Chaos Among The Vines, page 22
Ollie hem-hawed and cleared his throat. “I’m going to finish the set up. Dirk’s here as well.”
After he left, Ava resumed proposing her idea. “Will, I think you should sign each bottle. Make them a little more special. No other vineyard owner personalizes their product. It will be like a perk of buying the wine.”
“Oh, my God! Ava, that’s a brilliant idea.” Jules bounced in her seat. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
With a smile, Ava tapped her temple. “That’s me. Always thinking. Although, this time instead of making less work, my idea makes more.”
God, it had to be driving her a little crazy. But looking at Ava’s face, Will didn’t see any signs of distress. In fact, she looked downright gleeful.
He pushed off his chair and grasped her upper arms, pulling her in close. “You okay with all of this? This snafu messes up your schedule.”
“The situation isn’t ideal, but together we’ve created a work-around solution. And that’s what being efficient is all about. So yeah, I’m good.” She hit him with a smile that made him wish he could snap his fingers and make everyone in the room disappear.
He settled for a fast, hard kiss. “I’ll sign every bottle with a flourish.”
She smiled up at him. “I’m going to find Mom before she leaves and tell her to buy some pens that write on glass. We’ll market them as collectors’ items.”
With one last peck on his cheek, she turned to the rest of the room and snapped her fingers. “Breakfast is over. Go get busy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Guin hurried through the door to the bottling room, carrying two bulky bags from a discount store and a third small bag from a craft store. Her movements were jerky as she dropped everything on the floor by the tables set up toward the end of the production line.
“Just in time.” Ava smiled at her mother.
Guin kept her eyes averted as she dug boxes of hair dryers from the bag. Her fingers shook as she placed them on the table. “Got a deal, so I grabbed everything they had. I was lucky to find the craft store open this early.” She upended the smaller bag and three markers tumbled to the surface.
“Mom?” Dread boomed in Ava’s gut when her mother babbled and refused to look her way.
Guin halted abruptly, dropped her chin to her chest, and huffed out a breath. The gaze she lifted to Ava held sorrow. “I . . . we need to talk, Avalon.”
“You’re scaring me a little here, Mom.”
Jules glanced up sharply at Ava’s words, then looked away, as though she didn’t want to intrude. She bent her blond head toward Brynnden’s chestnut curls. Arriving about thirty minutes after Guin left, Brynn had jumped right to work and moved like a whirlwind. The woman reminded Ava a little of herself. Ava liked that Brynn knew the value of a schedule and stuck to it.
As Brynn and Jules got back to work, ripping labels from large rolls and arranging them in stacks on the table, Ava diverted her attention back to her mother.
Guin covered her lips with a trembling hand. “Maybe we could step outside.” Not waiting for an answer, she pivoted and hustled back out the way she’d come.
Ava stared after her for a beat, before she dragged herself toward the door. Whatever this was, Mom’s behavior guaranteed Ava wasn’t going to be happy about it.
“Ava?” Will stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Everything okay?”
Was it? Most likely not. “Won’t know until I find out what has Guin in a panic.”
“You need me to come along?”
“No! I mean, I’m sure it will be okay. Probably something silly like a parking ticket.” She forced her mouth into a smile she wasn’t really feeling. “I’ll keep you posted. You stay here. I’ll be back shortly. Promise.” She stretched up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The warmth of his skin, the rasp of his stubble on her lips, calmed the agitation grumbling in her belly. It hit home that she wasn’t in this alone. Whatever it was, Will could be counted on to help.
Resolutely, Ava squared her shoulders and followed her mother.
Stepping over the threshold, she spied Guin pacing the grassy verge under the white-barked sycamore. Gravel crunched under Ava’s sandals as she strode over.
“What’s up, Mom?”
Guin’s purse was still slung over her shoulders, and she let the strap drop off her arm, then rolled the top and squeezed the supple leather tight. “Avalon, I made a big mistake.” Her fingers tensed and released repeatedly on the purse.
Ava’s own fingers curled in. The tips of her nails cut into her sweaty palms. “Just tell me,” she whispered.
Guin held the purse up so Ava could see it. “I know you told me not to, but I went shopping. I bought this new purse.” Tears shimmered in her eyes.
A truck drove into the lot and parked near them. Guin spun around so her tear-streaked cheeks weren’t visible. Jared and Bettina alighted, glanced curiously their way with an uncertain wave, then sauntered into the bottling building.
Ava stared at the purse. It wasn’t anything special. Just gray pleather, certainly not high-end or designer. “I noticed the other day. You’re earning a salary now. No reason why you shouldn’t have something new. Your old purse was held together with safety pins.”
“But I charged this on one of your cards.” Guin’s lips curled into a frightened grimace. She continued on a whisper. “I’m so sorry.”
Air whooshed from Ava’s lungs as worry shimmied up her spine. “Mom, I told you we couldn’t use cards. That’s how Bad-Ass tracked you last time. And he went back to my condo and ransacked my desk. He’s probably been watching my accounts. Using cards makes it too easy to track us.”
“He found us. I ran into him in Cloverdale.”
Ava’s heart quit working as a monumental weight settled like a boulder on her chest. Her brain reeled worse than a drunken sailor. She stumbled to the tree trunk and braced her arm against it.
Panting out several breaths, she fought to pull enough oxygen in to erase her dizziness. “I paid your debt in full. Why is he back?”
The sound of a powerful engine charged up the lane toward the lot.
“He said he needed to have words with you.”
“You told him where we were?”
A low-slung muscle car turned into the lot next to the tree. Through the dark tinted windshield, Bad-Ass’s bald head gleamed in the morning sunlight.
Panic surged. Ava cast a frantic glance toward the building. She had people in there. Surely the enforcer wouldn’t try anything in front of witnesses. Unfortunately, Bad-Ass’s vehicle blocked her path. Precious seconds ticked by while she considered making a run for Will and the relative safety of the bottling area.
But escaping to the protection Will offered would mean the whole awful story would be out in the open. In front of Will and everyone else.
The heavy black door swept open and Bad-Ass lumbered out, cutting off her choice. His leather suit coat, black silk shirt and crisp black trousers were completely out of place at the vineyard, and vaguely frightening. A bulge under his left arm made Ava fall back a step. Guin cowered behind her as Bad-Ass advanced on them.
The scowl on his face deepened as she clutched Ava’s shoulders.
Ava straightened and braced.
The muscle-bound jerk stopped three paces from her. “What we have here is a little situation. You ladies skipped town and didn’t leave no forwarding address.” Bad-Ass’s voice sounded like it had been poured over shards of glass, gravelly and cutting. He propped his hands on his hips, pulling the flaps of his coat back. “So now, I’ve had to spend three long fuckin’ weeks looking for you. That don’t make me happy.”
Ava’s gaze zeroed in on the lethal looking gun holstered under the protective leather. “I paid you back, with interest. My mother’s debt is history.”
Bad-Ass clicked his tongue against his teeth as he shook his head. “Not exactly.” He scrubbed his hand over his shiny pate.
At least his motion had hidden the gun again. Guin’s fingers dug deeply into Ava’s shoulders. Ava squirmed under the pressure. “No, I paid exactly the amount you said she owed. Every penny. I have receipts from my bank to prove it.”
Dull red washed into Bad-Ass’s cheeks. “See, about that. Math ain’t my strong suit. You actually overpaid.” He gave them a sheepish smile. “My employer is a fair deal kind of guy, and felt bad about taking more than Grandma there owed.”
Mom gasped behind her, going stiff.
“Huh?” Ava’s world reeled again. An honest crook?
“Yeah. He wanted me to square it wit’ ya. Especially seein’ as he liked your mom. Said he enjoyed the year she worked for him more than he could say.” He glared at Guin over Ava’s shoulder. “Except when he found out she’d been robbing him.”
“Robbing him?” Will’s voice startled her.
As focused as she’d been on Bad-Ass and the gun tucked under his arm, Ava hadn’t heard Will’s approach. She swallowed a groan and reached behind to clutch her mother’s waist.
“What’s going on? Ava?” Will frowned as he skipped his gaze over her, and then to Bad-Ass.
“And you are?” Bad-Ass shifted his weight between his tree-trunk sized legs, as if bracing to for a hit.
“Will Bradford. I own this vineyard.” He stretched his hand toward Bad-Ass.
Jared, Alex, and Drake crowded in the oversized bay door behind Will. All three had their arms crossed over their chests.
Ava sidled around Bad-Ass and laid her hand on Will’s bicep. “It’s okay, Will. Mr . . .” She paused and looked at the thug.
“Marion Peabody,” he supplied, scowling.
“He’s, uh, this is an associate of Mom’s former boss.”
“Yeah, the guy Grandma here stole money from.” Bad-Ass snorted in derision.
Guin cupped her hands over her mouth and nose with a moan.
Will shot Guin a sharp gaze, lips seamed tightly together, before arching a brow toward Ava. “Looks like you need to fill in a couple of blanks for me.”
“I’ll explain it all to you. Just as soon as I’m done talking to this gentleman.” She waved her hand in Bad-Ass’s direction. “Please, Will. I’m asking you to trust me.”
His lips tightened again as he searched her face. Whatever he saw there must have made an impact. He gave a curt nod, then turned, leaning his shoulder to hers. He might give her time, but he wasn’t giving her space. Not while facing down this scary behemoth.
Relieved, Ava swung her attention back to Peabody, who was reaching into his jacket.
“No!” Ava ducked her head.
Guin gave a little shriek behind them.
At the sight of the butt of the holstered gun, Will went crazy-tense next to her. “You have a gun? What the fuck?”
Bad-Ass’s frown turned into a smirk as he withdrew his hand. “I just wanted to return this to the ladies.” He shoved the bulky envelope into her hand.
Ava curled her fingers around it, surprised by the weight on her palm. Opening the flap revealed the insignia for one-hundred-dollar bills. She dragged her thumb over the stack, flipping a lot of paper corners. “I don’t understand.”
“My mistake was twenty grand. My employer figured he owed you some interest on that error. There’s twenty-five large there.” Peabody settled into a more comfortable stance, gripping the edges of his jacket, hiding his firearm. He shot a meaningful look at Guin. “We’re copacetic now. Best you don’t go stealing from your next employer.”
A low rumble rose from Will’s throat. He pivoted to look at Guin, hurt and distrust in his eyes. It was still there when he turned back to Ava.
Oh, God. She had to make this right.
Bad-Ass—uh, Peabody—touched two fingers to his forehead and whistled as he walked away from them. The growl of his engine filled the tense silence between Ava and Will. Gravel spurted from under the wheels as Peabody steered it out of the lot.
Ava let her hands fall to her sides and her chin drop to her chest.
Guin sobbed softly behind her. Ava couldn’t decide if the noise her mother made stemmed from relief the episode was over, or what was sure to come from Will.
Desolation crested and crashed over her as Will stepped away. Ava resisted the urge to cry right along with Mom. She was as much to blame as Guin for letting things get so out of hand.
“Everything’s good. Get back to work,” Will shouted, waving his hands at the group of men in the doorway.
“Will, let me—”
Will cut Ava’s explanation off with a hard slash of his hand. “I think I need to hear this from Guin.” He cocked his head in Mom’s direction.
Guin sniffed, then smoothed her floral top over her hips and tossed her head. “This isn’t Ava’s fault. She was just trying to help me. Like she always has. This time, it’s all on me.”
Will spared a fast glance at Ava, his lips trembling. She couldn’t tell if he fought off a snarl or a smile. “I’ll be the judge of that. Why don’t you start at the beginning?” He leaned against the tree and crossed one ankle over the other, obviously prepared to listen.
Like verbal vomit, Guin spewed all the wretched details. Starting with showing up unannounced and unwelcomed at Ava’s house, Bad-Ass’s early morning visit, and the shitload of trouble she was in financially. Will’s eyes warmed as he looked Ava’s way when Guin shared everything Ava had sacrificed to get her off the hot seat.
“Then when we got here, and Meg had been arrested . . . well, I have experience in running an office. You needed help,” Guin finished.
Will made a noise in his throat. “Even though you were hiding out from a previous employer when you knew my last employee had stolen from me?”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been honest. I haven’t taken a dime from you.” Mom crashed down on a bench to the left of the tree and knuckled at her eyes. Her shoulders heaved.
Will straightened away from the trunk and took a halting step toward her. “Guin . . .”
As he fell silent, humiliation staggered Ava, that Will knew all the sordid details of her life. Now he thought Ava had allowed Guin to work for him under unsavory circumstances. She finally broke her silence. “Will, I know you must think the worst of me and Mom right now. But please know that I checked your books every night while Mom has been working for you.”
Her voice quaked and she paused to clear the annoying clog in her throat. “She’s telling the truth. I’d have caught any discrepancies if she’d been stealing. You can confirm with Drake if you want. Your money is all intact.”
His dark brown eyes went soft. “I trust you, Ava.” His voice was barely a whisper.
“You do?” Something she didn’t recognize swelled in her chest. Relief for sure, but something more. Something chaotic and messy. Something undeniable.
Expelling a quiet sigh, she owned her truth. She’d fallen in love with her disorganized, devil-may-care client.
“Yeah,” he said as he took another step in her direction.
“Will, I’m so sorry,” Guin inserted. “I’ll leave if you want me to. I can rent a room in town while Ava finishes her assignment here. Please don’t take it out on her.” Guin’s voice lacked its usual happy tone.
Pausing in his advance toward Ava, he pivoted to face Guin. “If you leave me shorthanded, I’ll be mad.” He scrubbed his hand over his neck and looked toward the building, a faraway glint in his eyes. “Do I wish you’d have told me your story when you first arrived? Hell yeah. But everyone deserves a second chance. That includes you, Guin. You are light years ahead of Meg in terms of your work ethic. You made a mistake once. I have to trust you won’t do it again.”
Gulping back her shock, the teaming emotions swamping her, Ava stepped toward him and pressed against his side. “Oh, Will.”
He bent his head toward her, but stopped short of slanting his mouth over her lips. “And I’ll have you around to keep your mother on the straight and narrow.”
Confusion made her frown. “Excuse me?”
Will held her gaze, heat sizzling in the air between them. “Um, Guin, can you give us a minute? I’m sure they’ve started the assembly line already. You should go help. I mean, what am I paying you for?” His low chuckle tickled against Ava’s heart.
“Right. I’ll just . . .” Her mother beamed a wide grin at them and turned.
“Mom?” Ava stopped her. If Will could trust, she might as well take the leap. She extended the envelope Bad-Ass had delivered. “Would you lock this in the safe, please.”
Guin took the money, then wrapped her arms around Ava, her mouth right next to Ava’s ear. “I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve you.” After an awkward pat on the back, Mom bustled away.
Will gripped her hands and pulled her across the grass. “Now, as I was saying . . .” They reached the tree and he touched his mouth softly to hers.
He let the kiss linger, and it tasted of forgiveness and passion. Longing. Wrapping his arms around her, he tugged until her body was pressed to his. With a racing heart and blood singing through her veins, Ava returned the kiss. Her pulse pounded, knowing they were having a moment that would change their existence.
When Will raised his lips from hers, he rested a cheek on her hair, his hands making a slow, soothing circuit from her shoulder blades to the curve at her waist and back. “Remind me to have Guin remove any reference to nepotism from the employee handbook.” His chest rumbled under her cheek.
She let her gaze search his face. “What are you saying?”
“I think you know.” He grinned at her. “Now that I’ve gotten used to your bossy ways, and you’ve proven you’re willing to let your chaos out once in a while, I find I want it around always.”
“Will—”
He pressed his fingertips to her lips. “Don’t give me an answer now. Take your time to think about it. Let Avalon evaluate the pros and cons of you moving here, working from here. You’ve shown me the value of being organized, but what if I forget your lessons? I’ll always have you near to make me toe the line.”
“Will, we’ve only known each other a few weeks.”
He shook his head. “We started this process months ago. But it didn’t take me that long to realize I need you in my life.”
