Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
But it didn’t matter. He was right there beside me and was going to do everything he could to protect me. I could feel it in the way he was holding me.
“Should we all sit down and talk?” Ally suggested cautiously.
Jack and I looked at each other and nodded. Derek held my hand as we headed for the table. He pulled a chair out for me and eased me in when I sat down.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Jack. “I thought you were finished working at the vineyard.”
Jack looked at me with a bit of surprise, and I realized he really wasn’t there for me.
“I forgot my laptop in the tasting room and came back for it,” he said.
“You didn’t know I was here?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I really didn’t know. Have you been here the whole time?”
I laughed and nodded, then snuggled further into Derek’s arms. The expression that flickered across Jack’s face said he didn’t miss the affection.
27
DEREK
Running into Jack was certainly not what I wanted to start the day out with, but I was so glad we did.
Jodi was beside herself to have her brother there and not be a part of the problem. Seeing them sit with each other, it was easy to see the family resemblance. Their smiles, for one, were very similar, as were their noses. Clearly, Jodi was softer, much more feminine, but Jack had many of the same symmetrical qualities that Jodi had. They both also had the same lilt in their voice when they were excited, something that was immediately noticeable when they began to talk.
Jodi kept wrapping her arms around me and reaching for me, which was nice too. Being open and honest about our relationship in front of everyone was a huge load off my mind, but it was also endearing. Her constant desire to touch me, to hold me in some way, matched my own, and now that we were able to give in to that impulse, it was indulgent.
We had sat down at one of the tables as the restaurant opened for lunch. Ally was back in the kitchen, taking care of the opening stuff, and had motioned for me to stay on the floor and enjoy the moment with Jodi. Usually, I would have fought her on that, but this time I let it go. I wanted to be there for Jodi, and that meant being a part of the conversation with Jack.
Charlotte came up to ask if we needed anything, and I ordered a basket of fries and a bottle of wine. I saw her wince and looked around in confusion. Then it hit me. I turned to Jodi and smiled. She shrugged.
“Also, a glass of orange juice, please,” I said.
“Or just water. Water is good,” she said, laughing.
“Water,” I said, looking back to Charlotte, who was already laughing and walking away.
“So,” Jack said, “I just want to say again, as I am sure I will say a million more times, how sorry I am about everything.”
“What happened with that?” I asked. “I’m still a little confused.”
“I swear, I am not here to look for you, nor will I tell Mom and Dad you are here,” Jack said, his hands going up in defense. “I was here to do business with the vineyard as part of my normal duties for our own family business.”
“Why here?” Jodi asked. “Why now?”
I could see she was also still holding a little bit of skepticism. It was awfully convenient for her brother to just show up, but at the same time our vineyard was constantly seeking out new opportunities and business partners as an aggressive campaign to reestablish it after years of disrepair. It wasn’t far-fetched that our companies would find each other, just convenient timing.
“Honestly, I have had King Vineyards on the list of places I needed to make a visit to for six months,” Jack said. “You guys have been making a little bit of noise. I wanted to get out here before you jacked up your prices and priced us out of the market.”
“That sounds reasonable enough,” I said. “But why did you come down here? You could have easily done most of the business remotely, and I know Cam is willing to travel anywhere else.”
“To be honest? I wanted to get away from Mom and Dad,” Jack said. “They have been absolutely on fire recently, and as soon as I came home from one business trip, I hopped on a plane for another. I don’t like sticking around.”
“He has always been the traveler,” Jodi said. “I liked staying at home, he liked getting as far from it as possible.”
Jack nodded, smiling at his sister. He was clearly glad to be seeing her again.
“It’s true,” he said. “I have always had a bit of wanderlust, you know?”