Page 99 of A Vine Mess
She snuggled against me, and soon, her breaths evened out. Gently so as to not wake her, I shifted and rolled us until I could free the comforter and pull it up over our bodies.
And then, with a smile on my face and my girl sated in my arms, I fell asleep.
The entire Lawless familywaited outside the main house the next morning when Ella and I pulled up to say goodbye. In truth, I had zero desire to leave, would’ve been content to make that little cabin Ella and I had spent the last two nights in our new home and forget all about the final leg—and ultimate destination—of this trip.
The Lawlesses passed us around with hugs and claps on the back, exchanged phone numbers, promises to keep their brother in line—a task no one could accomplish save maybe Delia; Owen did what he wanted, when he wanted—and plans to come back and visit soon.
These people were warm and welcoming, a real family, and it made leaving and heading toward my own broken one that much harder.
I was quiet on the drive, my mind whirring a thousand miles a minute. This stretch was the longest of our trip thus far, eight hours that seemed to pass slowly and far too quickly all at once.
The only saving grace was that I had Ella at my side. She had no idea what she was doing for me, simply holding my hand, letting me sit in my silence because she knew it was what I needed. Allowing me to play an entire audiobook from start to finish without interrupting to ask questions or make me rewind it like she usually did.
She was just…there. A steady presence, an anchor holding me down when I felt like I was going to float away.
Too soon, we were driving through Portland, headed toward the outskirts where Mellie’s family winery was.
I’d spent the first eleven days of this trip relaxing, unspooling myself and giving everything I could to Ella and making it memorable for her. But the moment that sign came into view, everything I thought I’d let go of came rushing back, my entire body going taut once again.
Ella must’ve noticed the change, because she said, “It’s okay, Wills. I’m here.”
I glanced at her, trying to give her a smile that I was afraid looked more like a grimace. “I know, baby. It’s the only reason I’m not turning the fucking van around and giving the whole thing the middle finger.”
She squeezed my hand tighter. “It’s going to be okay.”
“You don’t know my family,” I grumbled.
“If they’re as bad as you say, we’ll just disappear. Just say the word, Wills, and we make a run for it.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her they were worse than I could’ve conveyed with words, and only firsthand experience would prove it.
When we pulled into the lot in front of the resort attached tothe winery, I was damn near crushed by a wave of déjà vu. Instead of getting out of the van right away, I merely turned it off and sat in silence, letting my eyes sweep over the buildings and the vineyards beyond.
It looked exactly the same, yet felt entirely different. Or maybe it was just me that was different, seeing this place through fresh eyes, through vision cleared over the course of the last five years.
“So this is it, huh,” Ella said. I shifted to face her, unable to stop my chuckle at her wrinkled nose. “Bit gaudy, don’t you think?”
The chuckle became full, booming laughter.
“Careful, Wildflower. Don’t let any of them hear you say that.”
Ella shrugged. “I guess I just prefer something with a bit more history. Don’t you?”
I clasped her hand between both of mine and brought it to my mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “If I had to choose between this place and Chateau Delatou…well, it’s not really a choice at all.”
By the way her face softened, I knew she understood what I was telling her.
I’d choose Michigan over Oregon.
Chateau Delatou over Renault Vineyards.
Ella Delatou over Merlot Renault.
It wasn’t even a fucking contest.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Ella nodded, let go of me, and got out of the van. Reluctantly, I followed, feeling for all the world like I was walking toward my death.
