Page 19 of Vineyard Dreams

“Are you driving?” Harper asked as she followed her to the door.

“No,” Elle said. “I’ll walk.” She needed time to process, to untangle the mess of feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her. As she reached the door, she pulled out her phone, the bright beam of the flashlight cutting through the darkness as she pulled the door open.

“Goodnight, Harper,” she said as she stepped outside, throwing one last look over her shoulder before she started down the driveway.

Each step away from Harper’s house felt heavier than the last. It was impossible not to replay the kiss in her mind. She could still feel the sensation of Harper’s lips pressed against hers. It had been so long since she’d experienced that kind of intimacy, that electric connection with another person.

Why had she pulled away?

The beam of her flashlight bounced along the dark road. It would have been so easy to give in, to let herself get swept away by the moment, but it was hard to shake away that guilty feeling.

And then there was the vineyard.

Mixing business with pleasure was never a good idea, especially when so much was at stake. If she wanted to make this venture work, she needed to keep things professional, although Elle had no idea how she would forget about that kiss.

If Elle brought Harper the paperwork in the next few days, how could Elle sit down on the couch beside her again and pretend that that kiss hadn’t happened?

The worst thing was, Elle had started this. She’d had a feeling that Harper was attracted to her. There’d been something in her eyes when Elle had invited her over for dinner. It wasn’t obvious, but Elle hadn’t missed the way Harper’s eyes had lingered on her.

Elle’s steps slowed as the thought of their age difference crept into her mind. She knew Harper was younger, but by how much? She’d avoided thinking about it earlier, but now, walking alone in the dark with the memory of their kiss still fresh in her mind, she needed to know.

She unlocked her phone, hesitating for a moment before typing Harper’s name into the search bar. Her heart beat faster as she scanned over the words.

Harper had turned thirty-eight at the start of the year.

Elle stopped walking. Sixteen years. She stared at the number on the screen, her earlier warmth from their kiss fading. How had she let herself get carried away like this?

She was fifty-four. She was too old for a complicated situation like this. The business arrangement, their age gap, her grief - everything pointed to why that kiss had been a mistake.

Did Harper even know how old she was? Elle thought she looked good for her age, that she could easily pass for her late forties. She kept herself fit from the physical demands of running the vineyard, her body strong and toned from countless hours pruning vines and hauling equipment.

But looking younger didn’t change the reality of those sixteen years between them. Harper was in her prime, a successful actress with her whole life ahead of her. Elle had already lived through so much - marriage, loss, rebuilding her life. They were at completely different stages.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her. She was being ridiculous. This was Harper Reeves, for God’s sake. An Oscar-winning actress, a glamorous Hollywood star. What could she possibly see in someone like her? A middle-aged vineyard owner, still grieving the loss of her wife after all these years.

Elle started walking again, her pace quicker now. She needed to put this behind her, to focus on what was important. The vineyard. That was what mattered, not some fleeting infatuation with a woman she barely knew.

She needed to forget about Harper, to compartmentalize that kiss and move on. They would go ahead with the plan for Elle to rent the vineyard. It was a good business decision, a way to honor Harper’s father’s legacy and expand her own operation. But that was it. Nothing more.

She wouldn’t let herself get caught up in some fantasy, some impossible dream of a relationship with a woman who was clearly out of her league.

13

Harper 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.

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