Christmas Romance (The Best Christmas Romance of 2016): The Love List Christmas (14 page)

Chapter Two

Dakota’s step had bounce in it as she entered Vinegrove Country Hospital. She set her purse down at the nurses’ station and waved to the woman across the room.

“Good morning, Dr. Miller.”

“Good morning Dakota, and please call me Becca. How was your first night in Vinegrove?”

Becca poured a cup of coffee and offered it to Dakota.

“I slept like a baby. It was so peaceful and quiet. I thought I’d have difficulty falling asleep without sirens and all the noises of the city.”

Dakota’s smile made a soft sound that made her shoulders shake and her eyes twinkle.

“Get used to that. Not much happens in Vinegrove. I came from New York so I know what you mean about the city noises. But you couldn’t pay me to go back there. I love it here.”

Becca lifted her coffee cup in the air as a silent cheer and then took a sip. Dakota lifted hers. “I’m with you. I don’t miss it one bit.”

The quiet of the emergency room was interrupted and Dakota turned to see a woman pushing a trolley.

“Denise, come meet Dakota,” Becca called out and the woman waved one finger in the air. She parked the trolley in a nearby workroom and moseyed toward the nurses’ station.   The emergency room only contained a few curtained beds and the nurses’ station, no bigger than the den at her old flat. From the nurses’ station, a small corridor led to three closed doors. She’d been used to a non-stop large department but she knew she’d appreciate the slower pace. The peace and serenity Vinegrove offered was exactly what she needed.

“It’s great to have you join us Dakota. I’m Denise.” She surprised Dakota with a warm embrace.

Everyone she’d met so far had been so friendly. She felt genuinely welcomed. It just felt odd after all her years in the city, and more so, the lack of sincere humanity from her mother and sister. She loved them. They were her family. But they weren’t her only family. There was one missing link. The one she’d yearned to find for the past ten years. At least her dad—or Neil as she now referred to him—had been honest with her. She’d dreamt and searched for her biological father for years. Her mother wouldn’t reveal any more information than she’d initially given. Dakota had accepted her mother’s ignorance and investigated on her own.

“Thanks, Denise. I love it here already.”

“It may not be as exciting as the big city but every once in a while we get a little action.”

Denise turned to Becca and her eyebrows shot up under her blonde fringe. She winked and let out a light hearty chuckle.

Becca snorted and turned to Dakota. “You’ll get used to Denise. She says what’s on her mind.”

Dakota joined in the laughter that filled the empty room. Becca then excused herself and wished Dakota luck on her first day. Denise called out to remind Becca about lunch. Becca waved her hand in the air as she started down the corridor and then turned to Dakota.

“You’ll join us today. The coffee house down the street makes the best chicken salad sandwiches and their coffee is better than Becca’s.”

Dakota wasn’t sure if it was an invitation or a command, though it sounded friendly no matter which way she’d meant it. She agreed and then laughed as she heard Becca call out from down the corridor, “I heard that Denise.”

Denise shrugged and laughed. “It’s true.”

The morning lingered with only a few visitors to the emergency room but it gave Dakota time to get familiar with her new surroundings. Denise enlightened her with a few Vinegrove stories. Some they laughed at whole-heartedly and one made Dakota sigh with awe. It sounded like a fairy tale. The story of how Becca had changed the views of the town’s most confirmed-bachelor.

“They married last summer at his family’s vineyard.” Denise sighed. “It was the most beautiful outdoor wedding; so magical and romantic. I’ll have to bring in the pictures to show you”.

Denise held her hand over her heart and sighed heavily.

“Oh Denise, are you still talking about the wedding?” Becca snorted in laughter.

Denise turned when she heard Becca’s voice. She winked. “Of course, you know I loved every minute of it.”

“It sounds like you had the perfect wedding Becca,” Dakota added.

“It was. I’m lucky to have found the perfect guy.” She grinned and then added, “Maybe Vinegrove will bring you luck too.”

Dakota let out a sarcastic breath through her laughter. “A good bottle of wine will do me just fine.”

“Ha! You sound like me when I first came here. But I can definitely help you there. My best friend, Tegan, owns the only wine shop in town. It’s called
Que Syrah Syrah.”

“Love the name.” Dakota thanked Becca for the advice. A good bottle of wine was definitely on her list after her shift finished. She didn’t need a man, but thoughts of Mr. Stetson still lingered in her mind. Each time she’d shake those thoughts and remind herself he was just candy to the eye. She wanted to settle into her new life and meet the man she’d changed her zip code for.

Dakota’s shift finished by the time the sun had set, but she decided to take a stroll through town. The small shops that lined the main street were adorable. They were well-kept and inviting. Before she knew it, she’d strolled to the end of town and found herself right in front of a sign.
Que Syrah Syrah.

“Beautiful evening, isn’t it?”

Dakota almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn’t noticed anyone along the street. The shops had already closed. She looked up to see a woman standing at the doorway. She figured it must be Tegan, Becca’s friend who owned the little wine shop. She returned the greeting with a smile.

“It is. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to linger outside your shop. I’d been walking along Main Street admiring this quaint little town. Are you Tegan?”

The woman stepped off her porch and extended her hand.

“I am Tegan, proud owner of the only wine shop in town.”

“Hi, I’m Dakota.” She exchanged Tegan’s friendly introduction.

“You must be the new nurse at the hospital. Becca mentioned you were moving to town.” Tegan laughed. “Sorry, it’s a small town.”

Dakota chuckled. “No worries. I fell in love with Vinegrove instantly. Becca mentioned you too. She said you were the woman I could get a good bottle of wine from.”

“Absolutely. Come in and have a look.”

Tegan turned and motioned to Dakota.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to sound so forward. I can come back when you’re open.”

“Don’t be foolish. My door is always open after a long shift at the hospital, and especially for new friends.”

Dakota followed her into the shop and stood in inside in awe.

“I love the name, by-the-way; and Becca was right that I’d love the shop even more than its name.”

Dakota browsed through briefly. She didn’t want to over stay her welcome. Tegan had been kind but she didn’t want to keep her from plans she might have.

“I won’t keep you. You’re so kind. Can I grab a bottle of Chardonnay? Then I’ll let you enjoy your evening.”

Tegan looped her arm through Dakota’s. “Oh, it’s no trouble. Come with me and I’ll get that bottle for you.” She placed the Chardonnay in a bag and Dakota handed her some cash. She thanked her again and turned toward the door when she heard Tegan call out from behind the counter.

“There’s not much to do in Vinegrove and I don’t know if Becca mentioned it yet, but there’s a few of us who get together once a week if you’d like to join us. We started it as a book club but it ended up being more of a wine and chat group.” Tegan laughed.

Dakota smiled. “That’s very kind of you. I’d love to join.”

Tegan waved goodnight after she gave the date and time of their next chat. Dakota asked if she could bring anything with her. “We love food as much as we love our wine. And we love surprises.” Tegan winked. Dakota gave a thumbs-up before she left.

She smiled as she strolled back down Main Street.
I’ve definitely made the right decision to move here. Whether or not my search is correct and this is where he is.

Chapter Three

“Tristan, are you in here?”

Tristan had been filtering the wine to remove any remaining solids. He’d just been about to test its quality with taste when he heard Chase call out his name.

“Over here, Chase.”

He hoped Chase would follow his voice so he didn’t have to stop his preparations to filter the wine for their casks. Tristan had recently taken on the role of manager for the Tanner Vineyard, yet he wore many hats in that position. Before he came to Vinegrove, he’d worked for a winery in Tuscany as their Viticulturist. His job covered everything from deciding what grape varieties to plant and the best time to harvest them. There were many aspects to viticulture and Tristan had spent the past fifteen years in Europe studying and then working the vineyards.

When Chase asked if he’d consider managing the family vineyard, he jumped at the opportunity. He hadn’t been in the States since he was eighteen. At thirty-three, he wanted to settle down and be close to family again. His parents had been taken from him too soon. The only family he had left were the Tanner boys. As young boys, the cousins were very close. His absence of fifteen years hadn’t changed that. He had family and a job he loved. All he wanted to add to the mix was a good woman to have children with and grow old in Vinegrove. The first few months had kept him busy as he settled in. He hadn’t had much time to even think about a woman. But Miss Country Girl hadn’t left his thoughts the past twenty-four hours.

“There you are. Drinking on the job again?”

Chase’s comment made Tristan laugh as he tasted. Wine sprinkled through his nose as he snorted out a mixed choke and laugh.

“The best perk of this job.”

Tristan set down the wine he’d attempted to taste.

“How was your shift?”

Chase quickly updated him with the menu he’d cooked for his fellow firefighters. Tristan laughed. “Sounds good, I should become a firefighter. All you guys seem to do is eat.”

Chase shrugged his shoulders in agreement. “That’s a good thing; it means there are no fires in Vinegrove.”

“True,” Tristan agreed and poured Chase a sample of his latest. Chase raised his glass to his cousin’s and then closed his eyes as he took a taste. He licked his lips and then smiled. That was enough to tell Tristan he had his cousin’s approval.

“And?” Tristan awaited the confirmed approval.

Chase opened his eyes and moved his glass toward Tristan’s for a toast. “Beautiful.”

“Now I know why I called you back. We need you, Cuz.”

Tristan grinned. He loved to please people with another winner.

“Oh, I’m the one that’s thankful you called. I’ve always wanted to come back here.”

He walked back to the main house with Chase. Becca’s car pulled up as they reached the front porch. Tristan waved to her as Chase raced down the steps and opened his wife’s door. He watched as the two lovebirds embraced in a kiss. He loved to see his cousin so happy. He only wished he could feel that too. Tristan’s hand had been about to turn the knob when he heard Becca call out his name.

“Tristan, I may have found the perfect woman for you.”

He chuckled before he turned back.
Here we go again
, he thought as he turned and smiled. It hadn’t been the first time Becca attempted to set him up on a blind date. He’d used the excuse that the winery came first. Chase’s comment saved him this time.

“Becca, stop playing matchmaker; I’m sure my cousin is quite capable of finding a date when he’s ready.”

But he
was
ready. The winery had kept him busy but since he’d met Dakota the day before, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He stepped down from the porch and surprised them.

“I might be ready. I met a woman yesterday.”

“Oh, do tell.” Becca pushed Chase aside.

“Oh, now I’m nothing special.” Chase’s comment made them laugh.

“Don’t be silly honey, you’re always special.” She winked at her husband and then turned quickly back for Tristan to spill.

“It’s just a thought, but I promise to keep you in the loop, Becca.”

She sarcastically chuckled that she’d leave it be for now. Her hands shook in the air as she climbed the steps to the front door. Tristan motioned for Chase to follow his wife. He loved being around family and working on the vineyard. Now, if he could convince Dakota to go out with him, life would be perfect.

Dakota pulled the Chardonnay from its bag and then realized she didn’t have a cork screw.
Damn! That’s something every woman should carry in her purse for times like this,
she thought. She looked at her watch and wondered if it’d be too late to bother Mrs. Browne. She’d rented a room from a sweet old lady who lived close to the hospital. Once she settled and found a place of her own, she’d arrange for her belongings to be moved from Seattle. But then remembered the sweet old lady told her she’d be in her kitchen until nine o’clock every evening. She’d mentioned she’d keep a plate of dinner for her on the counter and to help herself when she arrived home from the hospital. Dakota grabbed the bottle of wine and headed to the kitchen. There she found Mrs. Browne at the table doing her word-search. She looked up when Dakota entered.

“Good evening dear, how was your first shift at the hospital?” Her voice sounded as sweet as she appeared. She sat at her kitchen table with pen in hand and a light sweater wrapped gently over her shoulders. Dakota smiled.

“Great, thank you for asking. I’m in love with this little town.”

Mrs. Browne pointed to the bottle in Dakota’s hand. “I see you’ve met Tegan. She’s a lovely girl and her little shop is very popular around here. It was a shame last year when it went up in flames. But the town pulled together and helped her rebuild.”

Dakota pulled a chair out from the table and sat. “Oh, Mrs. Browne, what a terrible tragedy but I’m not surprised everyone helped. The people of Vinegrove seem so friendly.”

Mrs. Browne gave a little pat on top of Dakota’s hand that rested on the table.

“Yes, the townsfolk stick together in good and bad times. And please, Dakota call me Ethel. Mrs. Browne makes me sound like an old woman.” Ethel chuckled and returned her focus to the puzzle she’d been working on. Without another glance from it, she announced there to be a bottle opener in the second drawer beside the sink.

Dakota silently chuckled and realized she still held the bottle. She found what she needed exactly where Ethel had told her. Before she began her search in the cupboards, she heard Ethel tell her where she’d find a wine glass.

“Your dinner plate is in the oven. Be careful, the plate is hot, so use the potholder there on the counter beside the stove. Please turn off the oven for me, dear.”

Dakota smiled. Ethel hadn’t moved her eyes from her puzzle as she directed.

“Would you like a glass of wine Ethel?”

“Oh no dear, but thank you. I only have wine with my bridge girls on Tuesday evenings.”

Dakota pictured a bunch of little old ladies sitting around Ethel’s kitchen with cards in hand and wine glasses on the table. That thought warmed her heart. It made her think of Tegan’s invitation to join a few ladies for a wine and chat night. She looked forward to it and the thought that they’d become like Ethel and her friends in the years to come. Dakota walked toward the staircase with her plate and wine in hand. She’d left the bottle on the counter.

“Join me at the table,” Ethel called out and then added, “I can chat and do my puzzle at the same time.”

Dakota accepted her offer. She felt at home and for the first time didn’t care if she found a place right away. She loved being in Ethel’s company.