Page 81 of A Vineyard for Two
‘Been and gone. It’s in the past now.’
‘You shouldn’t turn your back on love, though. You’re young, smart and beautiful. There’s someone out there waiting for you to stumble on.’
‘Maybe. More importantly, though, you and Brookes, why do you keep fighting it? That man has it in for you.’
‘That was a long time ago, Zoe. Brookes and I are after completely different things.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘You keep telling yourself that, but the only person you’re fooling is you.’
Maybe, Harper thought. But that’s the way it had to be. She needed to change the subject again.
Harper folded her arms. ‘Do you think Georgia will really sell half the estate?’
Just then, Leo walked in and he must have heard the question, because he was quick to respond. ‘We need an influx of cashflow to keep it running. The last few years, well, let’s just say there have been more bad years than good ones.’
She stepped aside as he washed his hands.
‘Is there something we can do?’ Harper asked.
‘Getting an investor on board is the best strategy at the moment.’
‘Leo, do you really want someone who has no idea about running a vineyard to meddle in your grape growing and wine making?’
‘If it means having sufficient cashflow to continue running this place, then yes.’
‘What about Mathers Vineyard? Couldn’t that be sold to get this place a boost?’
‘The stipulations of the Will state that Mathers Vineyard cannot be sold.’
‘I just don’t get it. Why leave a property to someone and continue to control ownership from the grave?’
‘I’m sure Hugh had his reasons.’
‘What about if Mathers Vineyard started generating an income? Could we transfer it here? I mean, how much are we talking about, Leo?’
‘We need about a hundred thousand to start with. If we want to get the business rolling, we might need five times that amount. That’s why getting an investor on board would help.’
‘It would, but it would also mean outside interference. Do you really want that?’
‘At this point, it doesn’t matter what we want. It’s about what this place needs.’
‘What if I could help?’
‘Do you have a spare half a million lying around?’
‘Not half a million, but enough that could make a difference.’
He shook his head. ‘I can’t make a decision without Georgia. You’d have to speak with her.’
Harper had an idea. She wasn’t certain it would work, but they should at least give it a try. She hated the idea that someone else would run this place, even if she wasn’t the one living there. There was no way the family estate could go to someone else. There was too much history there.
This trip was turning out to be much more than she’d bargained for. And every time she was ready to leave and return to the city, something stopped her.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Harper sat on the veranda as the sun set, turning the sky multiple shades of orange, red, and purple. What was the saying, red sky at night, devil’s delight? The thought alone brought shivers down her spine. She hugged the sweater tighter around her. She hated sitting around doing nothing.
Zoe had decided to go and spend the evening with Georgia and Leo was out in the vineyard. Harper stayed and waited for Brookes to come back. She was curious to know what he’d been up to after leaving her home in such haste. Checking her watch for the fifth time in five minutes, she got up and went inside the house. It was clean, but she cleaned anyway. Polishing surfaces, dusting, organising the fridge, vacuuming. When she was done, her mind continued to wander. She showered, changed, made herself a sandwich, and poured a glass of wine.