Page 59 of A Vineyard for Two

‘I’m done with this conversation,’ Harper said. ‘Let me pass, or I will scream.’

He stepped aside.

She hesitated for a moment before striding past him without bothering to give him a second glance. When she was outside, she saw David walking out of the house with a glass of brandy in his hand and he lifted it up to her.

‘Your aunt has good taste.’

Of course she does. Georgia had good taste in most things. But David wouldn’t have known that. He wouldn’t have appreciated it because he didn’t like the simple things. It was all about luxury and opulence. It was fun for a moment, but it wasn’t her.

‘I’m going to organise you a motel in town,’ Harper said.

‘I can’t stay with you, here?’

‘No,’ Harper said.

‘So you were serious then, this break. It wasn’t just a break; it was the break.’

‘David, you and I, well you know — we don’t work.’

‘You want this?’ he said, moving his hand with the brandy glass upwards and across the horizon.

‘I don’t know what I want right now.’ And that was the truth. She’d been here for a week, and she didn’t miss the hustle and bustle of the city. But would she feel the same way a week from now? Her heart and body ached for Brookes, but that could have just been history trying to repeat itself, and repeating history was never a good idea. No, she had to get her thoughts and feelings straightened. Being involved with anyone was not a good idea right now. She had to focus on herself. What did she want? Did she even know?

David didn’t leave. Leo had insisted that at least he stayed for the dinner. He made the long drive and after a few too many brandies, driving back wasn’t an option. It was no effort for Leo to add an extra setting, but Brookes made no attempt to hide his contempt. He didn’t speak to Harper all evening, just grunted whenever she asked a question or made a comment. So, she gave up. She avoided approaching him and made herself scarce as much as possible.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a big event for the vineyard, for the estate and its future. She didn’t want to let Georgia down, but of course, the night could not go without a hitch. That just wasn’t her life. David showing up was bad on more than one account. She had broken up with him not just because the relationship had no future, but also because it had become a conflict of interest. It was something she couldn’t tell him, but a relationship would only jeopardise her position and everything that she had worked for. She needed him gone as soon as possible. Her protests to him staying were in vain because both Leo and Brookes insisted he ate and drank.

‘So how did you two meet?’ Brookes asked, looking at David.

‘Work function.’

‘Did you move into real estate, Harper?’

‘It was actually a charity function. Both my company and David’s were sponsors.’

‘Actually, Harper was the organiser of the event. She was a stunner and raised almost half a million dollars.’

‘That’s impressive.’

‘Falling for her was a no-brainer.’

‘Of course.’

Harper finished her wine and pushed her glass aside. She didn’t want or need this conversation to continue.

‘I think someone should drive you and your car back into town. There’s a bed-and-breakfast that has some availability. I’ve checked you in.’

‘We’ve still got a lot to catch up on,’ Brookes said.

Harper shot him a look that caused him to put his arms up in defence. ‘Ok, ok. I get when it’s time to call it a night.’ He turned to David. ‘We’re having a dinner tomorrow to show off this place. If you’re still in town, you should join us.’

David’s eyes perked up. ‘You know what? I just might do that. Don’t know when I’ll get another chance to get out here. Probably never.’

When David finally left, Harper relaxed. The fact that he’d driven all the way here to see her bothered her. She’d made it clear that it was over, and he hadn’t put up a fight at all. There was something that troubled her about his visit, the timing of it. Was it possible that he knew what she was working on? She’d been so careful with her investigation that there was no way there could have been a leak. She didn’t speak to anyone about her work until she was ready to file a report. Even her superiors were left in the dark for just that reason. People talked, said things without thinking, and that’s when trouble brewed.

The internet connection in the house was terrible, and she had trouble logging into her emails. There were files on her computer, though. She went into her room and made sure that her laptop was still safely tucked away in the wardrobe underneath a pile of sweaters. She was being paranoid, but it was better than losing a year’s worth of work and the biggest case of her career.

That night, Harper slept restlessly, tossing and turning. She worried about Georgia, and about work, and about Brookes. She was conflicted about the vineyard and what they should do about it. A part of her entertained the thought of staying and running the place with Brookes, but the reality was that was an impossible dream. They wanted different things. His life was here, hers was in the city. She’d worked too hard to give that all up now, hadn’t she?