. Maybe she had unrealistic expectations from the beginning, and those expectations scared her dates off. Brookes, on the other hand, seemed to roll with it. He had always challenged her in one way or another.

‘I know where Leo keeps the wine,’ Brookes said.

‘Try it before the launch?’

‘Why not?’

‘Okay, but I don’t want to spoil anything.’

‘You won’t be.’

‘I’ll clear the table first.’

‘It can wait,’ he said and got up. ‘Follow me.’

Follow him, she did, out of the house and into the shed that had been built to hold barrels of wine. The red was taking its time to ferment, the white was ready to be bottled. When they walked in, she had forgotten the size of it. The family vineyard alone produced a decent amount of wine. Each year they sold out and only managed to cellar a few bottles to give them the right amount of time to age.

She stood beside him; her gaze shifting across the space as he flicked the lights on, before leading her to the tasting area.

‘When was the last time you had a wine tasting?’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Why?’

‘Sit down.’

‘Brookes, it’s late.’

‘It won’t take long. Don’t worry.’

She checked her watch. It wasn’t late per se, and even thought they had several big days ahead, a tasting or two wouldn’t hurt, and in front of her, Brookes looked very excited about the idea.

‘Ok, hit me with them.’

‘That’s the spirit.’

She sat down on a stool where usually the guests would, while he got himself comfortable behind the bar. A few moments later, she had her tasting glass, a spitting jug, and some water.

‘You’re really getting into this, aren’t you?’