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“Why so soon?” I asked while making my coffee.
He made a cup to go and ruffled his hair. “Before I came here, I’d erm… slacked off on some work. So, I’ve got to go back to the lab and get on it before my professors catch on, and those Petri dishes don’t have the cultures they’re supposed to have.”
“Okay,” I held back a sigh. “Call me when you get there.”
He gave me a one-armed hug and grinned, holding the travel cup high as a salute as he headed out the door. When I heard his truck rumble away, I slumped over the counter and rubbed my face. I was all over the place.
I needed to talk to Ethan, but I was too scared to.
I was freaking out about the Texas contract but was hesitant to contact them.
My deal with Dad was hanging on the line. If I didn’t get this deal, my dream to take over before Dad died was, well…dead.
When have you turned into a coward, Mia?
Heading up to my room, I took a shower, dressed, and headed out to the town, hoping I could find Ethan and I would most likely find him at his Meadery. I stopped at Hot Joe to get a breakfast muffin.
“Do you have any vegan options?” I asked.
“Yep,” Harvey replied. “We’ve been making a few stuff, mainly because Ethan Vega can’t cook for shit, and he comes here on a daily.”
I bust out laughing. “I thought you were his friend.”
“I am,” Harvey shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can’t be honest. Do you want a few?”
“Please,” I replied.
Standing aside, I watched as Harvey filled a box with apple, almond crunch, cinnamon rolls muffins, and banana muffins with apple chunks, and I paid for the box. I took my stuff and headed to the Meadery and found it on a high crank. I suppose it was normal because, after harvest, it was customary to start restocking again.
I met Benji downstairs with a clipboard in hand. He looked up, his expression guarded. “Miss Sullivan, the cape I ordered for you just came in. Please let me get it for you.”
“Cape?” I asked, confused.
“You ran past me so fast last time I thought you were Superwoman in disguise,” he drawled.
“Hence the cape.”
My face flamed, “Er, sorry about that. Is Eth—Mister Vega here?”
“He’s in his office, but please let me call up first,” he said, tapping the headphones on his ear and holding a quick conversation with Ethan.
I pretended to look around to give him some privacy and grew to admire Ethan’s setup. The place looked incredible, modern, a little more streamlined and chrome-y than I like, but it was very nice. I wondered if he held functions here like my winery did.
“He said you can go up,” Benji said, startling me a little. “And thank you for stopping to ask this time.”
I deserved that, so I took my lumps with a smile.
Heading up to the office, I spotted Ethan at the desk, dressed in blue jeans and a pale blue button-down and a crosshatched vest over it. He looked up, and his eyes zeroed on the white box in my hand. “Are those Hot Joe’s?”
“Yep,” I sat the box down.
He snorted. “You don’t need a peace offering every time you come and see me, Mia.”
“I know, but—” I shrugged. “— it seems like a simple thing to do. You’d bought dinner for me the other night, and I went on to waste it.”
Ethan shifted a paper over and shrugged. “It's not that much of a deal.”
I bit my lip. It was clear that we were both dancing around the pink elephant, dancing in tutus around the room. “I’m not used to it,” I admitted.
