Page 78 of A Vineyard for Two

Zoe put her hands on her hips and shifted her gaze around the room. ‘Ok, well, let’s see what we can do to have a longer table or better still, look at this space; we could fit two smaller tables in here and get closer to thirty people.’

‘That’s a lot to cook for.’

‘Between the four of us and a caterer, it’s doable.’

‘You sound like Brookes,’ Harper said. But it wasn’t a bad idea. She pictured the two tables beside each other in the room. There would still be room to move around and for guests to mingle.

‘I knew you’d see my way of thinking.’

They both laughed.

‘I’ve got decorations in the car,’ Zoe said.

‘Decorations?’

‘Yes, we need to put up the tree and decorate the room in all things Christmas. I saw your purchases, and well, they were a little minimal.’

‘God, I hope you didn’t go overboard.’

‘Don’t be a Grinch.’

‘We’re going for tasteful and classy.’

‘It’s a country inn, Harper. The decor has to match the venue.’

‘Let’s just make sure we’re not getting in Brookes’ way before we start putting up mistletoe and baubles.’

‘Between the two of you, I’m certain you’ll make this place magical,’ Brookes said, walking into the room.

‘There’s something else we need to do,’ Harper said. She wasn’t sure they were going to like what she had in mind, especially since she was always against surprises. The one she had in store could end in disaster.

THIRTY-SIX

After agreeing on the setup for the table and the colour coordination of the decorations, Zoe left to run some errands and to put Harper’s plan into motion. She was glad her sister had agreed to it and Brookes, while a little apprehensive, didn’t think it was the worst idea she’d come up with.

When they were alone standing outside the door, Brookes pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head. Warm feelings rushed through her, and she didn’t want to let go. Even though the day with Zoe had gone well and it was fun at the back of her mind, last night’s events were still distressing. She didn’t believe in coincidences or random acts of violence; not here, not like this.

Brookes pulled her closer and ran his hand through her hair, calming the fire within him. He wanted to catch the person responsible for this, make sure they’d pay. More importantly, he wanted Harper to trust him enough to tell him the truth. She was hiding something; it was clear as day. There was something she was holding back but knowing Harper, that would only make her withdraw even further.

Rover barked. Brookes pulled away from Harper.

The dog barked again. ‘What is it, boy?’ Brookes said as Rover ran for the door. When he opened it, he saw a car speeding off.

He recognised it. ‘There’s something I have to do,’ he said.

Brookes didn’t want Harper alone at Mathers Vineyard, so he dropped her off at the family estate, even with her protests and questions about what was going on. He didn’t want to tell her just yet, but he had a suspicion, and he didn’t like it. Before leaving, he made sure that Leo was staying around so Harper wasn’t left alone, then he drove off, leaving Harper looking confused on the veranda steps.

At first, the idea seemed preposterous, but when he gave it more thought, it started making sense. Still, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions until he was absolutely certain.

When he reached the town centre, he found a park and made his way towards the hair salon. He saw the closed sign. Returning to his car, he drove a few streets down, and stopped in front of a small cottage style house that had been modernised by a bit of white render. He was certain the car he’d seen speeding off from his house earlier that morning was the same one parked in this driveway.

He got out and walked towards the house. When he passed the car, he stopped for a moment and placed his hand on the bonnet. Still warm, and it wasn’t from the winter sun.

Brookes knocked on the front door and waited. A few moments later, he heard a lock turning and the door opening. Lisa stood there in a bathrobe, her blonde hair flowing around her shoulders, but he didn’t notice any dampness on her face or neck that would naturally be evident after a shower. He was seething but he couldn’t exactly go around accusing her of something he didn’t have proof of, only a feeling, but his gut instincts were usually right.

‘What a pleasant surprise?’ Lisa said.

‘It’s not a social call.’