Vineyard Dreams (Beyond The Red Carpet #4)

Chapter 13

13

H arper Reeves stood beside her living room window, cradling a mug of coffee as she gazed out across the sun-dappled vineyard. The morning light painted the rolling hills in soft hues. She was starting to develop a routine of watching the sun rise from the living room and in the evenings, she liked to pour herself a glass of wine and sit out on the deck in the back to watch it set.

Just then, movement caught her eye, and she watched as Elle walked up her driveway, heading straight for her truck. Harper’s brow furrowed, and without hesitation, she set down her mug and hurried out the front door.

“Elle!”

Elle paused, her hand on the truck’s door handle, and turned to face Harper, her hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

“Hey.” Harper’s voice came out breathier than intended. “Were you going to leave without saying anything?”

Elle sighed. Her usual warmth was absent, and she crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke. “I just came to get my truck.”

“How are you?” Harper searched Elle’s face, trying to catch her eye. “I mean, after last night-”

“I’m fine.” Elle’s clipped tone cut through the morning air.

“Really? Because you’re acting like you can’t get away from here fast enough.” Harper’s chest tightened. She’d expected some awkwardness after their kiss, but this cold shoulder felt like a slap. “I thought we could at least talk about what happened.”

Elle could barely look at her. Her gaze fixed straight ahead, deliberately avoiding Harper’s. “I have a busy day ahead of me. Meetings with suppliers, a tour...”

The distance in Elle’s voice stung more than Harper expected. This wasn’t the same woman who’d shared a bottle of wine with her last night, who’d been so moved by Harper’s movie, whose lips had been so soft against hers.

Elle’s expression shifted as her hands rested on her hips. “Harper, I...” She paused as if she was trying to find the right words. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Harper felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Elle regretted their kiss? Harper swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump that had formed in her throat. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Elle kept talking, but Harper barely registered the words. Something about still wanting to rent the vineyard if Harper was agreeable. Harper nodded, not trusting her voice. Of course, she was still agreeable.

But there was so much more Harper wanted to say. She wanted to ask why Elle regretted the kiss, why she was pushing her away.

“Okay,” Elle said. “I’ll drop off the paperwork as soon as I can.”

Harper wanted to reach out, to close the distance between them, but Elle’s body language was clear. She was putting up walls, shutting Harper out. So Harper shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

“Sounds good,” Harper managed, hating how strained her voice sounded.

Elle hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more. But then she shook her head slightly and turned back to her truck.

Harper watched as Elle climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove away.

Harper walked slowly back to the house, her legs feeling like lead. A sigh escaped her lips. She was disappointed even though she’d tried not to get her hopes up, not after the way Elle couldn’t wait to get out of here last night.

But beneath the disappointment there was a reluctant acceptance. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, not even to herself, but a part of her had known something like this would happen. Elle’s grief, the way she’d poured herself into her work, the careful walls she’d built around herself – it all pointed to someone who wasn’t ready to open her heart.

Maybe Elle would never be ready. Maybe the pain of losing her wife was a wound that would never fully heal. And Harper had to find a way to accept that.