It Was Only a Kiss

Jess remained quiet, and when he’d thought about what he wanted to say he spoke. ‘My father always told me that I wasn’t worthy of St Sylve for a whole lot of reasons. I didn’t want to be a winemaker. I couldn’t wait to leave the farm—him—this valley. I didn’t like my father very much and he liked me even less. But I was his only son so I inherited.’

‘And?’

‘And instead of inheriting an estate with normal death duties attached to it I inherited an operation that was so deeply, catastrophically in debt that I nearly lost my shirt, my skin and a couple of essential organs trying to save it.’ He glanced down at her. ‘Your warning eight years ago was slightly...ill-timed.’

‘Now you’re just being kind. I was a brat.’

‘You were a brat.’ Luke pulled her hair and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to give her a brief hug.

‘So, when you say “in debt”...?’

‘About-to-be-foreclosed in debt.’ Luke’s lips twisted. ‘My father managed to rack up a debt that was three times bigger than what the estate was worth.’

Jess looked astonished. ‘But...why? How...? The bank...? Why did they lend him so much money?’

Luke shrugged. ‘The power of the family name—and do not underestimate the power of Jed’s charm.’

‘So what happened when he died?’

Luke removed his arm, stepped away from her and rammed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. ‘It took every cent I’d ever made—every bit of credit I had access to—to keep the bank from taking it.’ His eyes hardened. ‘I don’t have my father’s charm. Since then, most of the money I’ve made on other deals has been poured into servicing the debt.’

‘So there hasn’t been the money to launch new marketing campaigns until now?’

‘New marketing campaigns? I didn’t have the money to employ a vintner. I had to learn to make wine—to do everything, really. We have a bit more breathing space now...so you don’t need to worry about getting paid.’

Jess hunkered down into her coat and looked at him from beneath her long lashes. ‘Can I ask you another question?’ She didn’t expect an answer because she carried on speaking before waiting for his reply. ‘Why didn’t you let it go?’

Luke looked at her, confused. ‘Let what go?’

‘St Sylve. When you inherited it, why didn’t you just sell it and walk away? Why did you save it?’

He’d considered it. On more than one occasion he’d decided to do that...to say he wanted no part of St Sylve. But despite thinking that, feeling that, he’d never managed to take that final step to walk away from his responsibility, his heritage, his name. He couldn’t allow the hard work of all his grandfathers and their grandfathers to be wasted, couldn’t pass the land they’d loved into someone else’s hands.

Jess remained quiet for a while after he’d explained that to her. Eventually she tucked her hand under his arm and rested her cheek against it. ‘So, basically, you’re telling me that a part of you loves it?’

‘Sometimes,’ Luke acknowledged with a faint smile.

‘Well, I do. Love it,’ Jess said fervently.

Luke whistled for the dogs. ‘It’s getting late. We should head back.’

Jess turned around with him. ‘Ally is talking about getting some dinner, going to a pub later. Do you want to come with us?’

Luke thought a moment. ‘Is Owen included in the invitation?’

‘They’ll have to come up for air and food some time.’ Jess smiled. ‘So I presume so. If you don’t come I’ll just stay here, catch up on my own work. I don’t feel like being a third wheel.’

Luke rubbed his jaw. ‘Maybe we both need a break. We’ll take my car. What if we leave at about half-seven?’

‘That sounds good.’

‘So, tell me about your trip...’ Luke said as they headed back home.

SEVEN

‘Ghosts do exist!’ Jess insisted, her glass of red wine wobbling dangerously.

Luke took the glass from her hand and put it back onto the small round table they were all sitting around in Rosie’s Pub and Grill. It was his—and his friends’—favourite pub to hang out in: a relaxed atmosphere, pool tables and, on the weekends, a surprisingly good band that played all their favourites.

‘You know, for a shockingly smart woman, your ability to believe in nonsense amazes me,’ Ally said, picking up a chip from the basket between them.

Luke agreed with her, but was old enough and wise enough not to say so with quite so much emphasis.