Under A Harvest Moon (7 page)

"Gayle told me she put you on the payroll this morning," Nico said.

"Yes." She turned her face into the wind. "I'm not exactly sure what my job description is. She wants me to make decisions, decisions I have no business making. Decisions you should be making."

"You're the boss for now."

She brought her attention to him. "I'm not qualified for the job. I barely graduated from community college."

"Gayle will show you what to do. She practically runs the place anyway."

"What can you show me?" she asked on impulse.

He shot her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what goes on in the vineyard? Will you take me out there, show me the grapes? I want to see what my father saw."

"Are you saying you want to work in the fields?"

"Yes." The more she thought about it, the more she warmed to the idea. Being out in the vineyard held more appeal than sitting in her father's office.

"Okay," he said skeptically, "you're the boss."

"She's not the boss. We're not staying here," Kaiden said from the backseat. "My dad is in the city. We're going back, right, Mom?"

The panic in his voice reminded her of every reason they could never stay. "Right, honey. I'm only working at the vineyard during our time here." She didn't want him to worry. "Let's change the subject."

Nico's mouth moved into a thin line. Is that why he'd come along tonight? Was he worried about her being on the payroll? He probably thought she'd love the power so much she'd want to stay. Ha! Nothing was further from the truth. She didn't want this kind of life. She wanted freedom, security, and a place of her own that wasn't filled with the ghosts of the past.

She glanced over her shoulder at the kids. Kaiden and Maria rode in silence, each of them staring out their own window. The sullen look was back on Kaiden's face.

Thankfully, they soon arrived at the movie theater. The kids couldn't get out of the truck fast enough. They ran ahead to the box office.

They made it through the movie and ice cream without any business talk. The kids enjoyed themselves, but Danielle felt an odd strain between herself and Nico. He didn't like her interest in the vineyard. Well, too bad.

On the ride home, both kids fell asleep. Conversation stopped, the country western music from the radio the only sound in the truck. Danielle silently thanked Toby Keith for filling the silence between her and Nico.

When they turned into the drive at the vineyard relief filled Danielle. Nico cut the engine, and the kids both stirred. Nico exited the truck, coming around to help Danielle.

"Thanks for driving," Danielle said as a sleepy Kaiden slid out of the back seat.

"You're welcome." Nico reached out to steady Kaiden. "Do you want me to walk you in?"

"No, we're fine. Thanks again." She started to move away, but Nico's fingers tangled in her sweater, stopping her. His eyes glowed, the heat making her stomach flutter.

"I'll pick you up at three a.m."

"Three a.m.?" Danielle echoed.

"That's the time I start work."

She could see the challenge in his eyes. He didn't think she could get out of bed and keep up with him all day. He was in for a surprise.

"I'll be ready," she said confidently.

From the truck, Maria called, "Dad, come on. Let's go."

Nico let go of her. "See you at three. I hope you're up for it."

Three a.m.
What was the point of even going to bed? With a shake of her head, Danielle climbed up the steps. She let herself inside, closing and locking the door. She was replaying her conversation with Nico over in her mind when the phone rang.

Danielle went to the kitchen, picking up the call. "Hello?"

"Danielle."

Her ex-husband's voice slithered in one ear and out the other. "Peter." Her hand shook on the phone. "How did you find me?"

"I've been looking all over for you, baby," he said. "Cheryl told me where you were."

She wasn't surprised Cheryl had told Peter, she was his sister and Danielle's closest friend. She probably hoped they'd get back together.

"What do you want?" she asked, unable to keep the anger from her tone. "Do you need money? I hope not, because I'm broke thanks to you."

"Come on, Danielle, you know that's not why I'm calling."

"How would I know that, Peter? You left me thousands of dollars in debt. My credit is linked to yours. When I got a job, they garnished my wages. I had to sell everything we owned to clear my name. Did you even think about how I would feed Kaiden? Have you even given your broken-hearted son one thought since you left?"

"I'm sorry." His words dripped with what she was sure was feigned regret. "I freaked out. Let me make it up to you and Kaiden."

Suddenly, it was crystal clear to Danielle why he'd called. He wanted a piece of Whitney Vineyards.

"What do you really want?" she asked.

"A second chance. I miss you and Kaiden."

Danielle waited for the pang of loss to hit her, the wave of longing for him she expected to feel, but nothing came. Instead a bitter emptiness throbbed inside her. She didn't want him back, no matter the circumstances. Any love she'd had for him had died long ago.

"I'm not interested," she said.

"You can't keep me from my son," Peter returned, his words hard now.

"I've never tried to keep you from him," she said purposely keeping her voice low. "I didn't even know where you were. Believe me, I wish I had. I would have sent the creditors after you."

"I want to see Kaiden."

"Fine. I'll drive him to Seattle. Just say when."

"No," he said quickly. "I'll come to him."

"Why?" Danielle asked. "Are you hoping to check the place out, see what it's worth? I'm not stupid, Peter. You haven't even asked about my father's death, or told me you're sorry."

"It's not like there was any love lost between the two of you."

Each word he uttered stabbed at her already battered soul. Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes. "You're a bastard."

"This is about Kaiden," he said. "I'll be out tomorrow."

"Mom, is that Dad?" Kaiden asked, coming into the kitchen. He'd put on his X-Men pajamas. "Let me talk." He reached for the phone, his face filled with hope.

"Kaiden wants to talk with you," Danielle said into the phone, hating how much power Peter had over their son.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Peter warned.

Danielle handed Kaiden the phone. He practically snatched it from her fingers he was so eager to talk to his dad.

What a creep. Danielle turned away, wiping the moisture from her eyes.

She had no illusions about what was going on here. Peter wanted a piece of Whitney Vineyards. He wasn't going to get one. She'd inherited after their divorce had become final. Still, she wouldn't put it past him to try something, anything, to get his hands on some cash.

She needed to speak to her father's attorney. She wanted to make sure that the vineyard was protected.

Peter wasn't getting one penny from her.

He'd taken enough from her already.

***

Nico left his place at three a.m., bundling a sleepy Maria into the golf cart. He drove the short distance to Whitney House and helped Maria inside, placing her on the couch in the living room like he did every morning. He'd thought the middle of the night move to the main house would bother Maria, but she seemed to sleep through the entire thing, much to Nico's relief.

For a minute he stood over her, watching her sleep. Love for her tightened his chest. She was everything to him. It hurt to think his divorce from Liz had caused Maria so much pain. Since the divorce, she'd done poorly in school. She'd been depressed, so depressed they made regular visits to a counselor in town. Visits Liz didn't support. Liz didn't support a lot of things, like his choice of profession. She thought of him as a poor dirt farmer, having no idea what he really did at the vineyard, and when he'd tried to explain, or offered to take her into the vineyard, she'd always made some excuse why she couldn't go. They been different from the get-go and probably shouldn't have gotten married, but how could he say he'd made a bad decision when he'd gotten Maria from the marriage?

The scent of fresh brewed coffee pulled Nico back to the kitchen. He gave mental thanks to the automatic timer Lola set on the machine for him each day. He reached into the cupboard to grab a travel cup.

"Save some for me."

Startled by Danielle's voice, he nearly dropped the cup, saving it from hitting the floor at the last second.

He'd spent the night wondering if she'd actually show up this morning. Her request to work with him had caught him totally off guard, but he could use this opportunity to show her what backbreaking work the vineyard was. After today, she'd think twice about wanting to work with the grapes and stick to the boring office jobs Gayle tossed her way.

"Sorry," Danielle said as she stifled a yawn, placing her hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean to scare you."

She'd dressed in a pink sweatshirt jacket and jeans. In her hand she carried a straw hat. Ah, she was learning what it took to survive here.

"I half expected you to be a no show." Nico poured coffee into his travel cup. He screwed the lid on.

"I'll earn my money." She filled a travel mug with coffee. Before she picked the mug up, she fished around in her pocket, pulling out a hot pink rubber thing she used to pull her hair up into a ponytail. "Okay, I'm ready."

Together they left the house. The night air was alive with sounds, the croak of a frog, the call of a duck, the shiver of the leaves as they moved in the cool breeze. Overhead the stars twinkled. In the field, lights could already be seen as the men began their work.

When they were in the golf cart, Danielle asked, "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to stop by the green-house first," Nico said.

"The green-house?" Danielle asked.

"It's where I grow experimental root stock and toy with grafting. I'm always hoping to grow a better grape, build a better taste."

"Really?" Danielle said with interest. "I had no idea."

They drove for about a quarter of a mile before Nico brought the cart to a stop in front of the green house. A soft blue glow lit the house. They went inside.

Danielle blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. "This is interesting. Tell me a little about what you're doing."

Her interest surprised him. "Grapes aren't genetically stable. They constantly mutate and blend, changing their flavor. I'm trying to make my own blend, something that's a little different from what everyone else grows -- a grape that will stand out and make a superior wine. I've been very successful with my cabernet/merlot blend."

"Impressive," Danielle said as she took a slow walk around, peering into the various pots, looking at the vines, all in different stages of development. "I didn't realize growing grapes was technical."

"It's science with a lot of help from Mother Nature," Nico said. "Where the sun goes down determines everything. Grapes love the sun. The sun is critical to vine placement." He removed the moisture gauge from one of the planters, checking it. "You've probably noticed that the rows are laid out north by northwest and south by southwest, exposing the vines to mellow morning sun and warmer afternoon sun. Some places on the property get more morning sun than afternoon and vice versa, and we make adjustments for that also."