The Apple Orchard

Twenty-Eight



Dominic used to look forward to his days off because it gave him time for what he really loved doing—making wine. Now he looked forward to it for a totally different reason—Tess. Still, there were chores to do. The kids were still asleep as he and the dogs headed out into the chill early morning. The Dude stayed on the porch, as usual, unwilling to leave while the children slept. Iggy raced through the heavy mist, weaving in and out of the rows in pursuit of some imaginary prey.

Winter in the vineyards was a secret and quiet time of the year, when the work of growing was hidden beneath the surface. The vines shut down for the season, but the trellises and soil needed attention. Patience and practice were required. There was something zenlike in the work of pruning and cultivating, and his mind wandered to its new favorite place—to Tess.

She had no idea what she meant to him. After all the drama with Lourdes, he thought he had given up on love. He believed he couldn’t do it again, couldn’t risk his heart by placing it into someone else’s care.

Tess was proof that he could. He felt an overwhelming tenderness for her, this feisty, difficult, vulnerable woman. He had brought her kicking and screaming to Archangel, and he’d expected nothing but trouble from her. He’d gotten the trouble all right. He was in love again.

The thought made him grin like an idiot. Despite what had happened in the past, he wasn’t cautious, or worried, or unsure. Despite the bleak, chilly weather, he was in a great mood. Today Isabel was going to teach him to make something called pots de crème, which apparently was about ninety-five percent chocolate and butter. He planned to serve it to Tess with a lush black Muscat made by his friend Xavier up at Misty Ridge. And then he had something important to ask her.

Charlie, the Johansens’ German shepherd, appeared at the top of the ridge. A moment later, he came bounding down the slope toward Dominic, happily joining Iggy, scampering through the vineyards. Dominic peeled off his work gloves and looked around. If Charlie was in the vicinity, that meant Tess wasn’t far behind. Lately the dog acted more like hers than Isabel’s.

He spotted Tess walking toward the small arched bridge that spanned Angel Creek. She wore an embroidered jacket and a soft-looking scarf around her neck, and her hands were jammed into her pockets. Just the sight of her lifted his heart.

“Hey, you,” he said, meeting her halfway on the bridge. He reached out to pull her against him, taking her soft face between his hands. “I was just thinking about you.” The first touch of their lips was cool, quickly warming as they melded. It felt so damn good to kiss a woman he was in love with.

She pulled away and looked up at him. “I figured you were out doing chores.”

“What’s up? You’ve got that ‘we need to talk’ look.”

“You have a good eye.” She hesitated, and in that beat of time he felt a twist in his gut. This was not going to go well. “I found the egg.”

His jaw unhinged. Then he gave a shout of laughter. “Wait, what? Seriously? Where the hell did you find it?”

“It’s with Isabel now. And it appears to be exactly what we thought it was. Exactly, Dominic. It’s perfect. And she needs to get it into a safety deposit box, because it’s worth what we thought it was worth.”

He picked her up and swung her around, laughing as his tension drained away. He’d been bracing himself for bad news.

“You’re a genius, Tess. I swear, a bona fide genius. How the hell did you find it?”

“It was...mixed in with some Christmas decorations.”

“Unbelievable. You’re unbelievable.”

“Well, about that.” She stared at the ground. “I wanted to let you know, I’ll be leaving.”

His gut turned to stone. It wasn’t the words she said but the intent behind them.

“You’re not leaving,” he stated.

“Of course I am,” she said. “I never said I’d stay. We both knew from the start—”

“We didn’t know shit from the start,” he objected. “We both know now, the whole world is different.”

“No, it’s really not. Your life is here—your winemaking, your kids, your job, your home. As for me, I have a career, and plans. I work in the city and travel all the time. My next move will be to New York or London. It’s what I do, and...I just can’t stay here, Dominic. I...can’t.”

Each word she spoke hit him like a hammer blow. He hadn’t been looking for anything when he’d met her. In fact, he’d been trying to simplify his life, not complicate it with a headstrong woman. But something had happened. She made his heart new again, and he would never be the same.

“I’m asking you to stay,” he said.

“You’re asking me to give up the life I’ve built. Would you do the same for me? Would you uproot yourself and follow me?”

Ouch. “My custody agreement prohibits me from taking my kids that far from their mother.”

She looked him in the eye. “You didn’t tell me you and Lourdes were going to counseling.”

“What the— Who the hell told you that?”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Kids need both parents,” she said, her eyes chilly. “Dominic, we made a mistake. We never should have started anything—”

“Don’t do this,” he said simply.

“I have to. Better now than later, when we figure out it can’t work.”

“Better now?” he demanded. “Better than what?”

She was crying now. He’d never seen her cry before. “It was beautiful, my time here, with you,” she said. “It was amazing, like a dream.”

“Exactly. Then why the hell are you ending it?”

“I’m sorry. I have to go” was all she said.