AllFreeNovel
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“Twenty thousand dollars!” Sitting in the privacy of the truck an hour later, I turned to Luke. “Well done!”
“I know nothing about coins…” He studied the cashier’s check before meeting my gaze. “But I know horse trading. Next stop, the bank…but we split this fifty-fifty.”
“Nope.” Lips pursed, I shook my head. “A deal’s a deal, but I will hold you to the winery investment.” Despite the mental image of my totaled car, I forced a smile.
“Don’t pretend you can’t use the money.” He spoke softly. “I’ve been thinking. I need help pruning the vineyards, but I can’t afford to hire anyone—”
“Now you can.”
“No.” He shook his head. “This windfall almost covers the patio bar’s expenses—if I do the work myself—but that brings us back to the winter pruning. I need help, but I can’t afford to pay wages, so maybe you—”
“I’m just passing through.” Closed to any ideas, I crossed and waved my hands.
“Let me finish…You could work for room and board.”
“What?” Squinting, I tilted my head. What’s he proposing?
“You could stay in the cabin. No one’s using it, and we could share meals.” His brow creased.
“Your idea makes sense…dollars and cents, but…” I wrinkled my nose, skeptical of his neatly wrapped package. Just sounds a little too cozy.
“Think about it. With no expenses, you’d save what you’d otherwise spend on hotels and restaurants, and in a few months, you’d have the down payment for a car…plus you’ll have a ten-thousand-dollar interest in the winery.” His eyes shining, he took a deep breath. “What do you say?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so…”
“Why not?” He sat back as if I’d slapped him.
“For one thing, we’d be in each other’s hair day after day.” Night after night. A vague uneasiness settled over me. “It wouldn’t work.”
“Why not?”
Half laughing, half sighing, I shook my head. “It just wouldn’t.”
“Give me one reason.”
“What would your neighbors say?”
“You mean Bea.” He took a sharp breath. “We had a little chat.”
“What about your aunt? What’ll she think?”
“It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You and I know this is a practical solution to both our problems.” He shot me a bright smile. “Come on. What do you say?”
It’s appealing, but… “We run the risk of too much ‘togetherness.’ ” I grimaced as I met his gaze. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”
“Oh.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Look, this’d be a business relationship—”
“Relationship?” Skepticism rising, I arched my brow.
“Partnership…strictly a business arrangement.”
I studied him for clues. His idea sounds reasonable, but can I trust him? Or for that matter, trust me?
“Scout’s honor.” He held up three fingers as his face warmed into a boyish grin. “Deal?”
Still undecided, I hesitated, but when no better alternative came to mind, I offered my hand. “Deal.”
He grasped it with both hands. “After we cash this check, how ’bout an early dinner?”
