Page 63 of A Vineyard for Two

Harper smiled and wiped away the tears. ‘How do you do it?’

‘I wasn’t always this carefree,’ Georgia said.

‘I don’t believe it.’

‘The freedom comes with age and wisdom. Unfortunately, most of us realise too late and by then we are either too old or too begrudged to enjoy it. There’s too many of those people around.’

‘I don’t know who I am anymore. I feel so torn.’

‘Where do you feel most connected?’

Harper smiled. She didn’t have to think about it. This is where she felt connected. It’s where she felt most at home, like she could be herself. But she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.

When Harper didn’t say anything, Georgia continued, ‘You are fighting something inside. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But you need to work it out, otherwise it will tear you apart.’

If only it were that easy.

‘You should get some rest.’

‘Harper, I know you love him, and he loves you. What I don’t understand is why you keep fighting it. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but whatever it was, it didn’t stop the love you feel for one another. The more you keep pushing away, the harder it’s going to be to come back. Love like yours it only comes around once in a lifetime.’

‘I know, Aunt Georgia,’ she said, and it was why she couldn’t stay. She loved Brookes, there was no denying it, but staying wasn’t an option. It was because she loved him that she had to let him go.

THIRTY

When Harper left the hospital, she went straight to her car and let the tears fall once more. She had shared her feelings with her aunt, and she knew she could trust her Georgia wouldn’t tell a soul.

Her heart longed for Brookes in more ways than one. Whenever she thought about him, the ache in her stomach heightened, and air caught in her lungs. When she was around him, even when he irked her and she wanted to throttle him, he made her smile inside. And yet, she had to let him go. It was for his own good.

Then there was the family estate. The people last night seemed nice enough, but the idea of someone else owning the vineyard, the house, even if it was only a partnership, didn’t sit well with her. They’d be making decisions, telling the family what should and shouldn’t be done, interfering with everything that had come before.

She found her phone and dialled Leo’s number. She was about to give up when he finally answered.

‘Is it an emergency?’

‘We need to talk about the family estate. I don’t think you should sell any of it.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘You schmoozing last night. You were trying to make the place an attractive proposition for those people.’

‘They’re investors.’

‘Not from what Georgia said. A partnership that down the line might mean selling the place.’

‘Look Harper, I know you mean well, but you haven’t been around for the past six years. You have no idea what is going on here.’

‘It’s the family estate,’ Harper said.

‘Now suddenly you’re interested in the family estate?’

She stayed silent for a moment, trying to connect her thoughts. He was right. She’d been away. It wasn’t like she had a say in what happened. She was leaving anyway. Why did it matter? It mattered because deep down she wanted the connection to this place, to her family, to the vines. If the family estate was sold, then the connection would be lost, and she didn’t want that. Yes, there was Mathers Vineyard, but that wasn’t the same, it was not where their cherished memories lay.

‘Is there anything we can do?’

‘Harper, you’ve just inherited a winery. Why do you care about our one?’

‘This has been your life.’