Page 59 of Meet Me in the Vines
“Are you ready, Mouse?” I ask through her open window.
“I’ve been ready for a decade, baby,” she teases. Her voice, light and airy. She leans over and kisses me before I jog around the front of the truck and slide into the driver’s seat.
She grabs my hand and laces her fingers through mine as we head toward Sunset Valley Point.
Let the redemption date begin.
Sunset Valley Point overlooks all of Oakwood Valley. If you listen close enough, you can hear the rush of the Napa River lapping against the rocks as it flows through the rugged hills. Gallant mountains paint the background in the distance andevergreen forests stretch for miles. It’s like living in the middle of a postcard, but this beauty doesn’t hold a candle compared to the woman next to me.
This is a local spot, so there are usually no tourists on the trail. We don’t need to hike far to find ourselves a quiet, secluded spot in the soft grass to spread out our blanket. The sky fades to an orange hue, highlighting the strands of red in Audrey’s hair. I stare as she gets herself settled. She slips off her heels, showing off her pink painted toenails.That’s new.Never thought painted toe nails could turn me on. She sits with her legs sideways, tucking them just beneath her. Her eyes glow with the sunlight, brightening every delicate feature of her face. It’s surreal to be here with her after dreaming about what our first date would’ve been like in this very spot.
Damn, she’s pretty.
“Are you gonna sit there gawking or what?” she teases, earning a chuckle from me.
“You just…you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I mean, Jesus. Look at you,” I boast, my eyes caressing her entire body.
Her cheeks flame in that pretty shade of pink that I love as she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip.
“Thank you for the dress,” she coos. “I love it.”
“You’re welcome. It looks perfect on you.” I shift my eyes down and smirk.
“What?” she asks as her eyes and hands skim her dress like she’s spilled something on it.
I bring my gaze back to her and stare. I stare hard. I see her the way I did all those years ago. A love-struck kid who wondered what it was like to be with Audrey Winthrop. The quiet, mysterious girl stuck in a book, in another world.
“Nothing. It’s just—” I scratch the back of my head. “I never thought I’d have another chance, you know? To do this,” I say,lifting my hands up to gesture around me. Her gaze softens as she reaches for my hand.
“I’m never letting you go, Audrey. Never again,” I whisper. Her bright eyes shimmer and a smile so wide forms on her lips, it knocks the air clear out of my lungs.
“Then don’t.”
She tugs my hand and pulls me toward her. Her arms wrap around my neck as we embrace. A long, peaceful embrace. She buries her face in the crook of my neck and holds me there. No words spoken, just a physical exchange of forgiveness and hope.
A loud grumble escapes her stomach as we pull back from our hug. “Let’s eat,” I chuckle under my breath.
“Ooh, what did you bring us?” she beams. I empty the contents of the picnic basket and lay out all the goods in front of her. Her eyes widen and she licks her lips. I eagerly lean forward, nipping at her sexy, pink, pouty lip.
“I brought us burgers and fries from Golden Grape, chocolate-covered strawberries from Sip & Savor—thanks to Josie—and a bottle of Pinot Noir, made by yours truly,” I gloat, winking at her. I go to grab the wineglasses from the basket, but they aren’t in there.
“Shit, I forgot the wine glasses,” I stammer. She swipes the bottle from my hand, uncorks it, and takes a sip straight from the opening.
“Don’t need ‘em,” she says playfully. I raise an eyebrow and smirk.
“I like your style, Mouse. Dig in.” I place a box in front of her containing her burger and fries, and when she opens the box, she licks her lips again.
“Baby, if you keep licking those lips like that, I’m gonna give you something else to lick,” I grumble, narrowing my eyes at her.
She bites her bottom lip and grabs the burger, taking a huge bite while rolling her eyes to the back of her head. That gets a hearty laugh out of me.
“So, Isabel had a lot to say about you when I stopped by earlier,” she hums. Her eyebrow quirks up at me as she pops a fry into her mouth. Isabel could never keep her mouth quiet.
“Good things, I hope?” I ask. She finishes chewing and crosses her arms over her chest.
Uh oh.
“You used to stare at me in the cafeteria?” she teases.
