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“It will soon be time to prune the vines.”
“I can oversee it,” he insisted.
“You shouldn’t have to. That’s Beau’s job, as is prepping for bottling.”
“I can handle that as well.”
“What about wine club shipments and calculating restaurant allocation in the coming year?”
My father raised a brow, which irritated me as much as my brother’s swift departure had. Just because I focused more on the financial management of our business, it didn’t mean I was unaware of the day-to-day operations.
“I’ll hire as much help as I need.”
“I’m not leaving, Dad. Nothing you say will change my mind.”
He nodded, apparently resigned to my decision. “What about Luisa?”
“It was probably an error in judgment, bringing her here in the first place. My apologies for not consulting with you about it prior to doing so.”
“We would’ve welcomed her gladly, you know that.”
We.My father wasn’t part of a “we” anymore. I wondered if his status as a widower had sunk in yet. Likely not. Grief came in stages, and it was early in the mourning process for all three of us.
“She’s safer where she is.”
“I take it you have no recollection of our conversation.”
“No, I do, and I appreciate your meddling very much.”
My father laughed.
“Truly, though, what’s between Luisa and me is complicated. Or rather, completely uncomplicated, given it’s nothing.”
“You may be able to lie to yourself about it, but you’ve never been successful doing so with your mother and me.”
I stopped myself from wincing at his mention of the two of them collectively. However, he didn’t seem at all fazed by it. Perhaps I was overthinking. They’d had been a team since long before I came along. It wouldn’t be easy or swift for my dad to think of them any other way.
“I haven’t heard from her since the day she left. Or that night, rather. Either way, it’s time she stood on her own two feet without my interference.”
“Would she agree?” he asked.
“Her lack of communication is indicative of it.”
“Or she doesn’t want to intrude.”
“It hasn’t stopped her in the past.” I smiled at the recollection. Her behavior at the wedding alone, prior to finding out she remained in danger, suggested she was growing more comfortable speaking her mind. Not that it was the same as being intrusive. “Perhaps I’ll ring her later.”
My dad stood and walked out of the room, heading in the direction of his study. “No time like the present,” he shouted behind him.
“I suppose he’s right,” I muttered to myself, realizing I’d left my mobile upstairs, something that was completely unlike me to do.
When I retrieved it from the table where I’d been sitting earlier, I saw a text notification.I’m thinking about you. Hope you’re doing okay,the message from Luisa read. I was stunned to see it was sent two hours ago.
Rather than send a text response, I rang her, disappointed when the call went to voicemail. “Thanks for your message. We’re hanging in,” I said, ending the call before I could tell her I missed her with every fiber of my being. I even thought about calling back just to hear her voice again.
I opened the laptop I’d also left on the table and sifted through my overflowing email inbox, glancing every so often to see if Luisa had sent another message as well as checking—more than once—to make sure I’d turned the volume up high enough that if she rang, I’d hear it.
While in the midst of reading the email Ares had sent two days ago about arranging for a call between Luisa and the two profilers he was working with, my mobile rang. I grabbed it, elated to see it was the woman herself calling.
