Page 93 of Blue Hawaiian
The same thought had crossed Jess’s mind. She also told herself if Connor didn’t want a relationship—if all he wanted was another fling or a friends-with-benefits deal—she had to be strong enough to turn him down. Otherwise, she’d be making the same mistakes as she had before.
“I’m not trying to talk you out of it. If you still love him, it’s worth a shot.” Gabi checked her watch. “But it’s already five thirty. Once you drop me off, you should get going. The longer you wait, the harder it’ll be to make your way up to the mountains in the dark.”
Jess maneuvered into the departures lane and pulled over by the sign for Southwest Airlines. “If I leave now, I should get there by seven thirty. That’s not too late.”
“Just drive carefully, okay? And let me know how it goes. No leaving me out this time.”
“Got it.” Jess popped the trunk of her car.
Gabi got out, slung her carry-on bag over one shoulder, and hoisted her rolling suitcase onto the curb. She gave Jess a quick hug. “Thanks for the ride. It was great seeing you.”
“You too. Thanks for coming to celebrate Mama’s birthday.”
Gabi turned to leave, but not without a parting shot. “No wimping out on Big Bear! I’m checking on you tomorrow!”
Jess laughed. She got back into her car and entered the address for Blackwood Lodge into her phone. Only then did she notice it had nineteen percent charge remaining. And she hadn’t brought her charger. But if she went back and retrieved it, she’d lose valuable time.
The turnoff for the freeway was half a mile ahead. Decision time.
What if this was a big mistake? Three months was a long time to be apart.
What if Connor wanted a quick romp in bed but nothing more?
She had to stop overthinking things. At this point, she had nothing to lose but her dignity, and she’d lost that so many times it no longer mattered.
She pulled onto the 210 Freeway and headed east.
Chapter 37
Connor hadn’t intended to call Tom Bartolli. He told himself he wouldn’t obsess over the winery this weekend, that he would let himself enjoy a well-earned break. But by Saturday afternoon, he wanted to make sure nothing catastrophic had happened.
Tom laughed at him. “You’ve only been gone twenty-four hours. Everything’s fine.”
“But have you checked—”
“Don’t worry about it. Reb and I have things under control. You need to get some sleep.”
“I’m not tired,” Connor said.
“Then you need to get laid. The sooner the better. Go out drinking, find a hot little number, and bring her home. I swear, you’ll thank me for it.” With that, Tom hung up on him.
Connor glared at the phone. Tom acted like it was so easy. Like all he had to do was head down to one of the bars in the village, have a few beers, and find a willing female.
Actually, for most of his adult life ithadbeen that easy. But not lately. The last time he’d been with a woman was three months ago, in Maui. Since then, he’d experienced the longest dry spell of his adult life. And he’d done it willingly. Because of Jess.
At first, when he got back to Temecula, he was too busy to think about her. After meeting with a few potential investors, he’d secured enough funds to purchase the winery. He didn’t even need to put his condo on the market. A week later, he and his partners made an offer, but when they were hit with a counteroffer, they almost lost the deal. Fortunately, he received a last-minute boost from an unexpected source. Marc’s dad, Rob Blackwood, offered him a substantial loan.
With the loan in hand, Connor and his partners could up their bid and purchase the winery and adjacent vineyards. Closing the sale in August was sheer lunacy. They had barely taken ownership when they had to bring in the grape harvest. As a result, they killed themselves working sixteen-hour days. But no matter how hard Connor drove himself during the day, when he was alone at night and able to unwind, he thought about Jess.
Not just fantasizing about her but longing to talk to her. To tell her how his plans were going. To hear about her writing project. To confide in her when he was at his lowest, filled with fears he wouldn’t succeed. A few times, he’d been on the verge of reaching out to tell her he couldn’t wait another minute.
But he’d followed the damn rules. And as the evening drew near, he regretted not texting her to confirm the date. Now that she was under her mom’s roof, she might have a harder time getting away for the night. Especially since Mrs. Chavez wasn’t his biggest fan.
After agonizing for another ten minutes, he caved and called Jess. All he wanted to do was check in on her. What if her car was out of commission? Or she’d been in an accident? Entirely possible, given her propensity for bad luck.
His call went to voicemail. He followed it with a text but got no reply.
The crunch of tires on the gravel driveway caught his attention.Finally. He couldn’t wait to sweep Jess off her feet and carry her into the lodge. After dinner, he’d make a fire so they could recreate their unforgettable first night together. Heart pounding, he raced out to the porch only to see a sleek silver Audi. His stomach plummeted as his sister emerged from the car.
