Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

JESSICA

T he warmth that blanketed me all night is gone and the bed beside me is cold. Matthew is already up. I lift my arms over my head and let my legs stretch out across the mattress. I let out a long, deep yawn just as the bathroom door opens. A freshly showered Matthew, with water slickened hair and skin, steps out with nothing but a towel around his waist.

My mouth waters at the sight of him. Droplets of water run down his chest, flowing over every ridge and curve of his chest and ab muscles. All I want to do is lick those droplets off his body. The hint of scruff he had yesterday is gone and his hair is a wet tousled mess. He looks so good. My body clenches at the memory of him inside me last night, and all I can think about is having him again.

“Good morning.” His voice is low and rough as he sits on the edge of the bed next to me.

“Morning.” I roll over and prop myself up with my elbow. “What time is it?”

“A little after six.” He leans over and kisses me on the forehead before he stands and slips his boxers on under his towel. “Emmie should be up soon. I figured I’d make us breakfast before I got to work. I have to go check on those cows from yesterday. How about you?”

He picked Emmie up after dinner last night. By the time he returned with her, she was asleep and still doesn’t know I’m back. He sits back down and pulls me into his lap, hugging me close. “Run some errands in town and then head to the vineyard. That place needs a lot of improvements.”

Matthew furrows his brows. “Business is good, though. Right?”

“Yeah, it's been profitable so no worries there. But it's been years since any improvements or upgrades have been made. All the buildings need work. The Wine Room could use a facelift, inside and out. And I’ve been considering rebranding to bring the business into this decade. The business relies solely on local support and tourists. I’d like to expand that—join forces with Flathead Apparel. Our website is shit and we have zero social media presence. With some improvements and changes, I think the profits could increase considerably.”

Matthew’s smile grows and he plants a soft kiss on my lips. “Sounds like your wheels have been turning.”

I shrug and nuzzle my head into the crook of his neck. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking of ideas ever since I arrived. Just needed to pull the trigger on a major life decision. Now that I’m staying, I’m ready to get to work on it.”

He squeezes me tighter and groans. “I really hate to let you go right now, but I’ve got to get moving. I have a lot of work to catch up on since I played hooky all afternoon yesterday.”

“Okay.” I look up at him with a grin. “But first a little something to remember me.” I run my fingers up the back of his neck and fist his hair. I pull his mouth to mine for a deep, hard kiss. When I run my tongue across his bottom lip, he groans and parts his mouth, taking control. By the time we break apart, we’re both breathless.

“Damn, woman.” He growls against my neck, and his fingers dig into my hips as he struggles to maintain control of his desire. “I’m gonna be walking around hard all day for you.”

I chuckle as I slip off his lap and he stands to adjust himself. “Oh, I think you’ll live. It just builds the anticipation of what’s to come later.”

He lets out a huff and another low growl. He must catch a hint of my bare breasts at the edge of the sheet I have wrapped around me because the heat in his eyes intensifies. “Fuck it. I can be late.”

He slips his boxers off, his cock hard against his stomach, and jumps back in bed. I squeal as he pulls me underneath him, spreads my legs, and slowly slides inside me. It’s intense, quick, and fully satisfying. And I’d be more than happy spending every morning for the rest of my life just like this.

I pull up outside my family’s attorney’s office and throw the truck in park. I guess I should call him my attorney now since I’m taking on the responsibility of the vineyard, but I don’t like the sound of that. I’m not a fan of Richard but there aren’t many options around here. Watercress Falls is small, and if I want a new attorney, I’ll have to look beyond this town.

For now, I’ll deal with it. At least I’m confident Richard will do the things I ask. He may not like it and push for a different outcome, but in the end, he’ll listen.

I open the door to his office and am immediately greeted by a young perky receptionist. “How can I help you?”

“Jessica Evans, here to see Richard.” I smile in return and start to sit in one of the chairs in the waiting room when she speaks up.

“You can go on in.” She points to the closed door behind her. “He’s expecting you.”

“Thanks.” I nod and walk past her. I knock on the door and wait until I hear Richard call me in.

“Hi, Jessica. Glad you’re finally ready to make some decisions about the property.” He smiles but it doesn’t feel genuine. Nothing with Richard ever feels genuine.

“I have, but I’m not sure they’re the decisions you’re hoping for.” I don’t bother beating around the bush and just tell him what I think. “I’m keeping the vineyard.”

His smile fades and he leans forward onto his elbows. He narrows his eyes and pinches his lips together until they disappear. He lets out a long breath before he speaks. “And how exactly do you plan on running a vineyard as large as this one from Seattle?”

“Well, that’s the thing.” I smile, refusing to let him intimidate me. “I’m not going back to Seattle. ”

He straightens his back and furrows his brows. “What do you mean, you’re not going back?”

I chuckle which draws out more of a scowl on his face. “It means I’m moving home. I’m staying in Watercress Falls.”

“But why? Your life is in Seattle now.”

I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Well, now my life is here. Where it always should have been. Things change, Richard. This is my home. I love the vineyard, and I’ve always dreamed of running it someday. Granted, not quite under the current circumstances, but life doesn’t always go as planned. But I am here to stay.”

He huffs and runs his fingers through his hair before he shuffles some papers around on his desk. When he finds what he’s looking for, he scribbles a few notes then pins me with a stare. “What about the house?”

“Well, that’s a bit more complicated. I’d like—”

“Now, you just wait a minute. Jimmy had a deal in place with Matt. Denying him that house is just cruel.”

“Will you relax and let me finish?” Remarkably, my voice remains calm. He sits back in his chair and has the audacity to look offended after how he just spoke to me. I knew this would be a difficult meeting, but he could at least let me talk before he goes off half-cocked. “I’m going to sell Matt the barn and land behind it. That way he’ll always have security in his business and have room to grow if he needs it.”

“He’ll be pleased to hear that. I’ll let him know he can stop looking for a new location to relocate to.”

“What?” My jaw drops and my palms turn sweaty. I feel a hint of betrayal sinking its claws into me again. Why didn’t he tell me this? “He’s planning on moving?”

“Well, he was. He couldn’t exactly risk losing his livelihood because you’re being selfish.”

My anger spikes. “Did he say that?”

Richard shrugs and makes a few more notes before he looks up at me. “In so many words, yes.” My expression must have given away the war of emotions swirling around inside me because he continues. “Don’t act so surprised. You waltz back into this town after being gone for nearly two decades and disrupt everyone’s lives. Matt has to put Emmie first. You must know that.”

“I do.” I shift my eyes away from his and stare out the window. Have I misread everything that’s been happening between Matthew and me? Richard may be a lot of things, but he’s not a liar. I can’t imagine that he’d be making any of this up. I thought Matthew wanted to make another go at things with me. But now I don’t know. A million doubts are running through my mind. Did he lie and betray me yet again? Maybe he’s just using me to get what he wants to keep his daughter happy.

“What about the house?” Richard asks. When I look back at him, he’s watching me like he’s oblivious to my current emotional state.

“The house is a bit more complicated.” I answer. I don’t elaborate as I stand. I have to get out of here and clear my head—make sense of everything he just told me.

“Complicated how?” He barks.

I turn my back and wipe my face clean of the tears I feel trying to escape my eyes. I let out a deep breath before I turn back to face him. “Complicated in that I thought I would be living there, too. But maybe I was wrong. Start with the barn and the land he uses for his clinic. I need to talk to Adam first about creating living space for me behind The Wine Room before I commit to selling the house.”

He says something else, but my mind has already shut down. I race out to my truck and peel out of the parking space like it’s on fire. I need to clear my head and give myself time to process what he just told me. I need to lose myself in something else. I head to the vineyard since there’s no way in hell I can go back to the house and risk seeing Matthew right now.

I’ve been walking the rows of the vines all afternoon and am no closer to reconciling the Matthew I spent the night with, and the one Richard painted for me this morning. I’ve gone from flaming red mad to complete devastation and back again multiple times while walking. None of it makes sense.

Why would he tell me—beg me, actually—that he wanted a second chance and then say those things to Richard about me? His actions have been sincere and honest—heartfelt even. If all he wants is the house, he could’ve just talked to me about it instead of creating this facade where he made me believe he still loved me.

I’m so insecure in my relationship with Matthew that I’m letting Richard’s words have too much of an effect on me. I know it, but I can’t do anything to stop the spiral of negativity dragging me down.

He probably exaggerated his conversation with Matthew, but I doubt he was lying about him looking for a new location for his clinic. That seems perfectly plausible. What I don’t understand is why Matthew didn’t tell me he’s looking to move himself? That seems like something we should talk about.

I turn the corner at the end of the row and head back in the direction I just came. I glance up at the setting sun and see someone walking toward me. As they get closer, I can tell its Matthew. His body looks stiff, and he keeps fisting and unfisting his hands at his sides. He’s unhappy about something.

My shoulders tense, and I take in a few deep breaths. I can’t imagine what he has to be upset about. It’s me he’s been accused of talking ill about. I stop, cross my arms over my chest to hide the nervousness coursing through my veins, and wait until he reaches me.

“What the hell, Jess?” He huffs as he comes to stop in front of me. “You decide to sell me the house and barn but don’t bother to discuss it with me? You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

I push my shoulders back. His harsh tone gives me the strength I need to hold my ground. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

He steps closer and narrows his eyes. “I thought we agreed to work on our communication?”

“Me, too.” I poke him in the chest, causing him to lose his balance. He recovers quickly and steps into my space.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I threw my hands into the air. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe something about me being selfish by putting your livelihood at risk and forcing you to move. Why didn’t you tell me you were moving? That’s something you should’ve told me.”

His scowl drops and he takes a step back. “I’ve never said that about you. I’d never call you selfish. ”

“Then why did Richa—” My mouth snaps shut, and my eyes widen. I spin around and drop my hands to my knees forcing myself to take slow even breaths. “Of course, I’m gonna fucking fire his ass.”

Matthew steps around me and grabs me by the shoulders. He lifts me up and forces me to look at him. “Don’t blame this on Richard. What’s your plan, Jess? If you’re selling me your house, where the hell do you plan to live?”

I push him away and take several steps back. My temper flares and I can’t stop the next words from coming out. “If this is how you’re going to act because Richard exaggerated the situation, then not with you.”

His shoulder’s drop and all the anger leaves his face. “So, it’s true?”

“Is what true?”

“You asked Adam to create living space for you at The Wine Room. I thought you wanted to keep the house?”

“Does it matter? It’s just a fucking house.” I freeze at the words I just spoke. I love that house, always have. But saying those words are so freeing. “Oh, my God. Ryan’s right. It’s just a house. I don’t need it to remember my parents.” I laugh, maybe a little too hard considering the fight we’re having. Matthew looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, and honestly, maybe I have. I push my shoulders back and smile. “Yes, Matt, I will sell you the house and the barn. I’ll start packing my stuff and be out tomorrow. Clearly, we still can’t communicate worth shit. I really don’t know why we thought this could work.”

I spin on my heels and walk away.

“Jess, stop.” He runs in front of me and blocks my path. “You cannot blame this on me. There was nothing to communicate on my end. I stopped looking for a place to move as soon as we decided to give us another chance. You cannot begrudge me the opportunity to look for a secure home for my child and business before we even got back together. Maybe you should get your facts straight before you get all pissy and judge me.”

Matthew turns around and barges off, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the vineyard. Tears prick my eyes, and my stomach feels nauseous .

What just happened?

How did everything go to hell so quickly? This morning I was ready to start my life over with him. I made plans to discuss co-owning the house together and creating more permanency in our relationship.

Now, I’m left heartbroken and alone. Again.