Chapter 7
It was our second full day, and therefore our last day, on the road. We’d stayed in another small hotel in Washington, near the southern border. I’d managed to stay on my side of the bed. I had also managed to completely keep my tears away. I was absurdly proud of myself over that accomplishment. Max, the conversation, the traveling, the scenery…They were the best kind of distraction.
I was so grateful to him for all of it.
Undoubtedly, if I’d stayed behind I’d either be in my bedroom wallowing in my sorrow or I’d be listening to my parents tell me how disappointed they were in me. Looking back, I should’ve cancelled the wedding immediately. I knew that now. There was nothing I could do with that revelation except move on.
Now, we’d already crossed over into Oregon. Max had decided to make a few stops along the way, to break up the monotony. He’d decided we were making good time and we didn’t need to be in such a rush. We’d actually stopped and eaten somewhere decent for lunch instead of eating in the car. Better yet, Max had stopped at the most incredibly beautiful waterfall.
He was shocked that I’d never seen a waterfall, an ocean sunset or the Pacific in general. I’d also never, in my life, spent so many days in a car.
It had felt good to get out and stretch our legs. But after we’d seen all there was to see at Multnomah Falls, we were back on the road again. This time, Max ushered me back to the car with a bit of urgency. I decided he’d taken the time out to see the waterfall on my account and perhaps I’d put us behind schedule.
Once in the car again, I listened intently as Max told me about the winery. He’d told me a little bit about it over the past half year. We’d probably had this exact same conversation the other night, when I’d been such a mess standing in my backyard. I was too embarrassed to admit I hadn’t been paying attention and he was too nice to point it out. Instead, this time I listened raptly, taking in everything he had to say.
I already knew that the business had belonged to his grandmother, Villette’s, parents. They purchased it the same year she was born; hence the name, Villette Vineyards. When his grandpa, Charles Campbell, married Villette they eventually took the business over from her parents.
“I just have so much to learn,” he admitted. “It’s all so overwhelming. I mean, there’s the vineyard and I know nothing about growing grapes. I’ve got a vague understanding of the fermentation process but it’s different depending on the type of wine. I know nothing about the business end. Or business in general. So,” he said cheerily, “I guess it’s good that I have the next several to figure it out. I’m going to be the third generation and I don’t want to be the one that messes everything up.”
“You won’t, Max. You’ll be great at this. I know it,” I said. I believed it, too.
Whatever he lacked in current knowledge, I knew he’d make up for with his enthusiasm.
I cocked my head to the side. He was driving with one arm resting against the window, his sunglasses on. He looked so at ease. Something about him looked just a little bit different.
“You look really happy,” I finally said.
He gave me a sideways glance and the permanent small smile that had been present all day turned into a full grin. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said with a little nod.
“I guess I’m just in a really good place right now,” he admitted. Then he gave me a sheepish look. The smile fell from his face. “Sorry. That’s kind of a thoughtless thing to say. I mean, under the circumstances.”
I cut him off before he could say anymore. “No. It’s not. I’m really happy for you. I think this move is going to be good for you. Just talking about the family business, it makes you look really happy.”
“It’s funny,” Max said, “but growing up, I never thought twice about it. Hell, until last winter I never thought twice about it. But when I was there visiting, Grandpa took me out to the vineyard and he got to talking and I got to thinking and,” he glanced at me, “I thought maybe it would be a good idea.” I knew Max had been struggling, trying to decide what to major in. He’d taken a full load of general classes while he tried to decide. “I started to feel attached the place,” he explained. “Since it is the family business and my grandparents want to keep it in the family…” He shrugged. “Lucky for me, at this point, my dad couldn’t care less and none of my aunts are interested, so it works out well for all of us.”
“Tell me about the winery,” I requested.
Max gave me a sheepish look. “Well, I don’t know nearly as much as I should.” He repeated what I already knew. He was planning to learn the ropes, so to speak, over the summer. He’d come to an agreement with his grandparents. He would start out working in the gift shop and move on from there. Someday, after he’d finished his degree, he would take over the winery and its vineyard. But first things first and his grandpa wanted him to learn the business from the bottom up. So this summer he was starting an unofficial internship of sorts.
This fall, he’d be attending their local university and hopefully, if all went as planned, he’d be ready to take over once he graduated.
“Right now, both of them are supposed to be retired. They probably should’ve sold everything years ago but they just can’t seem to let go of the place. They have someone managing it now. But as far as I know, they’re both there every single day so they’re not really retired at all,” he said with a smile.
“Are you sure they’re going to be okay with this?” I asked. “I mean with me?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Do they know I’m coming? I mean, it is their house we’re staying at, right?”
“I called them the other night after I carried your luggage out. I talked to my grandma. She was fine with it. I think they’re just happy to have someone there. They bought the place thinking more family would visit. My dad has three sisters but they’re all so busy and scattered all over the country. My grandparents thought if they had a nice place to stay it would help, you know? But no one ever comes. The last few years they’ve been thinking about selling it. But now, they’ve decided to keep it. Letting me live there was part of the deal. So the place is mine. For now. And yours too,” he said with a grin.
I was almost giddy with excitement. Max insisted that the beach house wasn’t anything fancy. But it was a beach house! Right on the ocean, so fancy or not, I was anxious to get there.
Apparently, so was Max. Instead of stopping for dinner, he asked if I’d mind driving straight through. It was late afternoon and we were close. So close that I was okay with just continuing on. We made one last pit stop for gas. I got out and stretched my legs before going inside to get a banana and a bottle of strawberry milk.
When I came out, Max was leaning against his car, checking something on his phone. His brow was furrowed and he looked contemplative.
“What are you looking at?” I asked.
He gave me a mischievous smile and a noncommittal shrug. “Just checking to see how many hours of driving we have left.”
“And?”
“We made so many stops today we still have a little over two hours to go, so we really need to get moving,” he said as he opened up my door, hurrying me along.
***
I gasped, pleasantly surprised as Max pulled up to the beach house. It was pale blue with white trim. The house itself was smallish and set against a hill. A white fence barricaded the view of the neighbors on the left but stopped a bit before the beach began. Max had parked on the backside and turned to me with a huge grin.
“Come on!” he said.
He leapt from the car and I followed. I was immediately wrapped in warm, salty, oceanic air. I could hear the waves dancing against the shore. Max was already at the front of the car holding his hand out to me.
I was excited, too. But his enthusiasm amused me. He looked like he was almost bouncing in place with impatience.
“I’m coming!” I said with a laugh. His hand swallowed mine up as he tugged me along. A well-worn path looped around the side of the house. We rounded the corner and the ocean came into view.
“Oh, wow! It’s gorgeous! And look at the sun!” My hand flew to my mouth.
The sight before me was easily one of the most beautiful I’d ever seen. The sky was a palette of pastels. Gauzy wisps of silvery clouds were stretched out across the horizon. The blazing tangerine ball looked as though it were falling off the edge of the earth. The sun’s beauty bled out into the endless, shimmering water, like paint spilling across a canvas of rolling blue.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” he asked.
He tossed an arm over my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his waist as I leaned into him. I was speechless, unaware of how much time passed while we waited for the sun to fall. Once the rim of the sun hit the edge of the ocean, it seemed to drop quickly. It was amazing.
After it had completed its descent, I turned to Max. “Is this why you broke the speed limit the last half hour?”
He nodded. “Yeah. While I was waiting for you, I was checking the official time of the sunset. I knew we’d be cutting it close. While we were at the waterfall you told me you’d never seen a sunset on the ocean before. I wanted that to be your first memory of your time here.”
“Awww,” I said as I pulled him into a hug. That’s why he’d been in such a sudden rush. “Thank you!”
I was sure I would never forget it. I’d vacationed on the ocean before both at Daytona Beach and Cozumel. I’d been too lazy to get out of bed to see the sunrise. If it was comparable to watching it set, it would’ve been worth it.
My arms fell away from Max and he started leading me back to the house. We walked up a short flight of stairs to a deck that overlooked the ocean. He picked through his keys, found the right one and opened one side of the double French doors.
It was dimly lit and he quickly flipped the switch and lights blazed down.
“It smells so clean,” I said with a laugh. The tangy scent of cleaner tingled my nose.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “My grandma sends over her housekeeper when she knows someone is coming. They clean and do some shopping. The fridge and cupboards should be fully stocked. We’ll be set for a little while.”
He led me through the house. It was cute but definitely dated. The walls were painted coral. There was cream tile throughout. The living room set was floral, incorporating the color scheme. It had a tropical feel even though we weren’t in the tropics.
“There’s two bedrooms,” Max said as he led me down a short hallway. A door opened off to each side. “They’re pretty much the same.”
I peeked around him. These walls were also coral. The rooms had matching comforters with zigzagging patterns in a multitude of tropical colors. Mostly coral, peach and varying shades of blue. The décor wasn’t exactly something I’d choose. It did give the place a vacation house feel—and I was essentially on vacation—so I liked it, regardless.
“I usually take this room,” Max said as he pointed to the room on the left. “The bathroom is through that door. The other one is just a closet. Extra towels, cleaning supplies, that kind of thing are stored there.”
I nodded as I looked around, taking it all in.
“Would you maybe wanna check to see what there is to eat? I’d settle for a frozen pizza. Actually, whatever you find is fine. I’m starving and I’d eat just about anything right now. I’ll carry in the bags,” he suggested.
I agreed because I was hungry, too.
He headed outside and I went to the kitchen. I’d kicked my flip-flops off and my bare feet padded across the cool, tile floor. The color scheme was slightly different in the kitchen. The walls were bright yellow. The appliances were all a crisp, clean white. The countertop was turquoise. As Max thought, there was plenty of food.
I quickly found a stack of frozen pizzas, buried under a plethora of other boxed items. Whoever had done the shopping had gone all out. Max was right. We were stocked with enough food to last a few weeks, if not longer. I turned on the oven and searched for a pan as it warmed. Once I popped it in, I looked around, getting a feel for the place. I pulled dinnerware out of the cupboards and set two places at the breakfast bar. I pulled a bottle of lemonade and a bowl of cut up melon out of the fridge and set them out as well.
There was a small dining area right off the kitchen. That led to the French doors that led outside. A wicker patio set was nestled onto the deck along with a porch swing at the opposite end. I was already looking forward to crisp mornings with my cappuccino and an astounding view.
Now that I had just a minute to myself for the first time in days, I leaned back against the counter and took a deep breath. So many emotions flooded over me. Heartbreak over Collin. Fear that I hadn’t done the right thing. Trepidation over what my future—which had been mapped out—held for me now.
What was I going to do now?
Just days ago, my future was laid out neatly before me. I was going to marry Collin and finish my degree in journalism. Collin was going to buy out my dad’s architectural firm. A year after that, we were going to build a house. We were going to have two kids. As far as my parents were concerned, they wanted grandbabies sooner rather than later. They were constantly reminding me that they weren’t getting any younger. We were probably going to get a dog. I had planned to work for the local paper. Collin was supposed to be my forever. I took a deep, shaky breath. I didn’t just walk away from Collin. I walked away from almost every important plan I’d ever made.
That’s why it had been such a hard decision to make.
I expected a tsunami of regret to slam into me. I stood there, waiting. It never came.
Instead, I felt surprise that I had actually left. I felt so much gratitude to Max for letting me come with him. But more than anything, I just felt a sense of relief at having the chance to get away.
On top of that, I was exhausted. I never would’ve guessed that sitting on your butt in a car for days on end would be so tiring. But it was. Even though it wasn’t all that late, I hadn’t adjusted to the time change yet.
I was feeling wiped out. Relieved…but wiped out.
I realized I also still had my degree to look forward to. So at least he hadn’t taken everything from me.
“Are you okay?” Max asked as he appeared in the doorway.
I nodded and he took a step closer.
He gently grabbed my hand in his. “Are you sure? Because you usually only do this when you’re upset.” He carefully pulled my right hand free from my left, where I’d been rubbing my wrist.
I shrugged, embarrassed that he’d noticed. “It’s just a habit. My wrist feels so bare without my bracelet.”
His lips twitched, as if he was trying not to smile. “I saw you toss it back to him.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. He dropped my hand and when he did, I think I surprised us both by tossing myself into his arms. I hugged him tightly and he hugged me back. I didn’t have the words I needed to tell him what I was feeling. I simply said, “Thank you.”
He didn’t let go of me right away, probably realizing that I needed him to hold on for just a few seconds longer. He kissed the top of my head, something he’d never done before. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and sincere. “It’s okay Holly. I’d do anything for you.”
His arms eventually slid away and he took a step toward the door again. “I set your bags in your room. But I’ve still got a few more loads.”
I knew that was true. His car had been crammed. He wasn’t on vacation. He was moving in and he had the boxes to prove it. I was sure there were several more loads. Not only had the trunk been full but the backseat as well. I realized that I was lucky he’d had room for me.
“The pizza won’t be done for a bit. I’ll help you carry things in,” I said. After so much time in the car, it felt unbelievably good to be moving around.
“Alright,” he said agreeably.
I scurried after him, back outside. The air had already cooled considerably and darkness was taking over. I stood for just a moment on the deck, looking across the beach out into the water. Everything about this place seemed so calm and relaxing. The scent in the air, the sound of the waves, the gentle breeze that fluttered my hair.
Max stopped to look back at me. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said as I took a deep breath. “I really am.”