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Shaking her head quickly, Paige held up her hands. “No, no. You don’t need to give the judges any information, the objective is to let them tell us what they smell and taste.”
Daniel’s brows pleated in thought. “So the opposite of doing a tasting.”
“Right.” Paige nodded. “Most of the help originally scheduled for today are fairly new and were going to need a little extra support, so there will be cue cards at your fingertips with basic information on the wine. In case the judges have any questions.”
“I love cheat sheets.” Daniel smiled, his hand returning gently to the small of her back.
The warmth of his touch set her slightly off balance for only a moment before she reminded herself what was at stake here. “Are you all set?”
All three heads bobbed, her nerves instantly calmed, and excitement began to hum again. This competition could put Baron Winery in the league with some of the better known Napa and Sonoma vintners. Her winery had done better than anyone had expected so far, but she wanted to grow the business and its reputation the same way she’d grown the vines.
Looking at the bar in front of them, the smile on Daniel’s face slipped. “Uh, exactly where at my fingertips are these cheat sheets?”
Her gaze darted left than right. She sprinted to the next set up of glasses and muttered under her breath before spinning around to face him. “I’ll be right back.” She sprinted toward her office.
“How soon before the judges arrive?” Daniel followed on her heels.
“In a few minutes.” Lifting papers, notebooks, and any other thing the index cards might be hiding under, she didn’t bother looking at Daniel.
Completely unaware of how out of kilter she felt every time he stood close enough for her to smell his cologne, he came and stood behind her. One hand gently resting on her shoulder, the other reached around her and stretched for something poking out from under a marble cheese board she’d been using as a paperweight ever since Siobhan had done an ambiance photo shoot for them a few months ago. “Could these be what you’re looking for?”
His breath warmed her neck and tickled her senses. The man really did know how to distract her. Nodding, very slowly, she actually hummed before finding her words. “Yes. Thank you.”
Much to her regret, his hands fell to his sides and he took a step in retreat, followed by another. “I presume these names match the labels on the bottles?”
Almost wishing he hadn’t stepped away, knowing she didn’t have time for wishes, she nodded and sucked in a brain clearing breath. “Yes, it has to be simple and obvious for the employees. Are you ready?”
He lifted his gaze from the cards and took a step toward the doorway. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
All of her life, she’d known that the Baron family had her back. Though there might be a lecture or grimace attached, she could count on every one of her siblings or cousins and especially grandparents to support her. Until this very moment, it had never occurred to her that there might be a person in the world not related by blood who would have her back. She liked it. A lot. Now the question at hand, the one that threatened to drive her once again to distraction, was did he mean tonight, or from now on?
Chapter Twelve
The way Paige was pining, replaying her and Daniel’s time together, and missing him more than she’d expected, anyone would think he’d been gone for months, not days. As much as she loved her large, loud, and occasionally overbearing family, after eating more than she should have, a walk seemed like a great way to clear her head. She’d spent hours at the main house with everyone and yet had no idea what everyone spoke about. Her mind had been firmly preoccupied with one former hockey player.
All this missing a man was a new experience for her, and she simply couldn’t decide what to make of it, or what to do about it. A part of her wanted to think that maybe he was missing her too, but another side of her knew that was unrealistic. Daniel was up to his eyeballs in final evaluations. Why would he have time to even think of her, never mind miss her? Still, every text and call ran through her mind on a never ending loop. No matter how she sliced it, none of it was the same as having him here, feeling the warmth of his hand in hers, or the gentleness of his touch when he’d steal a kiss. What was it they always said: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Maybe that was all it was. Or not. And here she was once again in the same back and forth conversation with herself, which was why she’d decided to step outside for some fresh air and hopefully a little perspective. She’d opted to bring her grandmother’s puppies. Though they’d grown so much the last few months, they were nothing like the little fuzz balls that her brother Kyle had adopted in an effort to make a good impression on a girl, but Honey and Moon were still young enough to have more energy than the Tasmanian Devil. At least now they followed some rules. Barely. “Y’all know you’re better company than people sometimes, don’t you?”
As if fully understanding and agreeing, the two dogs came to a stop at her side, plopped their rear on the ground, and sent their tails swishing.
“I know what you want.” Lowering herself onto one knee. She pulled out two training treats from her pocket that her grandmother had given her. One for each dog. Gingerly, each one scooped up their treat from her hand. In return for the pups improved manners, she scratched each one’s chins. “Y’all are such good listeners. The best part is, unlike my two-legged family, you don’t ask any questions.”
After giving the pups one last scratch, she straightened to her full height. Taking a second, she glanced down at her phone. No new texts. In only a few days she’d come to cherish their long calls and brief texts, but they were no substitute for the man himself. Indifferent to her dilemma, the dogs kept running ahead and then coming back as if to hurry her along. She rounded some fences, keeping the house in sight until she reached the barn. A light inside surprised her. She hadn’t expected to find anyone working at this hour.
Studying the open door, she crouched down to love on the dogs once again while her gaze narrowed and focused on the distance. Convinced it was time to play, the pups bounced around her, pausing to come in and lick her face. Laughing and shaking her head, she firmly told the two to sit. Then, when they did as told, she rewarded them with another treat. “You may not know it right now, but y’all have an easy life.”
Honey barked and she’d have sworn the other dog nodded at her.
“What are you doing here?” Mitch, the oldest of Bradley Baron’s children, came walking over to where she was still squatting with the dogs.
One eye closed, she squinted up at her brother, wondering when had he slipped away from the table unnoticed. “I could ask the same of you.” She pushed to her feet, dusting off her slacks.
Mitch shook his head. “Nope. I asked you first.”
“Just needed some fresh air.” Of all her family, Mitch was the one most likely to relate to missing someone, but she wasn’t ready to share. At least not till she made a little more sense of her own feelings. Right now she felt a bit like a military wife, missing her husband and yet going on with her day pretending all was well. Her own words struck her with the force of a two by four.Wife? Was that what she wanted? Where she and Daniel were heading?
“Why do you look like you just stepped on a tack?” Her eldest brother tipped his head to one side, studying her. He’d always had such a quiet, pensive way about him. At least since his wife died all those years ago.
