The Vineyard at Painted Moon Read online

  “Just like that?”

  “Is there a reason to wait?”

  “You’re making it really easy,” she said.

  “I’m getting what I want. I have plenty of money, Mackenzie. What I don’t have is your talent. You’re the best and I want to work with you. Whatever I can do to make your decision easier is on my get-done list. Are you ready to move forward?”

  He held out his hand. She thought about all that had happened in the past few weeks. Her life had changed in every way possible. If she wanted to keep her job at Bel Après, she could, but she wouldn’t be part of the family anymore. Not after the divorce. Bruno was offering her the moon. She smiled. A painted moon, but a moon all the same.

  “I’m in,” she said, shaking his hand. “Let’s do this.”

  * * *

  Three days later, Mackenzie was drowning in paperwork. Her potential business partner hadn’t wasted any time getting the process started. She already had a partnership agreement, a preliminary sales offer for Herman and the first of what she would guess were going to be dozens of survey reports.

  She’d emailed a copy of the partnership and purchase agreements to her business lawyer but was determined to review them herself. To that end, she had a stack of sticky notes and a legal pad next to her so she could figure out her questions as she went. To switch things up, she also had the divorce settlement to go through—oh, and in her spare time, a winery to run.

  It was a lot to deal with, but also exciting. Lately she’d been waking up at four and reading for a couple of hours before starting her day job. After work, she rushed through dinner to spend several more hours in her office. At Bruno’s suggestion, she’d purchased a small lockbox in which to keep all the paperwork—no doubt the smart thing to do, but it made her feel guilty every time she put all the various files away.

  About seven, Rhys knocked on her half-open door. “Hi. I haven’t seen you much in the past week or so. I thought I’d check in and find out how things are going.”

  He looked good, she thought with a twinge of sadness. Tall and strong. Steady. Rhys had always been steady. She didn’t miss him romantically, but she regretted what had been lost.

  She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a single sheet of paper. She slid a pen close and said, “Unless you want to talk weather and the divorce, you’ll have to sign this first.”

  Her soon-to-be ex-husband stepped forward and scanned the NDA, then started to laugh. “Seriously?”

  Her natural instinct was to tell him no, of course he didn’t have to sign it. She trusted him—if he said he wouldn’t tell anyone, he wouldn’t. But her lawyer and Bruno had been very clear. Without an NDA, no one found out anything.

  He grinned as he signed, then took the seat opposite her. “Someone’s been giving you good advice.”

  “I hope so. Lawyers are expensive.”

  “But necessary. So what’s going on?”

  She drew in a breath. She and Rhys might be splitting up, but she respected his opinion. “We’re looking at Painted Moon.”

  His eyebrows rose and he gave a low whistle. “Herman’s property. That’s a beauty. Great land. Quality, established vines. Make sure you confirm the water rights. No water, no business.”

  She smiled. “That’s what I thought.”

  “Are you going to make an offer?”

  “We’re considering it.” She held several papers. “My partnership agreement with Bruno. The lawyer’s looking it over right now.”

  Rhys’s humor faded. “I’d offer to read it, but that isn’t my place anymore, is it?”

  They looked at each other, then both turned away. She spoke first.

  “Speaking of the divorce, I’ve gone over the settlement agreement and it seems okay. I’m waiting for a final approval from Ramona, but I don’t anticipate any problems.”

  He shifted in his seat. “Once we file, it’s ninety days until everything is final.”

  “Assuming we don’t contest it.”

  He looked at her. “That would be like fighting. We never fight.”

  “I know.” That was part of the problem. They hadn’t had the energy to fight about anything. And without that energy, there wasn’t any passion or drive.

  Their marriage had been like the conversation they were currently having. At this point in a breakup, other couples would be casting blame and throwing accusations like knives. Not them. They were sensible and rational. Logical. They were both moving on and soon everything they’d had would be a memory.

  Somehow that realization was the worst thing of all. Shouldn’t sixteen years together have left a few visible scars?

  “We need to tell my mom about the divorce, Mackenzie,” he said. “You can keep the rest of it from her for as long as you’d like, but letting her know about us splitting up should happen soon.”

  “I agree.”

  “I can do it.”

  He was giving her an easy out—because he was the kind of man who did that sort of thing.

  “I’ll tell her,” she said slowly. “I have a meeting with her tomorrow. I’ll give her the news then, both about the divorce and about me leaving.”

  Rhys winced. “So soon? What if it doesn’t work out with Painted Moon?”

  “Then Bruno and I will buy something else. I can’t stay here anymore. I’m hoping to take you up on your offer to live in the house for a month or so, just to give me time to settle everything, but then I need to be gone.”

  Saying the words made them real, she thought. So far there had been only bits and pieces of reality. Or maybe that wasn’t true. Maybe it had become real the second Rhys had looked at her and asked if their marriage was over.

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “I’ll be all right. It should be me, Rhys. You know that.”

  He nodded slowly. “I’ll be around if you need me.”

  “Or protection?” she asked, mostly joking.

  “You can always hide behind me.”

  A sweet offer, but not one she could take advantage of, she told herself. At least not anymore.

  fourteen

  Mackenzie tried to tell herself she wasn’t nervous about her meeting with Barbara, only she knew she was lying. How could she not be? She’d been a part of Bel Après since college—basically her entire adult life. She didn’t know anything else. Was she wrong to want more?

  Trying to ignore the question, she prowled the barrel room, hoping to distract herself but unable to do anything but check the large clock on the wall and see if it was close enough to eight thirty for her to go into the main building and see Barbara in her office.

  “I’m doing the right thing,” she whispered to herself. “She’ll understand.”

  Barbara, while occasionally difficult, had always been warm and affectionate toward Mackenzie. She remembered her first time on the property—when Barbara had invited her on a tour of the winery. They’d driven to the closest vineyards and Barbara had talked about her hopes and dreams for the business. They’d walked the barrel room and discussed the differences between a good wine and a great one. They had talked for so long that Rhys had finally come looking for them.

  Over the next couple of years, Barbara had become like a second mother. She was the one Mackenzie turned to for advice. She’d been the one to give Mackenzie away when she’d married Rhys, joking that she was happy to perform the duty because she was getting Mackenzie right back. At social events, Barbara introduced her as her daughter of the heart—a title that had both embarrassed and warmed Mackenzie.

  Now she looked around at the familiar room and wondered if she was making a mistake. Should she stay here instead of leaving? But she already knew the answer, and the truth was, she’d already decided what she wanted. As for Barbara and their closeness, perhaps that, too, had faded with time. Gone were the long walks in the vineyards
and the late-afternoon talks that spilled into the evening. These days she saw her mother-in-law during their weekly meetings, at family dinners and in passing.

  She walked to the office building, took the stairs two at a time and entered Barbara’s office.

  Her mother-in-law, dressed perfectly in a deep blue suit and pearls, smiled at her.

  “You’re right on time, as always.” Barbara motioned to a chair. “I feel as if I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  The warm tone and welcoming words made Mackenzie swallow hard. She closed the door and took a seat.

  “I’ve been busy,” she said. “There’s a lot going on.” She paused, not sure how to begin.

  Barbara leaned toward her. “Oh, dear. Something’s wrong. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me what it is. We don’t have a pest problem anywhere, do we? I know the new fencing has made a difference with the deer. I hope it’s not a bear getting into the grapes. Bears can do so much damage.”

  “It’s not about the winery,” Mackenzie told her, twisting her fingers together, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding. “It’s about Rhys and me. We’re getting a divorce.”

  Barbara’s concerned expression didn’t change. “Are you? I’m sorry to hear that. I thought you were happy together.”

  “We’re not and we haven’t been for a while. It’s a mutual decision. It’s sad for both of us.”

  “Of course it is.” Barbara leaned back in her chair. “You must be disappointed. Do you want me to talk to Rhys for you?”

  “What? No. We’re actually getting along.” She managed a slight smile. “We’re being very sensible as we uncouple.”

  Barbara nodded but otherwise didn’t seem to react. Was she not surprised or did the marriage not matter? Mackenzie wasn’t sure which.

  Barbara sighed. “However well you’re getting along, the situation must be painful. I’m sorry, my dear. Let me know if I can help in any way. And to be clear, nothing between us changes. Your job isn’t in jeopardy at all. I hope you know that already, but I want to say it anyway. You’re a significant part of Bel Après. I’ll miss having you as my daughter-in-law, but you’ll always have a place here.” She smiled. “We’d be lost without you.”

  “Thank you for saying that.” Mackenzie’s stomach flipped over and her chest got tight. “The thing is, I wanted to talk about that, too.”

  Barbara’s body stiffened as her expression tightened. “I don’t know what that means. Talk about what?”

  “My future.”

  “Which is here, where you belong. I won’t hear otherwise. You need to be here, Mackenzie. You and I are Bel Après. You’re the winemaker. Together we create magic.” She gave a high-pitched laugh. “Thinking of being anywhere else is madness.”

  “I can’t stay,” she murmured, wishing she could run and knowing she had to face whatever happened.

  “Of course you can.” Barbara’s voice sharpened. “You must. This is your home. A divorce doesn’t change that. Are you concerned about the house? We can have another one built. You can’t walk away from this. We’re part of your family, your history. Without us, what would you have?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Are you going to work for someone else? You can’t. I forbid it.”

  “How can you forbid it? You don’t own me.” Irritation replaced worry.

  “You have a noncompete contract with the winery.”

  “I don’t have a contract with you at all. I never signed one.”

  Barbara rose to her feet. “You’re wrong. Everyone signs one. I would have made sure of it. Don’t you dare think about working for anyone else. If you try, I’ll ruin you.”

  If the words were intended to intimidate, they weren’t working. The madder Barbara got, the more determined Mackenzie felt.

  “It doesn’t have to be like this,” she said, careful to keep her voice calm and reasonable. “I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “Too late for that. You’re leaving? Is that your point? Well, you can forget that. You’re fired! Do you hear me? You’re fired. I should never have trusted you. Never. I bought into that poor orphan-girl routine and the whole time you were planning to betray me.”

  Mackenzie stared at her, unable to believe what was happening. She’d always known the conversation was going to be difficult, but she hadn’t expected anything like this. The ridiculous accusations bombarded her from all sides, making her want to find a way to protect herself.

  “Barbara, please,” she began.

  Her mother-in-law cut her off. “Don’t try changing your mind now. We’re done.”

  “Barbara, I’ve been a part of this family for sixteen years. Surely we can talk about this.” There had to be some middle ground where they could remember how much they meant to each other.

  “Get out!”

  Mackenzie realized there was no point in trying to reason with her. Maybe later they could have a real conversation. She walked out the door and down the hall, not sure what to do now.

  She felt hollow and cold, and a little bit unsteady. She’d been fired. Should she empty her desk? Just leave? She had the thought that she should have let Rhys come with her. Even if he’d just waited in his office, she would have known he was close by.

  Only he wasn’t her husband anymore, she reminded herself, suddenly fighting tears.

  “Bitch.”

  She turned and saw Lori glaring at her.

  “I heard everything,” Lori continued. “I’m glad she fired you.”

  The cold loathing in the other woman’s voice was as shocking as a slap. Mackenzie took a step back.

  “Lori, why are you acting like this? You know me.”

  “Better than you think. You’re horrible and I hate you.”

  Mackenzie felt her stomach lurch and worried she was going to throw up. She ran downstairs and took a golf cart back to the house. When she was inside, she did something she’d never done in all the years she’d lived there—she locked the doors.

  She texted Stephanie and Rhys to warn them what had happened. Stephanie didn’t answer but Rhys texted he was on his way home.

  Ten minutes later, she heard knocking at the back door. She ran through the kitchen and opened it, then threw herself into his arms. He held her tight.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t expect her to fire you.”

  “Me, either.”

  He urged her to sit at the kitchen table, then tell him what had happened.

  “It was awful,” Mackenzie said, wiping away tears. “She fired me and told me to get out. Just like that. I didn’t know what to do. So much for being the daughter of the heart.”

  “She was in shock. She’ll come around.”

  “You really believe that?”

  He hesitated. “Maybe.”

  Despite everything, she managed to smile. “You are so lying.”

  “Just a little. I am sorry.”

  “I know. Me, too.”

  She told him what had happened with Lori.

  “That almost shocks me more,” he admitted. “I’ll go talk to her.”

  “Don’t. It’s done now. I guess she and I weren’t friends. I can handle it. If Stephanie turns on me, I’ll have a big problem, but I can deal with Lori not being a fan.”

  Rhys took her hands. “How can I help?”

  “Listening is big. Thank you. And it would be nice if you got my personal stuff from my desk at the office.” She tried to smile. “At least I have more time to work on buying Painted Moon. Oh, and I need to find a place to live.”

  “No. You’re staying here, just like we agreed.”

  “Rhys, no. It will make trouble with your mom.”

  He grinned. “All the more reason to stay. Look, you and Bruno are paying cash for the winery, so you can close in
a couple of months. Stay here until then.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Before she could say anything else, Stephanie raced into the kitchen.

  “I just saw your text. Mom fired you? How could she?” she demanded, hurrying over to Mackenzie and hugging her. “Are you okay? How can I help? It’s early to start drinking, but I’m all in if you want to go that route.”

  Mackenzie felt a little of her fear fading. “All I need to know is that we’re still friends.”

  “Always.” Stephanie sat next to her and grabbed her hand. “Best friends. Come on, I’m not going to let my mother get between us. Who do you think I am? Lori?”

  Mackenzie found herself laughing and crying. “Never that.”

  “I’m here,” Stephanie told her. She waved at Rhys. “Go back to work, big brother. I’ve got this.”

  He nodded and stood. “Text if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  When he had left, Stephanie leaned in. “So I’m thinking we find a witch and make a voodoo doll of my mom.”

  “I don’t think witches do that sort of thing.”

  “Whatever. Come on. We’ll go online and search for mystical revenge. That should bring up some really fun websites.”

  Mackenzie hugged her. “You’re the best.”

  * * *

  Barbara sat at her desk, trying to catch her breath. She felt as if the room had started spinning, and she couldn’t make it stop. Fury welled up inside of her, making her want to throw something, but under that was a growing sense of betrayal and panic.

  Mackenzie was leaving! How was that possible? They were a team, they’d always been a team. The two of them and the wine and everything they’d done together. Mackenzie was Bel Après. Without her, there was nothing.

  The bitch had betrayed them all and, yes, that had to be dealt with, but first, what was she going to do now? If Mackenzie left—