Page 90 of Third Time’s a Charm

Not when there’s so much on the line.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Louise

Something about the email we got from Ben yesterday bothers me, but I can’t put my finger on it.

Regardless, there’s no point worrying about it. I have too much to do. Every day.

Not that I’m complaining, because my professional dreams are coming true. But that doesn’t mean the demands of the past few weeks haven’t taken their toll. It’s been relentless.

Meetings with Ben about funding. Locating office and warehouse space we can afford. Will drawing up more legal documents than I can count to ensure everyone involved is protected. Josh coming up with marketing and advertising ideas that blow my mind. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

And through it all, two things stand out.

The first is that Jasper is always there. Calm when confusion overwhelms me. Confident when insecurity assails me. Strong when my tendency to defer threatens to take over.

We make a great team. I probably could have done this without him. Maybe. But I’m very grateful I didn’t have to.

The other thing that stands out is that, whilst I can make most decisions without too much drama, I am utterly incapable of coming up with a name for this project. It was easy to come up with a company name. L&J Holdings. But that’s just a legal entity. It’s not the name the world will see.

And my inability to settle on something is driving everyone crazy. Will needs it to finalise the last of the partnership agreements. Josh needs it to finalise logos, layouts and advertising copy. And my—our, I should say—winery partners need it to have confidence this is happening. We brainstorm constantly. Jasper is the only one unbothered by it. His view is, I’ll know when it’s right.

Wait a minute.

Three things stand out. Because, of course, it’s three.

The third thing is that Jasper hasn’t once mentioned our personal relationship.

I know he said up-front that it was entirely up to me. But nothing he has said or done recently suggests he’s interested in revisiting what we had on our road trip.

Maybe it was a moment in time, and we missed it. When I think about the idea that we let something so wonderful slip through our hands, my chest knots.

Except.

Every now and then, I catch him looking at me. Is that heat I see in his expression? At the very least, it’s warmth. But is it romance warmth or friendship warmth?

I have no idea.

And I have no idea how to bring the subject up. Because there’s so much riding on our relationship now. Not just for me, and for Jasper, but for Ben and Will and Josh and everyone who has helped us. I can’t afford to screw it up.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want it.

The problem is, how do I proposition my business partner without risking everything?

It’s déjà vu as I’m waiting for Jasper on the kerb the morning of our unexpected trip to Mudgee, although this time the sun is well and truly up. And we’re not swanning off in a swanky new BMW. It’s a second-hand Toyota hybrid. Jasper fought the practicality of buying a cheaper car, but in the end agreed the price was much more palatable for a new business owner. Because as well as being a working partner, Jasper has put a large chunk of his own money into the business.

Sometimes that bothers me, because while I had savings, and I own my own apartment—if you don’t count the mortgage—I didn’t have the kind of money needed to invest. But Jasper has never once referred to his financial stake in the business.

As Jasper opens the door to climb out and put my overnight bag in the boot, I get a blast of familiar sound.

I fasten my seatbelt to Madonna’s ‘Holiday’. Quickly followed, as we make our way down Military Road, by ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

I turn to face Jasper, who appears to be fighting a grin.

“Driver’s choice this time,” he says.

A thrill of anticipation runs through me. Because the music he’s chosen is exactly what I played on our first road trip.