Page 17 of Keeping it Local

“And being the go-to tour guide?” He smirked at me.

I flushed, but I wasn’t sure if it was the wine, or the guy. Maybe a little of both. I was getting more comfortable with Johnny though. I was surprised that I was starting to really look forward to our time together, and not just because of his tight t-shirts and jeans, although that was an added perk.

He genuinely made me smile and forget about all the busyness in my life. My guard slowly lowered, which was new for me. After so many years of protecting my family and heart, I had a permanent wall up.

We sipped our drinks silently for a few minutes, all the while feeling my head buzzing. As I came to the last glass, I placed it back on the wire rack. I felt so out of my element here.

I hadn’t had a real date in a long time. Not that this was a date. But it felt like a date. My head spun with what I needed to do and wanted to do—neither of which lined up. Half of me was back home in Randall, looking forward to building out the farm how I’d planned, thinking about how I left things with Michael. The other half was sitting across from Johnny wondering why I didn’t allow myself to indulge and enjoy my freedom—with him. It was like I needed to prove something to myself.

“Not your favorite?” he asked, nodding toward my half-empty wine glass.

I shook my head. “No, nothing like that,” I said. “Just taking a break.”

“Two more wineries. Don’t cut us short.”

“I’m here for it. Where to next?” I asked, my mind spinning and wondering if I could cling tight to my invisible walls or if Johnny would have them crashing down around me.

Chapter 9

Johnny

We walked up to the last winery after making a few other stops in between. We had secured five donations for the festival auction already, and the volunteer gig was turning out to be less intensive of a role than I originally thought. Oberon led the way on his leash, so excited that I let him come.

Thumb Coast Winery was the newest vineyard in the area, and they did more than just wine. They had a distillery with specialty drinks and a coffee bar along with tasting nights with offerings from local restaurants. The old farmhouse was renovated only two years ago and had a modern look to it. Everything was black and white, a stark comparison to what the old cottages provided at the other locations. I heard through a few people they were pushing for that swanky vibe to bring more of the city people up this way, and by the look of the place, it was working. For a Thursday afternoon, it was packed.

“It’s so busy,” Beth said to me as we were trying to figure out where the line was.

“Yeah, I’ve actually never been here before. This place is something else. Want to try and find a seat, and I’ll grab a tasting for us?”

I watched her mill about, seeing if anyone would be leaving soon, and I headed up to grab a flight for each of us.

As I walked back, I bumped into someone.

“Sorry, man.” I patted the guy on the back and continued walking toward the bar.

“Johnny, right?” he called out, putting out his hand for me to shake and pulling me back.

“Hey, yeah, that’s me. You’re… Ethan?” I thought he may have been one of the brothers who owned the place, but I wasn’t sure.

He nodded. “Great to meet you. I’ve been meaning to hit you up. I’ve gotten together with Lane a few times, and he suggested I reach out.”

“Oh, yeah? That’s actually why we’re here—to hit you up.” I laughed at the coincidence.

“Word in town is you’re one of the bigger renters for cottages in the area. I was hoping you’d put out a few flyers out in the houses you have.”

Looking around at the crowd surrounding me, I turned my head sideways. “That hard up for business, huh?”

He chuckled. “Well, we’re full now, but not always. We’re trying to get some additional traffic during the week and a few private tour offerings. Weekends are slammed, but it dies down a ton mid-week. Figured more tourists would help.” He shrugged.

“Totally get it.” I looked over and saw Beth sitting under one of the big willow trees. Oberon lay next to her, enjoying a belly rub. Looked like she gave up on a table. “I’m sure we can do that. I actually wanted to ask you about an auction donation for the Blueberry Festival too. Beth and I are coming around and seeing who will recommit.” I looked over at Beth and saw her flatten out the flowery dress she had on. Damn, she was beautiful. And the crazy part was she had no idea. I was trying my hardest to be as even-keeled with her as possible, but frankly, I hadn’t stopped thinking about her since that first night at Windbreaker. I knew thinking about her in that way was a terrible idea though, and I needed to rein it in, even if it went against all my senses.

I was still looking over at her when Ethan interrupted my thoughts.

“That Beth over there?” he asked, tracking my line of site. “Girlfriend, I’m assuming?”

“Nothing like that.” I was unable to take my eyes off her. “I don’t really do girlfriends.”

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “You sure? A woman like that screams girlfriend to me,” he said. “Or wife.”